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What is PAL?
PAL stands for PERFORMING ARTS LODGE. PAL Vancouver is a member of PAL Canada, an organization dedicated to providing good quality, affordable housing for seniors in the performing arts and associated professions. So far there are chapters of PAL Canada in Calgary, Halifax, Stratford, Toronto & Vancouver.
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What is PAL Vancouver?
Our core purpose is to provide and sustain affordable housing, with support and creative options, for seniors and the disabled from the performing arts and allied industries. Our vision starts with providing a safe and secure home for senior artists in an affordable and supportive environment. We are also building and equipping a 100 seat studio theatre on the 8th floor so that our residents can continue to work creatively. We envision that this will also be a place where other professional performers and performing arts companies can perform. We will thus be providing a new performance venue for the Coal Harbour neighbourhood.
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Why is a PAL needed in Vancouver?
Seniors who have spent their life in the performing arts earn an average annual income of $10,000. This is half the average annual income of people over the age of 65 in Vancouver.
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Who will qualify to live in PAL?
All applicants for PAL will have to meet B.C. Housing’s financial criteria for social housing. Preference will be given to those who have worked in any sector of the performing arts industry and who are over 55 years of age or permanently disabled. Although all of our subsidized suites are currently rented, we are building a waiting list.
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Where is PAL Vancouver?
Our building is in Coal Harbour adjacent to the Westin Bayshore Hotel at Cardero and Georgia Streets. This site is offered to us at very little cost as part of the city’s policy of locating social housing in all parts of Vancouver. Construction costs are comparable to any other location in the city.
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Who supports PAL?
All of the performing arts unions and associations, members of the arts community, all three levels of government, many foundations and, most importantly, our audiences across the country.
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Donations: PAL was selected by the City of Vancouver from many applicants on the condition that we demonstrate our ability to raise enough money to make the development affordable. We have raised sufficient funds to subsidize 80% of the rental units. We are still raising funds to complete our theatre space, and to maintain rent subsidies over the years. All donations to PAL Vancouver are tax deductible. |
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Volunteers: We need help with special events, fundraising, administration, publicity, and community service. Our outreach program, PAL’s Angels continues to assist seniors in their homes and residents of PAL. |
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A BRIEF CHRONOLOGY OF PAL VANCOUVER
PAL Canada
 The first Performing Arts Lodge in Canada was completed in Toronto in 1993 after several years of organizational work. The vision is to provide PAL facilities across Canada.
- April 2001: a founding membership meeting is held in the Salon of the Queen Elizabeth Theatre. 40 people attend, elect a Steering Committee with Joy Coghill & Jane Heyman as co-chairs, create a vision of a Performing Arts Lodge in Vancouver and vote to establish PAL Vancouver as a chapter of PAL Canada.
- Housing Needs Assessment Form is developed and mailed to 10,000 members of the performing arts unions, associations and guilds, who all support the project.
- Supporting Cast committee established; a Board of Directors is recruited.
- Access Building Association selected as development consultant.
- January 29, 2002: PAL Vancouver incorporated by the Province of B.C. as Non-Profit Society.
- Application to become a Housing Sponsor on City of Vancouver controlled sites was submitted and approved.
- March 4, 2002: The first Board Meeting of PAL Vancouver held at the home of Roberta Beiser.
- PAL attracts distinguished Patrons from Arts and Business.
- Architect's rendering of the proposed building on the Bayshore site (corner of Georgia & Cardero) is completed.
- Board sends in to the City of Vancouver an expression of interest in the Bayshore Site.
- At information nights hosted by Bard on the Beach and the Arts Club, volunteers collect thousands of signatures of support.
- September 17, 2002: Media Launch held at Westin Bayshore Hotel
Joy Coghill delivers speech.
- November 7, 2002: City of Vancouver awards PAL Vancouver the right to develop the Bayshore Social Housing Site provided certain fundraising deadlines are met on January 31 and April 30, 2003.
- Information nights organized at the Playhouse, Arts Club and Gateway theatres, raising $30,762.45 by passing the hat.
- First Salon evening for Patrons and contributors held at the home of Gerald and Sheahan McGavin, with entertainment provided by Nicola Cavendish and Judith Forst.
- PAL Partners program launched: 12 Life Leases are marketed and 7 “sold” within 6 weeks.
- Major donations are secured from UBCP; ACTRA Fraternal Benefits Society; Directors' Guild of Canada and the Council of Film Unions.
- February 23, 2003: Richard Thomas performs a Gala Benefit at the Arts Club Theatre.
- March 27, 2003: Vancouver City Council votes to approve the revised Performing Arts Lodge (PAL) Vancouver proposal for the Bayshore Gardens affordable housing, in particular the inclusion of twelve PAL Partner Life Lease units
- Supporting Cast changes its name to PAL’s Angels, solicits volunteers and begins outreach.
- October, 2003: Ode to Joy, PAL Vancouver's gala fundraiser, is launched at The Centre for the Performing Arts. More than 100 artists, including Evelyn Hart, Judith Forst, Chor Leoni, Jay Brazeau, Christopher Gaze and many others join hosts Bill Richardson, Jane Mortifee and Denis Simpson in honouring Joy Coghill & PAL.
- January 27, 2004: PAL is accorded Charitable Tax Status.
- March 25, 2004: City of Vancouver gives final approval to PAL Vancouver for the development and lease of the affordable housing site at Bayshore Gardens.
- July 28, 2004: Celebration of Construction held at the Bayshore Hotel.
- April 1, 2005: PAL Vancouver begins accepting applications from future residents.
- November 18, 2005: Ode to Joy 2005 held at the Chan Centre, honouring Dal Richards.
- December, 2005: PAL reaches one of its fundraising goals by raising $500,000 to match a grant from the City of Vancouver.
- December 27, 2005: Carousel Theatre adds a special performance to its run of Peter Pan, with all participants donating their services for the evening. The show raises approximately $4000, with more than $500 collected at the door from audience members.
- January 2006: Christ Church Cathedral follows the previous fall’s wildly successful Sondheim series with another run of performances; this time, three Monday evening staged readings of Chekhov raise $2,000.
- May 29, 2006: Our pioneer residents began moving in.
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