A team of health researchers from Ryerson University — including this week’s guest presenter for Skills+, Ammaar Kidwai — are currently seeking South Asian gay, bisexual, and queer men (GSAM) to participate in their Not So Micro Study. ​ This study will lead to a better understanding of GSAM’s experiences of microaggressions (subtle forms of discrimination; “You’re cute for a Brown guy”) and its impact on mental (e.g., depression and anxiety) and sexual health (e.g., engaging in non-consensual sex and risky sexual behaviours). Operating from a strengths-based framework, the study will also highlight effective coping strategies used by GSAM in

Did you miss the live Trans Awareness webinars hosted by OHRN? The recordings of Trans Awareness: The Basics & Trans Awareness: The Beyond are now live and ready for viewing! Whether you need a refresher, a deeper dive, or a place to start, these two-part webinars on Trans Awareness can help get you where you need to go. Each webinar is about 2 hours long and requires you to fill out a registration form to gain access to the recording. Trans Awareness: The Basics walks us through current language and issues that many trans and non-binary folks deal with on a

The OAN is excited to announce the dates for this year’s Annual Member’s Meeting, September 19 – 21st, 2019 at the Ramada Hotel in Toronto. Like last year, an evening meeting for PHA Representatives will begin the proceedings, over a closed dinner Thursday night, followed by a full day of Member’s Meetings Friday and OAN Proceedings on Saturday. As you may be aware, the Board of Directors of the Ontario AIDS Network embarked, for the first time in many years, on a comprehensive review of our overly complex and restrictive By-law No. 5. While a detailed account of that process and

Who doesn’t like a survey? We are in the throes of planning for our Leadership Symposium and have already emailed our Membership a link to our Agenda survey, earlier today! For those interested, we are inviting feedback on what we should focus on for our October 30th – November 1st, 2019 Leadership Symposium. Please submit your response by Friday, July 12th. We will be sending registration links to all of our Skills workshops via email to Executive Directors in the coming weeks.  We do this to make sure that only those recommended by leadership are able to register, and to

The OAN is seeking community and organizational input on a new initiative called Reconciliation in Action: A Community Process for the HIV Sector in Ontario. This committee, struck during the October 2018 Leadership Symposium, would like your feedback on a proposed process which organizations in the sector could follow to do the work of reconciliation with Indigenous communities, Indigenous service users and Indigenous partner organizations. The OAN will be hosting a 90-minute feedback session, open to community members and all organizational staff, on Thursday, August 15th from 10am – 11:30am. Join us! Register here.

Deanna Clatworthy, Clinic Coordinator at ARCH in Guleph, was recently profiled in a stellar video produced by the Registered Practical Nurses Association of Ontario. Have a look!

We are pleased to announce the dates for the next Positive Leadership Development Institute (PLDI) Communications Training. This training will take place July 19th – 21st, 2019 in Toronto. To be eligible, please submit the application form to tjewal@oan.red by end of day Monday July 8th, 2019. Hope you can join us!

PRIDE is getting a lot of extra attention this year, as the we commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the iconic New York City Stonewall Riots of June 28, 1969, an uprising against police brutality and enforcement of racist, homophobic and transphobic discrimination. Many credit this riot and the ensuing rebellion as a turning point for the international movement for 2SLGBTQ+ rights and visibility we now experience as PRIDE. Toronto PRIDE Week also began with a riot. After years of small, community-organized picnics on Toronto Island and demonstrations in front of the legislature, it wasn’t until the day after Toronto police raided four bathhouses on February 5th, 1981

Many thanks are owed to the leadership and organization of the HIV & AIDS Legal Clinic Ontario (HALCO) for preparing the following statement to share with our Membership. We thought it deserved a wider readership, as the message is so important and so well articulated. This day, and this type of organizational commitment is relevant both in the work that we do and in our role as inclusive and aware Canadians at large. The message, sent by Executive Director, Ryan Peck, reads: “In solidarity with Indigenous Peoples and in support of Reconciliation, the HIV & AIDS Legal Clinic Ontario (HALCO)

The OAN is very excited to announce that following a fulsome partnership with the OHTN, THN, OHRN, CATIE, the GMSH, WHAI, the OODP, ABRPO, ACCHO, PHAC, and CAAT the new HRO website and our long-awaited Core Curriculum project has launched! The Core Curriculum project is aimed at newcomers to the HIV sector who may have questions not only about the basics of HIV, but also about resources and supports available here in Ontario. Best part: It’s completely free! The HRO Essentials Guide contains topics such as HIV basics, harm reduction, GIPA/MEPA, and the goal is to continue to add relevant resources that are free and regionally appropriate, dependant on uptake. Test drive

PNP (which stands for “party n’ play”) has evolved into a subculture for gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, to enhance sexual experiences using drugs. Join a free event to hear presenters talk about PNP harm reduction, and the overall subculture, based on their professional and lived experiences, co-sponsored by the GMSH and St. Michael’s Hospital. Thursday, June 27, 2019 6:00 to 7:30PM TRANZAC Club (292 Brunswick Ave, Toronto) While the event is free, attendees are required to acquire a ticket using this link to attend. PARTY!!!

