Close to 100 people crowded into downtown shelter Friday morning to remember more than 40 shelter users who died this year in Ottawa.

"I feel like it's been a hard year," said Andrew Cheam, a co-ordinator at Centre 454, which hosted the memorial service in its mess hall. It was the first time the shelter had held such a service to remember many people in the community at once.

About 10 people came before the crowd to share their memories of those whose struggles on the street ended over the past 11 months. A list of the dead, who ranged in age from 19 to the early 60s, were read out and the crowd sang Amazing Grace in their memory.

About 900 to 1,000 people live in shelters downtown, said Paul Soucie, co-executive director of the Shepherds of Good Hope shelter.

Ronald Waldrif, who has been using the Centre 454 shelter for two years, said he knew some of them, including one man who was starting to get his life back together when he died in a hit-and-run collision.

He added that many committed suicide. Others died as a result of homicide, illness, or drug overdoses, Cheam said.

Waldrif said he wanted to attend the service to show respect "not only for the homeless but for the other ones out there struggling … to get them more support."

Many people found out by attending the service which of their friends had died, Cheam said. Some hadn't been seen for awhile, but had been assumed to have moved away.

Cheam said he had known some of the people on the list for 20 years, and had spent hours playing cards and games or reading the newspaper with them.

"And then that's gone and death happens so quickly."

He added that he was pleased at how the event pulled the community together and plans to do it again.