Peter Haworth

Peter has been an actor, director, teacher, and dramaturge for over forty years. He has acted in theatres across the country, as well as in film and television. Peter was the founding member and project manager for a theatre created in Toronto called ShakespeareWorks, working with RH Thompson, Rosemary Dunsmore and Christopher Newton. He has also served as Artistic Producer for the Actors Repertory Company.

Why join PAL Ottawa?

Living in Toronto, I had friends living in PAL Toronto, and saw the great value it brought to artists’ lives. I look forward to seeing this dream come true in Ottawa. I am honoured to be serving as Chair to this extraordinary team of talented and experienced board members who are dedicated to the lives of senior arts workers.

Nancy Oakley

Nancy Oakley is a senior executive in the not-for-profit charitable sector experienced in strategic planning, revenue generation, financial and risk management, project and program management, human resources, and governance. Over the past 20 years she has advanced philanthropic, public and earned revenues and strengthened operations as the Director of Development and Community Engagement with ABLE2, Director of Development and Partnerships with Friends of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, Associate Vice President of Philanthropy for Support Our Troops, the Chief Operating Officer of Kind Canada Généreux, and as the General Manager of Great Canadian Theatre Company Canada Dance Festival, Magnetic North Theatre Festival and the Northern Arts and Cultural Centre in Yellowknife. Currently Nancy is the Manager of Events and Venues with the Algonquin College Student Association. See more on LinkedIn.

Why join PAL Ottawa?

I have joined the PAL Board because I believe in a society that values the arts and has accessible housing for its citizens. PAL’s mandate to offer affordable housing, support services and community engagement gives people a comfortable safe place to live, fosters belonging, addresses loneliness and isolations and stimulates creativity and participation.

Don Gibbons

Don is the Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Secretary of FreeBalance Inc., a global Government Resource Planning software solution provider – now active in over 25 countries. He has been responsible for the financial, tax, legal and risk management operations of the company for over 20 years. As a professional accountant, he has helped companies grow through acquisitions, restructuring and creative financing solutions, including 10 years in corporate banking with CIBC. Don was a Board member and Treasurer of CUSO-VSO Canada for 4 years, assisting in the merger of the two organizations.

Why join PAL Ottawa?

Securing affordable housing in Ottawa is a very significant challenge. PAL’s focus on helping senior arts workers find independent living arrangements is a worthy and much needed undertaking.

Gaston Cloutier

Gaston spent most of his working life in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF). During more than 41 years, he held positions of increasing responsibilities as a pilot, retiring in 2010 at the rank of Brigadier-General. Gaston was privileged and honoured to command 442 Search and Rescue Squadron in Comox, BC, and Canadian Forces Base Trenton, the largest Air Force base in Canada. Gaston accumulated over 6600 hours of flight time on maritime patrol, transport and search and rescue aircraft. Following his retirement from the CAF, Gaston was selected as Director General of the Gatineau Airport. Helped by great employees and supported by a superb board, Gaston led a significant economic development of the Gatineau Airport. Gaston retired from full-time employment in October 2022.

Why join PAL Ottawa?

When introduced to PAL Ottawa, I was immediately drawn to its vision and mission, and to its various programs and services helping artists in need.

Don Monet

Don focuses his art practice on the post-modern landscape. Using photocollage and acrylic paint, he creates sequences of fractured photos which are then unified through traditional landscape techniques. Co-owner and director of Cube Gallery, Ottawa (2005-present), Don has organized more than 200 thematic group exhibitions and solo shows and provided a venue for hundreds of artists featuring visual artists, but including musicians, actors and dancers. In 2020 he reanimated the Cube as a successful virtual gallery. Don has organised many politically motivated open-call art exhibitions and fundraisers, most recently Art Against Genocide at Club SAW. He has taught culture, communications, ethics, and audience research courses at the University of Ottawa. His work is informed by the 13 years he lived and worked with the Gitksan and Wet’suwet’en peoples in Northern B.C.  In 1992 he published Colonialism on Trial, a graphic textbook documenting the landmark Delgam Uukw vs The Queen land claim trial of 1987-91.  Colonialism on Trial remains on the required reading list of many Canadian Universities.

Why join PAL Ottawa?

Artists are essential to a dynamic thriving city. However, they are often overlooked, frequently working in solitude, often struggling with their practice, a liveable income and housing. PAL is our opportunity to acknowledge and thank them for their contributions to our community. The Professional Arts Lodges offers affordable housing, dignity and the opportunity to live with other artists at the PAL apartments and Creative Spaces on Rochester St.

