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President’s Message
Eight years ago former ACTRA Toronto president
Richard Hardacre and executive director Brian
Topp asked me to get involved with the creation of
a new kind of members’ meeting. Together, we
developed the member conferences. It was suggested
that, given the success of the conferences, I might
like to run for council. At the time I thought, “What
do I know about governance or speaking on behalf of
the membership”
All I really wanted is what we all want, more work opportunities.
After some reflection, I thought that by being on council I could
help make that happen. When I sat on council I was struck by
the fact our union not only takes care of us as individuals, by
stewarding our contracts, protecting our rights and defending
our jurisdiction, but it also looks after the larger picture, fighting
on behalf of all of us in pursuit of a strong and vibrant Canadian
culture.
So what are some of the issues that are currently preoccupying
the hearts and minds of the membership
Well, how about ACTRA Toronto’s ongoing status of the artist
campaign On April 20th I accompanied a small group of
performers who made the trip to Queen’s Park to speak with
Ontario politicians about the state of status of the artist legislation
in the province. Wendy Crewson, Art Hindle, Peter
Keleghan, Mayko Nguyen and Gordon Pinsent made a
great team as we worked our way through the various government
ministries, educating MPPs about the value artists impart to
Ontario’s culture and economy. We made it clear that we need
some real legislation to fill out the hollow shell of the Status of the
Artist Act passed two years ago, the need for a fair and equitable
collective bargaining process and that the current guidelines for
child performers are unenforceable and need to be made into law.
We’ve also heard from our voice community who are concerned
about non-union work. ACTRA takes any threat to our jurisdiction
seriously. As a result we are developing an approach that we are
tentatively calling ACTRA Rule One. Time and again we have
seen that concessions only serve to open up a race to the
bottom, and that proper enforcement of our current agreements
can actually serve to expand our jurisdiction. ACTRA Rule One
is a strategy of education and enforcement that preserves our
existing work opportunities while developing new ones.
Finally, as you know,ACTRArecently negotiated a new Independent
Production Agreement (IPA). In preparing for those negotiations
we held extensive focus groups throughout the entire membership.
After witnessing the protracted breakdowns in talks south of
the border we were concerned that we would be forced to take
the same new media deal that was being inflicted on our sister
unions and guilds.
Essentially, we were hoping for the best and planning for the worst.
What we didn’t expect was that everything would change so
quickly. We were able to negotiate a new IPA in only one day –
as different an experience from the last round as night is from
day. ACTRA was able to keep all the gains we won in the previous
round of bargaining, and that includes our new media deal. We
also negotiated a 2% pay increase over each of the next three
years, and as such brought stability to our industry and the
thanks of our fellow unions. The speed of this deal was possible
because two years ago we stood up together and struck for
what we deserved. It is because we are perceived as hard
bargainers, but once the contract’s negotiated, that’s the deal.
Still, the issues brought forward in our focus groups have not
gone away. We will strive to improve the conditions of our
membership through the unwavering enforcement of our current
agreements and by reaching out to other players in the industry,
with the understanding that a solid film and television industry
benefits us all.
The ratification of this deal by you, our members, will solidify
peace and stability in our jurisdiction for the next three and a
half years – no small feat in this turbulent day and age.
In solidarity,
Heather Allin
President, ACTRA Toronto
Heather Allin, with Gordon Pinsent, speaks out at a recent Queen’s Park
press conference about the need for greater attention to artists’ issues.
Photo: Jag Gundu
2 AC T R A TORONTO P ER F OR M ER S

Performers
The magazine from ACTRA Toronto
Volume 18 • Issue 2 • Summer 2009
Contents
Tableof
President’s Message... Page 2
The Lobby Gang by Art Hindle... Page 4
PUBLISHER
Lyn Mason Green
lmgreen@council.actratoronto.com
EDITOR
Chris Owens
editor@actratoronto.com
EDITORIAL COMMITTEE
Heather Allin, Lyn Mason Green, Chris Faulkner,
Art Hindle, Jani Lauzon, Dan Mackenzie,
Chris Owens, Karl Pruner, Brian Topp.
DESIGN and LAYOUT
Erick Querci
CreativeProcessDesign
ADVERTISING SALES
Karen Cowitz
kcowitz@rocketmail.com 416-461-4627
CONTRIBUTORS
Charlotte Arnold
Paul Constable
Chris Faulkner
David Gale
Jag Gundu
Art Hindle
Karen Ivany
Janesse Leung
Norm MacAskill
Monica McKenna
Chris Owens
David Sparrow
Brian Topp
Teresa Tova
PLEASE ADDRESS EDITORIAL
CORRESPONDENCE TO:
Performers magazine
c/o ACTRA Toronto
625 Church Street, Suite 200
Toronto, ON M4Y 2G1
Fax: (416) 928-2852
editor@actratoronto.com
JOIN THE TEAM
If you’re an ACTRA Toronto Member or Apprentice and want
to write an article or contribute original artwork or photos,
we’d love to hear from you.
Send an email to editor@actratoronto.com.
THE NEXT COPY DEADLINE IS
August 24, 2009
The magazine invites members to submit notices of births,
marriages, obituaries and letters to the editor. Article
submissions must be sent via email (editor@actratoronto.com).
We reserve the right to edit or omit any material for length,
style, content or possible legal ramifications.
An Interview with Michael Seater by Charlotte Arnold... Page 8
The Line by Chris Owens... Page 12
Welcome to the New IPA by Brian Topp... Page 16
Talking with Actors... Page 17
Who’s Who... Page 18
In Memoriam... Page 19
Digital Self Promotion by David Sparrow... Page 20
Glamour Patrol:
The 2009 ACTRA Awards by Karen Ivany... Page 22
ACTRA Toronto Conference Highlights... Page 24
Finding the Right Agent by Theresa Tova... Page 26
Members’ News... Page 28
New Members... Page 30
Performers magazine is published three times a year by ACTRA
Toronto. The views expressed in unsolicited and solicited
articles are not necessarily the views of ACTRA Toronto,
its council or this committee.
Publications Mail Agreement number 40069134
ISSN 1911-4974
www.actratoronto.com
Michael Seater
Photo: www.mckennaphoto.com
Printed in Canada by union labour at Thistle Printing.
Michael Seater
Photo: www.mckennaphoto.com
Summer 20 09 3

Political Action
The LobbyGang
by Art Hindle
Artists and the arts contribute nearly $85 billion dollars to
Canada’s economy, and the bulk of that contribution comes
from right here in Ontario. Yet, despite our overwhelming
impact, artists’ rights are sometimes ignored by politicians.
4 AC T R A TORONTO P ER F OR M ER S

ACTRA Toronto
rides into
Queen’s Park
in pursuit of artists’ rights.
It was a dark and stormy morning. I put on my best suit, filled my
pocket with ACTRA Toronto lapel pins and headed off to Queen’s
Park to meet with some of the province’s movers and shakers about
a subject that should be near and dear to all of us, artists’ rights.
The numbers are on our side. Artists and
the arts contribute nearly $85 billion
dollars to Canada’s economy, and the
bulk of that contribution comes from
right here in Ontario. Yet, despite our
overwhelming economic impact, artists’
rights are sometimes ignored by politicians.
As Vice-President, External Affairs this
was part of the platform on which I was
elected to, dog the heels of the power
brokers and get our message out. With a
little help from some enlightened
politicians, we can make this province a
cultural center that sustains working
artists and actors, as well as attracting
talented newcomers to the arts. And,
with Status of the Artist legislation that
finally has some teeth to it, we can give
all creative workers in this province an
opportunity to grow and flourish.
On this day we were arguing the case for
the establishment of a fair and equitable
collective bargaining regime, codifying
the protection of child performers in law
and amending the Employment Standards
Act to allow artists the same rights as
other workers in the province, with
respect to minimum wage, vacation credits,
statutory holidays, limits on working
hours and overtime provisions. But I
wasn’t going to face Queen’s Park alone.
Besides our terrific staff, and ACTRA
Toronto President Heather Allin, some
of the cream of Toronto’s membership
responded to my call, our very own Lobby
Gang. Gordon Pinsent, Wendy
Crewson, Peter Keleghan and Mayko
Nguyen, all performers without peer and
fiery cultural activists, stepped into the
breach and used their star power to capture
the attention of provincial politicians
from all parties.
ACTRAToronto wasn’t completely alone
in our mission. New Democrat MPP
Peter Tabuns had introduced Bill 165, a
private members bill, earlier in April that
addressed many of ACTRA’s concerns
regarding the Employment Standards Act.
The bill was scheduled for a vote mere
days after our visit and we intended to use
that opening to shine a spotlight on
ACTRA’s concerns.
Like any campaign at Queen’s Park, it
began with a press conference. Our
Lobby Gang spoke eloquently about the
need for the Ontario government to
address the concerns of its artists with a
beefed up Status of the Artist Act and
recognition that the plight of artists is a
topic that needs attention now. After a
flurry of questions from the press corps
our determined gang of lobbyists met
briefly to prepare for the long day ahead.
Soon we found ourselves huddled in the
members’ guests gallery at the Ontario
legislature during Question Period. Our
own culture champion, Peter Tabuns,
was questioning the Minister of Culture,
Aileen Carroll, as to the government’s
plans to strengthen the provincial Status
of the Artist Act. The current Act, as many
of us know, is severely limited in scope,
only setting aside the first weekend in
June as an occasion to celebrate artists’
accomplishments. While the minister
deftly avoided commenting on
Summer 2 0 0 9 5

