WOODSTOCK, Ont. -- Hundreds of people are expected to attend a candlelight vigil in honour of Victoria (Tori) Safford's memory in her hometown this weekend.

"This will be a final goodbye ceremony for Tori Stafford. Now that justice has been served. I think we should all get together and say our final goodbye," Brittany Lynn Vincent Davis wrote when setting up the event's Facebook page.

The vigil will take place Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and people are encouraged to bring candles and wear something purple -- Tori's favourite colour.

A similar vigil was held in the same parking lot in 2009, just days after Tori went missing.

There has been discussion on the event's wall of a similar vigil to be held in London, Ont., on the same day and time. Details have not been confirmed.

Woodstock's Mayor Pat Sobeski said now is the time for the healing to begin for his city.

"For the past three years this community has been living under a cloud," Sobseski said during a news conference Saturday.
"Ironically, this morning the sun is shining, there are still clouds in the sky, but our town will accept that as a symbol it's time to begin the healing process."

Woodstock police Chief Rod Freeman said Tori's death "ripped the hearts out of many police officers.

"This is the first morning in just over three years that I've been able to wake up and have some sense of closure to this terrible, horrific investigation now that we've convicted the second of two child killers that traumatized our community back in April of 2009.

"My prayers and thoughts have been with Victoria and now that we have the conviction of both killers, my hope is that the conviction will bring some sense of peace to her so that now she can rest in peace and certainly rest in peace now with dignity."