The CANFAR Legacy Project is a social network of supporters and members of the local Montreal community who help raise funds to support national HIV awareness and prevention initiatives. On the occasion of World AIDS Day, the co-president of the Montreal chapter, Jacques Lapierre, looks back on the activities of the young organization and offers his perspective on the state of the fight against the virus. Overview.
“It’s quite a challenge to found the local chapter of an organization like the CANFAR Legacy Project, so we needed people who were motivated for the right reasons and who were knowledgeable about issues relating to the fight against HIV,” says Jacques Lapierre from the outset. “For my part, I was already involved with CANFAR in Toronto since 2017, so once resettled in Montreal in 2022, it was a bit natural that I was offered to get involved in setting up a chapter here,” he continues with humility. It is clear that the challenge has been met since the organization today has more than a hundred members actively involved.
Like its alter egos in Toronto and Ottawa, the Montreal chapter of CANFAR Legacy Project’s mission is to bring CANFAR’s national fight, which aims to educate at-risk populations about the issues surrounding HIV and eradicate HIV, to the local level. virus epidemic over the next few years.
In order to achieve its goals, the organization co-chaired by Jacques Lapierre and Joshua Fagan adopts an approach focused on certain specific priorities. First, we must continue to increase the level of knowledge and understanding of HIV-related issues and continue to reach out to populations at risk nationally.
Jacques Lapierre also recalls that the face of HIV has changed drastically in recent years: “We must be aware that curbing the HIV epidemic is not a fight encapsulated in the 80s or limited to 2SLGBTQIA+ communities. The virus also largely affects other very diverse groups including heterosexual people, rural communities, or even among newcomers of African or Caribbean culture, for example. » Indeed, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada, in 2022, 25% of people living with HIV were female, and 13% were people who had already used injection drugs.
The young professional also recalls that although HIV was initially an epidemic centered on large urban centers, the reality of 2024 is quite different. He cites as an example Saskatchewan and Manitoba which are among the regions most affected by recent increases in the virus. For him, this portrait is a sign that education is one of the main solutions to the fight: “We always come back to the question of education and accessibility of resources. Cities like Montreal and Toronto have developed a somewhat more robust network of resources for processing and information, but in remote areas this is not necessarily the case. »
It is for this reason that in addition to continuing to invest in research to discover a cure, the other priority axis for CANFAR Legacy Project Montreal is to facilitate access to screening for all, in particular by raising awareness of the resources available. . Education and easy access to screening tests, at the local level, are therefore one of the cornerstones for ending the epidemic, according to Jacques Lapierre. He also points out that 10% of infected people do not know their serological status and that one of the biggest barriers to testing remains the stigma surrounding HIV: “the key word here is stigma! Whether you are HIV positive or HIV negative, this stigma remains. People are ashamed and afraid to talk about HIV and get tested. We are therefore working very hard locally to reduce this barrier. »
More concretely, the Legacy Project’s fight takes the form of a series of high-quality local events bringing together supporters and influencers who are committed to advancing the cause. Three to four times a year, members of the organization have the opportunity to participate in various evenings and benefit events, the profits of which are redistributed to local communities.
The funds collected during the multiple events organized by Legacy Project are notably given to community organizations active in education, prevention and the fight against the spread of HIV such as ACCM, Rézo or Sexefluide, an online information portal aimed at help young people discover how to have pleasant and safe sexual relations or give them the opportunity to discuss this subject.
For Jacques Lapierre, this example perfectly illustrates the Legacy Project’s vision: “one of our main objectives is raising awareness and reducing stigma. Young people aged 15 to 25 account for a large proportion of new HIV cases and Sexefluide serves precisely to reach and educate this age group. »
However, there is no question for Legacy Project of adopting a moralistic approach or of organizing sad or gloomy events, Jacques Lapierre is quick to point out. On the contrary, the Legacy Project’s vision is to do things differently by focusing on high-end, fun and unifying events, while advancing the fight against HIV: “We absolutely must be aware of our history, but we above all wants to look forward to make the fight against HIV less taboo! », Explains the co-president.
Sometimes in a hotel, sometimes in a bar or a cultural center, the proposed formula thus strives to approach the fight against HIV in a creative way. On the menu: special guests, health experts, testimonials from community members and drag acts, all in a festive and friendly atmosphere.
Over the past year, Legacy Project Montreal members were treated to a banquet-style “Love In” dinner with open bar at the William Gray Hotel, an exclusive evening at the Phi Center and even a large special event. at the Hotel Le Reine-Élizabeth on the occasion of Pride. Among the distinguished guests featured at the latest charity gatherings, we include Miss Butterfly, municipal councilor Serge Sasseville, host and producer Dane Stewart and Doctor Bertrand Lebouché, a leading authority on HIV-related research.
For people who would like to get involved in the fight, Jacques Lapierre urges them to become members of Legacy Project Montreal. For an annual donation, it is possible to obtain a membership which gives access to the complete series of events or to purchase single tickets for certain specific evenings. In all cases, a receipt is issued for tax purposes and participants are entitled to invite an accompanying person free of charge.
INFO | The next event on the calendar will be held during
in winter, for all the details and to become a member, you can consult https://canfar.com/fr/events/legacy-2-0
This content is sponsored by ViiV Healthcare Canada.
