In the month leading up to Word AIDS Day on December 1st, the City of Charlottetown will be home to the Red Ribbon Path, a public art trail that pays homage to six communities impacted by HIV/AIDS.
Scott Alan, HIV & Sexual Health Specialist with PEERS Alliance, is behind the project.
“We wanted to create something living that doesn’t just commemorate loss but celebrates survival and solidarity”, says Alan, “Every stop on the path tells a local story, and it was important that this project be built by Island voices reflecting the diversity of those affected. The Red Ribbon Path connects art, history, and community in a way that reminds us that HIV is still here, but so is hope.”
The trail begins outside the culture pavilion at Victoria Park with Kal Ross’s linocut installation highlighting the HIV/AIDS activism of the gay community. The installation features work from Ross as well as community members who took part in their Cut the Stigma linocut workshop presented by PEERS Alliance.
The second stop on the trail is Niyi Adeogun’s lightbox pieces paying tribute to PEI’s BPOC community. Located at Beaconsfield Historic House, this installation sits adjacent to the area in Charlottetown formerly known as The Bog, the historic neighbourhood that was once home to many black Islanders.
We hope people will take the time to walk the path slowly, to read, to listen, and to remember”, adds Alan, “HIV/AIDS still touches our communities, but this path honours forty years of love, loss, and progress. Each step moves us forward together.
Nearby, in the courtyard of the provincial government buildings, trail walkers will find a series of zines created by Rachel Adams. These zines, free for the taking, share information about drug use and harm reduction, and highlight drug users affected by HIV/AIDS. Of note is the fact that much of our contemporary harm reduction practices are a direct result of those established during the height of the HIV/AIDS crisis.
The trail’s fourth stop brings walkers to Patricia Borque’s photographs of Kay Sark’s quillwork. Located in Rochford Square, these works recognize the impact HIV/AIDS has had on Epekwitk’s Indigenous community.
An immersive experience awaits at stop number five, with Hannah McGaughey’s Add Your Light, Add Your Ribbon installation featuring AIDS ribbons and the initials of Islanders lost to the virus painted on lightbulbs. This stop pays tribute to health care workers who stepped forward against ignorance and amidst controversy to support Islanders with HIV/AIDS.
The PEERS Alliance office at 250B Queen Street marks the endpoint of the Red Ribbon Path. There, walkers are invited to aim their phones at the Erica Rutherford mural affixed to the building. This connects to a short documentary by Mille Clarkes about women and their crucial frontline role in supporting those with HIV/AIDS.
The inaugural path walk takes place on Saturday, November 1st, 1pm at the Victoria Park starting point, and is in place until Sunday, November 30th, the day before World AIDS Day. Beaconsfield Historic House and the PEERS Alliance office will pull double duty as warming stations on the 1st, serving hot chocolate. The route is about one kilometre in length, and is accessible, both on foot and by car.