Wendy Crewson and
New Democrat MPP Peter Tabuns.
Photo: Janesse Leung
the Act in her response she did mention
that her government’s proposed budget
had greatly increased its support of the
arts, proposing an increase in funding to
the Ontario Arts Council by $15 million
dollars, plus another $100 million dollars
annually in additional tax relief and $30
million dollars in investments to support
entertainment and creative industries in
the province.
After Question Period our gang split up
and dispersed itself over the vast geography
of Queen’s Park. We were ready to tackle
the formidable task of bending a
politician’s ear. We met with members
from every party. While some of our crew
had the opportunity to speak with the
Minister of Culture, across the way
others were sitting down with Julia
Munro, the Progressive Conservative
Caucus Critic for Culture and for Children
and Youth Services.
Mayko Nguyen and ACTRA Toronto President, Heather Allin, during ACTRA Toronto’s
Queen’s Park press conference.
Photo: Jag Gundu
Both groups met up again before heading
off to the offices of Bob Bailey, the
Progressive Conservative MPP from Sarnia-
Lambton, who received us with open
arms. For a man from the rural town of
Petrolia, Bob had a firm grasp of the issues
facing artists in Ontario and promised his
support. Invigorated by our progress so
far, our happy band headed off through
corridors, tunnels, elevators and
vestibules to arrive in the Premier’s offices.
There we met with Premier McGuinty’s
Senior Advisor of Finance and Economic
Policy,Aaron Dobbin, who had an excellent
grasp of our issues and asked probing
questions, for which he naturally received
detailed answers. Despite not being able
to see the Premier we felt we had put this
hour to good use. As Aaron escorted us
through the myriad of hallways in the
Premier’s office he proudly pointed out
the many paintings by Canadian artists
on the walls. It was commented to him
that some of these same artists might
have waited on him at his favourite
restaurant in order to augment their
meager income as artists.
Our last meeting at Queen’s Park was
with the newly elected Leader of the New
Democratic Party of Ontario, the
Honourable MPP for Hamilton-East,
Andrea Horwath. Before her election to
leader Andrea was the NDP Critic for
Children and Youth Services, so she was
very receptive to our argument about the
need for greater protections for child
6 A C T R A TO R O N TO P E R F O R M E R S

Peter Keleghan during ACTRA Toronto’s Queen’s Park press conference.
Photo: Jag Gundu
[L – R] Gordon Pinsent, Heather Allin, Peter Keleghan, Ontario Minister of
Culture, Aileen Carroll, Wendy Crewson. Photo: Janesse Leung
Artists are independent contractors. Because of
the flexible and fluctuating nature of our work,
our ability to do our business as independent
contractors is crucial to our ability to make a
living from our art. Unfortunately, that status as
independent contractors also denies us the
protections and rights enjoyed by other workers
in Ontario. It doesn’t have to be this way.
— Peter Keleghan
Unlike other industries,
children are an
absolutely crucial
component of our
work. How can we
possibly hope to
reflect our society
without the active
participation of
children in film and
television And who
in their right mind
would deny suitable
protection for any
child in a workplace
But that is exactly the
case in 2009.
— Mayko Nguyen
If the Ontario government
is serious about
supporting our
creative industries,
and those who work in
them, then they will
realize that means
that we must invest in
more than just bricks
and mortar. It means
supporting the
creators as well.
Support artists, by
providing us the tools
to make a living, so we
can continue to contribute
to the wellbeing
of Ontario.
— Gordon Pinsent
performers. With her background as a
grassroots organizer and ally of not-forprofit
child care we left thinking that we
couldn’t have better a supporter of our
goals.
We all piled into taxis for a ride down
University Avenue towards our final
meeting at the Minister of Labour’s offices.
Unfortunately, Labour Minister Peter
Fonseca was on the floor of the Legislature
and had to cancel his attendance at our
meeting. However, his chief of staff,
Rob Walters, was a very interested
stand-in. The hour went by quickly but
was fascinating to watch as it gave the
Lobby Gang a chance to see our executive
director, Brian Topp, not only adroitly
field all of Rob’s astute questions but also
score strong points for our own arguments.
I think any ACTRA member who had
been in that conference room would
thank his lucky stars Brian is on our side.
The long day was done. The Lobby Gang
said their sweet goodbyes to each other.
The weather that day may have been
lousy, but we felt that our work may have
made the future of the Status of the Artist
Act a little brighter.
And later that week, we were proven
right as Private Members Bill 165 went
through its second reading before the
Ontario legislature. We watched in
disbelief as members from both sides of
the aisle rose to support the bill. “The
ayes have it,” the Speaker of the House
announced, and it was sent to the Standing
Committee on Regulations and Private
Bills.
There is still much work to do and with
your support it will be done. We at
ACTRAToronto will never rest until the
Status of the Artist Act has the teeth it
needs to protect Ontario artists.
And, in fact, this whole process is
ACTRA Toronto at work.
Looking the world in the eye and
shooting straight from the hip.
Art Hindle is the Vice-
President, External
Affairs on ACTRA
Toronto Council. He is
the lead actor and
director of the
television series
Paradise Falls.
Summer 2 0 0 9 7

Interview
Seater
Michael
Charlotte Arnold snags her busy Degrassi co-star, Michael Seater, long enough
to pick his brain about his career to date and his thoughts on the future of Canadian television.
CA: So do you want to start by telling us how you became interested in
acting
MS: There was an open casting call for Beauty and the Beast
onstage and my Mom said, ‘Do you want to go for this’ and I
said, ‘Yeah!’ I was too tall to play the part I was auditioning for,
so they recommended me to an agency and I started auditioning.
CA: When did this become a career
MS: It started off slow, doing a lot of commercials for the first
couple of years. Then, when I was ten, I did a Canadian Film
Centre short, Night of the Living. After that it started escalating
into MOWs and series work. Finally in high school it sort of, in
my mind, became my career.
CA: So you’re not even 23 and you’ve done a bunch of different series.
How does that feel to know that you’re essentially just starting off, but
you’ve already got so much behind you
MS: I think I’ve been really lucky that I’ve been able to jump
from one series to the next for the last ten years. I’m so young
and there’s so much more to do and there are moments where I
worry, ‘Oh, God, I hope there’s still somewhere up to go.’
CA: Do you think there’s been any kind of secret in having such success
so far Do you chalk it up to luck or…
MS: I think it’s a bit of luck, it’s a bit of talent and it’s a bit of
working hard and putting yourself out there. I mean, at the end
of the day, it is a business and as much as I love the arts side of
it, I also love the business side and I’m very conscious about
that.
CA: I was wondering if you would go into that a little bit.
MS: I think the business side of being an actor in film and
television is very important because you need to know what’s
going on around you. I keep an ear to the floor, I know pretty
much everything that’s shooting in town, what’s prepping in
town and who’s working on what. The more you see other people
within the industry, the more you know what’s going on. You
also have to help your agent manage you. You have to share with
them everything that’s going on with you, who you’ve had
meetings with, auditions that you’ve had, so they know how to
build off that.
CA: Can you talk about a little bit about your new show, 18 to Life
MS: 18 to Life is a really exciting show. It’s starring myself and
Stacey Farber from Degrassi and it’s kind of a Romeo and Juliet
style sitcom about two 18-year-olds who are next door neighbours
and in love. Our parents hate each other, but we want to get
married and so we do.
CA: What really attracted you to the project
MS: I just read it and I was like, ‘Ok, I’m going to get this part’.
I read the scripts and started laughing out loud. They really
find a great balance between comedy and those
sweet moments that are very touching. I think finding that
balance is very difficult.
CA: What’s been your favourite role so far
MS: Oh gosh, I think it was when I played Owen on ReGenesis
because it was really grimy and dirty and he got to change a lot
during two seasons. How many times do you get to be a meth
addict and help save someone’s life or go to jail and have needles
put in your eyes and try and kill yourself That was an awesome
role to play.
CA: Do you have any interesting stories about the process of character
building, getting into a character, doing research for a role or something
like that
MS: I mean with certain roles research is certainly necessary. It
really depends on the type of role. With Owen, if I hadn’t done
some research on crystal meth, I would’ve looked like a fool
8 AC T R A TORONTO P ER F OR M ER S