CRUISElab in partnership with the AIDS Committee of Toronto, Gay Men’s Sexual Health Alliance, and the Hornet App are recruiting individuals who identify as men and who are living in Toronto to participate in a peer educational program! Successful candidates will be trained as health ambassadors and then, using the Hornet app to connect with others, will engage in discussion around sexual health related topics. Visit http://bit.ly/2hornet_study to sign up! CRUISElab is also recruiting for the 3rd cohort of the InvestiGAYtors! InvestiGAYtors is a volunteer research training program for young queer guys. Interested? Click here for more info!

Due to some last minute changes, the OAN HIV Sector Leadership Symposium, Middle Manager’s Workshop and ED/Board Chair Forum have all been rescheduled! The OAN HIV Sector Leadership Symposium will now be held October 30th – November 1st, 2019. The Middle Manager’s Meeting will now take place on December 2nd & 3rd, 2019, in Kingston, Ontario. The ED/Board Chair Forum will now span February 29th – March 2nd, 2020 in Toronto. The Support Worker’s Workshop dates of January 22nd & 23rd, 2020, remain unchanged. Dates of all OAN Skills Workshops and Skills+ Webinars have been updated in the OAN calendar. We thank you for your flexibility and understanding as we

[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”3.22.3″][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”3.22.3″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.0.47″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” _builder_version=”3.0.74″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”] The OAN is looking to find a dynamic, energetic and highly organized Manager of Communications and Member Development!    The Manager of Communications and Member Development provides the OAN with overall management of province-wide member services, coordination of the Skills Workshop series and Skills+ Webinar training programs, ongoing communication with members, and other services as required.   In addition, the Manager coordinates member communications through bi-weekly newsletters, social media and web-based communication meant to connect our members and promote their work. This is a senior role

The Toronto to Zero co-chairs, Murray Jose-Boerbridge and Darien Taylor, have just shared an update on the progress of Toronto to Zero activities. In their letter, they summarize the outcome of November’s community discussion. Click here to watch the video from the town hall and here for a summary of the community input. Also added now available is the TTZ Call to Action – which includes the latest Epi stats comparing how Toronto is doing to the rest of the province. Lots of work yet to do, but with much already underway!

It’s time! The Canadian AIDS Society (CAS), in collaboration with local and regional community-based organizations across Canada, is pleased to launch the second national HIV Testing Day in Canada taking place on June 27th, 2019. HIV Testing Day is a Canada-wide community-based initiative encouraging all Canadians to go to participating testing sites on June 27th, get tested for HIV and other sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections and find out their HIV status. There will also be U=U ambassadors at selected testing sites – people living with HIV who are undetectable talking about the campaign and answering questions. If your organization

I’d like to provide a brief update on my transition into the Executive Director role. First, I’d like to offer my congratulations to the board for ensuring organizational stability over the past year or so. The agency has gone through several challenging moments and the board has done a lot of heavy lifting, the work of John, Janet, Holly, Precious and other board members has supported stability and continuity. We also owe Wendy our collective thanks and gratitude for keeping the OAN on course since early 2018. She has demonstrated true excellence in managing the work of the OAN –

[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”3.22.3″][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”3.22.3″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.0.47″][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.22.7″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” z_index_tablet=”500″] The dates have just been announced for OAN Skills Workshop Series 2019 – 2020!   Please mark your calendars! HIV Sector Leadership Symposium  October 30 – November 1, 2019  Middle Manager’s Meeting  December 2 & 3, 2019  Frontline/Support Worker’s Workshop  January 23 & 24, 2020  ED/Board Chair Forum  February 29 – March 2, 2020 For more information, visit oan.red/skills. We will be sending an email survey to our Membership in the next few weeks asking for input on some possible agenda items and some Skills building topics

In addition to our OAN Skills Workshop Series, we are proud to pilot a new online initiative of monthly topical workshops called OAN Skills+. OAN Skills+ aims to fill the large gaps between in-person gatherings with one-hour online webinars hosted by the OAN and featuring a facilitator from within our Network and a special guest presenter. OAN Skills+ webinars will take place from 11am – 12 pm, the third Wednesday of the month. At the bottom of this newsletter, we have introduced a placeholder to show our upcoming webinars. The first OAN Skills+ Webinar will take place on Wednesday, June 19th,

AIDS Committee of Durham Region (with the support of WHIWH, Black CAP, ViiV Healthcare and PHAC) is having their annual provincial youth summit this June. While registration for youth is now full, they are still accepting registrations from service providers.  Interested? Register here or reach out to Muluba Habanyama, Provincial Positive Youth Transition Coordinator at the AIDS Committee of Durham Region (ACDR) for more details.

CATIE is offering original body map artwork and/or reproductions to any interested organization or individual. The maps were created many years ago through a  partnership with Regional Psychosocial Support Initiative (REPSSI), an organization working in a few countries in east and southern Africa in psychosocial support for girls, boys and youth. REPSSI also works with HIV positive women to build their own body maps, during educational and psychosocial supportive retreats.  CATIE’s contribution was to provide information regarding treatment.  At that time, treatment was either newly available or inaccessible for most of the women.  CATIE’s staff, Tricia Smith learnt the body mapping

In late April, 30 PHAs headed to London, ON for a PLDI Core Training. We learned, we laughed, we honoured history, and we now have added 30 new graduates to our PLDI family. Special thanks to National PLDI Coordinator, Martin Bilodeau, for joining the facilitation team.

