[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/Dec62007.jpg” caption=”A memorial service for the victims of the Montreal Massacre will be held in front of the John Hodgins Engineering building today at 12:30 p.m. Image courtesy of the Anti-Violence Network.”]The Montreal Massacre happened 18 years ago today, but for some people, the memory of Dec. 6, 1989 is as vivid as if it happened yesterday.

McMaster's Anti-Violence Network is keeping the memory of that tragic day alive with a memorial service in front of the John Hodgins Engineering Building at 12:30 p.m. today.

The service will not only commemorate the 14 female engineering students who were shot and killed at Montreal's Ecole Polytechnique, but all victims of violence.

“It's a way of giving a voice to those who have no voice,” said Carol Wood, ecumenical chaplain. “Violence still continues, and we need to remind others that it's not acceptable.”

The memorial service will include a poetry reading by two McMaster students and a presentation of roses for those who have lost their lives to violence.

Hanna Schayer of the Anti-Violence Network said it's important to remember the victims of the Montreal Massacre because “the struggle continues. Violence against women has not abated. It's a fundamental issue in our society.”

She said she looks forward to the day when memorial services will no longer be necessary because violence against women will be a thing of the past.

“The Montreal Massacre was horrific, but we learned something from it,” said Schayer. “It's not just remembering, but creating a world where it doesn't happen again.”