“To think that
Canadians don’t
care about the arts
is kind of ridiculous.
I think everybody has a piece of art in their
house, whether or not it costs them
hundreds of dollars or it’s a $30 Matisse
poster they got at the AGO gift store.
Everybody appreciates art. ”
Michael Seater
Photo: www.mckennaphoto.com
Summer 2 0 0 9 9

“I think there is real growth
in Canadian television right now. In the last handful of
years we’ve started to produce some great television.”
Michael Seater
Photo: www.mckennaphoto.com
because the props guys completely gave me the wrong pipe to be
smoking from. It would’ve looked wrong. But when the role is
someone who is a bit more everyday, a bit closer to myself and
what my life is, I think it’s a lot easier to drop into.
CA: Do you ever draw on other actors or characters
MS: I think I draw more from people around me rather than
other actors. I think in Life with Derek a lot of my mannerisms
are very similar to my brother. I didn’t even realize it until his
friends pointed it out to him.
CA: Life with Derek has had a lot of success down south, I know my
brother’s friends all love it, how has the response been from fans
MS: Life with Derek was my third kid’s series. But it happened
to be on the Family Channel right when Hannah Montana and
High School Musical exploded. Kids just became obsessed with
that channel and people responded really well to the show. My
favourite is when parents come up to me and tell me ‘thank you’
for doing the show.
CA: I hear that you did some writing for the show, what was that like
MS: Yeah. My brother and I started writing for the last two
seasons of Derek. We did two episodes, which was so great of
them to give us a chance. It was very much a learning situation
because it is a very unique process of building a script for an
already existing television series.
CA: You have to fit that mould.
MS: Yeah, fit the mould and bring your own ideas but make
them mesh with the producers’ and creators’ ideas. I didn’t know
if they were just being nice to the star of the show, but then they
asked us to do another one the next season. So now we’re
writing a lot more. We’ve written an episode for Family Biz and
we have a show in development with the producers of Derek and
Shaftesbury, so…
CA: Wow!
MS: Yeah. It’s something we’ve become really passionate
pursuing as much as possible, especially while I have down time
before 18 to Life starts.
10 AC T R A TORONTO P ER F OR M ER S

CA: Would you ever want to try directing
MS: I have always wanted to direct. I spoke with a writer/
director one time and they gave me really great advice. They said
one of the easiest ways to start directing is using writing as a
back door. So I’m hoping that the more I write, the more I can
use that as a bargaining tool to get to direct.
CA: As far as Canadian film and TV goes, what’s caught your eye right
now
MS: I really like Being Erica. I think it’s a strong show. The cast
is great. It’s shot so beautifully, Toronto looks amazing through
their lens. Erin Karpluk is fabulous and does such a great job
of holding down the show.
CA: How do you think that the Canadian product stacks up against
what’s going on in America
MS: I think there is real growth in Canadian television right
now. In the last handful of years we’ve started to produce some
great television. I think a big difference between American
television and Canadian television is the production value, the
look of it. We’ve really mastered that now and I think you can
see the results by the fact that CBS bought Flashpoint and now
The Bridge. It speaks to the fact that Canadian television has
really grown.
CA: So you wanted to get political.
MS: Yeah, I did.
CA: In the last federal election, arts and culture was a huge issue for
everybody involved and you spoke at a press conference on the topic…
MS: With you!
CA: With me! So what is it about the arts that have suddenly become
so relevant to Canadians
MS: I think the whole issue of Canadian content not being
important is kind of ridiculous. Saying that people just want to
watch American stories, is totally untrue. I think they don’t get
the same numbers on a lot of Canadian shows because they are
not advertising them in the same way. I feel like a certain
percentage of advertising/marketing budgets should go towards
promoting Canadian shows, because people don’t know where
the Canadian programs are. I have to actually go out and
consciously find them. Being Erica, did a huge campaign …
CA: …at the GO Station…
MS: Yeah, they really pushed that show and it worked. People
started watching it and were excited to watch it. I just feel that
if broadcasters were more committed to those Canadian shows
that maybe the shows would perform better.
CA: What is it about the whole arts and culture issue that speaks to
you personally
MS: To think that Canadians don’t care about the arts is kind
of ridiculous. I think everybody has a piece of art in their house,
whether or not it costs them hundreds of dollars or it’s a $30
Matisse poster they got at the AGO gift store. Everybody
appreciates art.
CA: What are your feelings about how important it is to be politically
active with ACTRA and would you encourage others to get involved
MS: Well, I just think it is ridiculous to sit around and mope if
you’re not going to try and fix things. If you really do feel that
things aren’t fair, if you feel like things need to be changed, then
Michael
Seater
Selected Credits
18 to Life
Degrassi: The Next Generation
Life with Derek
Naturally Sadie
Murdoch Mysteries
ReGenesis
Strange Days at Blake Holsey High
The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio
The Zack Files
Night of the Living
you should get involved, you should speak about it and you
should be part of what’s going on. You don’t even need to organize
a rally, you’re invited to them by ACTRA.
CA: Have you always felt that you were active in this kind of thing or
is it a new development for you
MS: It just sort of got to a certain point, where you have your
own Prime Minister saying people don’t care about the arts. I
thought, ‘Whoa, slow down, that’s crossing a line.’ I realized that
it was important to get involved. I think it also came a bit with
age. I was a teenager, how much was I really paying attention to
the politics of it all
CA: You obviously started when you were really young, what do you
wish you had known when you were starting out
MS: I have always said that child actors are the hardest working
people in this industry. Adults may work longer hours, but they
also get lots of little breaks throughout the day. Kid actors don’t
get a single break, except for lunch, because they go from
tutoring to set. How much are you going to learn when you’re on
set, doing your lines, thinking about the scene and then they
throw you in a room. ‘Oh, biology, right, where was I’ It’s mayhem
and I think it takes really strong kids that can actually do that
five days a week on a show, maintain that schedule and still keep
their marks up. I give a lot of respect to all the young actors
out there who are able to do it.
Charlotte Arnold is the star of two
Canadian television series, Naturally
Sadie and Degrassi: The Next Generation.
She is currently studying journalism at
Ryerson University.
Summer 2 0 0 9 11

The
[L-R] Daniel Kash as Donny and Ron White as Max. Photo courtesy of Astral Media
Walking Toronto’s gritty streets in a high stakes balancing act.
Line
by Chris Owens
12 AC T R A TORONTO P ER F OR M ER S

