Marc Pinizzotto would have turned 44 on Sept. 24.

For his birthday, his family would usually gather around an Italian ice cream cake — a simple tradition his mother Linda remembers as precious family time.

“We like the Italian ice cream cake, of course, gelato,” she said. “It was just family time.”

But this year, that cake won’t be there.

The Toronto Police officer was shot and killed in the line of duty on June 11 during an operation with the Emergency Task Force, where he had served for the past five years.

Nearly three months later, his mother is working to make sure her son’s legacy endures — through a foundation bearing his name and a broader push for change.

A foundation built around Marc’s passions

The Marc Pinizzotto Foundation will focus on supporting young people through sports, music and the arts — causes closely connected to Marc and the life he lived.

“He wanted to help children. He coached children. He loved kids,” Linda said, describing her son’s commitment to giving back to the community and encouraging children not only through sports, but also through music and the arts.

A husband and father of two, Pinizzotto served with Toronto Police for 18 years but before becoming a police officer, hockey was a major part of his life. He played at a high level before going on to coach and mentor younger players.

Now, that connection to the sport will become part of the tributes honouring him.

Linda says Oakville Mayor Rob Burton has moved forward with naming the Red Arena at Sixteen Mile Sports Complex after her son.

“Which is incredible,” she said.

More tributes are also planned in the coming months.

Linda says Marc will be featured during an event at the Living Arts Centre in December, while Juno Award-winning Canadian singer Cathy Young has created a song in his honour that is expected to be released next month.

Marc’s name has also become a permanent part of the community where his story began.

A park in Mississauga’s Lorne Park neighbourhood, just steps from Marc’s childhood home, now bears his name — creating a lasting connection between him and the community where he grew up.

Linda expressed her gratitude to Mississauga Mayor Carolyn Parrish and the city for honouring her son and helping ensure his name remains part of the community that shaped him.

From three brothers in hockey to a call for change

For Linda, however, preserving Marc’s legacy is about more than memorials.

She wants his death to become a catalyst for conversations about public safety, and at the centre of that effort is a name that has been part of the Pinizzotto family for decades: P3.

“P3 was a terminology that our family used forever, like back in the late ’90s,” Linda said. “Everybody knew Pinizzotto was three boys in hockey.”

What once represented the three Pinizzotto brothers, and their connection to hockey is now taking on a new purpose.

Linda wants P3 to bring together the public, police, and politicians to discuss public safety and what she believes needs to change.

“We want to see the politicians work together with the police and the general public,” she said. “We need to see a change.”

For Linda, it is another chapter in the promise she made to her son: to make sure Marc is remembered not only for how he died, but for how he lived, and to turn his legacy into something that can help others long after he is gone.