Ryan Peck, Executive Director of HALCO recently emailed the OAN Membership to inform us about the recent cuts announced to Legal AID Ontario. The good news is that HALCO’s services to date remain intact. He urges everyone to please continue referring clients, including for immigration and refugee law services. As soon as there are more details, he will keep the Membership informed. In the meantime, there are still things that can be done: Send a letter to the Federal Government regarding immigration and refugee law services (see template) Send this form email, from your personal email accounts, to the Ontario Government asking

Our new Executive Director, Shannon Ryan, has had his first days at the OAN last week! It’s been busy, to be clear, but Shannon wrote a letter to our Membership outlining some intentions for his leadership: “As you know, my transition into this role will take place over the next two months. While my time in the office will be limited, I will be checking email and voicemail regularly and will respond to urgent issues as required. I have a number of goals over the next few months. The first is to engage with the OAN staff team and board to

The OAN has moved! We have a new mailing address although our phone number and emails have not changed. Our new mailing address is: 252A Carlton Street, Toronto, M5A 2L5 In addition, the OAN and the Gay Men’s Sexual Health Alliance (GMSH) are welcoming Michael Kwag, Jose Patiño-Gomez and Amir K. Bachari from the Community-Based Research Centre (CBRC). The CBRC is a non-profit charitable organization that promotes the health of gay, bisexual, queer (cis and trans) and Two Spirit men through research and intervention development. While their main office is located in Vancouver this shared space will serve as a satellite Toronto office (with their other locations in Edmonton

The Ontario Harm Reduction Network (OHRN) is hosting a series of webinars entitled Trans Awareness: From the Basics to Beyond. Improve your toolbox during PRIDE MONTH! These webinars will provide a foundation of knowledge to work better with trans and non-binary peoples and communities. The Basics Webinar, (offered both June 4 & 6, 2019, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm) will centre around language inclusive of trans/non-binary people and discuss many complex issues trans/non-binary folx face. The Beyond Webinar, (offered both June 11 & 13, 2019, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm) will take the conversation further with an in-depth look at issues affecting how and why trans and non-binary

Regional HIV/AIDS Connection (RHAC) board of directors would like to announce the release of their organization’s position statement on sex work. Over a two year period, the board of directors of RHAC consulted with a range of stakeholders, in addition to reviewing evidence-based research to inform our position. This consultation/education included: persons with lived experience those who advocate from an abolitionist position individuals and organizations that oppose the criminalization of sex work those concerned about the conflation of sex work and human trafficking RHAC has taken a position that aligns with their organization’s harm reduction philosophy. Their position recognizes that criminalization of

The OAN will be closed from April 26 – May 1st while we set-up and acclimate to our bright new space! During this time, we should have access to email, but there will definitely be a period of time without any telephone or internet access while the cables and technology service providers finish their installation. This also means there will not be a newsletter on April 26th – but we will return to regular programming in our May 10th edition. Thank you for your patience, and we look forward to welcoming visitors soon!

The GMSH is looking for actors for two video vignettes they are producing to educate Ontarians about U=U. Hurry! The auditions are Monday and Tuesday of next week! Click here for more details. CATIE is on the lookout for “magnetic couples” (those who are serodiscordant) from in and around Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver and who also want to be part of a U=U video campaign. They will have a similar feel to Buzzfeed videos like this. Interested? Click here for more details!

The Kiki is a bi-weekly, 10 session workshop and drop-in space for guys into guys who PNP (Party N’ Play) or like chemsex hosted by ACT in Toronto. The Kiki aims to provide harm reduction knowledge for the PNP community, while providing participants with a shame & stigma free space to build and bridge community, promote self-care, advocacy and health. The Kiki is unique in that there is no goal setting or monitoring of sober days as part of these activities. Access to new harm reduction supplies will be provided during each workshop. Sessions are open attendance and are facilitated by two ACT

The OAN was asked to provide a statement for the House of Commons’ Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights on Monday, April 9th on the topic of HIV Criminalization in Canada. National Coordinator of the Positive Leadership Development Institute (PLDI), Martin Bilodeau, presented before the committee following the completion of a national statement with Richard Elliott, Executive Director of the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network. Many thanks to these two gentlemen for their work, and a hats off to Martin for presenting remotely while on vacation in Paris! Bravo!

The OAN has found an amazing new office space! After 5 years behind mirrored window panes overlooking Jarvis Street, the Ontario AIDS Network and the Gay Men’s Sexual Health Alliance (GMSH) will be moving to a bright, accessible space, around the corner in Toronto’s Cabbagetown neighbourhood. Our new address information will be shared as soon as we have settled into the space – by May 1st! We are looking forward to sharing the next chapter of the OAN & GMSH with you!