1.
EXT. MAX’S HOUSE. LATE NIGHT.
A drunken undercover cop, DONNY, shows up
at his partner’s house with a frightened
suspect in the back
seat of his car.
Welcome to The Line, a 15-part television
series created by George F. Walker and
Dani Romain filled with cops, hookers,
drug lords, petty thieves, social workers,
lawyers and con-artists all trying to
determine just where the line is drawn
and which side of it they’re on.
The Line crackles with raw energy. Its
multiple intersecting plot lines are filled
with desperate characters and sprinkled
with the dark humor of survivors. It was
filmed in high definition and shot entirely
on location in the semi-industrial suburban
world of east Toronto. The setting is as
gritty as the people who live in it.
Ron White plays Max, an undercover
cop taking matters into his own hands in
order to clean up his neighbourhood,
strategically targeting a mid-level drug
dealer and enlisting the help of his binge
drinking partner, Donny. In Max, White
sees a cop approaching the end of his
career, fed up with all that he’s seen and
anxious to leave his mark. “For me it was
MAX:
You’ve been driving around
the city with a prisoner
while you’re drunk
DONNY:
If you say so but he’s not
officially a prisoner, he’s
more like a hostage...I
wonder what’s going through
his head I bet he thinks
we’re out of control. I bet
he thinks were rogue cops
on some personal vendetta
mission.
MAX:
What did you tell him
DONNY:
That we’re rogue cops on
some personal vendetta
mission.
really just a gift of a part,” says White. “I
was very excited to enter the world of The
Line. It gives me a chance to do and say
some things that I think just about every
guy in Canada would want to do, to speak
out on some issues that we read about in
the papers every day.”
When he started acting in 1976, Ron had
several career goals. His first was to earn
a living. When he started doing film and
television after ten years of theatre, his
next goal was to star in a movie. In 1986,
he earned a Genie nomination for Cowboys
Don’t Cry. “That was a great experience.
So that was another goal down and my
next one was to be in my 50’s or 60’s and
star in a detective series and lo and behold at
55 years of age I’m in a fabulous television
series penned by my favourite playwright.
So, I’m a very lucky boy.”
Donny, played by Daniel Kash, is Max’s
partner. Separated from his wife and child,
and fighting an addiction to hookers and
alcohol, he remains unusually optimistic.
Despite the trail of fractured relationships
in his wake Donny “still believes he can
climb his way back,” says Kash. “Playing
Donny is actor heaven for me. He is a
great combination of an area of characters
that I’ve done which is lonesome losers
who are smarter than you think. He’s the
great poster boy for this category.”
Since all the scripts for The Line were
solid and written in advance, actors didn’t
need to fear huge dialogue changes on the
day. However since much of the series
was done by block shooting, being prepared
was the name of the game. For months,
Daniel rode his bike to a friend’s house,
actress Kirsten Kieferle, where they
spent hours dissecting the dialogue and
learning the words verbatim. “We would
work the script for like five or six hours at
a time to get it exactly right. It was so
much fun going to the set knowing that
you knew it. Actual freedom, like a play.”
Max’s wife, Karen, played by actress,
Yanna McIntosh, has not had an easy
life. Her first husband, a community
activist, was gunned down, leaving her
alone with two children to raise. In the
process of investigating the murder, she
and Max get together. “What I love about
the story is it’s all so complicated between
them,” says Yanna. “There’s the black/
white issue, what is he doing there, what
is she doing there What are they each
getting out of the relationship Is he good
for my kids All of that weighed against
their genuine care and love for each
other. It’s all great, delicious stuff.”
Yanna is an actress who likes a challenge
and prefers to be busy. “It’s really best for
everybody concerned,” she laughs. Though
she enjoys her time in front of the camera,
she is irresistibly drawn to the experience
of live theatre and feels very fortunate to
do both. Right now she is at the Stratford
festival preparing to play Lady Macbeth
opposite Colm Feore, Calpurnia in
Julius Ceaser and Titania in A Midsummer
Night’s Dream. After a challenging season
on the boards, she says she’d be happy to
continue walking The Line.
Another performer who enjoys a live
audience is Wes ‘Maestro’Williams. He
plays Andre, a drug boss with anger
management issues and a keen eye for
business. Wes is a solid actor who also
happens to be Canada’s best selling hiphop
artist and the winner of two Junos
Summer 2 0 0 9 13

and four MuchMusic Awards. He cut
some of his acting teeth on Metropia
completing 90 episodes in 90 days.
“There was no rehearsal, man, you just
got to run,” Williams says with a smile.
Working on The Line Wes had more time
to prepare, but he came to set ready for
anything. “If they wanted a left lead, I
changed to southpaw, you know what I’m
saying”
Wes ‘Maestro’ Willams, one of the
The Line’s many competing drug dealers.
Photo courtesy of Astral Media
Success in music paved the way for his
success as an actor. “It’s the work ethic,
man. That’s the thing with me. I’ve had a
template of what it takes to be successful
and be great and that’s hard work and
that’s knowing your stuff and that’s how I
came into it with The Line. I applied the
same work ethic that I did with my
music.”
Wes grew up in Scarborough, a community
he holds dear to his heart. In 2006, he
was one of the first inductees into the
Scarborough Walk of Fame. “That’s like
my community giving me love,” says Wes,
“and that’s the biggest of what I have,
something I really appreciate and I’m
proud of.”
So is Andre a bad guy “They don’t see
themselves like that so just let it go,” offers
Wes. “Don’t judge him. That was my vibe
with that character. He may wild out but
it’s justifiable in his eyes.”
The Line is filled with characters doing
what they need to do to survive. They
take chances and straddle boundaries,
making it difficult to pinpoint which side
they’re on. For Max and Donny, a pair of
undercover cops hell-bent on setting
things right, the balancing act can take its
toll. “They’re trying to save their world,"
says Kash, "but it’s cracking them and
their lives apart.”
The Line plays Mondays on The Movie Network and
Movie Central (10pm ET/9pm PT) and on HBO Canada,
Fridays at 11pm.
Chris Owens is the editor
of Performers magazine.
He is the proud recipient
of a 2009 Harold Award.
He plays Andy on The Line.
14 AC T R A TORONTO P ER F OR M ER S
Yanna McIntosh ( R) argues her point
with Ingrid Gaynor (L)
Photo courtesy of Astral Media

George F. Walker
Interview
George F. Walker is a prolific and popular playwright,
director, screenwriter and ACTRA member. His work has
been presented across Canada and in over 500 productions
internationally. He is a Member of the Order of Canada and
has been named one of the 2009 recipients of the Governor
General’s Performing Arts Awards for Lifetime Artistic
Achievement, the most prestigious artistic honour bestowed
in Canadian performing arts.
CO: Actors love to do your writing.
GW: When I started to direct it was because I wanted to be close to
actors, you know, get rid of the middleman. That’s the only thing I say to
young writers, playwrights in particular, you’ve got to figure out how
actors work. You shouldn’t worry about anything else. Figure out how
actors work, how they process their stuff and write for them, you know
That’s what I do. The more you know about the acting process, the more
complex you can make the characters.
CO: What’s your approach to working with actors
GW: I approach them very little. I like to get out of their way. I like
them to be comfortable on set. I’m not one of those directors who is like,
‘on this line do this, and in this moment do that.’ I’d rather have flaws
with life. I’ll go with the life over perfection any day.
CO: What do you look for in an audition
GW: You know, it’s such a hard thing to do. Most actors at auditions are
working too hard, trying to make a choice on every line. I mean, let us do
some of the work here. (laughs) Let the text help you out. You can find the
state that you’re in, you know what’s going on and just do it and you’ll find
that the script’s there to support that, because we work really, really hard
to support actors. I really think our job is to protect actors. I said that to
the network, ‘if you protect actors, you protect the show, you protect
everything. If the actors are not protected the whole thing is vulnerable.’
CO: You sound like a guy who came from the theatre.
GW: Let’s face it, people don’t walk out of there saying the film was
written by, or directed by. They walk out thinking and remembering the
performance, if they remember anything. So, that’s what it’s all about.
You can’t just insert yourself where you don’t belong or where you’re not
necessary. I saw a director talking to an actor, explaining the scene and
she was very smart, very intellectual and I took her aside and said ‘did
you see the actor’s eyes rolling back in his head while you were talking like
that’ They’re actors. They don’t need all that analysis. They’ve done all
that. They’ve decided for themselves what the scene is about, now they
need a verb - give them a verb. What they’re doing. Two or three words
and you’ll see the lights go on in their head and you can just get out of
their way.
Life
over
perfection
George F. Walker on the set of The Line
Photo courtesy of Astral Media
“the only thing I say to
young writers, playwrights
in particular, you’ve got to
figure out how actors work.”
Summer 2 0 0 9 15

