Safe travels to all of our friends in the sector as they head to Amsterdam for the International AIDS Conference, 2018!

We have now received two responses to our Questionnaire sent to Party Leaders on Wednesday, May 23: One response from the Ontario NDP and one from the Liberal Party of Ontario. As the election is on Thursday, we expect these will be the only responses we will receive. Posted, below, are the two letters as well as the original questionnaire. Have a look. To download PDF’s of these letters, click here.  

The Ontario AIDS Network is acutely aware of the risks of losing sight of HIV as a priority in Ontario given the potential for changing government priorities. As a result, we have worked with a committee of board members as well as a communications consultant to assemble some key messages for our partner agencies – that HIV is still an issue in Ontario, one that we can overcome with continued provincial support. We have sent each campaigning party leader a letter asking them what their commitment will be to the continuation of Ontario’s provincial strategy Focusing Our Efforts – HIV/AIDS Strategy to

Following several consultations with our Election Subcommittee and two teleconferences with our member agencies last week, we are pleased to share our OAN Election Toolkit. In it, you’ll find revised Introduction, Background and Questionnaire documents as well as three info-graphics, a list of example social media posts — even a couple in French! – and a high-quality version of the OAN logo, should you need. We hope that the package we have prepared will be helpful to all of you. As of Wednesday morning at 6am, our News Release was shared through Canada Newswire and picked up by 19 media agencies, with

The Canadian AIDS Society (CAS), in association with provincial and local organizations, will be launching its first-ever Canada-wide HIV Testing Dayon June 27th, 2018 in 40 communities across Canada. Participants will be tested for HIV and other STBBI using point-of-care testing kits or blood draws. CAS is looking for any Ontario community-based organization interested in holding an HIV Testing Day event in their community to: work with local health authorities to promote the event (with customizable promotional materials provided by CAS) in collaboration with local health authorities or sexual health clinics to provide pre- and post-test counselling to participants where needed. If

We are pleased to announce that Phillip Banks has been chosen as the new Director of the Gay Men’s Sexual Health Alliance (GMSH), here at the Ontario AIDS Network (OAN). Phillip is a seasoned leader in the HIV community and is currently the Executive Director of the Peel HIV/AIDS Network (PHAN). In his term at PHAN, Phillip strengthened ties with the community, bringing HIV and specifically Gay Men’s Health to the forefront of the organization. Phillip brings over 25 years of experience in the sector, along with considerable skills, knowledge and expertise to the table. Phillip will step into his new role

OPRAH Newsletters are now available to download! Here is the link where they can be found: https://ontarioaidsnetwork.ca/oprah/human-resources

The OAN is pleased to announce it has launched AIDS Awareness ads.  Check out 10 Facts about HIV in Ontario that might surprise you at oan.red/facts

The Ontario AIDS Network Board of Directors is pleased to announce and congratulate the 2017 Honour Roll Award Recipients: Adrian Betts and Christian Hui, The Person with HIV/AIDS Leadership Award Anthony Mohamed and Maureen Owino, The Caring Hands Award Richard Elliott and Ryan Peck, Social Justice in HIV/AIDS Award Please join us in celebrating on Wednesday, November 15, 2017 at 7:00 p.m. at the Ripley’s Aquarium, Toronto. Tickets are $40 which includes full access to the Aquarium, a beverage, hors d’oeuvres and entertainment. There will be discounted ticket pricing if bundles of tickets are purchased as follows:  5 tickets at

The nomination deadline for the OAN Honour Roll 2017 is August 31, 2017.  If you are considering nominating someone for one of the three awards, don’t delay!  The event will take place November 15, 2017 at Ripley’s Aquarium in Toronto.  For more information, download the OAN Honour Roll 2017 Nomination Package below.

We have added a couple of links to resources on substance use in the workplace on the OPRAH toolkit.  Check them out at this link https://ontarioaidsnetwork.ca/oprah/human-resources/hr-policies/

To our alliance, colleagues and community partners, We are pleased to announce the availability of the GMSH new strategic plan. Entitled “Raising the Bar” this new plan presents the priorities and activities we will pursue over the next 5 years. It is the product of many months of engagement with researchers, community based workers at HIV/AIDS service organizations (ASOs) and gay and bisexual men living with and affected by HIV. In Ontario, cisgender and transgender gay, bisexual, two-spirit, and other men who have sex with men remain disproportionately impacted by the HIV epidemic, with incidence rates remaining high for too long. It is

