People across the Maritimes will be gathering this weekend to remember the victims of the Montreal massacre.

Sunday marks 20 years since Marc Lepine shot and killed 14 female engineering students at École Polytechnique.

"For our generation, I feel it's like one of those events that stays in our minds and alters our lives, like the Kennedy assassination is for our parents," said Monique Robichaud, who is helping to organize a candlelight vigil in the greater Moncton area.

'In essence, we have all lived through a massacre in the Moncton area, but over several years with the same amount of women and girls murdered in our own community.'— Monique Robichaud, Moncton area vigil organizer

Robichaud was living with two women who were studying mechanical engineering at the University of New Brunswick at the time of the massacre.

"They felt it was an isolated incident and committed by one, singular freak.

"I remember thinking, 'It's bigger than that.' I mean he isolated women and there's a reason why he did that and that's what we should look at. Not just one crazy person walking in on a rampage."

Robichaud has participated in annual commemoration ceremonies for the past 20 years. It's an opportunity to mourn violence against women and renew commitments to end it by helping raise awareness.

"I think everyone who's involved knows that changes start in education, being right down to the grassroots of bullying campaigns in the schools," she said. "That's where we'll make change and avoid situations like Montreal."

Local victims remembered

The Moncton area vigil will also remember local women who have lost their lives in gender-based violence. In the past 20 years, the number has surpassed the number of women killed in the massacre, Robichaud said.

"In essence, we have all lived through a massacre in the Moncton area, but over several years with the same amount of women and girls murdered in our own community," she said.

Robichaud helped make a quilt with the names of the 17 local victims. There are three empty squares left on the quilt and she hopes they will never be filled. The commemorative service will begin at 6:30 p.m. Sunday in Riverview, at the Father Dan Bohan Family Centre on Fatima Drive.

Guest speaker will be Gabrielle Maillet, co-ordinator for victims services and co-founder of the Coalition Against Abusive Relationships. Barbara Byers, executive vice-president of the Canadian Labour Congress, will also speak.

The service will be followed by a candlelight vigil at the Dec. 6 monument at Caseley Park.

Vigils are also being held in P.E.I. on Sunday. In Summerside, at 1 p.m., there will be an unveiling of the PEI Federation of Labour's "Action on Violence Against Women" monument, with a reception to follow at St. Mary's Anglican Hall.

A ceremony will also be held at Old Mills Park in Wellington, from noon until 1 p.m., with the lighting of candles, a balloon release and tree lighting.