ABOUT US

Founded in 1986, PAL Canada Foundation is the national “umbrella” organization that represents and supports seven independent PAL chapters across the country, including Halifax, Ottawa, Toronto, Stratford, Winnipeg, Calgary, and Vancouver. Each PAL chapter has its own unique requirements, which are defined by the needs of their local community of professional and performing artists (and individuals from allied industries). Depending on the chapter, the focus may be to provide and sustain quality affordable housing for elders and/or challenged individuals within their professional and performing arts community. Alternatively, some chapters may not require accommodations but do need support for their members.

OUR MISSION STATEMENT

We create caring communities and support programs, which allow senior members of Canada’s arts and entertainment industry to thrive.

Founded in 1986, PAL Canada Foundation is the national “umbrella” organization that represents and supports seven individual PAL chapters across the country, including Halifax, Ottawa, Toronto, Stratford, Winnipeg, Calgary, and Vancouver.

OUR HISTORY

For many years, members of the Arts Community had decried the lack of care and support facilities for older members at a stage in their lives when these became increasingly necessary. However, momentum seemed to increase around 1983, and there was a crescendo of voices asking for serious investigation into the treatment of senior artists: professionals who had given their lives to the Arts. Usually, their dedication was met with insufficient recompense to enable them to live out their remaining years amongst like-minded people, in their own milieu, with available health facilities and a modicum of physical and financial security.

A professional theatre company in Toronto, The Smile Theatre Company, commented on the growing number of older performing artists living in circumstances that were sometimes heart-breaking; unable to keep their homes (if they had been able to accumulate one while in the finicky market of Canadian Culture), ending their days in an institution ill-suited and ill-prepared for the sometimes difficult characteristics of the older artist. In such an atmosphere, alienated from “their old buddies”, living in a place where few, if any, knew their background, and out of touch with colleagues in similar situations. These artists were unhappy to say the least.