A new IPA...
just like the old IPA
by Brian Topp
On May 5th, the ACTRAToronto Council
joined the national executive in endorsing
the terms of a new Independent Production
Agreement (IPA), which at this writing is
being put to ACTRA members in a
referendum.
The terms of settlement are simplicity
themselves, a 2% wage increase in each of
the next three years, a new media
‘reopener’ in 2011, all grievances and
arbitrations to continue and all other
terms of the agreement to be maintained.
So how did that happen Why is it a good
idea And what was left unaddressed
For the past 18 months we’ve all been
watching the dismaying negotiations
south of the border.
The Writers Guild of America lost a 100-
day strike, ultimately agreeing to new
media terms that provide for ‘free
bargaining’ for most new media productions.
In other words, no terms at all. The
Directors Guild of America accepted
these terms. And then our two sister
performer unions walked arm-in-arm
over a cliff. They lost the benefit of joint
bargaining, surrendering their leverage by
choosing to negotiate separately.
AFTRA, now on its own, took the WGA
deal. SAG, isolated and the last creative
guild to settle, tried to fight these terms
and ended up imploding. After a tenmonth
standoff, the SAG board fired
their negotiator, silenced their president,
and recommended the WGA deal to
their members.
ACTRA was set to bargain this spring.
We faced a very real risk that American
studios would insist that the same
distressing new media terms be inserted
into our agreement. So we opened channels
to the other side to see if we could avoid
this. We pointed out that the ACTRA
new media agreement, agreed to after a
six week strike here in Canada, has been
well-accepted by producers, is being used
on every U.S. show shot in Canada, is
superior in many ways to the complex
U.S. pattern – and doesn't need to be
tinkered with.
They thought about it.
And producers north and south of the
border decided we were right.
So, in a brief telephone negotiation on
April 30 th , we were able to agree to a
moderate wage increase, preservation of
all of our current terms and another look
at the new media issue in two years' time.
That's good for us, because the Writers
Guild, Directors Guild, AFTRA and SAG
will all have completed their next round
of bargaining by then. Perhaps they will
discover some solidarity among themselves
and will significantly improve on
the terms of their agreements. If so, we
may be able to leverage those terms into
our agreement. If not, we can let the
opportunity to revisit new media go by
and take our present agreement right
through to the end of 2012.
In the meantime we will have sent an
important message of stability and common
purpose throughout the industry, the
appropriate thing to do after the acrimonious
process we went through last time
we were bargaining.
Some important issues were left on the
table. Our agreement does not govern
series options as effectively as it should.
The dubbing section requires significant
improvement. Additional background
performers are still woefully underpaid.
Members want the 25% advance section
to be substantially tightened. Our
contract language on diversity and
accessibility needs strengthening. Some
other important issues, like the on-set
insurance, will need to be litigated instead of
negotiated.
We don't have a perfect agreement and
there will be a great deal of work to do on
it, both in the area of interpretation,
enforcement and litigation now and at
the next round of bargaining.
Acknowledging this, we also have to
acknowledge the brutal economic times
we are in, the precariousness of work
oppurtunities in these times and the
greater good achieved by avoiding another
lengthy and potentially confrontational
negotiation.
It seemed like a good time to try to get
along. And so we did, holding our gains
and carrying on until what will hopefully
be a better time to move forward again.
Brian Topp is the Executive Director of ACTRA
Toronto.
16 AC T R A TORONTO P ER F OR M ER S

Talking with actors
Some thoughts on learning your lines
Mary Krohnert:
It’s always interesting to see what
I'm forgetting and why. Oftentimes
those moments are the ones that hold
the key to the scene for me, highlighting
differences between what's natural for
the character and what’s natural for me.
James Gallanders:
As a stutterer, I find forgetting the lines
is as important, if not more so, than
learning them. If I'm seeing the words
in my head when I'm in the room, not
only am I not in the moment, but it also
means I'll probably have a more difficult
time getting them out.
Aaron Poole:
I call it lifting rocks, incremental,
required labour.
Suzanne Coy:
First, I accept that I have a photographic
memory. Second, I connect
inwardly to the character - I embody
their emotional landscape and let that
sit in my body so their words live within
me and presto, I know the lines.
Paul De La Rosa:
I translate segments or portions of
what is written, into some sort of
visual image and I’ve found that
reading the words aloud with
someone is very important to me.
Kirsten Bishopric:
I always fold my sides in half
and write only my lines on the
back of the sides, with spaces
between to represent the other
people's lines. And I always
throw these handwritten lines
out after the audition, probably
for good luck! Hah!
Paula Kaye:
I'll plunk my dialogue on
my iPod and listen to it while
I'm going about my day.
John Coburn:
It’s about connecting images. Along
with writing out the dialogue I draw
pictures or doodles. Not only does the
act of drawing these images help me
connect one line to the next but it also
personalizes the story for me.
Jillian Rees-Brown:
One of the things I like to do is record
my scenes, ideally on my computer.
I use iMovie and record all of the scenes
I need, reading everyone's lines. Then
I can edit out my own lines and burn a
CD of the scenes with and without my
lines that I can take with me in the car
or wherever to practice with.
From left to right: Mary Krohnert, James Gallanders, Aaron Poole,
Suzanne Coy, John Coburn, Jillian Rees-Brown, Paul De La Rosa,
Kirsten Bishopric and Paula Kaye.
Summer 20 09 17

ACTRA Toronto Council
Who’s Who
PRESIDENT Heather Allin (1) hallin@actratoronto.com
PAST PRESIDENT Karl Pruner (1,2) kpruner@actratoronto.com
ACTRA’S NATIONAL PRESIDENT Ferne Downey (2) fdowney@actra.ca
VICE-PRESIDENT, FINANCE Austin Schatz (1,2) aschatz@council.actratoronto.com, ext. 6607
VICE-PRESIDENT, INTERNAL AFFAIRS Theresa Tova (1,2) ttova@actratoronto.com, ext. 6605
VICE-PRESIDENT, EXTERNAL AFFAIRS Art Hindle (1,2) ahindle@council.actratoronto.com
VICE-PRESIDENT, COMMUNICATIONS Lyn Mason Green (1,2) lmgreen@council.actratoronto.com, ext. 6603
VICE-PRESIDENT, MEMBER SERVICES David Sparrow (1,2) dsparrow@council.actratoronto.com
EXECUTIVE MEMBER-AT-LARGE David Gale (1,2) dgale@council.actratoronto.com
Joanna Bennett (1,2) jbennett@council.actratoronto.com
Wendy Crewson (2) wcrewson@council.actratoronto.com
Dom Fiore (1,2) dfiore@council.actratoronto.com
Richard Hardacre (1,2) rhardacre@actra.ca
Karen Ivany (2) kivany@council.actratoronto.com
Taborah Johnson (2) tjohnson@council.actratoronto.com
Don Lamoreux (2) dlamoreux@council.actratoronto.com
Jani Lauzon (1,2) jlauzon@actratoronto.com
Steve Lucescu (2) slucescu@actratoronto.com
Lynn MacKenzie (2) lmackenzie@council.actratoronto.com
David Macniven (2) dmacniven@council.actratoronto.com
John Nelles (1,2) jnelles@council.actratoronto.com
Jack Newman (2) jnewman@council.actratoronto.com
Wayne Robson (2) wrobson@council.actratoronto.com
Stephen Graham Simpson (2) sgsimpson@council.actratoronto.com
Legend 1: - ACTRA National Councillor; 2 - ACTRA Toronto Councillor
Shereen Airth, Apprentice Chair, sairth@actratoronto.com, ext. 6621
Chris Gauthier, Additional Background Performer Chair, cgauthier@actratoronto.com
Theresa Tova, Children’s Advocate, ttova@actratoronto.com, ext. 6605
Jani Lauzon, Diversity Co-Chair, jlauzon@actratoronto.com, ext. 6618
Shelia Boyd, Diversity Co-Chair, sboyd@actratoronto.com, ext. 6619
Eric Bryson, Stunt Committee Chair, ebryson@actratoronto.com
Shawn Lawrence, Ombudsman, slawrence@actratoronto.com, ext. 6604
ACTRA
Toronto Staff
is here for
YOU.
ACTRA Toronto
General contact information
Tel: 416-928-2278 or toll free 1-877-913-2278
info@actratoronto.com
www.actratoronto.com
625 Church Street, Suite 102, Toronto, ON, M4Y 2G1
Commercial Agreement Interpretations
Judy Barefoot (Director) Tel: 416-642-6705
Kelly Davis (Steward) Tel: 416-642-6707
Cathy Wendt (Steward) Tel: 416-642-6714
Commercial Audition Callback Inquires
Claudette Allen Tel: 416-642-6713
Commercial Cheque Inquiries
Tammy Boyer (Examiner) Tel: 416-642-6739
Lyn Franklin (Examiner) Tel: 416-642-6730
Brenda Smith (Examiner) Tel: 416-642-6729
Commercial Payment Inquiries
Tereza Olivero (Coordinator) Tel: 416-642-6731
Laura McKelvey (Coordinator) Tel: 416-642-6728
Communications and Organizing
Dan Mackenzie (Director) Tel: 416-644-1506
Chris Faulkner (Public Relations Officer)
Tel: 416-642-6710
Janesse Leung (Public Relations Officer)
Tel: 416-642-6747
Norm MacAskill (Organizer) Tel: 416-642-6711
Finance and Administration
Karen Ritson (Director) Tel: 416-642-6722
Independent Production Agreement (IPA), CBC TV &
Radio, CTV, City-TV, Global and TVO Agreements
Eda Zimler (Director) Tel: 416-642-6717
Indra Escobar (Senior Advisor) Tel: 416-642-6702
Clare Johnston (Steward: IPA, CBC, Reality TV)
Tel: 416-642-6738
Barbara Larose (Steward: IPA, Co-op, Student Films)
Tel: 416-642-6712
Noreen Murphy (Steward: IPA, Animation, Digital)
Tel: 416-642-6708
Erin Phillips (Steward: IPA, Audio Code, Documentaries,
Industrials, Reality TV) Tel: 416-642-6476
Richard Todd (Steward: IPA, Global, TVO, NFB,
Industrials, Documentaries) Tel: 416-642-6716
Karen Woolridge (Steward: IPA, City-TV, CTV, VISION)
Tel: 416-642-6709
Toronto Indie Production
Tasso Lakas (TIP Coordinator) Tel: 416-642-6733
Member Training Intensive &
Gordon Pinsent Studio Bookings
Stephanie Stevenson (Administrative Assistant)
Tel: 416-642-6735
Membership Department Dues & Permit Payments
Contact: Membership Department Tel: 416-928-2278
Dan Mackenzie (Director)
Your Union.
It’s all aboutYOU!
18 AC T R A TORONTO P ER F OR M ER S