The pdf below provides up to date information from the Public Health Agency of Canada in 3 areas: HIV in CanadaHepatitis C in CanadaChlamydia, Gonorrhea and Syphilis in Canada

The following Skills workshop dates have been finalized: Board Chair Workshop, July 14/15, 2017 – We will be allowing 2 people per agency to attend this workshop. Middle Manager Workshop, September 20/21, 2017 Support Workers Workshop, October 25/26, 2017 ED/Board Chair Workshop, January 26/27, 2018 All of the above workshops will be taking place at the Ramada Plaza Hotel, 300 Jarvis Street, Toronto. Please note these workshops are only available to OAN member agencies and affiliates (where applicable). An email will be sent to ASOs with more information closer to the dates. Online registration will also be available closer to

The OACHA Strategy – HIV/AIDS Strategy to 2026: Focusing Our Efforts – has been updated. Below are the English and French versions of the Strategy.

HIV Resources Ontario is a collaborative of resource programs and organizations mandated by the AIDS Bureau to build the capacity of the HIV sector in Ontario by delivering trainings, workshops, materials, and organizational development supports. A website was created as an online navigation tool to make materials and resources created by HIV Resources Ontario available to ASOs across Ontario. Be sure to check it out at http://www.hivresourcesontario.ca [/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]

On January 20-22, 2017, the Positive Leadership Development Institute held another successful Level 3 – Communications training. Twenty-two participants graduated! For more information on the Positive Leadership Development Institute trainings and to download the workshop applications, visit https://ontarioaidsnetwork.ca/pldi or contact the Manager of PLDI and Special Events, Tara Jewal at tjewal@oan.red

On January 24, 2017, the Gay Men’s Sexual Health Alliance (GMSH) officially announced the launch of The Sex You Want, a campaign aimed at getting cisgender and transgender gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men preventing, testing, and treating HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. This campaign is timely with so many ways to have great sex and maintain your health regardless of your HIV status. For more information on The Sex You Want, please visit http://www.thesexyouwant.ca

People living with HIV continue to be charged with aggravated sexual assault – one of the most serious offences in Canada’s Criminal Code – even where there is no intent to cause harm, no transmission occurs and the risks of transmission are negligible if not zero. This is a travesty of justice. Despite efforts of the Ontario Working Group on Criminal Law and HIV Exposure (CLHE) to engage in good faith with the Ministry of Attorney General since 2010, unjust prosecutions continue in Ontario, ignoring medical evidence and destroying the lives of people living with HIV. On December 1, 2016,

Studies have shown that HIV-positive people who are engaged in regular health care, are on treatment and have an ongoing undetectable viral load do not pass HIV to their sexual partners.  For more information, visit the CATIE website: Undetectable=Untransmittable – CATIE signs on

Early on Friday, January 27, 2017, our dear friend and comrade Glen Wesley Brown passed away after a battle with liver disease. Glen passed away peacefully in the company and care of friends.  Glen had a huge impact on many people in both his personal and professional life. He was a tireless social justice activist, a central figure in the fight against HIV in Canada and a founding member of AIDS Action Now! More recently he became a prominent environmental leader through his work with Greenpeace Canada. In his professional life, Glen helped many social justice organizations communicate better, work

On January 25, 2017, the Ontario Advisory Committee on HIV/AIDS (OACHA) delivered a new 10-year HIV/AIDS strategy to Dr. Eric Hoskins, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care. The report, entitled HIV/AIDS Strategy to 20126: Focusing Our Efforts: Changing the Course of the HIV Prevention, Engagement and Care Cascade in Ontario, outlines a vision for an Ontario in which new HIV infections are rare and all people living with HIV lead long, health lives. For more information about the strategy, go to: http://www.health.gov.on.ca/en/pro/programs/hivaids/news/oacha_20170125.aspx To download a pdf copy of the strategy, go to: http://www.health.gov.on.ca/en/pro/programs/hivaids/oach_strategy.aspx

The Ontario AIDS Network Board of Directors is pleased to announce and congratulate the 2016 Honour Roll Award Recipients: Keith Wong, Community Partners Award Christine Leonard, Caring Hands Award Metropolitan Community Church of Toronto, Social Justice in HIV/AIDS Award Please join us in celebrating on Wednesday, November 16, 2016 from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. in the Grand Banking Hall at One King West Hotel, Toronto. Tickets are available through Event Brite at http://ontarioaidsnetwork2016honourrollreception.eventbrite.ca or by contacting Tara Jewal at tjewal@oan.red or 416-364-4555 ext. 304. Tickets are $35 and include a beverage, hors d’oeuvres and entertainment. The 2016 Honour Roll is

