Canadian Foundation for AIDS Research (CANFAR)

10/05/2026

The Vancouver Entertains Charity Auction is live!

Luxury getaways. Stunning jewellery. High fashion. Art. Once-in-a-lifetime experiences. And a few extra surprises you don't want to miss! Every lot offers the chance to take home something extraordinary while helping fund the HIV response in British Columbia.

Every dollar raised through Vancouver Entertains stays in BC, supporting impactful community-led HIV programs and implementation research with established local partners. Because HIV is still here. And so is the work.

Browse the lots, find something you love and place your bid before the auction closes at 1 PM on Saturday, October 17.

Anyone in Canada can bid now: https://trellis.org/vancouverentertains

10/02/2026

10/02/2026

Health equity starts with making care easier to access, free from judgment, and more relevant to communities.

Across BC, Health Initiative for Men (HIM) is doing just that—bringing together HIV prevention, testing, mental health support, peer counselling, community programming, and more for gay, bi, and q***r men and gender-diverse people.

Through proceeds from CANFAR's inaugural Vancouver Entertains, HiM’s "My Package" campaign will make HIV and STBBI prevention more visible, accessible, and normalized by putting real people and real prevention strategies at the centre. From PrEP and regular testing to condoms, Doxy-PEP, HPV vaccination, and U=U, prevention looks different for everyone.

In 2024–2025, 90% of HiM program participants reported feeling better about their health and well-being, 2,300 HIV self-test kits were distributed across BC by HiM, and 95% of community members and service providers reported increased knowledge of HIV prevention after participating in HiM programs or trainings. This is the impact of investing in community-led HIV responses.

Every dollar raised at Vancouver Entertains is invested directly back into BC-based organizations. Join us on October 16 and help support the organizations and programs making a difference in BC’s HIV response. Dinner tickets are officially sold out but After Party tickets are still available for purchase now at canfar.com/ve!

10/01/2026

20 years ago, a made-in-BC strategy changed the future of HIV prevention.

It started with a question: Could HIV treatment do more than keep people well? Could it also help prevent transmission?

Dr. Julio Montaner and researchers at the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS set out to find the answer. In 2006, their Treatment as Prevention strategy took the world stage at the International AIDS Conference in Toronto.

What began as a research question became a global strategy—and helped lay the scientific foundation for U=U.

That’s the power of research. A question can become a breakthrough. A breakthrough can change lives.

And the next breakthrough starts with the questions researchers are asking today.

Swipe through to see how a made-in-BC idea helped change HIV prevention—and why funding research still matters.

09/30/2026

On Truth and Reconciliation Day, it’s important to recognize that health doesn’t exist separately from history.

The health inequities we see today are shaped by generations of colonial policies, discrimination, and systems that have harmed Indigenous communities across the country. Understanding that history is part of understanding HIV in Canada today.

It’s also crucial to recognize the knowledge, relationships, resilience, and leadership within Indigenous communities that continue to shape health and create change.

Truth requires honesty about where inequities come from. Reconciliation requires action to change what continues to produce them. 🧡

09/28/2026

U = U saves lives.

Ten years ago, U=U changed what it means to live with HIV. Swipe through to hear from our National Ambassadors on what U=U means to them, and what they hope to see for the future of HIV in the next 10 years.

A decade of science, advocacy and lived experience has shown us that when a person living with HIV is on effective treatment and maintains an undetectable viral load, they cannot transmit HIV through s*x. The science is clear. The impact is real.

U=U is more than a scientific breakthrough. It’s about love, freedom, dignity and possibility. Read more reflections on our website now at canfar.com.

09/26/2026

Canada’s HIV response moves forward because people show up.

The Casey House Toronto Casey Awards recognize the individuals and organizations across Canada who are making a difference—leading change, strengthening communities, opening doors and finding new ways to reach people affected by HIV.

It could be a community leader who has spent years pushing for action. A volunteer who gives their time without hesitation. A philanthropist who keeps investing in the work. Or an organization finding new ways to reach people who too often face barriers to care and support.

Know someone who deserves to be recognized? Nominate them.

Casey Award nominations are open in the categories of leadership, volunteering and philanthropy until October 21.

