Health Equity Alliance of Nova Scotia
Addressing the Social Determinants of Health for those living with and affected by HIV, and for members of 2SLGBTQIA+ communities: our aim is to improve health outcomes, end stigma and discrimination for our community members, and to end new HIV infections in Nova Scotia.
Until 2025, the organization was known as the AIDS Coalition of Nova Scotia.
Contact Info
Timeline
1995
- July 6, 1995: AIDS Nova Scotia and the PWACoalition amalgamate to form ACNS: The AIDS Coalition of Nova Scotia's mission is to promote and support the health and well being of persons living with and affected by HIV/AIDS and to reduce the spread of HIV in Nova Scotia. Website acns.ns.ca
- September 29, 1995: Executive Director RobertAllan and JamesShedden?, director fo the Men's Project, suspended until further notice. WilsonHodder, chairman, was not aware of the reasons at the time. "Their goals were always to further the aims of the organiztion," said RossHaynes?, president of AIDSNovaScotia.
1996
- 1.3 million persons have full blown AIDS (18,000 of whom are Canadian)
- 4.5 million have died globally
- Survival Training Project begins its second phase-renamed the Art of Positive Living Program
- The Atlantic Regional Treatment Information Project begins
- Gay Men and Alcohol Project (GMAP) commences
- Community AIDS Treatment Information Exchange (CATIE) launches its internet site the network in May
- International Conference on AIDS announces approval of protease inhibitors as standard AIDS therapy
1997
- By March, CATIE had delivered over 250,000 documents from its Internet site
- ACAP funds next phase of Men's Project and the third phase of the Women and AIDS Project
- ACNS begins its advocacy campaign for a third phase of the National AIDS Strategy. During the federal election, funding for this third phase was announced
1998
- Phase III of the National AIDS Strategy begins
- May 26, 1998 ACNS chairperson WilsonHodder wins his court challenge to secure same-sex spousal benefits after the loss of his partner, TerryMartin, to AIDS
- WHO release its latest predictions that by the year 2000...10,000,000 people will have AIDS and 40,000,000 will be HIV positive
- Health Canada announces that future AIDS funding is to be 'A-based'
- The Men's Project is funded for its final year.
2000
- WilsonHodder dies peacefully in his home
- The List of Names is growing shorter
2002
- ACNS prepares to receive a $30,000.00 cut in its federal funding from Health Canada
2002 & on...
2010
- November: Moved to 1668 Barrington Street
2015
- August 11, 2015: Reopened in new space at 5516 Spring Garden Road, Suite 200
2017
- March 23, 2017 The Coast article, "Fraying At The Edges" by Lenny Mullins: "MichaelParsons? has been HIV-positive for 30 years and says the ACNS should be shut down." The article also mentions the AidsWalk, exec director ShannonPringle?, Chair SuzanneKennedy?, former chair AlMcNutt, former volunteeer DarrellMartin? (He’s a former ACNS volunteer, and his partner Eric Arbuckle is a former board member), JacquieGahagan, DaleHaynes? was diagnosed as HIV-positive in 1997. He died on December 17, 2016 at age 49, from what his family says were unrelated causes. Before his passing, Hayes visited The Coast to talk about the support the ACNS offered him: “Really, for what they’ve done for me over the last, probably five to eight years, they could be not even in existence and it wouldn’t notice any difference,” The article mentions previous year's budget was $467,595.
- April: DenaSimon? becomes executive director.
2019
- October 3, 2019: Executive Director DenaSimon? retires; ChrisAucoin becomes ED.
2024
- April 20, 2024: ACNS hosts the Red Gala and announces their new name
HistoryProjectTodoList: should fill out the history of this organization here.
Categories: AIDSHistoryCategory and: See this page for an overview of the AIDS Organizations and history of the disease in the province
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