Will people living with HIV ever be able to stop taking antiretroviral drugs? Toronto to Zero is hosting a free lecture by Dr. Tae-Wook Chun, internationally recognized HIV scientist who first described how HIV hides in inactive immune cells at Casey House, in Toronto. Now a tenured scientist at the American National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), Dr. Chun’s work continues to focus on eliminating persistent reservoirs of virus in the human body. The goal of his research is to develop treatment strategies to allow people living with HIV to maintain undetectable viral loads without daily antiretroviral drugs. The event is free

Dates for next Positive Leadership Development Institute have been announced! PLDI Core Training April 25-28 2019 (London); PLDI Communication Training July 19-21 2019 (Toronto); PLDI Governance Training March 13-15 2020 (Toronto); PLDI Facilitator Training February 7-9 2020 (Toronto). Reach out to Tara Jewal with any questions.

The Ontario PrEP Cohort Study (ONPrEP) is looking for PrEP users to participate their research project! Are you currently on PrEP? If so, have your voice heard and take part in the Ontario PrEP Cohort Study! Participation is open to any adult starting or using PrEP in Ontario. Compensation is provided. You can learn more about the project by either visiting ONPrEP.ca or contacting the Provincial Study Coordinator at 416-864-6060 ext 77395. 

*As registration response to HALCO’s scheduled April 11 workshop was overwhelming, this additional date has been added*  Join presenter Jill McNall (HALCO Community Legal Worker and licensed paralegal) at the 519 Church Street Community Centre in a workshop which will provide an overview of what is known about the changes that the Ontario Government have announced for the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) – what the changes might mean and what to do next. Thursday  May 2, 2019 1:30pm – 4 p.m The 519 Ballroom,  2nd Floor, 519 Church Street, Toronto (just north of Wellesley Street East) Everyone is welcome to attend this in-person general interest workshop but space is limited

Thank you to all who were able to join us for this year’s OAN Honour Roll celebration! Buddies in Bad Times Theatre overflowed with love, support and gratitude for this year’s recipients: Amutha Samgam, Sarah Burtch, Tom Hammond and the Toronto Overdose Prevention Society. Thank you, also, to those who sent us their photos from the event! If you would like to access your photobooth photos, Tara can send you your pictures on request. Email tjewal@oan.red to receive your picture! It’s important that we take the time to recognize those in our community who are making exceptional changes to our sector. And we hope that the Honour Roll accomplished

Thank you to everyone who has submitted their annual OAN Membership Renewal Fee! Keep ’em coming! Your membership helps cover the cost of our AGM and affords you access to our Skills Workshop Series, HR Consultants and an agency account with HR Downloads. In accordance with our current bylaw, 2019 – 2020 fees are due by April 30, 2019.

Want meet, mingle, have a fun time and boogie down with a chill mixed sero-status crowd with energetic beats by DJ Sumation and performance by Jade Elektra? Of course you do! CHAMP IN ACTION, a program of ACAS, is hosting the Poz-TO Mingle #HIV Social Event in support of Ontario Positive Asians (OPA+) and creating a safe and accessible space at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre Friday, March 29! Poz-TO Mingle Friday March 29, 2019 7pm – 10pm No charge (but donations gladly accepted at the door!) More details can be found on the event’s Facebook page.

National HIV Testing Day is coming up on June 27, 2019 – and the OAN is hosting a ZOOM meeting for all interested Members and Affiliate Members who wish to get on board! Next Thursday, March 21 from 1pm – 2pm login and hear from Gilbert Centre Executive Director and CAS Board Member Gerry Croteau, National Programs and Fundraising Manager Kelly Puddister and Executive Director Gary Lacasse about what it would mean to participate in National HIV Testing Day at an agency level, as well as provide some insight into the benefits of this united national effort. Directors have received the login information this afternoon via email

It is with great sadness that we share the recent passing of Ruthann Tucker. Ruthann was a strong and present Director, visionary and champion of the HIV/AIDS Sector in Ontario for many many years. She dedicated her life to the HIV/AIDS community, working at ACT, Fife House, the Ontario HIV Treatment Network (OHTN) and The Hamilton AIDS Network. Ruthann was also the recipient of an OAN Honour Roll Award in 2005 for her contributions to the sector – years before her work was finished. In partnership with a network of community leaders in the HIV/AIDS sector and the Ontario HIV Treatment Network,

Dane Griffiths, Associate Director of the Gay Men’s Sexual Health Alliance (GMSH) penned a recent article for CATIE’s Blog calling out the urgent need for a widespread scale-up of harm reduction efforts in gay men’s health in Canada. The article, found here, also provides a thorough comparison of international harm reduction strategies and offers suggestions to organizations looking to expand services to reach gay men who use substances while having sex in advance of the GMSH’s launch of the Party N Play Your Way campaign later this year. Congrats, Dane!

CATIE  is looking for people living with HIV and their partners to share details of their relationship story on camera as part of a fun and upbeat national “Undetectable = Untransmittable” (U=U) campaign. CATIE will be hosting photo and video shoots in cities across the country, and they invite you to share your story in English ou en français!  Please feel free to share it with individuals, couples or organizations that you work with Want to know more? Contact: abrett@catie.ca

As part of a larger process of streamlining, updating and hopefully simplifying our OAN bylaw – we will be holding focus groups with our membership starting in March. An email with more details will be sent in the coming week!

