Área de título y declaración de responsabilidad
Título apropiado
Tipo general de material
- Textual record
- Graphic material
- Moving images
- Object
- Sound recording
Título paralelo
Otra información de título
Título declaración de responsabilidad
Título notas
Nivel de descripción
Institución archivística
Código de referencia
Área de edición
Declaración de edición
Declaración de responsabilidad de edición
Área de detalles específicos de la clase de material
Mención de la escala (cartográfica)
Mención de proyección (cartográfica)
Mención de coordenadas (cartográfica)
Mención de la escala (arquitectónica)
Jurisdicción de emisión y denominación (filatélico)
Área de fechas de creación
Fecha(s)
-
1979- 2014 (Criação)
- Creador
- AIDS Committee of Toronto
Área de descripción física
Descripción física
19.52m of textual records
9000 photographs: ca. 3600 col. and b&w print; 27 x or smaller 34cm, ca. 5400 col. and b&w negatives; 55mm or smaller
47 contact sheets: col. and b&w
68 posters b&w and col.; 61 x 86cm or smaller
12 floppy discs
22 CD-ROMs (photographs, electronic records, audio recordings)
8 DVDs (moving image, photographs)
4 buttons
1 flexible disc
9 audio cassettes
21 VHS tapes
1 mini DV
2 digital beta
1 U-Matic
4 1/4" audio reels
27 cards
1 can
1 denim jacket
3 watercolours; 35 x 55cm
1 banner; 68 x 182cm
Área de series editoriales
Título apropiado de las series del editor
Títulos paralelos de serie editorial
Otra información de título de las series editoriales
Declaración de responsabilidad relativa a las series editoriales
Numeración dentro de la serie editorial
Nota en las series editoriales
Área de descripción del archivo
Nombre del productor
Historia administrativa
The AIDS Committee of Toronto, a community-based AIDS activist organization and Ontario’s first AIDS service organization, was formally established July 12, 1983. Amid media hysteria, misinformation, homophobia and confusion, the Toronto-based groups, Gays in Health Care and the Hassle Free Clinic, organized a public forum on April 5, 1983 to discuss AIDS and Hepatitis B at Ryerson Polytechnical Institute of Technology. This event was attended by over 300 people, including members of The Body Politic, Red Cross workers, social workers, doctors and archivists, who put forward a proposal to establish a standing AIDS Committee. In response to Toronto’s first AIDS diagnosis 1982, the need for an organization that provided the public with up-to-date information and resources, support services and and advice regarding the virus, quickly became apparent.
Following the initial public forum, a series of meetings were held at the 519 Church Street Community Centre, which led to the establishment of the AIDS Committee of Toronto and its 5 working groups: Medical Liaison, AIDSupport, Fundraising and Special Events and Community Education. On June 9, ACT was successful in its bid to get the Canada Ontario Development Project grant of $62,000 which allowed it to hire 6 people for a period of 6 months. On July 12, ACT elected 10 people to their 12 member Executive Committee. A press conference was held on July 19 to officially announce the establishment of the AIDS Committee of Toronto. In its infancy, ACT worked out of the Hassle Free Clinic, which was followed by their move to an office located at 66 Wellesley Street E. On October 4, 1983, ACT was legally incorporated in the Province of Ontario as a non-profit charitable organization.
In its early days, ACT fostered a ‘bottom-up’ approach to health care and sought to mobilize the gay community. It had a small number of staff who coordinated the volunteer-based working groups whose members were elected as Board of Directors. As service demands grew quickly, ACT began to shift towards becoming a more structured organization, through the establishment of policies, procedures and a screening process for volunteers.
ACT’s activities centred around HIV prevention through sexual health education and providing support services for people living with and at risk for HIV/AIDS. The education campaigns and programs were initiated through forums, discussion groups, conferences and speaking engagements. On July 4, 1984, ACT organized the first AIDS Awareness Week which would later become a provincial and national event. The event was composed of panel discussions, benefits and press conferences. Education efforts also extended to brochure and poster projects, which were circulated to targeted communities and reproduced by external groups. ACT’s first brochure was “This Is a Test” which provided information on HIV antibody testing. On September 3 1985, ACT’s film “No Sad Songs” premiered. The film was directed by Nick Sheehan, profiling Jim Black, a man living with AIDS and the gay community’s response to AIDS.
In addition to education, the organization offered support services that were geared towards people worried about HIV/AIDS, people living with HIV, AIDS, ARC and PLS and their loved ones. A range of services were offered through programs such as the Buddy Program, Financial Assistance Program, Practical Assistance Program, Bereavement Program, the ACT Hotline and the Volunteer Counselling Services. These programs offered financial, practical and emotional support and assistance. In 1986, ACT announced plans to open North America’s first AIDS hospice. The hospice project resulted in the establishment of Casey House in 1988, which has since then operated independently.
