General Information
The AIDS Walk was founded more than 30 years ago, and has remained a grass roots labour of love. Last year’s events raised over $1.1 million that benefited more than 31 community-based organisations in 27 walk sites across Canada. Our movement directly contributes to developing and maintaining services and projects to more than 65,000 Canadians from coast to coast. Over the past 30 years the AIDS Walk has raised more than $43 million.
This is your chance to make a difference.
An estimated 65,000 people in Canada are living with HIV. This is more than ever before, and 1 in 5 of them don’t even know it. When you have HIV, life gets a lot harder.
Your participation in AIDS Walk will raise funds AND demonstrate visible support for people in your community who are living with HIV.
All AIDS Walk proceeds support direct services for people living with and affected by HIV/ AIDS in the community where the walk took place. AIDS Service Organizations that host an event use the proceeds to deliver quality programs and support services to people living with HIV in the community in which they live. Funds are also used to provide education and resources to prevent new infections. The monies do not fund research and treatment directly. It is about caring for community members both affected and at risk of HIV/AIDS.
Thanks to the generosity of sponsors and volunteers, the administrative costs associated with this national campaign are negligible.
If you are interested in hosting a AIDS Walk in your community, please contact the National Walk Coordinator at casinfo@cdnaids.ca or 1-800-499-1986 extension 119.
For media enquiries, interviews, and more information about the AIDS Walk, please contact:
Gary Lacasse Executive Director, Canadian AIDS Society E-mail: gary.lacasse@cdnaids.ca Phone: 613.230.3580 x.118 Toll-free: 1.800.499.1986 x.118 Fax: 613.563.4998
Press Release: Canadian AIDS Society announces launch of 2017 #TiedTogether campaign
A list of dates and locations for 2018 will be coming soon.
AIDS Walk History
The national framework of the AIDS Walk strives to balance the coordination required and autonomy necessary to run a community-driven, national fundraising event. The AIDS Walk is a hybrid between a grassroots and a truly national event, as we rely heavily on the input and involvement of our local host organizations across Canada.
- 1996-2003: AIDS Walk Canada | Ça Marche
- 2004-2006: Walk for Life | Marche pour la vie
- 2007: AIDS Walk for Life | Marche action sida
- 2008-2015: Scotiabank AIDS Walk for Life | Marche action sida Banque Scotia
- 2016-2017: Scotiabank AIDS Walk | Marche action sida Banque Scotia
- Since 2018: AIDS Walk for Life | Marche action sida
We sincerely thank all Canadians who have supported the AIDS Walk over the years. We appreciate your continued support and we hope that one day the walk will no longer be necessary.
About HIV/AIDS
HIV is treated with a combination of anti-retroviral drugs, which target the different ways the virus infects healthy blood cells. These drugs are effective; however if the virus mutates, they will form a resistance to the medication and the drugs will no longer be useful. Like many medications, these drugs can have severe side effects that can cause other life-threatening illnesses.
- Unprotected sexual activity
- Sharing used unclean needles or syringes (or other tools used to pierce the skin)
- Childbirth, in utero, and breast feeding
- Receiving transfusions of infected blood, blood products, organs, or donated sperm
For more information, please see the Canadian AIDS Society’s HIV Transmission: Guidelines for Assessing Risk.
- Practicing safe-sex by using latex or polyurethane condoms
- Avoiding sharing sex toys
- Avoiding cunnilingus during times of higher susceptibility (i.e. during menstruation)
- Stopping fellatio/intercourse before ejaculation
- Performing fellatio or cunnilingus with a condom or other latex barrier
- Using new needles/syringes each time
- Taking pre-natal anti-HIV therapy
- Refraining from breast-feeding
For more information, please see the Canadian AIDS Society’s HIV Transmission: Guidelines for Assessing Risk.
- Poverty
- Homelessness
- Stigma/discrimination
- Addiction
- Violence
- Untreated mental health problems
- Lack of employment opportunities
- Powerlessness
- Lack of choice
- Lack of legal status (i.e. undocumented refugees)
- Lack of social support
Today’s tests are quite sensitive and can detect HIV antibodies in as little as 12 to 15 days. However, prevention workers and public health officials still recommend that a follow-up test be conducted after a three-month window period. It is important to note that the window period is for a single risk of exposure. If you are having multiple exposure risks, we recommend that you talk to a health professional or HIV educator to discuss ways that you can protect yourself, including harm reduction methods mentioned above.
- Rapid weight loss
- Dry cough
- Recurring fever and profuse night sweats
- Profound and unexplained fatigue
- Swollen lymph glands in the armpits, groin, or neck
- Diarrhea that lasts for more than a week
- White spots or unusual blemishes on the tongue, in the mouth, or in the throat
- Pneumonia
- Red, brown, pink, or purplish blotches on or under the skin or inside the mouth, nose, or eyelids
- Memory loss, depression, and other neurological disorders
- HIV/AIDS Epi Updates Chapter 1: National HIV Prevalence and Incidence Estimates for 2011 (2014 Update) – Public Health Agency of Canada
- Canadian AIDS Society’s HIV Transmission: Guidelines for Assessing Risk
- Canadian AIDS Treatment Information Exchange (CATIE)
- Public Health Agency of Canada, HIV/AIDS
- Canadian AIDS Society
- Canadian Aboriginal AIDS Network
- HIV 411
- Portail VIH/SIDA du Québec
Participant Questions
Locate the walk in your area on the Find a Walk page and click through to the event page. On the event page, click “Sign up” if you have not previously created a profile for the walk in that location or “Sign in” if you are a returning walker.
When registering for the walk event of your choice, you will be given the option to “Register as an Individual”, “Join a Team” or “Create a Team”. By selecting the Create a Team option, you will be able to set up a new team for the AIDS Walk of your choice.
When registering for the walk event of your choice, you will be given the option to “Register as an Individual”, “Join a Team” or “Create a Team”. By selecting the Join a Team option, you will be able to join preexisting teams for the AIDS Walk of your choice.
If there are issues with your donation showing up under your team donations or under your personal donations, please contact your walk coordinator. Each walk coordinator is listed on the login page for the walk location.
Alternatively, you can contact the national AIDS Walk National Coordinator at casinfo@cdnaids.ca or 1-800-499-1986.
If you forget your username or password, click on “Forgot your username or password?” on the event page for your AIDS Walk event and follow the instructions from the system.