The Ontario AIDS Network Honour Roll was established in 1996 by the Board of Directors of the Ontario AIDS Network (OAN). In the past 21 years the Honour Roll has recognized 113 outstanding individuals and organizations for their contributions as volunteers or staff. It has become one of Ontario’s most prestigious awards within the HIV/AIDS movement. The deadline of August 31, 2016 for the 2016 Honour Roll Nominations is fast approaching! If you know someone who you think deserves to be nominated then now is the time to get your nomination in. Download the nomination package here.

Dear Friends, We are saddened by the news that Marisol Desbiens passed away on May 18, 2016. Marisol worked with the OAN for a brief time from January to March, 2009 as a Program Assistant with the PHA Leadership Program (now PLDI). She was also a co-investigator and research assistant for the 2010 PLDI Positive Change Makers booklet. Marisol was a Peer Research Associate and volunteer with the Canadian HIV Women’s Sexual and Reproductive Health Cohort Study (CHIWOS). She had been working in the HIV community for the past 8 years. She also volunteered at PWA in the Speaker’s Bureau

Federated Health Charities Corporation kicked off its 2016 Annual Campaign today with a goal to raise a record amount of funds for up to 16 Canadian health charities.  The campaign will run through to July involving members of the OPS to pledge funds through payroll deductions, donations and special events. Federated Health Charities Corporation is a coalition of provincially-based charities in Ontario that began in 1983 and is dedicated to raising funds for its members within the Ontario Public Service that will support health education and awareness, medical research, and client and patient services.

Please find below the list of OAN regular 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.  Anyone who is a voting representative or non-voting participant appointed by Regular Members in good standing of the Ontario AIDS Network is eligible to apply or be nominated.  The “Designated” seats are open to those people who are living with HIV and are comfortable

Nominations for OAN Elections are now currently open. Please find below the nomination forms for the seats up for election this year, as well as the list of OAN regular member agencies according to region. 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. Anyone who is a voting representative or non-voting participant appointed by Regular Members in good standing of the Ontario AIDS Network is eligible to apply or be nominated. The “Designated” seats are open to

December 1st, World AIDS Day, Monday evening at St. Peter’s Church on Carlton Street in Toronto the OAN is partnering with the Anglican Archdiocese of Greater Toronto to create a service that invites all of us to “Be Part of the Light, Fight HIV stigma.” Three HIV positive speakers will share their own powerful stories of resilience in fighting HIV Stigma. National Aboriginal Bishop Mark L. MacDonald is guest speaker, a smudging ceremony and drumming will be part of the service. Participants will be invited to light candles of remembrance for those lost to AIDS and of resilience for those

In accordance with OAN By-Law #3, Section 6.04(a)(v) which states: At least 60 days prior to the annual Members’ meeting, the Governance Committee shall send to the Members a list of the candidates duly nominated and vetted by the Governance Committee. Below is the list of candidates that have put forward nominations for the seats up for election: At-Large Non-Designated Seat – Richard Hubley Central Non-Designated Seat – Joanne Lindsay Western Designated Seat – Les Bowman Eastern Designated Seat – Nominations will be accepted from the floor; nomination forms will be provided at the meeting By-Law #3, section 6.04(e) Nominations

The OAN is proud to release “NOW WHAT? The Possibilities of Disclosure  – A Guide by HIV Positive People for AIDS Service Organizations and Their Allies“ What This Guide Is About This is a guidebook about the many aspects of healthy disclosure and non‐disclosure of HIV status by people with HIV/AIDS. The guide was created by people with HIV/AIDS to help AIDS Service Organizations (ASOs) in supporting people with HIV/AIDS who are wondering about disclosure: Why? To whom? When? How? The guidebook is rooted in the lived experience of PHAs. It grew from a desire by PHAs to create a perspective

The OAN Board of Directors is pleased to announce that The Prisoners HIV/AIDS Support Action Network (PASAN) has been selected to receive The 2013 Social Justice in HIV/AIDS Award. This award will be presented at the 2013 Honour Roll Awards Ceremony on November 26, 2013. PASAN (The Prisoners HIV/AIDS Support Action Network) is a community-based network of prisoners, ex-prisoners, organizations, activists and individuals working together to provide advocacy, education, and support to prisoners on HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis C and related issues. PASAN formed in 1991 as a grassroots response to the AIDS crisis in the Canadian prison system. Former prisoners are