In Memoriam
Russ Germain 1946 - 2009
Russ was born in New Liskeard, Ontario. He graduated from the
University of Manitoba with an honours in Fine Arts and enjoyed
40 years in broadcasting in Winnipeg, Edmonton, Saskatoon and
Toronto.
We share
our sadness
at the passing of our
beloved colleagues
Stan Chaning
Ping Cheung
Joe Diasio
Brad Davis
Troy Dixon
Jack Duffy
Gary Fruchtman
Henry Gordon
Sue Irmisch
Shirley Knight
Ellen Monague
Norman Marshall
Leon Pownall
Patrick H Spence Thomas
David E Walden
Poi Wong
Russ joined the CBC in 1973 as a television anchor and moved to
Toronto in 1975 as an announcer, hosting various shows on radio and television. From 1983
until his retirement in 2002 he was a co-host on CBC National Radio News’ The World at Six and World
Report. In retirement he regularly filled in on CBC’s As It Happens as well as hosting on Classical 96.3 FM.
Russ made final passage in Toronto after what he referred to as a dance with cancer. He was 62 and
leaves behind his wife Wendy, daughter Kat and her partner Ed Gass-Donnelly.
Joyce Gordon 1934 – 2008
Throughout a career that spanned more than five decades, Joyce
proved to be one of Canada’s most creative and versatile actors. She
graced our stages, our film screens, our television sets and our air
waves and performed across the country from the Bastian Theatre in
Victoria to the Neptune Theatre in Halifax. Her love for the industry
was contagious and because of her influences on me, I began
working with her back stage at Huron County Playhouse when I was 15 and now, more than 25 years
later, I still work in theatre.
Joyce was a woman of strong convictions and deep passions that devoted most of her off-screen life
to making sure her fellow actors were well represented. Joyce was an Equity member, an active
member of ACTRA and formerly sat on the ACTRA Executive. One of Joyce’s strongest concerns
was always respect for the Canadian performer and, as a result, she was instrumental in the development
of PAL Toronto.
A woman who was defined by more than her careers, Joyce was a loving and devoted wife, mother,
grandmother and friend who is deeply missed by all who knew her.
Tammy Simon, Daughter
Paul Siren 1917 - 2009
Canada’s cultural community lost a towering figure on May 31st with
the passing of formerACTRAGeneral Secretary Paul Siren. His contributions
were immense: 20 years as ACTRA’s General Secretary; 18
years as our representative at the International Federation of Artists
(FIA); member of the Canadian Conference of the Arts’ Board of
Governors from 1984 and then its President from 1988-1990; drafter
of the UNESCO Recommendations on Status of the Artists approved by Parliament in 1992;
and member of the Order of Canada.
ACTRA awarded Paul a “Nellie” in 1985 for “best performance as General Secretary.” Under his
tenure, ACTRA’s direction and status dramatically changed due to Paul’s considerable trade union
experience, collective bargaining skills, tireless efforts to reinstate fiscal responsibility, fostering of
international ties, and overall breadth of vision. His legacy will continue to remind us that with
a unifiedACTRAmembership, together we can achieve anything. Paul was my mentor, my inspiration,
my colleague, and my friend. Goodbye Paul, you will be missed.
Stephen Waddell • ACTRA National Executive Director
Summer 2 0 0 9 19

The bits and bytes
of self promotion.
by David Sparrow
Entertainment Landscape Changes! - Workers Seize Means of Production!
That's right, suddenly every one of us
has a powerful broadcaster right on our
desktop. Gone are the years of convincing
producers and studio executives that
we are worthy of their attention. We
can now project our content, good, bad
or ugly, to anyone active in the digital
world in seconds.
But wait! It seems there are also a few
unscrupulous people lurking about the
web, eager to take advantage of the
free, unprotected material we post online.
Member generated content has already
been swiped, placed in movies and put
on pay per use sites without consent
and or compensation. It would appear
you have to be brave and careful in this
new world.
As ACTRA members, broadcasting
any recorded content in any medium
without an ACTRA contract would
mean contravening at least one of the
hard fought agreements we have
established over the last sixty years.
We even held our first ever strike to assert
our jurisdiction over the Internet. So,
what to do Stifle our creativity and
wait for someone else to make us stars
Curse the union membership that has
brought us so many increases and benefits
but now stands in the way of our
deserved digital fame You can relax,
there's an answer.
Coming soon, the Digital Self
Promotion Registry.
It's understood that most creative
entertainers will make a go of several
disciplines over the course of their careers.
Some of what they do is covered under
our agreements, some is not. But all of
it deserves promotion. Beyond on-camera
acting, our members are often stand-up
or sketch comics, musicians or singers,
jugglers or magicians, and it's only
natural and wise, from a business point
of view, that they would promote these
aspects of their careers using the latest
technologies available, video and the
Internet. This is where the registry will
come in.
Registering the recorded self promotional
project you plan to put on the web
with ACTRA will help to protect your
rights by providing you with a dated
registry number as evidence to your
claim of authorship over your own
material. Members can promote their
skills while remaining in good standing
with their union, and the risk of having
their material stolen or misused without
compensation or recourse is substantially
reduced.
A self promotion piece is a recorded
performance broadcast on the Internet
for the purpose of showcasing the talents
or skills of anACTRAToronto performer.
Because it is promotional, the piece
must credit the performer and lead the
viewer to contact or booking information.
And because it is intended to showcase
the performer's abilities to potential
clients, rather than to be a show in
itself, it may not be edited into another
production, sold commercially or
allowed to generate any income without
first being fully contracted under the
appropriate ACTRA agreement.
Don't lose control and ownership
of your work!
You’llhavetoregisteryourselfpromotional
material with ACTRA before you post.
If you're unsure whether your project
falls under the digital self promotion
guidelines, it’s best to contact a
steward for more information. They
can answer your questions and give you
guidance concerning copyright and
clearance issues, especially when it
comes to the use of clips on publicly
accessible social networking sites.
Keep visiting www.actratoronto.com
for more information as it becomes
available. In the coming months we’ll
be posting our registry’s one-page
agreement and full guidelines on our
home page.
David Sparrow is the Vice
President, Member Services
on ACTRA Toronto Council.
He is currently writing exciting
roles in anticipation of
promoting himself digitally.
20 AC T R A TORONTO P ER F OR M ER S

or
John
Andrew
Robinson
Mortgage Consultant
ACTRA Member since 1985
416-835-1754
jarobinson@mortgageedge.ca
Summer 2 0 0 9 21

Awards’ host,
Teresa Pavlinek,
pumps up the
crowd.
ACTRA Toronto
President,
Heather Allin
Outstanding Performance – Male winner, Jamie Watson,
2009 Award of Excellence recipient, Peter Keleghan
and Outstanding Performance – Female winner
Rosemary Dunsmore.
2009 ACTRA Awards brought on
the FUNK man!
by Karen Ivany
Leah and Gordon Pinsent reflect on
the career of Peter Keleghan.
All Photos by Jag Gundu
Maury Chaykin and Outstanding Performance – Male
nominee, Joris Jarsky.
Outstanding Performance – Male nominee, Daniel J. Gordon
and Heather Allin.
Outstanding Performance – Female nominees,
Sarah Gadon and Shauna MacDonald.
22 A C T R A TO R O N TO P E R F O R M E R S

