Park renamed for Elijah Marsh, 3, who froze to death in 2015

The family of Elijah Marsh say they're overwhelmed with gratitude after the city announced plans to rename the park where he used to play in his honour.

A plaque was presented to Elijah's family at Tuesday evening's ceremony in Rajah Park

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Elijah Marsh 'was just a perfect little dude,' said his godmother a week after his body was found. He had wandered away from his grandmother's home in bitterly cold temperatures in only a shirt, diapers and boots. (Toronto Police Services)

More than 100 people turned out for a ceremony Tuesday night to rename a park in honour of a three-year-old boy who died tragically after wandering away from his grandmother's apartment amid frigid temperatures three years ago.

Elijah Marsh died in February 2015, after heading out into the cold in just boots, a t-shirt and a diaper. Volunteer searchers later found the toddler without vital signs in the backyard of a nearby home. 
Elijah's name memory has been etched into the thoughts of those in his neighbourhood ever since. Now Rajah Park, a five-minute walk from the low-rise Neptune Drive and Bathurst Street apartment where the boy lived, bears his name.  Marsh's name and memory have been etched into the memories of those in his neighbourhood ever since. Now Rajah Park, a five-minute walk from the low-rise Neptune Drive and Bathurst Street apartment where Marsh lived, bears his name. (Darek Zdzienicki/CBC)

"We're still here, we're still standing because of the support that friends and family and loved ones have given us. And this is such an honour for this park, that he used to play in, to be named after him," Georgette Marsh said at the ceremony. 

"This park is a beautiful way to commemorate Elijah's memory and therefore his name will live on forever," Marsh's family told CBC Toronto.

At the event, a sign was unveiled and a plaque was presented to his family. It will be installed in the park this fall when a commemorative tree is planted.

The plaque reads: "In loving memory of Elijah L.A. Marsh. Our sun, our moon and star. Forever in our hearts. May his vibrant laughter live on."

Community wanted a way to celebrate Marsh's life

Coun. Josh Colle, who represents Ward 15, Eglinton-Lawrence, worked with city council to have the park renamed.

"So, as a way to mourn but also celebrate him and recognize how the community responded, I decided we needed to have a tribute to Elijah," Colle told CBC Toronto.

"I'm the dad of three young boys, so it hits you there. But the family needed it, the community needed it, and it's a way to turn something tragic into a more positive event."

Mourners attend the funeral for Elijah Marsh, 3, at St. Matthews United Church in Toronto on Feb. 28, 2015.

Rajah Park was named after the street on which the park is located so the community was supportive of the renaming during a city-led consultation process, Colle said.

A release issued by the councillor's office encouraged the public to attend Tuesday's event "to celebrate Elijah's life and support those who have been touched by this tragic incident."

"One of the amazing things was how the community rallied and responded and everyone was out not only in the Neptune community but in the neighbourhoods nearby," Colle said. 

"I think it's fitting that is a place not only where he played but kids and families often gather and play and have happy times and so I think that's part of the rationale behind why we wanted to rename the park." he said.