Richmond Hill has never forgotten January 8, 2020 — and it has no intention of starting now.

Each year, the community gathers to honor the Iran plane crash victims who perished when Ukraine International Airlines Flight PS752 was shot down moments after departing Tehran, killing all 176 people on board.

For Richmond Hill, the loss was not abstract — it was devastating and deeply personal.

The city lost 44 of its own residents in the tragedy, making it the single largest loss of life abroad in Richmond Hill's history.

Solemn remembrance ceremonies have been held annually, bringing together grieving families, Iranian Canadian community members, elected officials, and human rights advocates united in grief and in purpose.

Candles are lit, moments of silence are observed, and the names and stories of those lost are shared aloud — a ritual of collective mourning that refuses to let memory fade.

Now, those acts of remembrance are being given a permanent home.

Construction is officially underway on a Flight PS752 memorial at Unity Park, located at 63 Pugsley Ave., designed in close partnership with families of the victims and set to feature steel panels and an engraved granite base listing every name.

The site was chosen deliberately — Unity Park's symbolic theme of togetherness made it the fitting backdrop for a tribute meant to unite a community still navigating profound loss.

The memorial project represents a rare collaboration across all levels of government, with both federal and provincial funding secured to bring it to completion, expected by 2027.

This marks the first permanent Flight PS752 memorial in Ontario — a distinction that carries enormous emotional weight for families who have waited years for a dedicated space to mourn.

At the most recent PS752 remembrance ceremony held at the Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts, the front row was filled with mothers whose children were taken in the crash — a sight that left elected officials visibly shaken.

Years have passed, but for these families, the wound remains open and the fight for justice continues.

Advocates have made clear that remembrance must go hand in hand with accountability, with proceedings currently active at the International Court of Justice and the International Civil Aviation Organization.

The community's message, echoed at every annual gathering, remains unchanged: the 176 lives lost on Flight PS752 will not be reduced to a footnote, and the pursuit of truth will not be abandoned.