Sandy Mackay-Smith

Sandy is a retired corporate entertainment lawyer and former President of Invicta Capital Canada, a film and TV financing company. Prior to that, he practised as an entertainment lawyer and served as a Vice President and General Counsel of Nelvana (purchased by Corus Entertainment). While living in Montreal, Sandy was a former Chairman of the Centaur Theatre Company. He is now actively involved as a family member of Juniper Farm in Wakefield, a certified organic vegetable farm with an online farm store with a large variety of organic products serving Gatineau and Ottawa food and restaurant outlets. Sandy has been a PAL Ottawa Board Member since 2018.

Why join PAL Ottawa?

I decided to join PAL Ottawa because of my own interest in the arts and my family’s involvement in the entertainment industry. I therefore have some first-hand knowledge of how difficult it can become financially for senior arts workers.

David Caulfeild

David is licensed as an Architect and a Professional Engineer and has spent his career devoted to project management in both public and private sectors. David left Public Works Canada in 1998 as Chief Architect to take on the new Ottawa International Airport Expansion Program as Project Director. David has been self-employed since 2004. David served as Project Advisor to the Great Canadian Theatre Company for their new facility beginning in 2004. David has been a member of Board of Governors at Ashbury College for two nine-year terms beginning in 1980, and a member of the Board of Directors for the Perley Rideau Veterans Health Centre Foundation for a seven-year term beginning in 1999. Since 2008, David has been involved with various Parliamentary Precinct projects, including renovations to the Wellington Building, dispute resolutions on the West Block project, and strategic planning for the Senate that led to the Government Conference Centre. Now David prefers the semi-retired lifestyle coupled with travel.

Why join PAL Ottawa?

I was drawn to PAL Ottawa’s critical mission of support to artists in need of affordable accommodation.

Anne Maheux

Anne is a fine art conservator, specializing in the conservation treatment of works on paper, from old master prints to oversize contemporary drawings. Her studies include an Honours BA in Art History and Studio Practice at the University of Guelph, a Masters in Art Conservation (MAC) at Queen’s University in Kingston and an advanced certificate in paper conservation from the Straus Center for Conservation at Harvard University.  Research into artists’ materials and practices, both historic and contemporary, have taken her to the American Academy in Rome (FAAR 1996), and the Getty Museum (guest scholar, 2018).  She enjoys mentoring emerging paper conservators, and has been an adjunct professor in the Master’s program at Queens University, Kingston. Anne has served in many volunteer capacities on boards and committees for conservation organizations and maintains a private conservation practice in Ottawa.

Why join PAL Ottawa?

As an ardent supporter of the arts, the PAL mandate to support artists in need is a critical and worthwhile cause to support in any way that I can.

David Whiteley

An actor, director, musician, playwright and theatrical producer, David Whiteley has been active in Ottawa’s theatre community since moving here in 1998. He has served as Artistic Director of two theatre companies, spanning two decades: Mutatis Mutandis (2000-2010) and Plosive Productions (2011-present), the latter a founding Resident Company of The Gladstone Theatre. He spearheaded The Gladstone’s formation as a shared venue for independent theatre companies, serving as its volunteer Coordinator from 2011 until it was able to incorporate in late 2016, at which time her served as its founding Theatre Manager. He has performed across Canada and the USA, and is the author of several original plays, translations, and adaptations, including rhymed verse adaptations of plays by Molière and Rostand. He also serves as the Director of Operations for the St. Leonard’s Society of Canada, a federally incorporated registered charity.

Why join PAL Ottawa?

I am constantly exposed to the struggles of my fellow artists to make ends meet, which often leads to addressing present concerns at the expense of making headway for later years or retirement. PAL Ottawa meets this need, both through affordable housing but also its Supporting Cast program. I wanted to do what I can to support those much-needed contributions.

Marisa Victor

Marisa Victor is an Ottawa-based lawyer and adjudicator. Marisa was called to the bar in 2006 and has primarily practiced civil litigation and administrative law. She has appeared as counsel at every level of court in Canada. Since 2016 she has also been a Vice-Chair at Tribunals Ontario serving concurrently on numerous tribunals. She is currently a Vice Chair of the Fire Safety Commission and a member of the Condominium Authority Tribunal. Prior to becoming a lawyer, Marisa was a professional actor and maintains her membership with ACTRA. She completed a BFA in Theatre (Acting) at York University and then an MA in Text & Performance at the University of London /Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts (UK). Marisa has served on several not-for-profit and charity boards including at Nelson House (an emergency women’s shelter) and the Ottawa Fringe Festival. Marisa is functionally trilingual (Eng/Fr/Sp) and identifies as a Latinx woman.

Why join PAL Ottawa?

I am passionate about the arts and Ottawa. I look forward to being able to contribute my skills and experience so PAL Ottawa can fulfill its goals to support senior artists in affordable housing here in Ottawa.