Stephanie Martin provides
the evening’s entertainment.
Federal NDP leader, Jack Layton and
ACTRA Toronto member, Wayne Robson.
Any occasion worthy of new shoes is always
highlighted in my date book. But when
gold lamé Giorgia Galassi t-strapped
platforms are practically a required uniform,
well, I’m one funkified attendee!
So it’s no surprise that The Super
Groovy 2009 ACTRA Awards in
Toronto, an enchanted evening and an
unsurpassed celebration of our greatest
achievements, were filled with similarly
attired retro enthusiasts. Our passion and
excitement generated enough heat to lure
political power couple Jack Layton and
Olivia Chow onto the dance floor. I
even spied Ken Finkelman among the
thousand - plus throng, smiling under the
disco ball.
Though two hours of cocktails is never
enough, the swirling trays of hors d’oeuvres
and food station offerings were divine.
Through the maze of lava lamps and crystal
globes filled with orange and red gerbera
daisies you could see the E! cameramen
vying for shots of Gordon and Leah
P i n sent, Dmitry Chepo v e t s k y ,
Shoshana Sperling, Colin Mochrie,
Debra McGrath, Jayne Eastwood,
James McGowan, Kristin Booth,
Maury Chaykin and our talented
Awards’ nominees.
A retro montage, showcasing Canadian
film and television from the ‘70’s, led off
the show. Snippets of Goin’ Down the Road,
revered as the first Canadian Englishlanguage
feature, screened alongside clips
from Cannibal Girls, Face-Off, Rabid, The
Hilarious House of Frightenstein, Wayne &
Shuster, The Friendly Giant, King of
Kensington and many more - quite a trip!
Kicking off the show in high style, the
ACTRAAwards’ glamorous host, Teresa
Pavlinek,includedaparodyoftheinfamous
Christian Bale outburst in her introduction.
Teresa, alone onstage, reacting to her own
raging audio performance was delightfully
ridiculous!
The first winner of the night was Jamie
Watson, who took home the award for
Outstanding Performance – Voice. Jamie
was flabbergasted and humbled to be up
on stage. Conscious of the Awards’ ‘70’s
theme Jamie referenced the work of
character actor Billy Van, from The
Hilarious House of Frightenstein, as one of
his early influences and inspiration.
Breaking from her usually dignified
demeanour, the Outstanding Performance -
Female winner, Rosemary Dunsmore,
accepted her statuette with unabashed
exuberance. Indebted to the creators of
The Baby Formula for the opportunity,
Rosemary encouraged equal resourcefulness
and tenacity from all Canadian filmmakers
when creating their art.
The winner of the Outstanding Performance
– Male category, Nicholas Campbell,
was unable to attend and accept the
statuette in person for his incredible
work as Shorty McAdoo on the CBC
miniseries, The Englishman’s Boy. However,
his ACTRA Award will share a shelf with
the Gemini Nicholas also won for the
same role.
When two talented Pinsents, father and
daughter, take the stage, it’s a moment to
savour. When they’re presenting the
Award of Excellence to Peter Keleghan,
get out your camera. When they’re
kibitzing and taking shots at one another
while summing up Peter’s ‘questionable’
career, just laugh and take it all in.
Though he’s known as one of our funniest
and most identifiable comedians, Peter
was honoured not only for his onscreen
work, but also for his selfless union
activism. Peter’s passion and determination
were key in establishing a new financial
institution just for artists, the Creative
Arts Savings & Credit Union.
As Peter expressed his thanks, Leah and
Gordon stepped offstage to watch him
and sat next to me, stage left. Trophy
presenter Daniel Chapman-Smith
and the show’s announcer Janice
Hawke squeezed in next to us. Even the
evening’s amazingly talented musical
performer, Stephanie Martin and her
band, emerged from the green room and
stood behind us in the wings. It was a
powerful moment. All of us were
crammed together, bent forward, peering
at the man behind the podium, who was
now proclaiming the unparalleled talents
of his kids, and our eyes were shining in
the dark.
Karen Ivany is currently serving
her second term as an elected
councillor for ACTRAToronto.
She is chair of the Awards
Committee and producer of
the annual ACTRA Awards in
Toronto. Some of Karen’s
recent credits include The Two
Mr. Kissels and ReGenesis.
Summer 2 0 0 9 23

Pamela Sintha demonstrates
her Passion for Action.
Rob Tinkler and Joanne Vannicola pass on their wisdom during the Voice Casting Panel.
Andrew Dollar acts out at the
Animation Nation voice workshop.
Naomi Snieckus and Linda Kash try out a little improv.
Wendy Crewson
helps kick off the
first ever forum
devoted to the
Women of ACTRA
Toronto.
Jani Lauzon kicks off the conference
with the Welcome Song.
Dwayne McLean, John Berger and Bobby Hannah jointly accept
the ACTRA Toronto Award for Lifetime
Achievement in the Stunt Specialties.
Outgoing President Karl Pruner speaks
about the obstacles faced by ACTRA
Toronto during his time in office.
Evan Williams and
Charles Officer talk about
the challenge of playing
youth characters.
24 A C T R A TO R O N TO P E R F O R M E R S

Colin Mochrie and Matt Baram
during the Improv with the Stars
session.
All photos by Jag Gundu
Improv with the Stars
The Improv with the Stars session at the Spring member
conference was nothing short of spectacular. In fact, maybe a
new word should be created to describe it. Fan-tab-ulous
The session was run by Second City veterans Linda Kash,
Naomi Snieckus and Matt Baram, (who seem to be in every
second Canadian television commercial on the air right now,)
ACTRA Toronto’s 2009 Award of Excellence recipient Peter
Keleghan (who seems to be in every second Canadian television
show made in the last two decades), and the most famous Canadian
improviser of our day, Colin Mochrie. This session was a
sure-fire winner from the start.
It began with a question and answer period involving the entire
panel. Each of the performers talked about how improvisation
has helped them in their careers. For some, such as Colin, the
answer was obvious. Who doesn’t remember Colin’s big break
on the improv sketch show Whose Line is it Anyway Colin claims
he would not be where he is today if it was not for improvisation.
Some of the other performers spoke of how improv had helped
them in their own life experiences and made them better
communicators. Linda Kash spoke about how she continues to
learn, even today, from her own improv students. These insights
helped us to appreciate the idea that improvisation is not
just about ‘the funny,’ but is used more as a tool for better
communication.
After this juicy appetizer, came the main course. Members in
attendance were able to come up from the audience and
perform scenes with these comic veterans. They played a variety
of improv games and exercises, each one outdoing the last in
terms of its hilarity and brilliance. It all
seemed to end too quickly, and most attendees
felt that this was one of the best workshops
they had ever attended. A good time was
indeed had by all. Fan-tab-ulous.
Paul Constable
Less is More
Not at ACTRA Toronto!
Less is more. Modern thespians have embraced this concept as
if it descended from heaven on Shakespeare’s arse. Being a
kosher ham this idea was initially hard for me to wrap my big
mug around. But after a plethora of stern faced directors and
electric shock therapy, I got it. Less really can be more. As the
conference committee chair, and Executive Member-at-Large,
with a number of successful one-day member conferences under
my belt, I was given the daunting task of expanding the model.
More! More days, more workshops, more stars, more wine and
more cheese. Always up for a challenge, I dug out my ‘More is
More’ t-shirt and got to work.
After months of planning by an energetic committee, February
brought the premiere of ACTRA Toronto’s first three day
member conference. Housed for the first time in the sparklingly
modern and well-equipped Ryerson campus, the event was
kicked-off with a focus on women. Right from the moving
welcome chant it was clear that we were in for something special.
For three days the halls of Ryerson were teeming with ACTRA
energy. Each day focused on different facets of interest to our
members and ended with an opportunity to rehash the day
over wine and cheese before topping the whole affair off with a
film festival featuring our ownACTRATorontoAwards’ nominees.
We also brought in leading industry producers, directors and
casting directors and our members got to rub elbows and workshop
with more stars than ever before. Wendy Crewson, Shelia
McCarthy, Neil Crone, Derek McGrath, Sugith
Varughese, Peter Keleghan, Leah Pinsent, Paul Soles,
Art Hindle, Evan Williams, Siobhan Murphy and ACTRA
Award voice nominees: Rob Tinkler, Adrian Truss, Joanne
Vannicola and Jamie Watson all made impressive cameos.
Throughout the conference our newly elected president
Heather Allin scooted around in a wheelchair
due to a recent ski accident. By the
third day most members wished they could
ride in her lap. More was definitely more
at the first annual three-day ACTRA
Toronto member conference.
David Gale
Art Hindle with the cast of Little Mosque on the Prairie,
Sugith Varughese, Shelia McCarthy, Derek McGrath, Neil Crone and Arlene Duncan.
ACTRATorontoRecentConferenceHighlights
Summer 2 0 0 9 25