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

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

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

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 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

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 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

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

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,

It is with great sadness that we advise you of the death of a beloved friend and member of our community, Patrick Truong. We are joining together with Asian Community AIDS Services (ACAS) in mourning his loss and in honouring his life.  Patrick was respected by his many colleagues and friends in the AIDS movement. He lived with the challenges of HIV for 26 years and was one of the first members of the Asian community to be public about his status. Patrick was an advocate and caregiver who lived his life with kindness, courage, determination and generosity. In 2010 in

The Ontario AIDS Network has proclaimed 2012 as the year of the “Ontario Accord” on the Greater and More Meaningful involvement of People with HIV/AIDS in Ontario.  GIPA, the greater involvement of people with HIV/AIDS, has been a guiding principle of the HIV/AIDS movement for almost three decades. The Ontario Accord was created on July 29, 2011. It is one of the outcomes of the “Living and Serving 3” project, a series of consultations among HIV positive people and AIDS Service Organizations in Ontario. Organizations that have formally endorsed the Ontario Accord and have created a GIPA action plan for 2012

The Ontario AIDS Network is very concerned about Canada’s commitment to fighting AIDS at home and internationally. The Federal Initiative on HIV/AIDS provides $72.6 million in funding annually to Canada’s domestic and foreign response to HIV/AIDS. Included in this envelope of funding is the Public Health Agency of Canada’s Regional AIDS Community Action Program (ACAP), which provides $13.3 million worth of funding to community-based AIDS service organizations across Canada each year. These are the funding dollars within the Federal Initiative that are dedicated to supporting the ongoing work of HIV prevention, education and support on the front lines in your

Federal NDP leader Jack Layton died this morning (August 22, 2011) at his home in Toronto. It is with a profound sense of loss, that we join Canadians across the country who are mourning the death of the Honourable Jack Layton, the leader of the New Democratic Party of Canada. Mr. Layton was an ardent champion of gay and lesbian rights and a leading advocate who ensured that HIV/AIDS issues were a priority on the municipal agenda in Toronto and in Canada’s parliament. We will miss his leadership, his passion, his commitment to social justice and his humour.  View Mr.

If you break your arm, you will probably get a cast to hold the bone in place while it heals. Now there is a similar device for your skin: a bandage that prevents injured skin from deforming as it heals, dramatically reducing scarring. Geoffrey Gurtner at Stanford University in California and colleagues say their invention works by immobilising the wound and the surrounding area, shielding it from the stress of everyday activity. “From the wound’s point of view, healing is sort of like trying to build a bridge while someone is driving trucks over it,” saysReinhold Dauskardt, who is also at

In a decisive breakthrough against the spread of HIV, an international study has demonstrated conclusively that antiretroviral therapy blocks the spread of HIV from an infected person to their uninfected partner. The study, which was halted early because the results were so compelling, covered 13 countries and involved 1763 “discordant” couples, in which one partner carried the infection at the outset. In 886 of the couples, the infected partner received antiretroviral drug therapy (ART) straight away, while treatment was delayed in the other 877 couples until the infected partner showed pre-defined signs of sickness. Preliminary results, announced yesterday by the US

For the first time, a vaccine has completely protected monkeys against infection with SIV, a virus related to HIV that infects the animals. Out of 24 immunised rhesus macaques, 12 had long-term protection, with no signs of SIV a year after they were deliberately infected with the virus. “In half the monkeys, we saw a dramatic effect on control of the virus,” says Wayne Koff, the scientific director at the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative, which collaborated in the trial. “We see it as a significant advance.” What made this vaccine different was the use of a live but relatively harmless virus

JUNE marks 30 years since the first report of AIDS – a syndrome that has killed an estimated 25 million people worldwide. Yet this year’s anniversary is somewhat arbitrary: the virus responsible for AIDS has probably been circulating within human populations for 100 years. Why did it take so long to detect it? In June 1981, doctors reported an unusual type of pneumonia in five previously healthy young homosexual men in Los Angeles. Two years later the cause of their immunodeficiency was identified: a retrovirus that targets white blood cells,subsequently named human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Similarities with the simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV)