Today is the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women.

Events are being held to mark the day throughout Grey Bruce.

Georgian College marked the day this morning with a ceremony to specifically  remember the 14 women who were killed by a gunman in 1989 at Montreal's Ecole Polytechnique.

A noon vigil is taking place at Owen Sound City Hall.

In Port Elgin, a vigil will be held at noon at Coulter Parkette.

The Huron Domestic Assault Review Team held a service at 10 this morning and will hold a vigil at the Huron County Museum in Goderich at 7 pm.

In Kincardine, there will be a 'come and go' vigil between 7p.m. and 9 p.m. at Kincardine United Church.

Violence Prevention Grey Bruce spokesperson Joachim Ostertag says during the first eight months of 2018, 106 women were killed in Canada. He says 53 of them were murdered in Ontario.

Ostertag says people need to keep in mind, children are often in the middle of domestic violence.

He says it can have a huge impact on their lives later on, "Particularly men or boys who will be men who often end up with that cycle of violence and hurt their partners and women often end up in abusive relationships," says Ostertag.  

He points to the Ecole Polytechnique shooter Marc Lepine who witnessed domestic violence growing up, and went on to perpetrate it himself.

He says the spotlight has been on women in the film industry, women in the RCMP and most recently on violence through hazing, but he notes these are all part of  larger issues in our culture that lead to violence.

In an online post about today's vigils, Violence Prevention Grey Bruce offers a way to address those issues, saying, "We can all begin to take action by infusing the antidotes of respect and equality into our beliefs, thoughts, and actions."

Today we mark #dec6 the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women. Let's work for a world free of #femicide.
Vigils will be held in Owen Sound and Port Elgin#endvaw #stopvaw https://t.co/8CD4X6jFOp

— Violence Prevention Grey Bruce (@VPGreyBruce) December 6, 2018

Today marks our National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women. Let's pledge to end this violence pic.twitter.com/7CakaS8Mlt

— Christopher Knoll (@ChiefKnoll) December 6, 2018

Today, the flag on the Peace Tower will be flown at half-mast until sunset to mark the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women. #SenCA pic.twitter.com/1Py8pvzsNm

— Senate of Canada (@SenateCA) December 6, 2018

Remember their names, and honour their memory. On December 6, we pay tribute to the women killed in the Polytechnique massacre, and to all victims of gender-based violence. https://t.co/0nhgKXk5yA

— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) December 6, 2018