Fonds 426 HIV North (South Peace Aids Council) fonds

In July 1987, the Medical Officer of Health at the South Peace Health Unit invited representatives from various health services and educational institutions, the ministerial association and the Peace Gay Association to meet with speakers from the Edmonton AIDS Network to discuss the formation of a “Community Information and Education Committee on AIDS”. On October 8, 1987 a press release announced the formation of the South Peace AIDS Council. The founding individuals and organizations were: Lorne Radbourne, representing the School Districts in the Grande Prairie area; Gordon Pellerin, Peace Gay Association; Carol Hayes, Queen Elizabeth II Hospital; Ron McDonald, Alberta Social Services; Norma Jackson, Alberta Alcohol & Drug Abuse Commission; Dr. Margaret Kirwan, Grande Prairie Physicians; Alice Tizzard, Grande Prairie Regional College; and Dr. Hilary Wynters, South Peace Health Unit.

The series consists of records created and kept for the executive board. It includes a board information package detailing the history of the organization, contacts for the Community Care Team and the workers, the bylaws, personnel policies, job descriptions and the mission and vision statement. The main body of records in this series is monthly Board minutes which include executive minutes, committee minutes, coordinators’ reports, activity reports, financial reports, statistics, correspondence, circulars, educational materials and presentations, annual general meeting packages, CAS (Canadian Aids Society) updates, and ACCH (Alberta Council on HIV) reports. There are also annual general meeting packages which contain financial statements and reports from staff and committees.

The sub-series consists of documentation regarding the foundation of the South Peace AIDS Council, initial meetings, objectives of the society and its by-laws.

The sub-series consists of the monthly board minutes of the South Peace AIDS Council from 1988 to 2002; and the minutes of the HIV North Society from 2002 to 2006. The monthly board packages contain minutes of executive minutes, committee minutes, coordinators’ reports, activity reports, financial reports, statistics, correspondence, circulars, educational materials and presentations, CAS (Canadian AIDS Society) updates, and ACCH (Alberta Council on HIV) reports. There are also annual general meeting packages which contain financial statements and reports from the executive director.

The sub-series consists of a board information package detailing the history of the organization, contacts for the Community Care Team and the workers, the bylaws, personnel policies, job descriptions and the mission and vision statement.

In order to carry out their mandate, HIV North strives to bring the issues of HIV and AIDS to the attention of the public. This is done through making sure their activities and the issues around HIV/AIDS are covered by local media; putting on promotional events such as the AIDS Walk each year, and running summer programs on the streets of Grande Prairie and at community events throughout the Peace Country.

The series consists of files on the annual AIDS Walk, which has been held in Grande Prairie since 1996; summer programs files and photographs detailing activities and events participated in by staff and volunteers; and news clippings from local, provincial and national papers from the creation of the organization in 1987 to 2002.

“AIDS Walk Canada is a national fundraising and awareness project of the Canadian AIDS Society (CAS) benefitting local AIDS fundraising Walks across Canada.” The project mission was “to maximize the profile of local AIDS fundraising Walks” held in the fall of each year; “to increase the revenue generating capacity of local AIDS Walks, and to promote public awareness of AIDS issues in Canada. While various AIDS Walks were held across Canada previous to 1995, it was then that it became a national campaign for the Canadian AIDS Society. South Peace AIDS Council held their first walk on September 29, 1996 as part of the national campaign, when 47 walkers and 33 volunteers raised $8,170. By 2002, there were 127 walkers raising over $20,000.

The sub-series consists of information on the initial CAS project in 1995; and files showing the organization, planning, promotions, prizes, activities, and reports for AIDS Walks held in Grande Prairie from 1996-2005. Each year has a different theme to get out the message. Often there was also a celebrity MC (like Carrie Doll from CTV news) to bring attention to the Walk.

Each year a summer programmer was hired to take the message of HIV and AIDS out to where the public gathered: mostly on the streets of Grande Prairie but also to community events in small towns and rural districts.

The sub-series consists of correspondence and planning related to summer programming, promotions for programs, published material related to specific groups given out at specific events, and original material gathered or created by summer staff and volunteers, including games, stories and drama.

The sub-series consists of copies of news clippings from local, provincial and national news media documenting the changing attitudes of the public and the media on the issues surrounding HIV and AIDS. This includes media attention to the Krever Inquiry which examined the tainted blood scandal in the Red Cross blood supply in the late 1990s. The sub-series also contains photographs showing summer programs, projects and events, including the Blue Streaks Poetry readings in 1997. Title based on the contents of the sub-series. Related records: Photographs are related to the Summer Programs sub-series and Projects series in this fonds.

