Archief F0062 - AIDS Committee of Toronto fonds

Title and statement of responsibility area

Titel

AIDS Committee of Toronto fonds

Algemene aanduiding van het materiaal

  • Textual record
  • Graphic material
  • Moving images
  • Object
  • Sound recording

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Title statements of responsibility

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Beschrijvingsniveau

Archief

referentie code

CA ON00047 F0062

Editie

Editie

Edition statement of responsibility

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Statement of scale (cartographic)

Statement of projection (cartographic)

Statement of coordinates (cartographic)

Statement of scale (architectural)

Issuing jurisdiction and denomination (philatelic)

Datering archiefvorming

Datum(s)

  • 1979- 2014 (Vervaardig)
    Archiefvormer
    AIDS Committee of Toronto

Fysieke beschrijving

Fysieke beschrijving

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

Publisher's series area

Title proper of publisher's series

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Archivistische beschrijving

Naam van de archiefvormer

(1983- present)

Institutionele geschiedenis

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.

Geschiedenis beheer

Bereik en inhoud

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

Aantekeningen

Materiële staat

Records are in good condition

Directe bron van verwerving

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.

Ordening

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.

Taal van het materiaal

  • Engels

Schrift van het materiaal

    Plaats van originelen

    Beschikbaarheid in andere opslagformaten

    Restrictions on access

    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

    Termen voor gebruik, reproductie en publicatie.

    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.

    Toegangen

    Associated materials

    Related materials

    Aanvullingen

    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.

    Alternative identifier(s)

    Standaard nummer

    Standaard nummer

    Trefwoorden

    Onderwerp trefwoord

    Geografische trefwoorden

    Naam ontsluitingsterm

    Genre access points

    Beheer

    Identificatie van het beschrijvingsrecord

    Identificatiecode van de instelling

    ON00047

    Regels of conventies

    Status

    Niveau van detaillering

    Datering van aanmaak, herziening of verwijdering

    Taal van de beschrijving

    • Engels
    • Frans

    Schrift van de beschrijving

      Bronnen

      Voorwaarden voor raadpleging en gebruik