To demonstrate our collective commitment to GIPA the principle of the “Greater Involvement of People with HIV/AIDS” the Ontario AIDS Network is partnering with people and organizations to recognize 2012 as the year of GIPA.Guiding our work is the newly proclaimed Ontario Accord on GIPA/MIPA which states, “We, people living with HIV/AIDS and allies in the community: Commit to the greater involvement and meaningful engagement of people living with HIV/AIDS (GIPA/MIPA); GIPA/MIPA puts PHAs at the centre and is grounded in human rights and the dignity of the full human being Aim to transform all who live with, work in,

John Plater, June 1, 1967 – July 28, 2012 It is with great sadness that we advise you of the death of John Plater on Saturday, July 28, 2012. John was a valiant champion in our fight against HIV/AIDS, HEP C, Co- infection and Hemophilia. He was 45. John was a lawyer by training and an activist by nature. He was open about his HIV positive status since the mid 1980s. For more than 25 years John provided dedicated and valiant leadership to improve the health of all of us. With his quiet determination and legal training, John opened many

The Honour Roll acknowledges the long-term and consistent contributions of individuals or organizations that use their experiences, skills, resources and voices to champion the cause of HIV/AIDS. Recipients will have contributed to reducing the stigma and discrimination associated with HIV/AIDS, promoted the empowerment of People Living with HIV/AIDS, and extended the capacity of the community movement as a major response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Ontario. The Honour Roll is divided into four awards; inducting one nominee annually, for the following categories: The Person with HIV/AIDS Leadership Award The Caregivers Award The Community Partners Award The Award for Social Justice

Below are links to the list of OAN voting member agencies according to region as well as nomination forms for the seats up for election this year. It’s always nice to know who is in your region when discussing potential board nominations, as each regional caucus will have the responsibility to endorse candidates for election at the AGM. There is an At Large Designated seat vacant this year, so there is potential for all regional caucuses to put a PHA name forth from their region. The “Designated” seats are open to those people who are living with HIV and are

The Ontario AIDS Network, together with our partner organization, the Pacific AIDS Network is mourning the death of Ken Buchanan. Ken was a friend, mentor, and leader of many in the HIV /AIDS movement. Ken died of cancer in Vancouver on April 15th.  He had been HIV-positive since 2004 and was co-infected with hepatitis C. Ken made numerous and lasting contributions to the HIV/AIDS movement. He served for 7 years on the Executive of the Board of Directors of Positive Living BC, until he resigned in October 2012 due to health related concerns. He also served on the Board of Directors

We are pleased to announce that our new website has officially launched. We believe that a great website is never truly finished. Our new website will become the launching point for many exciting new projects we will be rolling out in both the near and distant future. Some of our planned projects include, a private area for our Alumni participants to access the disclosure guide, and of course all of our upcoming workshop dates.

The OAN has been adversely affected by smoke and water damage to our offices resulting from a fire in our building on the floor directly above us. Our offices remain closed and we are without telephone or internet connections. We apologize for the inconvenience and are actively working on restoring communications. Late yesterday afternoon we were advised that our wing of the building must undergo a complete renovation and it will be necessary for us to vacate the premises for an extended period of time. We are working with our insurance adjuster and realtor to secure an alternate location for

As many of you know, the OAN offices suffered significant smoke damage and some water damage as a result of a fire that occurred on the floor above our offices duirng the May long weekend. We have been getting our office back together and are now able to receive emails, phone calls and to process payments. We have set up in temporary space located at 296 Jarvis Street, Unit #5, Toronto M5B 2C5. This is a small space that is not appropriate for meetings, so if you would like to meet with us please call in advance so that we

This year the Honour Roll Banquet will be held on November 26, 2013 at Hart House (harthouse.ca/) The Honour Roll acknowledges the long-term and consistent contributions of individuals or organizations that use their experiences, skills, resources and voices to champion the cause of HIV/AIDS. Recipients will have contributed to reducing the stigma and discrimination associated with HIV/AIDS, promoted the empowerment of People Living with HIV/AIDS, and extended the capacity of the community movement as a major response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Ontario. The Honour Roll is divided into four awards; inducting one nominee annually, for the following categories: The Person with