The primary task for HIV North is to provide educational material and sessions to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS. The Council works with other agencies who want to stay informed about HIV/AIDS issues. Staff and volunteers offer information to individuals and other agencies such as schools, colleges, Home Care, Child Welfare Workers, Daycares, Red Cross, businesses and employees, the Northern Addictions Center, the Young Offenders Center, and Indigenous Communities. All of this is managed by the Executive Director who oversees all events, programs and funding; and the Executive Assistant who covers assists with the administrative duties.

The series consists of subject files detailing the administration activities of HIV North Society Subjects include advertising (logo, brochures and newsletters), AIDS Awareness Week, Alberta Community Council on AIDS, Alberta Health, Canadian AIDS Society, Community Care Team, Correspondence, Health Canada, Letters of Support, Mistahia Regional Health Authority, Policies and Procedures, Presentations, Religion, Statistics and Strategic Planning.

Some of the activities HIV North became involved in were long-term projects or resulted in published material.

The series consists of files showing the development of projects undertaken by SPAC and HIV North: Focus Group Interviews, Non-Prescription Needle Use, Women and AIDS, Blue Streaks poetry publication, Should I Wear Pants Today video presentation, and the international partnership between Mexico and the Alberta Community Council on HIV.

In 1989, SPAC contracted Francis Youth Agencies Enterprises Ltd. to conduct Focus Group interviews with youth in the Grande Prairie area. The project was carried out by Susan Bain, and the goal was to examine the effects of media and publicity, peer pressure, formal education, decision-making, attitudes and beliefs, and high risk activity in relation to HIV/AIDS.

The sub-series consists of initial correspondence, a preliminary report and the final report showing methodology, group summaries, overall themes, participant evaluation and observations of the project co-ordinator.

In 1992, the South Peace AIDS Council began to plan for a needle exchange and education project for intravenous users of non-prescription drugs. The goal of the project was to limit the spread of HIV in Grande Prairie and area by providing clean needles to Intravenous Drug Users (IVDUs); providing “bleach kits” and information on the safe cleaning of needles and rigs; providing latex condoms to IVDUs, bar patrons, and those interested; providing clear, concise information to IVDUs and their partners on safer sex practices and testing; creating positive inroads into a hard to reach group of people; and collaborating with like-minded community agencies. The pilot program ran from July to September 1993 and became a part of the regular services provided by HIV North. This led to a Harm Reduction Outreach Project being established in 1995 to educate not only the primary populations of the IVDU community, but also pharmacists and sport & body building drug users. Also in 1995, Alberta Health established an Advisory Committee on the issues of NPNU made up of representatives from across the province. From 2001-2003, HIV North became involved with an Alberta-wide NPNU Consortium.

The sub-series consists of files on the Needle Exchange project which was initiated in 1992, the NPNU Advisory Committee, the Harm Reduction Outreach Project which began under NPNU in 1995, and the NPNU Consortium.

In 1993, SPAC began a project “to provide prevention education for marginalized women between 15 and 35 years of age who may be at risk of HIV/AIDS infection.” The goals were to promote the project in the area to achieve wide participation, to establish a bank of resource materials relevant to HIV/AIDS and women’s issues, delivery of presentations to specific target groups, participation in conferences/workshops, and network with community agencies and personnel.

The sub-series consists of the final report of the Women and AIDS project printed in December 1994, backed by 19 Appendices containing correspondence, reports, forms and presentations. Related records: Subject files series in this fonds titled Health Canada ACAP funding, through which this project was funded.

To celebrate their 10th anniversary, in 1997 the South Peace AIDS Council invited “all Peace Country residents to write and submit poetry and original art works about how HIV/AIDS has affected their personal experiences” which they would publish as an anthology. This anthology was intended to serve a variety of purposes: “to celebrate activism, strength and survival”; to serve as a memory for those who had died; to share the emotions and experiences with others; and “to share how HIV/AIDS awareness affects our choices and lifestyles.” The booklet, which included an original art work on the cover, was called Blue Streaks. It was launched with a poetry reading at the C-Spot coffee house on August 20, 1997.

The sub-series consists of copies of the poems which were submitted to HIV North for the project and the final published copy. There are also negatives showing the poetry readers at the launch of the booklet. Related records: Scrapbook photographs sub-series in this fonds.

