On a day typically filled with excitement and anticipation for students heading back to school, this was a morning of grief and remembrance for one Toronto family.

With his yellow and black bicycle in tow, Jeremiah Perry鈥檚 family and friends paid tribute to his memory with a symbolic walk to his high school on what would have been his first day back to school.

鈥淗e鈥檚 here. He鈥檚 here,鈥� Joshua Perry, Jeremiah鈥檚 father, told CTV Toronto during the walk. 鈥淭his is how we find comfort in dealing with this situation.鈥�

The 15-year-old boy, who had moved with his family to Toronto from Guyana last September, drowned during a class canoe trip to Ontario鈥檚 Algonquin Park at the beginning of July. Jeremiah had disappeared under the water at Big Trout Lake before his body was found the next day.

Jeremiah, along with nearly half of the 32 students on the trip, had failed a mandatory swim test before the excursion, the Toronto District School Board later revealed.

Even though the Ontario Provincial Police has taken over the investigation from the school, Jeremiah鈥檚 family said they haven鈥檛 received any more information as to what happened that day.

鈥淲e're coping,鈥� Joshua said. 鈥淪ome days are good. Some days have their challenges. For the most part, the family is holding strong. That鈥檚 the most important.鈥�

Jeremiah鈥檚 younger brother, Nathan, walked alongside his family with one hand firmly gripped on the bicycle during the procession. He shared that he went into Jeremiah鈥檚 bedroom the day before and sat on his bed and cried as he looked at a photo of his older brother.

鈥淸I] said, 鈥榃hy? Why did this happen?鈥欌�� Nathan said.

As the rest of Jeremiah鈥檚 classmates at C.W. Jeffreys Collegiate Institute streamed in through the school鈥檚 front doors on Tuesday, the Perry family locked up his bike and comforted each other out front.

鈥淚t is too hard,鈥� Melissa Perry, Jeremiah鈥檚 mother, said as she fought back tears. 鈥淚 miss my son.鈥�

While standing outside of Jeremiah鈥檚 school was a painful reminder of his absence, his family tried to focus on the positive memories they have of a boy one friend described as 鈥渧ery loving, very cheerful, very friendly.鈥�

Even though they鈥檝e been told that 鈥渢ime heals,鈥� Joshua said he鈥檚 still a long way away from that possibility as he stood beside his son鈥檚 school on what would have been his 16th birthday.

With a report from CTV Toronto鈥檚 Natalie Johnson