KITCHENER -- Universities across Canada, including in Guelph and Waterloo, are coming together today to honour the victims of the Ukrainian plane crash in Iran.
More than a dozen universities say they are grieving students, faculty and researchers among the 176 people killed.
The Canadian Press has independently confirmed at least 86 victims with ties to Canada.
Universities Canada say institutions throughout the country are planning a moment of silence at 1 p.m. Eastern Time.
The University of Waterloo will host a memorial beginning at 12 p.m. today to celebrate the lives of two of its students.
Marzieh (Mari) Foroutan was a PhD student in geography and Mansour Esnaashary Esfahani was a PhD student in civil engineering at the University of Waterloo.
On campus at the University of Guelph, the community is being invited to gather in Branion Plaza at 12:45 p.m. for the moment of silence.
U of G PhD students Ghanimat Azhdari, who was studying in the Department of Geography, Environment and Geomatics, and Milad Ghasemi Ariani, who was studying in the Department of Marketing and Consumer Studies, were both aboard the flight.
