Mayor Tory vows to honour van attack victims every year to keep memories alive

Mayor John Tory commemorated the three year anniversary of the Yonge Street van attack at City Hall Friday morning.

He says he remains angry and saddened three years after a man killed 10 people and injured 16 others in the driving rampage.

Tory marked the tragedy in a virtual news conference where he said the city will never forget the victims and vowed to gather every year to honour their memories.

Around 1:30 p.m. on April 23, 2018, a 25-year-old man deliberately drove a rental van down the sidewalk at the intersection of Yonge Street and Finch Avenue.

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Alek Minassian killed 10 people that day, including eight women, and injured 16 others, many of them catastrophically.

“We cannot and we will not forget the memory of those who were taken from us,” Tory said.

“Make no mistake, these lives were robbed at the hands of misogyny and hatred for women. It is in this recognition of what lay behind this tragedy that we’re able to truly fight against this and any form of hatred in our city.”

The city lit 10 candles, which will be placed in the mayor’s office at City Hall.

The Yonge Street tragedy rocked our city. Three years on, we remain shaken but not broken.

Today, we come together, to remember the 10 lives senselessly lost and 16 more needlessly injured and extend our deepest support for those grieving the loss of loved ones.#TorontoStrong pic.twitter.com/9qa0nCDwIv

— John Tory (@JohnTory) April 23, 2021

Tory adds the Toronto sign at Nathan Phillips Square will be dimmed Friday night to honour the victims.

A judge found Minassian guilty of 10 counts of first-degree murder and 16 counts of attempted murder.

He argued he should be held not criminally responsible for his actions due to his autism spectrum disorder, but the judge disagreed.

A sentencing hearing for Minassian is set for the end of May.