Barrie park renamed in honour of Grzegorz 'Greg' Pierzchala

Dozens of community members came together in Barrie on Saturday to remember the life of Provincial Constable Grzegorz 'Greg' Pierzchala by renaming a city park in his honour.

The park at 443 Mapleton Avenue in Barrie, now known as Grzegorz 'Greg' Pierzchala park, stands as a lasting tribute to the fallen Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) officer who called Barrie home.

"This is an incredible honour bestowed upon Greg, his family and our entire organization that the city cared enough to name a park after Provincial Constable Greg Pierzchala, and it speaks a great deal to his character," said Thomas Carrique, OPP Commissioner.

Those in attendance for the memorial park unveiling included Mayor Alex Nuttall, along with Councillors Nigussie Nigussie, Gary Harvey, Craig Nixon, and Ann-Marie Kungl, Ontario Provincial Police dignitaries, Barrie Police Service representatives, and the Pierzchala family and their friends.

"The legacy and the dedication that Greg had to his family and his community is something that we need to do; we need to ensure that we allow his legacy and the great things he did to live on and inspire the next generation," said Alex Nuttall, Barrie Mayor.

Pierzchala was a 28-year-old OPP rookie with a passion for policing and helping his community when his life was tragically taken in December of 2022.

While growing up in Barrie, Pierzchala, who attended St. Joan of Arc catholic high School, often used Batteaux Park as it was formerly known for training; Michael Pierzchala called the location a significant site to honour his brother.

"It means a lot, we used to go to school here and we used to use this park a ton growing up, so it is an incredibly significant location to our family," said Pierzchala.

In addition to the renaming, the park includes a fitness circuit near the playground, with a plaque also located on the grounds.

"Greg would have been completely honoured to have something in his name like this that can hopefully do some good for his name and be remembered; he would be honoured," said Pierzchala.