AIDS Vancouver

Led by co-founders Gordon Price, Noah Stewart, Dr. Mike Maynard, Daryl Nelson, and Ron Alexander Slater, the organization has aimed to provide support, education, and advocacy for individuals affected by HIV/AIDS.

[4] In March 2024, AIDS Vancouver changed its purpose, values, and name to support and empower people living with HIV for years to come, and is now operating as Ribbon Community Society, with its programs and services remaining the same.

[5] In the early 1980s, as reports from the New York Native about a deadly disease circulating within gay communities across the United States spread, concerns heightened in Vancouver.

In mid-1982, four doctors, Dr. Brian Willoughby, Dr. Bruce Douglas, Dr. Peter Constance, and Dr. Michael Maynard, who regularly treated gay patients in their medical practices, convened for lunch.

[6][7] In November 1982, Gordon Price hosted a small dinner party in Vancouver's West End, attended by Noah Stewart, Dr. Mike Maynard, Ron Alexander Slater, and a close friend.

Taking cues from the efforts in New York City, Gordon Price and co-founders Noah Stewart, Dr. Mike Maynard, Daryl Nelson, and Ron Alexander Slate, the man who started it all, took decisive action.

[12] Recognizing the urgency of the situation, Gordon Price sought assistance from Paul Popham, a co-founder of the Gay Men's Health Crisis organization in New York City.

[14] The presentations, notably Paul Popham's, were filmed by GaybleVision, capturing invaluable insights and marking a significant milestone in AIDS Vancouver's early efforts.

[18] In response to the emerging AIDS crisis and the urgent need for public awareness, GaybleVision, a community television program, aired a pioneering broadcast on August 22, 1983.

He played a key role in coordinating services and disseminating vital information about AIDS, effectively communicating with the media, voicing authoritative opinions on health issues that often appeared on the front pages of newspapers.

This financial assistance enabled the organization to establish an office and hire staff, including Michael Welsh and Elaine Smith, who developed Canada's first support programs for AIDS.

This strategy, combining harm reduction measures with treatment, enforcement, and prevention efforts, aimed to address the endemic HIV and hepatitis C among injection drug users in the city's Downtown Eastside neighborhood.

AIDS Vancouver, alongside other community organizations, actively supported these harm reduction initiatives, recognizing their importance in curbing the spread of infectious diseases.

[40] The XI International AIDS Conference, held in Vancouver from July 7–12, 1996, under the theme "One World One Hope," introduced pivotal advancements in HIV/AIDS management.

These initiatives focus on community education, stigma reduction, and the provision of customized prevention strategies through collaboration with various organizations, aiming to foster a conducive and engaging learning environment.