An Afternoon with Ottawa’s Singing MPP
Register HERE for this free event with MPP Joel Harden, Critic for Seniors, Accessibility and Persons with Disabilities, on Wed. January 22, at 4 pm.
You can be one of the best-known performers in Canada and still face financial insecurity. When asked why she was living at PAL Toronto, Frances Hyland – considered one of the finest Shakespearean actors of her generation – replied: “I never made more than $25,000 a year.” [Read more]
Follow PAL on Facebook
www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rzljdrY3bM Chester Conklin (caught up in the machinery of Modern Times) appeared in hundreds of films, often with Charlie Chaplin, but when hard times hit in his senior years, he turned to the Motion Picture Country Home and Hospital, opened in 1942 as a place for senior Hollywood artists who worked on all aspects of film to have a home regardless of ability to pay. In a similar spirit, PAL Ottawa works to provide seniors in the capital region who work(ed) in the arts sector with accessible housing and personal support in a creative, caring community. You can get involved (info@palottawa.org) and like our Facebook page (PAL Ottawa) Guy Finch must be in there somewhere.
"Taking care of our own" has been the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital mission since 1921, when Mary Pickford, Charlie Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks and D.W. Griffith founded the then-Motion Picture Relief Fund, financed by payroll deductions at the Hollywood studios. The facility, planned as housing for the destitute — and primarily utilized by actors who hadn't managed the transition from silent films to talkies — opened on the edge of Woodland Hills in 1942. Ever since, it has been a place for senior Hollywood artists who worked on all aspects of film to have a home regardless of ability to pay. As PAL Ottawa works towards its own concrete vision of "taking care of our own," here is yet another example of how arts workers coming together can create successful live/work communities for our senior members. 
About PAL Ottawa
We reward the artists who delight us with our applause, and often assume that success in the arts brings financial security. But very few members of the arts community arrive at the end of their career with an adequate pension and other resources. That’s why we created PAL Ottawa: to provide affordable housing and a support system to arts workers in need. Learn more…
Memberships
Join PAL Ottawa! For a modest annual membership fee, you and/or your organization can support PAL Ottawa’s efforts to improve the lives of senior arts workers in the Capital, while enjoying numerous membership benefits.
Donations
Help provide the seed money needed to achieve our goals. Add PAL Ottawa to your list of Charitable Donations and receive a Charitable Tax Deduction. You could also consider PAL Ottawa as a legacy donation. Donate today.
Volunteer
Get involved by volunteering for Supporting Cast. Lend our Board and working committees your hands-on skills in not-for-profit administration, affordable housing, website design, publicity or fund-raising. Email us to get involved.
With sincere appreciation and special thanks to PAL Ottawa’s Sponsors