This is the last call for registration for the ED/Board Chair Forum – and a special thank you to all those who have already done so. The registration link was emailed to all OAN Member Directors to be passed on to their respective Board Chairs/Co-chairs but if you have not received yours, please reach out to Ryan at rkerr@oan.red by Monday, January 28, 2019. We are very excited to host this final Skills program of the fiscal year with our largest group yet!

National LGBT publication IN Magazine recently published an article about the inspiration and vision of Keith McCrady, Executive Director of 2-Spirits. Congratulations, Keith!

The Ontario HIV Treatment Network (OHTN) is currently seeking community feedback on anti-stigma campaigns related to HIV/AIDS, including PrEP and U=U. Participants are asked to watch a 3-minute video and fill out a 7-minute survey. Click here to help!

The deadline to submit a nomination form for this year’s OAN Honour Roll award ceremony is just around the corner! Forms are due no later than end of day Monday, January 14th, 2019 to allow our committee to review submissions and invite inductees to our event on Saturday, March 2nd. There are three awards open for public submission: The Person with HIV/AIDS Leadership Award The Caring Hands Award The Community Partners Award For more information and to download a nomination form, go to our Nomination Form page.

Following a period of uncertainty, member agency Positive Living Niagara has opened Niagara region’s first Overdose Prevention Site. A brilliant article released yesterday by CBC news highlighted some of the StreetWorks Services‘ accomplishments and life saving interventions in its inaugural month of expanded operation. Kudos to Talia Storm, Manager of StreetWorks Services and to Glen Walker, Executive Director of Positive Living Niagara for the life-saving collaboration!

January is definitely a new beginning for many of us, but here at the OAN it signals the closure of a cycle as well. On behalf of all of the staff of the OAN, we would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to Wendy Pinder, Acting Executive Director, as she completes her full-time contract with us and returns to the Ontario Organizational Development Program as Program Administrator. Since her arrival last February, Wendy has overseen three successful Skills Workshops (as well as the planning of the upcoming ED/Board Chair Forum), two Board trainings and our best-attended AGM ever! Additionally, Wendy worked very

Thank you to all member agencies who have been updating the OAN Calendar with their events – it helps all of us to know what is on the way.  The calendar can be accessed *and updated* by going to oan.red/events/ and entering your details.

The Ontario AIDS Network Office will be closed from December 24 – January 1 (inclusive) with our cheery, capable team returning to work starting January 2, 2019. This means any recently submitted expense reimbursement forms will wait to be processed until the New Year. For those of you also taking a break during this time frame: enjoy! We look forward to continuing our work together, in our growing and changing sector in the coming year.

Last week, the Federal government announced changes in exemption procedures for Safe Consumption sites across Canada. Here’s an excerpt of a reaction from Regional HIV/AIDS Connection: “In Ontario, this means that regions in urgent need of support will be able to work directly with Federal representatives to receive exemptions for new sites with the goal of reducing overdoses, linking people who use drugs to care and dramatically reducing the potential for new HIV acquisitions by providing clean equipment and accurate, up-to-date information to people accessing these services…this change has incredible potential to improve the lives of all Canadians – especially those

Nous sommes très heureux et fiers d’annoncer que l’inscription est ouverte pour une toute première formation en français de l’Institut de développement du leadership positifTM (IDLP) auprès des Franco-Ontariens vivant avec le VIH. Aussi connu sous son nom anglais de PLDI (Positive Leadership Development InstituteTM), l’IDLP vise à outiller les personnes vivant avec le VIH (PVVIH) afin qu’ils /elles développent leur potentiel de leadership et accroissent leur capacité à participer, de manière significative, à la vie communautaire. La formation Module de base : Qui suis-je en tant que leader ? aura lieu en français à Ottawa, au Sheraton Ottawa Hotel du 17 au 20 janvier 2019. Cette formation est aussi le

This has been a pivotal year for HIV and hepatitis C prevention, testing and treatment. Researchers and clinicians have pioneered game-changing HIV treatment regimens, Canadian liver experts have expanded recommendations for hepatitis C testing, and the overdose crisis has triggered an unprecedented response from harm reduction workers, coast to coast. Following a period of online voting, the CATIE has released reader-submitted list of top HIV and hepatitis C stories of 2018.

On World AIDS Day, Federal Health Minister, Ginette Petitpas-Taylor, signed onto the U=U Consensus Statement on behalf of all of Canada! Surrounding her on Parliament Hill, amidst cheers and revelry were the team members from the AIDS Committee of Ottawa, U=U Campaign founder Bruce Reichman and community members. Executive Director of the AIDS Committee of Ottawa, Khaled Salem, wrote of the occasion: “Words cannot express our sentiments and truly convey our feelings surrounding this momentous occasion, when we, as an organization, city, country and most importantly, as the HIV community made history together.  “Our collective hearts were filled with pride, and tears were trickling down

OAN Skills has opened registration for our ED/Board Chair Forum, taking place March 1 – 3, 2019 in Toronto. Building on our program theme this year of “Strengthening ASO’s from the inside out!”, the ED/Board Chair Forum will provide an opportunity for learning, sharing, networking and increasing knowledge to strengthen the response to HIV/AIDS in Ontario. In addition, the OAN Honour Roll will coincide with the dates of the Forum, providing some entertainment for participants and an opportunity to network the evening of Saturday, March 2nd at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, across the street from the venue. This year, we

In response to sector requests, the WHAI Provincial Office will be holding a live webinar on Wednesday December 12, from 11:00am – 12:30pm to share some updates about what is happening in our WHAI Network! The webinar will discuss background about WHAI’s work including some current Areas of Focus, progress and achievements, work for the upcoming fiscal year as well as some ways WHAI can support other OAN Members and others in the sector. Please RSVP to mbannerman@whai.ca if you are planning to attend and she will share the meeting link directly.

