The Windsor community continues to mourn the five local victims of Flight PS752 on the six-year anniversary.
A vigil was held Thursday afternoon at Canterbury College to mourn and honour the five individuals, four of whom were students at the University of Windsor.
Approximately 50 people attended Thursday's vigil, which consisted of song, prayer, and stories of those who lost their lives.
On Jan. 8, 2020, Ukrainian International Airlines' Flight PS752 was shot down by two Iranian missiles just minutes after taking off from Tehran, killing all 176 people on board including 55 Canadian citizens, and 30 permanent residents in Canada.
The crash claimed the lives of engineering doctoral candidates Hamidreza Setareh Kokab, Pedram Jadidi, Zahra Naghibi and her spouse Mohammad Abbaspour Ghadi, as well as biology research assistant Samira Bashiri.
Cynthia Connell, co-organizer and chaplain and pastor at Canterbury College, says it's important to hold this event each year.
"To remember all of the lives that were lost that day, and especially the five students here from the University of Windsor to honour their memories, and to stand beside those who are still mourning, and those who are still fighting for justice."
Behzad Bolandi, co-organizer of the vigil, says five of his friends were on this flight.
"When it happened, I was in Iran and I saw how the regime acted against the happening... how they denied the happening of this, and gaslighting everybody. This grief will last with us for all our life."
Bolandi says the support from the community means a lot.
"Every nation, we will take care of each other and we will care about the suffering that's happening to others. That's why we always invite the people, and they so kindly join us."
Following the news of their deaths, the University of Windsor established the Iranian Students Memorial Scholarship - Remembering Flight PS752, a graduate scholarship endowment that will support international students conducting vital research in the Faculties of Engineering and Science.
During a ceremony in Richmond Hill on Thursday, Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand, said the memory of Flight PS752 victims is guiding the government's pursuit of justice and they will continue on the efforts to seek justice, truth, and accountability from this tragedy.