Andrei Anghel, Canadian MH17 victim, may be honoured by Ajax, Ont.

Andrei Anghel used to spend hours with his friends riding longboards along a waterfront trail in Ajax, Ont., so they say it's only fitting that's where a proposed memorial should be located.

"To him it meant freedom," said Sean Colgan, who went to Ajax High School with Anghel. The two became good friends after they graduated.

"He was a lover of long boards. The trails were freedom to us, you ride and you forget about your worries, forget about your exams, forget about work, everything," Colgan said.

Town staff in Ajax are studying a proposal to create a memorial for the 24-year old who was the only Canadian on downed Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17. Anghel was studying medicine in Romania and was on his way to Bali with his German girlfriend for a dream vacation.

Ajax Ward 4 Coun. Pat Brown put forward the proposal. She said she received a number of calls over the weekend asking for the town to do something.

"Because he was very active in the community, well-liked in the community, this is a small thing we can do to honour his life," she said.

She describes the proposed memorial as including a newly planted tree, a park bench, along with a plaque. The idea is still in the preliminary stages and Brown says she hasn't contacted the family directly about the idea yet.

"I know they're very busy, I'm going to contact them later when things settle down, because it's very raw right now and they don't know if they're going to get his body, it's too raw."

When contacted by CBC News about the idea, Anghel's sister, Lexi, said the family welcomed the memorial and that her parents had a tree in mind, as well as a spot along the lake for the bench.

On Sundaynight, friends and family of the dead man gathered in a local park to light candles and release balloons in his honour.

Colgan said many members of the 2008 graduating class from Ajax High School were there. He said the proposed memorial is a perfect way to remember his friend.

"He would have loved it, he probably would have been resting on it if he was able to while he was longboarding, and we'll be visiting it for sure."

Brown said the memorial could be in place by the fall.