Marchers at the third annual Women's Memorial March in Edmonton in 2008. (John Ulan/Canadian Press)

The fifth annual Women's Memorial March in honour of missing and slain women was to take place in Edmonton on Sunday.

Danielle Boudreau, who started the march in 2006, said it helps raise awareness about violence against women.

"I don't believe it is getting better, however I do believe that … within the city, the city is taking a better notice and they are getting more involved and they're working towards … raising awareness on sexual exploitation, they're raising awareness on domestic violence," she said.

Cpl. Wayne Oakes of the RCMP said there is still an unusual number of women going missing the province.

"The elements of risk remain very high," he said.

"Especially to the people directly involved in providing the assistance, and even more so to the people who are vulnerable. There definitely is a perception that things, at the very least, have not gotten any better."

The march was to start at the Sacred Heart Church at 10821 96 St. and continue through the city, past the Edmonton Police headquarters and city hall.

Boudreau said the Edmonton march was scheduled to coincide with the annual Vancouver Downtown Eastside march, which started 18 years ago.

Marches were also being held Sunday in Vancouver, Toronto, Winnipeg, Calgary, Sudbury and London, Ont., Montreal and Victoria.

The first such march was held in Vancouver in 1992 to mourn the dozens of women in that city who had been slain or gone missing, most of them from the city's notorious Downtown Eastside, a district troubled by prostitution and illegal drug use.