Remembering Officers for How They Lived

Toronto Police Constable Mark Pinizzotto and Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Sergeant Brandon Malcolm were among six fallen officers honoured on Parliament Hill at the 49th annual Canadian Police and Peace Officers Memorial Service on September 27.

Pinizzotto was serving with the Emergency Task Force when he died in the line of duty last June. Malcolm had served in the Toronto Police Auxiliary Program before joining the OPP. He died in the line of duty in April.

Their Toronto connections gave the national ceremony particular meaning for members of the Service.

“This has been a very difficult year for the police and the community across this country,” Chief Myron Demkiw said. “Also, very importantly is that we’re here for the families.”

Pinizzotto had also worked at 23 Division and Toronto Police College. The tribute read in Ottawa described him as a valued teammate and teacher whose patience, professionalism and enthusiasm inspired colleagues.

The former professional hockey player remained involved in the game as a coach and mentor to young players. He was remembered, too, for his interest in other people’s stories and the relationships he maintained with them.

Malcolm’s policing journey began as a Toronto Police Auxiliary member. He advanced to the rank of auxiliary sergeant, building experience in community policing before achieving his goal of becoming an OPP officer in June 2020. He served with the OPP’s Northumberland Detachment, joined its Golden Helmets motorcycle team in 2024 and was promoted to sergeant in April 2025.

At the ceremony, Inspector Peter Morris, the ETF Unit Commander, presented Pinizzotto’s headdress, while Constable James Clark presented Malcolm’s. The two were honoured alongside four other police and peace officers from Quebec, Ontario and Alberta.

Minister of Public Safety Gary Anandasangaree welcomed the families and loved ones of officers who died in service this year and in previous years.

He said their presence mattered deeply to everyone gathered at the memorial.

“This is our opportunity to pay respects to these heroes,” Anandasangaree said. “We read their names, engrave them on this memorial and reflect on their lives and service.”

He acknowledged the risks officers accept when they leave home for work, often expecting to return to their families at the end of a shift and spoke directly to the limits of a public tribute for families living with a private loss.

“Anyone who has ever mourned a loss knows that no ceremony can take away the grief,” Anandasangaree added. “Grief moves at its own pace. Memories do not fade. While the memorial honours the officers’ service, those closest to them remember their lives beyond their uniforms for how they played with their kids, joked with their friends, lit up a room and the dreams that they had. These are legacies too, and they will live on.”

Chantal Lewis, president of the Canadian Peace Officers’ Memorial Association, said those personal lives must remain at the centre of the annual ceremony.

“Behind each name is a person, a loved one, a colleague, a friend,” she said. “And with each loss, families, friends and colleagues are left to face a loss they never imagined and an absence they never chose.”

Lewis offered her sympathies to the families and assured them that others shared their grief.

She said those who continue to serve carry the memory of fallen colleagues with them as they protect their communities.

“To our fallen officers, we simply want to say thank you,” added Lewis. “Thank you for your courage, thank you for your dedication and thank you for the sacrifices you made for others.”

The ceremony culminated a weekend to remember officers who died in the line of duty.

Hundreds of officers made a 460-km relay run and a 1,000-km cycling journey in commemoration of friends and colleagues who are etched on the memorial on Parliament Hill.