Take a moment to put forward someone whose work deserves to be seen.

Learn more and nominate:

The Casey Awards annually celebrate individuals and organizations across Canada that demonstrate leadership in social justice and commitment to HIV/AIDS.

09/25/2026

For more than 40 years, community has been at the heart of the HIV response—and Ribbon Community (founded as AIDS Vancouver) continues to show what that looks like in practice.

At Ribbon Community, people living with HIV and people impacted by HIV stigma can find peer support, case management, groceries, drop-in support, stigma-free information and harm reduction, practical resources, advocacy and connection. Ribbon supports and empowers communities through peer leadership, frontline services and advocacy efforts to ensure people have a voice in shaping the systems that affect their lives.

Because sometimes, what changes a person’s experience isn’t another service. It’s knowing there is somewhere to turn. Someone who understands. A community that sees you as a whole person, not a diagnosis.

Still connecting. Still supporting. Still advocating. Still moving forward.

This is the kind of community-based change CANFAR donors make possible.

And it’s exactly why we’re proud to invest in organizations like Ribbon Community through funds raised at Vancouver Entertains.

Because ending HIV isn't only about access to treatment and prevention. It's about reducing stigma, strengthening communities and ensuring people have the support they need to live full, healthy lives.

09/24/2026

The tables are set. And this year, they’re somewhere extraordinary.

On October 16, Vancouver Entertains takes over eight iconic spaces for eight completely different dining experiences—all in support of HIV research and community-led work across BC.

This year’s dinner venues:

TELUS Garden
Holt Renfrew
Harry Rosen Inc.
RIMOWA
Max Mara
Zegna
Rolls-Royce at OpenRoad Auto
And one very special secret venue.

No two dinners are alike. Each is a one-night-only experience created around its own space, menu and atmosphere. Then everyone comes together at TELUS Garden for the after party, featuring Canada’s Drag Race alum Hazel and DESTINEAK.

And while the night is designed to be unforgettable, the reason behind it is serious: HIV is still here—and so is the work. All funds raised through Vancouver Entertains stay in BC, supporting established community partners and innovative HIV research.

Because HIV may have faded from the headlines. It hasn’t faded from the communities doing the work every day. We hope you'll pull up a seat on Oct. 16!

09/18/2026

The countdown to hashtag is on—a night worth celebrating, with an impact that lasts. And we’re bringing a legend to the Royal Ontario Museum. 🪩✨

On Thursday, November 19, Grammy-nominated Robin S. will take the stage at the Official After-Party for a night of music, dancing and celebration in support of CANFAR's mission. Known for the iconic dance anthem 'Show Me Love', Robin S. has been moving dance floors for decades—and she’s bringing that energy to Toronto for Bloor Street Entertains.

But BSE is about more than one unforgettable night. Every dollar raised helps advance CANFAR’s work to address health inequities that continue to create barriers to access ––including supporting community-based HIV testing, prevention and implementation projects that help bring care and services closer to the people and communities who need them most.

And you don’t need to attend the dinner to join the party! After Party-only tickets are available now, so grab your friends and meet us at the ROM.
Come for Robin S. Stay for the party. Help make an impact that lasts long after the music stops.

None of this would be possible without the generosity of our sponsors: Red carpet sponsor Mantella Corporation, entertainment sponsor Stifel Financial Corp., illumination sponsors Labatt Breweries of Canada, Four Seasons Hotel Toronto, and Chopard, after party partner the Royal Ontario Museum, lounge sponsors Rob Stovel Foundation and Lycos Energy Inc., print sponsor TPH, furniture sponsor Element Event Solutions, spirits sponsor Maverick Distillery, staffing partners Staff Your Event, DGS Events Inc., and Foshay Staffing, media partners FASHION Canada, Toronto Life Magazine, and LIVING LUXE MAGAZINE, late night eats sponsor Pizza Pizza Limited, community partners ESP Inc., Bloor-Yorkville Business Improvement Area, and Velare Event Rentals, and CANFAR program partners BMO, RBC, TD, LCBO, the P. Austin Family Foundation, and Canada Life.

🎟️ Tickets are available now at CANFAR.com/bse.

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