Saturday marks one of the more sombre anniversaries in Canadian history.
But events will be held both Friday and Saturday to remember the 14 women who were killed at Montreal's L' Ecole Polytechnique in 1989.
Students at Fanshawe and Western will gather Friday to remember 14 young women who, because of their gender, were murdered in what became known as the Montreal Massacre.
The women were murdered by a gunman at the Montreal school's engineering department.
On Friday at 11am, engineering students at Western University will hold a ceremony at the Spencer Engineering Building. They will lay a wreath to remember the 14 women as well as Lynda Shaw. The mechanical engineering student at Western was murdered in 1990, her body found near Hwy. 401 near Ingersoll.
A ceremony will also be held at Fanshawe College. Students, faculty, and staff will gather in the Alumni Lounge at 1pm.
As it does every year, the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women serves both as a reminder of past victims of violence and as an opportunity to reflect on efforts to stop the abuse of women.
Megan Walker, head of the London Abused Women's Centre, says we've come a long way in 25 years when it comes to involving men in efforts to stop violence against women.
"We've always said this is not a women's issue, this is a man's issue," says Walker. "We need men to step up to the plate and take action to end violence against women. We've seen that in the last decade."
But one thing that concerns many of those in the battle against violence towards women is that fact that most Canadians can name the man who committed the 14 murders in Montreal, but few can name the victims.
Walker says we should be able to name the women, but she doesn't think the fact that few can is a reflection of people's attitudes about violence against women.
"I think if you were to ask people in London, they may not be able to remember the 14 names of the women murdered in Montreal. But they certainly remember the names of women murdered in London," she says.
Those women, and the victims of December 6, 1989, will be remembered on Saturday afternoon when a silent march is held through downtown London.
It starts at 2pm at 285 King St. It will wind it's way through the core before returning to 285 King St.