History of the Vancouver Island PWA Society

In the spring of 1991, Victoria members of the Vancouver PWA Society were invited, through an ad in that Society's newsletter, to discuss interest in forming a local support group. About seven members attended the first meeting and agreed that local resources were not meeting their needs. They approached the Board of Directors of the Vancouver PWA Society, the only peer-managed organization of its kind in the province, with a request to sponsor a Vancouver Island Outreach Project. Historically, in larger cities, peer support groups have formed separately from AIDS service organizations because of fundamental differences in philosophy and priorities. Local members living with HIV/AIDS wanted to create an environment for self-empowerment through mutual support and information exchange in a context of self governance. The Board accepted the proposal and provided a small budget for basic start-up costs (e.g. a post office box, a telephone line, postage, and travel expenses to Vancouver meetings).

By August, of that year the YMCA had donated a room for weekly support meetings where members shared information about therapies, networking, and navigating one's way through "the system". Members met with the Ministry of Health Health Officer and the Provincial Director of STD/AIDS Control for both moral and financial support. Eventually, in the spring of 1992, an office at 613 Superior St. was acquired through the CRD and a modest operating budget obtained through the provincial Ministry of Health.

At this point, with a budget and an office, members felt it was more practical to focus on the Capital Region rather than the whole island. Programs included a drop-in lounge, support meetings, a health education series, a treatment library, a 24 hour telephone help line, a food bank and clothing/furniture exchange. A management committee (composed of any member who wanted to participate) met weekly to plan activities which were carried out solely by member/volunteers.

By the end of 1993, the management team felt operations could be streamlined by incorporating the project as an autonomous organization. A governing Board of Directors was appointed and an employee was hired to support the membership in its program development. In February of 1994, the Victoria Persons with AIDS Society was officially established. By the end of that year, the Victoria AIDS Respite Care Society moved into the same building in order to enhance the benefits to members of both agencies.

In July 1997 both organizations were invited to share space with AIDS Vancouver Island in a new partnership of all three agencies. The three Boards and Executive Directors had spent the previous year consolidating working partnerships which would provide the highest quality services to the HIV+ community. The new space was re-named the Victoria HIV/AIDS Centre.

In November of 1998, Victoria persons with AIDS Society moved out of the Victoria HIV/AIDS Centre and into an independent space once more. This was the Herald Street office.

In November of 2003 our Chinatown office was becoming too expensive as they neighbourhood was improved. We have moved to a smaller yet much more organized and pleasant office in the Medical Arts Building at #330 1105 Pandora.

In 2005, to keep up with the changing healthcare climate and to continue to provide services to our ever growing memebrship, it became apparent that we needed to review our organization. Recognizing the lack of services and resources for PWA's in the rural areas of south, central and northern Vancouver Island, and with the changes of the Provincial Ministry of Health breaking down into Health Authority's, we changed our name to Vancouver Island Persons Living with H IV/AIDS Society to represent our commitment to provide support to HIV+ folks throughout Vancouver Island including the Gulf Islands.