PAL Ottawa

10/05/2026

Happy Monday, Ottawa! We'd love to share a message from our October Spotlight Artist, Frankie Pasap, a brilliant Indigenous textile artist here in town. Please read the touching message Frankie wrote for her sister Edwina's GoFundMe page.

Edwina is undergoing chemo and radiation therapy for Glioma brain cancer and, with living in rural Saskatchewan, treatments are far from home.

Every dollar donated to this campaign helps to pay for:
· Fuel for travel to and from treatments
· Hotel accommodations during treatments
· Meals while away from home
· Out-of-pocket medical expenses

Says Frankie:
'No one should have to worry about how they will afford to get to life-saving treatment.

If you are able to donate, no matter the amount, your generosity will make a meaningful difference. If donating isn't possible, sharing this fundraiser with your family, friends, and community is another incredible way to help.'

Thank you for your kind consideration and generosity.

My name is Frances, and I am creating this fundraiser for my siste… Frances Pasap needs your support for Help Edwina Kennedy fight against Glioma brain cancer

10/01/2026

Meet Frankie Pasap, this month's Spotlight Artist!

An Indigenous fibre artist from Whitebear Nakoda Nations Band Treaty 4 Territory, she is Minwaashin Lodge's Culture Program Coordinator and Head of the Zaagigi program for 2SLGBTQ+ youth. She is also a Death Doula, and a PAL Ottawa supporter since 2023.

In her own words
“My love for sewing started at the ripe age of 8 years old. I was living in foster care and my foster mother had me sit with her while she sewed. Unbeknownst to me, we had created my school photo day dress.

Many years later I got back into sewing with my birth mother in my early 20s. I started with helping her sew traditional Indigenous style vests and have since gone to Richard Robinson Haute Couture Fashion Academy for a Fashion Design Diploma.

I am a mother of 3. While I am thankful for my roles as at Minwaashin Lodge, I am still hoping to own my own business one day. I do everything from earrings, regalia, coats, pants, and ribbon skirts. I love a challenge, to create new traditional creations and share them with the community. ”

Discover her many, many creations at https://www.instagram.com/strong.indigenous/

09/29/2026

Beautiful, inspiring time yesterday visiting ādisōke, Ottawa's new main branch library. What would *you* like to do in this space?
PAL is looking to develop programming here with the good folks at Ottawa Public Library / Bibliothèque publique d'Ottawa and Library and Archives Canada, and we'd love to know your thoughts.

06/14/2026

Join us ✨t o m o r r o w✨ for PAL Ottawa’s first fundraiser of the year, ‘Passed the Threshold, and Back’, an NDE-inspired theatre piece gracing the stage of Ottawa U’s Freiman Hall at 7:30.

Bring a friend! And stay for a chat and a chance to get to know your PAL pals at Café Nostalgica afterwards, just across the street.

À demain les amis!

A fundraising theatrical presentation of the acclaimed piece 'Passed the Threshold, and Back'

05/21/2026

✨Very excited to invite you to PAL Ottawa's Annual Members Meeting on June 15th! ✨

This year, it will be happening at the U of O's Freiman Hall, and is followed by a catered meal and a fundraiser performance of Passed the Threshold, and Back.

Grab your free tickets at the link below

À bientôt!

🎟️—> https://bit.ly/3PUERu3

05/06/2026

Alex here from PAL Ottawa. I'm just about to put out our next newsletter and wanted to share a little subscribe link with you folks. Here's a little teaser:

SPOTLIGHT ON RUSSELL YURISTY: Born in Goodeve, Saskatchewan in 1936, Russell grew up on a farm that would spark his lifelong love of nature. Trees, fish, birds and all manner of animals loom large in his artistic practice that spans drawing, painting, print-making, sculpture and, notably, giant wooden animal sculptures that doubled as play structures for children. He moved to Ottawa in 1985 and has been an active and generous voice in our local scene and internationally for over 4 decades.

https://palottawa.org/news-media #:~:text=SUBSCRIBE

04/08/2026

Happy Spring! Meet Jason St-Laurent, exhibiting artist, longtime curator of the SAW Centre, and our most recent Spotlight artist.

"We are living through a period of profound social transformation and environmental crisis.

In this context, the role of artists is more vital than ever—to amplify voices, challenge dominant narratives, and imagine alternative futures."

Learn more about Jason St-Laurent by following the link below:
https://palottawa.org/blog/news-events/Spotlight%20On%20Jason%20St-Laurent