The OAN board is recruiting three new members to stand for election at our June 2021 Annual Meeting. We are seeking committed board members from racialized communities to strategically lead the organization and help the OAN meet our mandate. Serving on the Board is an extraordinary opportunity for someone who is passionate about Ontario’s HIV sector. To uphold the OAN’s commitment to diversity and inclusion, will prioritize applications from racialized candidates. DETAILSOf the three available positions, one must be filled by at least one person from Ontario’s Central region, and, at least one must be filled by a person living with HIV. In accordance with the provisions of our by-laws, a majority

Join Black CAP Friday evening from 6 – 8pm for their session “Breaking the Silence: Understanding the Physical and Psychological Responses to a Diagnosis”. The intent of this session is geared towards the shared experience and resiliency against realities faced by PLWHA who fall within the visible minority group in particular MSM. Sign up for the Zoom call at: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0ldeipqDoiGNRlfp5BgcnlGmq8_A6WUqaa

February is Black Futures Month and Black History Month. Tell us about events in your areaThroughout the month, we will be sharing information about events happening across the province. Send us the details and information about your events and communications happening near your and we will share them in our February 5 newsletter. Email content and questions to Precious Maseko by February 4, end of day.  Sign up to receive episode 4 of Step Forward on February 1, and checkout the OAN’s resources for addressing anti-Black racism in the HIV sector. 

Elevate NWO has launched a new education series focusing on helping community agencies, businesses, and individuals create welcoming spaces for people living with HIV. Through a combination of social media posts and Facebook Live discussions, the series spends time unpacking HIV stigma, how it impacts people living with HIV, and how to address it within organizational policy, culture, and individual action to create safe and welcoming spaces. Series DetailsThe series runs from January 12-February 11, with educational posts dropped every Tuesday on Facebook and Instagram, and live discussions every Thursday at 2pm. Follow Elevate NWO and this series at https://www.facebook.com/elevatenwo/

Greetings OAN members and affiliates,  As the Co-Chairs of the Board of Directors of the Ontario AIDS Network, we wish you all a Happy New Year! We hope that 2021 will be a productive, safe and rewarding year for us all as we continue to work together to support and strengthen our communities. As we venture into 2021, we want to share with you an important update regarding the long-term strategic goals of the OAN. Specifically, that we plan to extend our existing April 2016 to March 2021 Strategic Plan until March 2022. In March of 2020, our board had

This has been a year of uncertainty and challenge and loss. Throughout 2020, in the face of multiple epidemics, the Ontario AIDS Network and its members stepped up and worked together to continue operating in an increasingly uncertain world.  Since the arrival of COVID-19, the OAN and its members have taken quick action to support one another, share resources, and convene sector-wide discussions to guide our shared response. We have gathered together in new ways to exchange information, collaborating to reshape our work and create the resources needed to continue adapting to this new reality.  Looking back on 2020, the

Each year on World AIDS Day (WAD), December 1st, the Regional HIV/AIDS Connection (RHAC) acts on the opportunity to raise awareness, show support for people living with HIV, and remember the lives of those lost to AIDS-related illnesses. Join RHAC on December 1st at 7 pm for a World AIDS Day Virtual Vigil featuring co-host and musical guest Jully Black.  Please go here to RSVP and here to learn more about Jully Black.

Join Pozitive Pathways Community Services in celebrating World AIDS Day 2020 as they come together across communities in solidarity and support of people living with, affected by, or at risk of HIV. Here are some activities to look forward to:  Join Pozitive Pathways for AIDS Awareness Week between November 22nd and December 1st as they share educational resources distributed by CATIE. In celebration of their Global Solidarity and Shared Responsibility, they will be distributing a “Schedule of Events” for World AIDS Day virtual events across Ontario. Please use this resource to join the World AIDS Day events with any of their partners at the Ontario AIDS Network. Pozitive Pathways are also delighted

2020 has been a particularly challenging year for Thunder Bay and Northwestern Ontario as it has for all of Ontario. With strict social-distancing requirements, many of us cannot hold our usual World AIDS Day  events, which is why this year, Elevate NWO and the OAHAS Thunder Bay site have decided to bring their event into a virtual space. The one silver lining of doing it this way is that geography is not a barrier. Many more people can participate online and they extend an invitation to everyone across Ontario to join the virtual memorial event. This event will promote HIV/AIDS awareness and remind