The OHTN is launching a survey for Gay, Bisexual, and other men who have sex with men surrounding decisions about sex and how they might talk about these decisions with their sex partners. Those who complete the 20-30 minute survey will receive a $5 e-gift card for Tim Horton’s or Starbucks as a thank you. Click here to participate!

In addition to the U=U Consensus Statement endorsement by the Government of Canada on December 1, 2018, the Government of Canada also announced a new directive to help limit unjust prosecutions against people living with HIV in Canada. Given the complicated legal structures in Canada, this blanket statement will affect each province differently. The directive, which will take effect on Saturday, December 8, 2018, governs federal prosecutors who handle criminal prosecutions in the three territories in Canada. It does not apply to prosecutions taking place in Ontario or other provinces. In response, the HIV & AIDS Legal Clinic Ontario (HALCO) has created a new

The OAN Support Workers Workshop, interwoven with the OHTN’s Endgame Research Conference, is fast approaching.  Please reach out to me if you have registered but have not yet heard from either Ryan Kerr from the OAN or from a staff person at the OHTN. We are looking forward to hosting you December 6th and 7th!

Hurry! Demand is high and the trees are going fast.  If you are interested in a tree, email Tara tjewal@oan.red and let her know. For those of you who requested more than one tree, we will do our best to accommodate you. (Photos and mini-lights not included!)

Thank you to everyone who has submitted a nomination to our Honour Roll Committee. We will be accepting applications until January 14th, 2019.  Follow this link for more details.

The GMSH has created a new video on HIV Treatment for The Sex You Want website!  The video touches on the importance of connecting to care and accessing HIV treatment that works for you in a fun, snappy snippet. It’s specific to Ontario and hot off the press. Have a look!

The Ontario Substance Use Training Program (OHSUTP) is pleased to announce its latest evolution: the Ontario Harm Reduction Network (OHRN)! This update also better reflects the mandate of the organization: striving to better meet the needs of those working in Harm Reduction throughout Ontario.  OHRN will focus on continued development and strengthening of its provincial network of over 80 frontline Harm Reduction workers to ensure a robust provincial response to the needs of people who use drugs. All the while maintaining a core vision of treating people who use drugs with dignity and respect, free of judgement and offering effective care and support when accessing

OAN Member organization HALCO has announced this year’s recipient of the 2018 James Kreppner Award: Mikiki!  Described by numerous nominators as a “tireless community builder” who plays so many roles for so many people, Mikiki is a committed activist, advocate, organizer and artist whose broad range of work and volunteer activity includes social justice and issues related to: HIV, including stigma and criminalization queer and trans health gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men policing of sex work. For more information about Mikiki or the history of this honour, visit HALCO’s website. Congratulations, Mikiki!

The Limestone City was brightened this past week by the talents and passion of the OAN Middle Manager’s Workshop. For two days, 45 ASO managers from across the province gathered to learn, share and network with one another in Kingston. Thanks are owed to all participants – both presenters and attendees – and to their home organizations who lent us some of their finest for the two day gathering. This Middle Manager’s Workshop was our largest yet and we can’t wait for the next opportunity to work together again!

Nous vous invitons, en tant que membre, partenaire, client(e), collègue, bailleur de fonds et/ou ami(e), à vous joindre à nous lors de notre assemblée générale annuelle le jeudi 29 novembre 2018.  Le jeudi 29 novembre 2018 De 18 h à 20 h 543, rue Yonge, 4e étage, Salle A Nous vous rappelons que pour vous prévaloir de votre droit de vote à l’assemblée générale et pour poser votre candidature comme administrateur(trice), vous devez être membre d’Action positive. Il vous sera possible d’y adhérer sur place. La contribution annuelle est de 5,00$. Veuillez confirmer votre présence auprès de Danny à danny@actionpositive.ca Pour plus d’information,

Nominations for the 2019 OAN Honour Roll are open! Do you know someone that has demonstrated outstanding leadership and achievement within the HIV/AIDS movement in Ontario? Why not submit their name to be recognized for their contributions? There are three categories of awards which are accepting nominees: The Person with HIV/AIDS Leadership Award; The Caring Hands Award; & The Community Partners Award Nominations close January 14, 2019 at 4:00pm. The award ceremony will take place March 2, 2019 at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre in Toronto. For more information, visit our Nomination Form.

The Alliance for South Asian AIDS Prevention invites you to their Annual General Meeting on Monday, November 12th, 2018. 120 Carlton Street, Party Room 6:00pm – 8:00pm While all are invited to attend, please RSVP to info@asaap.ca to secure your spot!

Regional HIV/AIDS Connection is proud to present the third annual Red Scarf Benefit Concert in support of people Living with HIV/AIDS in Ontario. This year’s Red Scarf concert will feature Juno Award winning Bedouin Soundclash! Friday, November 23 7:00pm London Music Hall, London This concert is generously presented by London’s Best Rock FM96 and proudly supported by Indiva. Tickets and information are available now at redscarf.ca/concert.

Earlier today, all OAN Member and Affiliate organizations were emailed about an addition to the HR Supports the OAN now offers: HRDownloads.com!  HR Downloads is a digital repository of up-to-date information for employers on new legislation, employee-facing training videos as well as webinars covering a variety of relevant topics. This service is a healthy compliment to our fabulous OPRAH consultants, who will continue to offer in-person and telephone and advice through our OPRAH intake form on the OAN Website.   A contact representative will be in touch with all Directors to set up an individual account within the next 2 weeks to provide an overview of what

The Ontario HIV Treatment Network has announced that Interim Executive Director Jean Bacon has accepted the role of Executive Director, effective immediately. Congratulations, Jean! 

The Leadership Symposium, held from October 1st – 3rd in Guelph was a huge success! Executive Directors and PPN Directors had the rare opportunity to meet face-to-face and share some challenges, solutions and a more unified direction for the HIV Sector across Ontario. Of the 50 attendees, 26 were directly involved in planning, presenting or facilitating the event, which ensured great diversity in perspective and experience for a fulsome, professional exchange between leaders. Below, some candid shots of our participants snapped by our masterful facilitators Beth Jordan and John Miller,

Preparations for The Middle Manager’s Workshop, taking place November 5 & 6 in Kingston are in full swing! Thank you to those who were able to provide us with feedback for our Agenda content – we have lots of great ideas from which we’ll craft our final programme! Confirmation emails will be sent out next week to confirm registration. Again this year, the OAN will be joining forces with the OHTN to deliver the Support Workers Workshop, integrated into the OHTN Endgame 3 Research Conference. Directors will receive an email next week to share with their Support Workers and with all the details!

The Ontario HIV Substance Use Training Program is making their online resources available to everyone in the sector. The resources available are: Introduction to HIV Methamphetamine: The Basics Methamphetamine: Working with and supporting people who use Injection Drug Use Equipment recording (90 mins) Safer Inhalation (crack smoking) Equipment recording (90 mins) This list — composed of a mix of video webinars, course curricula and recordings — was carefully crafted using a harm-reduction, non-judgmental lens and uses lived experience as a base for information and training. Certificates of completion for any course or webinar can be provided on request.

The AIDS Committee of Durham Region is organizing a youth Pozzy Friendsgiving weekend November 3rd & 4th at the Ramada Hotel in Toronto. The event will feature Laron Nelson and our very own Tara Jewal (Manager of PLDI and Special Events) as workshop facilitators! All travel, meals and accommodation expenses will be covered for eligible participants. For details and for more information, call 1-905-576-1445 or email events@aidsdurham.com.

The Toronto Fast Track City Initiative is organizing a free Town Hall discussion at the 519 Church Street Community Centre (Toronto) on Thursday, November 1st. Toronto is trying to step up and join other cities around the world in a UNAIDS initiative called Fast Track Cities to push beyond the inertia and end the HIV epidemic here. Other cities are changing the way they work. They are finding new ways to connect with hard-to-reach populations. They are making it easier for people to get tested. They are strengthening their prevention programs as well as support and treatment services. And they are fighting stigma. Their efforts are

PASAN’s Annual General Meeting  October 29th, 2018 Riverdale Auditorium of the Ralph Thornton Community Centre 6pm – 9pm Featuring a presentation from Fiona Kouyoumdjian MD of Hamilton-Wentworth Detention Centre discussing The Opioid Crisis in Prisons.

Now that the Leadership Symposium is all set to go this Monday in Guelph, the OAN has launched its next workshop in the OAN Skills Series: The Middle Manager’s Workshop, taking place November 5 & 6 in Kingston! Executive and Program Directors were notified on Wednesday of the registration and also asked to complete a brief workshop agenda survey to help us to form the most useful agenda for everyone. If you did not receive the registration link or the agenda survey, let Ryan Kerr, Manager of Communications and Member Development know: rkerr@oan.red. Registration for the Middle Manager’s Workshop closes Wednesday, October 9th. Dates for

CATIE is starting a new series of their free eduCATIE+ virtual courses on October 9th!  Service providers can register for blended learning courses on HIV Basics, Hepatitis C Basics, or Preventing the Sexual Transmission of HIV. Each course combines online education with a virtual session led by a CATIE educator with course content tailored to the issues and context specific to each participating region. Courses available with start and end dates: HIV Basics: October 9th – November 19th, 2018 Hepatitis C Basics: January 7th – February 4th, 2019 Preventing the Sexual Transmission of HIV: January 21th – February 18th, 2019 For more information, click here. To register for the HIV Basics course,

The OAN Newsletter is for OAN Members and friends all across the province! While we realize that many (wonderful!) events take place in Toronto, we encourage submissions that represent all regions of this amazing province.  Think there’s something in your region the Membership should know about? Send it our way: rkerr@oan.red!