ACT advocated for government action in response to the AIDS epidemic on the municipal, provincial and federal levels. It sat on various government committees and submitted briefs and reports on a variety of issues. When the HIV antibody test became available in Canada, ACT advocated for anonymous testing to reduce barriers to testing and stigma associated with HIV//AIDS.
In 1993, ACT moved to 399 Church Street. This location housed ACT’s Access Centre which operated a small circulating library collection, reference material and free up to date information on HIV/AIDS, which was made available for the public. In the early 1990s, ACT underwent restructuring as many community members felt that the organization had become burdened by bureaucracy.
In addition to its educational and support-based projects and campaigns, ACT organized other community events, such as the first AIDS Vigil, held in 1985. Fundraising events were also introduced. The AIDS Walk Toronto was an annual event started in 1988 in which community-based organizations participated to raise awareness and funds for AIDS,and to promote education and support services. Fashion Cares was an annual Gala fundraiser, which included fashion shows, auctions, banquets, and after shows. This annual gala aimed to raise HIV/AIDS awareness and funds for ACT in partnership with local and national designers, celebrities and businesses. The Fashion Cares Gala was held in 1987 at the Sherbourne Street Diamond Nightclub. September 9, 2012 marked the final Fashion Cares event, which was held at the Sony Centre.
Historial de custodia
Alcance y contenido
The fonds consists of the organizational records of the AIDS Committee of Toronto (ACT) dating from 1979 to 2014, ranging predominantly from 1983- 1993. The records reflect the governance and administrative activities of ACT, its work on HIV/AIDS prevention and sexual health education, its support services and its HIV/AIDS-related resources and guides. The fonds also contains material from events, forums, workshops and conferences that ACT organized, took part in, or attended, and records from its fundraising events and galas. There are records that resulted from ACT’s involvement in collaborative projects with various organizations, groups and government committees, and material that was collected by ACT and made accessible to the public through its Access, Resource and Information Centres. The fonds is composed of meeting minutes, correspondence annual reports, budgets, audited financial statements, brochures, posters, newsletters, guides and resources, surveys, questionnaires, subject files collected by ACT, clippings and flyers. Other material in the fonds includes videos, audiotapes and photographs.
Contains series:
1- Governance and Administration
2- Funding
3- Outreach and Education
4- Support Services
5- ACT Forum, Events and Conferences
6- ACT Resource, Access and Information Centre
7- Partnering Groups
8- External Groups and Events
9- Correspondence
10- Subject Files
11- Clippings
12- Photographs, Audiovisual and Electronic Records
Área de notas
Condiciones físicas
Records are in good condition
Origen del ingreso
The records were donated to The ArQuives as gifts from the AIDS Committee of Toronto. The ArQuives received accruals of ACT records from ACT staff and members beginning in 1988 to 2015.
Arreglo
Original order was kept when possible. Some accessions were received with little to no discernible order, in those instances order was imposed by the archivist to make the fonds more searchable. Mixed correspondence and news clippings were organized chronologically. Electronic records have not be described. Accessions were combined.
Idioma del material
- inglés
Escritura del material
Ubicación de los originales
Disponibilidad de otros formatos
Restricciones de acceso
The collection is open to researchers with some restrictions. Personal information including names, addresses and banking information from the files listed below are restricted from publication.
F0062-02-289
F0062-02-290
F0062-02-291
F0062-02-292
F0062-02-293
F0062-02-294
F0062-02-295
F0062-02-296
F0062-03-029
F0062-03-030
F0062-03-031
F0062-03-032
F0062-03-033
F0062-03-034
F0062-03-035
F0062-03-051
F0062-04-002
F0062-04-003
F0062-05-160
F0062-05-161
F0062-05-162
F0062-05-163
Condiciones de uso, reproducción, y publicación
Researchers wishing to publish materials must obtain permission in writing from The ArQuives as the physical owner. Researchers must also obtain clearance from the holders of any copyrights in the materials. Note that The ArQuives can grant copyright clearance only for those materials for which we hold the copyright. It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain copyright clearance for all other materials directly from the copyright holders.
Instrumentos de descripción
Materiales asociados
Acumulaciones
Further accruals are expected
Conservation
Some staples and the majority of paperclips were removed from the records. Records were removed from binders, plastic bindings and duotangs. Archival clips and paper separators were added where determined necessary. Records have been rehoused in acid free file folders.
Identificador/es alternativo(os)
Número estándar
Número estándar
Puntos de acceso
Puntos de acceso por materia
Puntos de acceso por lugar
Puntos de acceso por autoridad
Tipo de puntos de acceso
Área de control
Identificador de registro de descripción
Identificador de la institución
Reglas o convenciones
Estado de elaboración
Nivel de detalle
Fechas de creación, revisión o eliminación
Idioma de descripción
- inglés
- francés