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Nova Scotia prepares for HIV/AIDS Awareness Week

The red ribbon flag was raised Tuesday morning at Province House to mark the beginning of HIV/AIDS Awareness Week.

Helping in the effort was Dr. Bill Hart, the former chair of the Nova Scotia Advisory Committee on AIDS. He says the flag is an important public demonstration of support by the Nova Scotia government.

It shows, he said, "there is nothing to really be afraid of and that we need to support our sisters and brothers and husbands and wives and the whole population."

Hart has been involved in AIDS awareness and prevention since the mid-1980s. He says the formal recognition by the province reminds him that there is still a lot of work to be done.

"I keep hoping it's not going to happen next year, because we'll have a cure," he said.

Hope for a cure

Health Minister Leo Glavine says it's estimated that more than 71,000 Canadians live with HIV/AIDS.

"More worrisome is that 24 per cent of these Canadians are not aware that they are infected, even more troubling is that every three hours a person in Canada is infected with the virus," Glavine said.

Meanwhile, in Cape Breton, the Esplanade in Sydney has turned red. Trees, street poles and benches are wrapped in red scarves to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS as the red ribbon flag was raised at the Civic Centre.

The Red Scarf Project originally launched in Ontario in 2012, and 2015 is the first year for it in the Cape Breton Regional Municipality. The project was chosen not only to raise awareness, but also to help those in need.

"They can take them; and actually if you are cold, you know, you can put on a scarf and wear it," said Christine Porter, executive director of the Ally Centre, which is part of AIDS Coalition of Cape Breton.

"There's a lot of people who don't have safe housing, warm housing who could really use a warm scarf. So it's for that too," she said.

Porter says an AIDS awareness quilt will be on display at the James McConnell Memorial Library in Sydney and information booths will be set up in local schools.

HIV/AIDS Awareness Week leads up to World AIDS Day on Dec. 1.