From October 16th -18th, PLDI held its Governance Training in Toronto with over 30 participants from across Ontario.  All of our regions were represented! We also had our PLDI team from Québec and our National Coordinator, Martin Bilodeau, join us. OAN Acting Executive Director Wendy Pinder was invited to be our special guest and added valuable insights into our gathering.

The OAN Honour Roll celebration will be held on the evening of Saturday, March 2nd, 2019 at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, who have graciously donated their space to us. Please mark the date in your calendars so you can join us.

HIV AIDS Legal Clinic Ontario (HALCO) is pleased to share Legal Problems Facing Trans People in Ontario – the first report generated from the research project entitled TRANSforming JUSTICE: Trans Legal Needs Assessment Ontario. 

HIV/AIDS Regional Services is pleased to announce that Gilles Charette will move into the role of Executive Director beginning October 6th, 2018. While we announced this info already, we’ve recently learned that the best way to reach him is edhars@kingston.net. 

The Ontario HIV Treatment Network is please to announce the opening of registration for their Endgame Research Conference taking place December 5th and 6th in Toronto. 

[et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”3.12.1″ custom_margin=”0px|||” custom_padding=”0px|||”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.12.1″ custom_margin=”0px|||” custom_padding=”0px|||”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.12.1″] Thank you to all of the Members, Affiliate Members and Delegates for your meaningful participation in this year’s Annual General Meeting. The Ramada was bursting with enthusiasm and spirited discussion – certainly a gathering to remember. On Thursday night, our PHA Body Dinner was attended by 30 PHAs from across Ontario; our Networking Meeting on Friday hosted 69 participants and our Saturday meeting — where we formally elected four new and two returning members to our Board of Directors and approved the addition of three new agencies to our family — hosted 52 participants. These

Of course the reason for our Annual General Meeting is to bring together our Membership to elect new Board Members and approve the addition of other organizations to our provincial Membership. Congratulations to our 2018 – 2019 Board of Directors: Co-Chair: John McCullagh, Central Declared Co-Chair: Janet Rowe, Central Undeclared Board Treasurer: Kim Dolan, Eastern Undeclared Board Secretary: Gord Asmus, Eastern Declared Holly Gauvin, Northern Undeclared Fred Young, Northern Declared Les Bowman, Western Declared Tim McClemont, Western Undeclared Asunta Wagura, At-Large Declared Dale Maitland, At-Large Declared Noulmook Sutdhibhasilp, At-Large Undeclared We also welcomed the following organizations to the Ontario AIDS Network Membership: Centre francophone de Toronto as an Affiliate

The Advisory Council on the Implementation of National Pharmacare is “leading a national dialogue on how to implement affordable national pharmacare for Canadians and their families, employers and governments.” Many sector The Advisory Council is planning a Town Hall (Community Dialogue Session) in Toronto on Monday, September 24, 2018 from 7:00pm – 8:30 pm. Here is a link to register for the Town Hall. If you are not in the Toronto area, you can visit the Council’s online consultation platform, send a written submission via email or complete an online questionnaire. HALCO provides free legal advice for people living with HIV in Ontario about access to drug benefits and other

Casey House is hosting a free all-day workshop on Trauma Informed Care in Toronto, on Tuesday October 9th, from 9:30am – 4:30pm. For more information and to register, click here.

The Gay Men’s Sexual Health Alliance (GMSH) has released their position statement on U=U (undetectable equals untransmittable)! The statement was developed with support from COQSIDA and members of GMSH’s Positively Healthy Advisory Committee and says, clearly, that HIV positive individuals with a sustained undetectable viral load cannot transmit HIV to their sexual partners. To ensure that this information is made available to Two Spirit, gay, bi, and queer men and their health care providers across Ontario, they have adapted materials from The Sex You Want campaign including posters, postcards, stickers and t-shirts into eye-catching resources and swag! Contact Christopher at cmaillais@gmsh.ca for more information (and to place a bulk order!)

During Saturday’s AGM, participants were invited to dedicate a rose to a loved one and light a candle, which anchored us in our work for the course of the day. Afterward, a team of volunteers led by Tara Jewal, Manager of PLDI and Special Events, laid more than 6 dozen red roses at the AIDS Memorial of the 519 Church Street Community Centre in Toronto.

Hemophilia Ontario has a new Interim Executive Director! Bojan Pirnat, based out of Toronto, can be reached at the following email: Director@hemophilia.on.ca. 

Well the event you’ve all been waiting for is around the corner: It’s just a few days until the 2018 OAN Annual General Meeting at the Ramada Hotel, Toronto: Friday September 7th 9:00am – 5:30pm* Saturday September 8th  9:30am – 3:30pm *Note the extra hour allotted for advocacy re: responding to recent government’s closure of Supervised Consumption Sites (SCS)  and Overdose Prevention Sites (OPS). The PHA Body Meeting will be held on Thursday evening from 5:30pm – 9:30pm. All of the AGM Materials (Agendas, Proxy form, Expense Form, List of Nominees) can be found here. As of yesterday, all hotel reservations