People will gather in Owen Sound on Friday evening for a community-organized candlelit vigil for the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women.
Violence Prevention Grey Bruce Coordinator Toni McGregor said it's been 36 years since fourteen young women were murdered at Polytechnique Montréal on December 6, 1989.
McGregor recalled she was in college at the time, and the shocking incident shook the country.
"And I took nursing back then," she explained. "So it was a bunch of women in our residence in Toronto, and it was locked down, and the police were outside and all the things. So yeah, it was a scary day."
She urged the community to take the time to remember the victims.
"It's because of femicide and gender based violence, and we need to remember the 14 women who died that day just because they were women," McGregor continued.
She added that people can join the vigil in an effort to create a Canada free from gender-based violence.
"We have it at five o'clock. It will be right behind the Farmers Market," she explained. "Last year we put a light display in the festival of Northern Lights, so we have a permanent kind of marker so that they can be remembered all season."
She said their organization is taking part in 16 Days of Activism until December 10 to create awareness about gender-based violence and those who have lost their lives to it.
She added that this year's campaign focuses on digital safety as online harassment and violence continue to be an issue.
"But at Women's House (Serving Grey Bruce), we have used sexual assault and human trafficking counsellors, and there has been an increase of online harassment and violence with our youth, so that is really impacting how these kids are living on a daily basis," McGregor pointed out.
According to Violence Prevention Grey Bruce reports that in 2024, 187 women were killed in Canada, representing one every 48 hours
"Indigenous Women are roughly seven times more likely to be killed than non-Indigenous women, which shows that Violence Against Women and racism are closely linked," noted Joachim Ostertag, from Violence Prevention Grey Bruce. "Violence against 2S-LGBTQ+ individuals is escalating across Canada, with communities in Grey Bruce seeing a concerning rise in incidents of harassment and violence targeting our gender and sexually diverse neighbours."
McGregor revealed that gender based violence is often hidden, so the number of victims is difficult to calculate because victims keep quiet, or feel a sense of shame.
"I don't know if we know the full extent, because a lot of people, and I'm not just saying like youth, but like older people, they they hold those things that happen online, just like gender based violence or intimate partner violence, that's shameful for some people," she said.
Violence Prevention Grey Bruce shared that to create a safer world, it's important to work with boys and men to end misogyny so everyone can become safe and caring members of communities. People can strive for compassion and care in all relationships, and help children develop healthy attitudes based on respect, compassion, empathy, and equality rather than on power over another person.
Others ways to help address the horrific injustice including being an ally to those who are harmed, and to ensure workplaces have been trained to recognize and respond to gender-based violence
Owen Sound lowered flags at all city facilities to half-staff in honour of this day of significance.