In the spring of 2001 the South Peace AIDS Council implemented the “Should I Wear Pants Today” project, which consisted of a leadership workshop where students from all junior and senior high schools in the two health regions at the time were invited to design a presentation for their schools. The result was a road show that hit close to 40 school in the region, and included an a capella rock group “Streetnix”, an HIV+ speaker, Marlo Cottrell, and some role playing, dancing, singing, and fun. The legacy of the project is a 13 minute video entitled Marlo’s Story”. This project was instrumental in reaching many of the new communities included in the enlarged boundary of Peace Country Health.

The sub-series consists of files containing correspondence, the final project report, two VHS cassettes containing about 45 minutes of raw footage of the interview with Marlo Cottrell called, “Code Burn”, and the video master containing the final product called Marlo’s Story.

In 2001 the Alberta Community Council on HIV began a three-year partnership with the Instituto Mexicano de Investigagcion de Familia y Poblacion in Mexico City to develop an educational program train staff. The idea was to “establish an innovative sexual health education program training rural storekeepers as providers of information.” In turn, the ACCH felt it would benefit by learning more about the HIV/AIDS epidemic in other regions of the world. Brenda Moore, Executive Director at HIV North, was one of the team who visited Mexico in 2002.

The sub-series consists of documentation related to this project: correspondence, grant application, agreements, and reports.

HIV North is a member of the Alberta Community Council on HIV (ACCH), which is composed of representatives from all of Alberta’s AIDS service organizations, including the AIDS Network of Edmonton and the Feather of Hope Aboriginal AIDS Prevention Society. As a member of ACCH, the South Peace AIDS Council has a partnership agreement with Alberta Health and Health Canada. It is also a member of the Canadian AIDS Society.

The series consists of files on the AIDS Network of Edmonton, the Alberta Community Council on HIV, Feather of Hope Aboriginal AIDS Prevention Society, and the Interfaith Association on AIDS. Title based on the contents of the series. Related records: Records of associated organizations can also be found in project and subject files, where those organizations worked closely with HIV north on education, projects and funding; namely, the Canadian AIDS Society with the AIDS Walk, and projects funded by Alberta Health and Health Canada.

When the South Peace AIDS Council was formed in 1987, it was to the AIDS Network of Edmonton that they turned for assistance in forming their organization. This group was also part of the Alberta Community Council on HIV and other associations and consortiums together with SPAC.

The sub-series consists of materials produced by the AIDS Network of Edmonton for a “Smart Sex Campaign”. In 1995, SPAC participated in the campaign with materials from the AIDS Network of Edmonton.

ACCH is an umbrella organization of HIV/AIDS-related organizations in the province of Alberta. Their vision is that “all individuals and communities in Alberta will have the ability, capacity and desire to eliminate the harm caused by HIV”, and their mission is to “support community-based response and provide provincial leadership through collective action and a unified voice.” The organizations in this group, of which SPAC is one, meet three times per year to ensure good communication and effective working relationships.

The sub-series consists of a publication called “Honouring Our History: Fifteen years of the Alberta Community Council on HIV, 1991-2006.”

Feather of Hope Aboriginal AIDS Prevention Society (FOHAAPS) operates in the province of Alberta as “a coalition of Aboriginal People, province-wide, who commit to: facilitate a holistic, unified strategy and program; to assist the Aboriginal community to enhance the quality and quantity for Aboriginal People infected and affected by HIV/AIDS; and use an Aboriginal Process as guided by our Elders and guaranteed by Treaty and Aboriginal Rights.” SPAC has worked with FOHAAPS on a number of projects, including an HIV/AIDS Youth Conference in 2000.

The sub-series consists of information on FOHAAPS and its programs; correspondence between the two organizations; and materials related to “Keepers of the Bloodline Aboriginal Youth Conference” held at the Friendship Centre in 2000.

The Interfaith Committee on AIDS (ICOA) is a coalition of Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, Hindu and Muslim faiths which began as the “AIDS Vigil of Prayer Committee” in 1986. Its purpose is “to sensitize local faith communities and their leaders to the unique spiritual and emotional needs of those affected by HIV/AIDS and to assist those affected by HIV/AIDS to connect with the spiritual support of their faith communities.”

The sub-series consist of information about ICOA, pamphlets from the different faiths about HIV/AIDS, and correspondence with SPAC regarding a workshop held in 1998.