Agent
How to find an agent that works for you
by Theresa Tova
26 AC T R A TORONTO P ER F OR M ER S

Next to a trusted director or
acting coach the relationship
between an actor and their
agent can be the most
importantpartnershipperformers
have. Itcanalsobethemostchallenging.
Young actors struggle to find any agent
to take them on, and yet all too soon
learn that what they really need to do is
find the ‘right’ agent. Some actor/agent
relationships fall apart the moment
things get tough. You drop your agent
or, even worse, they drop you. Other
partnerships can weather these storms
and stay loyal to each other for
decades.
ACTRA Toronto recognizes over 80
performers’ agencies. These are agents
who have either signed onto the EIC
code of conduct or have taken the
additional step of belonging to one of
the two Canadian self-regulating
agency associations, TAMAC and the
EICAA
It’s in an actor’s best interest to look
for an agency that adheres to the EIC
and, better yet, is a member of
TAMAC or the EICAA. Even then,
actors should beware, there are over 60
current or former agencies, agents,
talent search organizations or other
types of organization in the entertainment
industry that ACTRAToronto will not
send performers’ cheques to.
EIC accredited agents, TAMAC and
EICAA agents, abide by some basic
rules that are designed specifically to
help protect performers. Some important
regulations include the prohibiting of
in-house photography, no acting classes
as a condition of representation, a limit
on excessive upfront registration fees,
separate business accounts, timely
performer payments and a legitimate
bricks-and-mortar place of business.
So you do the research and follow the
rules. You write the letters and submit
your headshots to a dizzying number of
agents. And then, if you’re lucky, you
snag a meeting or three. But the problem
of who do you trust with your creativity
remains. If they are EIC accredited and
part of an agency association, aren’t all
agents the same
What makes a good agent
How do actors know when the fit
is right
The truth is there is no easy answer.
What works for some may not work
for others. What follows are some true
stories gathered from actors working in
and around Toronto with the names
withheld to protect both the guilty and
the innocent.
Does your agent know your work
A young theatre actor is with an agency
that believes in them and works hard
to help break them onto the scene.
Together they book a contract at a
major theatre festival. After a five
month long run the actor realizes the
agent has never been out to see a single
show. This is not the right agent. How
can an agent represent you if they don’t
know what you are capable of and,
hopefully, be a fan of your work
Is the agency stable, can you trust
them
A reputable agency introduces an actor
to casting directors and pushes them
into areas of work the performer didn’t
picture working in. Together they book
a first movie role, the performer’s first
episodic television work and then,
finally, a television series.
Even though it seems awkward at first,
this is the right agency. The agency has
a good reputation and track record that
the performer can put their faith in,
especially when they’re being encouraged
to step outside their comfort zone.
Do they respect and support your
choices
An actor moves to one of the top
agents in the country. Everything is
great while they concentrate on film
and television work. But as soon as the
performer decides to self-produce a
stage play they are dropped like a hot
potato. This is not the right agent. An
A-list agency means nothing if they
aren’t listening and supporting you in
your career goals.
Do you trust their negotiation
skills
An actor auditions on set, gets the role
and is immediately taken in for a fitting.
The actor calls the agent to share the
good news and asks the agent to negotiate
transportation. The agent suggests that
since they are already on set that the
performer speak with the production
on their own. This is not the right
agent. You pay an agent to stick handle
contract details and be the bad cop, if
need be. A good agent understands
their role.
Is your agent honest and fair with
you, or are they just all about the
money
An actor is working out of town where
agent fees are automatically deducted
by payroll. The actor is told by the
accounting dept that their agent called
to instruct them to only deduct 7.5%
commission, instead of the usual 10%,
on a theatrical deal. The performer
calls to find out why and is told by the
agent that they have a policy where
they won’t take full commission for an
out of town gig unless they are able to
secure their client a per diem for expenses.
This, my friends, is the right agent.
As an actor you deal with rejection
daily. But remember, agents also come
to the table with huge pressures to do
well on your behalf. You need open and
honest communication with each
other. Talk to your agent about their
expectations of you, what they see as
your marketability, your expectations
of them and how you can work as a
team.
If you both take the business side of
your career seriously and treat each
other with respect then that is THE
RIGHT AGENT.
Theresa Tova is Vice-
President, InternalAffairs
on ACTRA Toronto
Council. Some of her
recent credits include
ReGenesis and Lie With
Me.
Summer 2 0 0 9 27

Member
Ferne Downey
Ferne Downey elected new ACTRA National President.
In May ACTRA’s national governing council elected Toronto councillor Ferne Downey as the
new National President by acclamation. Ferne has spent the past 28 years working extensively as an
actor in radio, television, film, and theatre and has served ACTRA members as an elected representative for
18 years. Her past service to the union includes being a member of collective bargaining committees,
two terms as Vice-President Communications and then President for ACTRA Toronto and three
terms as National Treasurer.
“It is a privilege to accept this responsibility on behalf of our 21,000 members,” said Ferne. “I am
proud of our union’s maturity, and am excited to work to strengthen our relationships with our sister
unions, at home and internationally, to protect the rights of performers.” Ferne is the second women
to serve as ACTRA’s National President in our organization’s 66-year history and is also serving her
third term as the union’s representative on the board of the ACTRA Fraternal Benefit Society.
Online and up-to-date with ACTRA Toronto
Want to keep up-to-date with the latest CRTC developments Maybe you’d like to get informed
about ACTRA’s campaign for artists’ rights Then it’s time to go online with ACTRA Toronto.
Members can become a ‘Fan’ of our Facebook page and talk with fellow performers about the latest
industry news and developments. Or you can subscribe to our YouTube channel,
www.youtube.com/user/ACTRAToronto, and watch videos from ACTRA Toronto, including
member generated co-op films. There’s even a twitter feed, www.twitter.com/ACTRAnat, updated
several times a day, which keeps track of breaking industry events. And of course there’s always the
ACTRA Toronto homepage, www.actratoronto.com, jam packed with features including expanded
photo galleries, valuable news about ongoing ACTRA initiatives and other important information.
Julie Stewart and Richard Hardacre look on as
R.H. Thomson addresses the CRTC
commissioners.
Photo by Fred Chartrand
CRTC in a holding pattern
ACTRA was busy in the month of May, presenting its case to the Canadian Radio-television and
Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) for standing firm against broadcaster requests to relax
Canadian content obligations in its programming. National President, Richard Hardacre, and
ACTRA Toronto members R.H. Thomson and Julie Stewart spoke out on the issue at the CRTC
hearings in Gatineau, Quebec. "No doubt private broadcasters are facing challenges just like everyone
else in this global recession,” said Thomson. “But despite cries to the contrary, this is not the end of
broadcasting as we know it. Adjustments may be required, but we don't need a revolution."
In the end, the CRTC announced that it would renew the licences of the major conventional broadcasters for
one-year. The commission also stated that it will look into re-instating programming expenditures for
Canadian programming in the fall. Since the CRTC relaxed Canadian spending and content
requirements in 1999, Canadian drama has all but disappeared as private broadcasters steadily increased
their consumption of U.S. series. In 2000 English-language private conventional broadcasters spent
$422.3 million on foreign and American programming. By 2008 they were spending 61% more
on foreign programming than on Canadian, a record $739.7 million on American shows.
Do We Have Your Money
ACTRA PRS may be holding an unclaimed residual payment for you:
1) If you have moved and not kept a current address with ACTRA; or
2) If you are holding on to an uncashed cheque from ACTRA Performers' Rights Society (PRS).
If you have earned royalties, residuals and use fees under an ACTRA agreement, and have answered
‘Yes’ to either of these questions, ACTRA PRS may be holding an unclaimed residual payment for you.
For more information please contact ACTRA PRS at prs@actra.ca or 416-489-1311.
28 AC T R A TORONTO P ER F OR M ER S

s’ News
General Mills does right by child performers
ACTRA Toronto congratulates multinational food giant, General Mills, for their decision to put child
performers first and produce their ‘Fruit by the Foot’ commercials using the National Commercial
Agreement (NCA). ACTRA Toronto first heard word in March that General Mills was intending to
shoot this commercial non-union, using child performers as young as 10 years old. ACTRA raised
serious objections with the company, stating that child performers needed the industry standard
protections offered by the NCA. After hearing ACTRA’s concerns General Mills chose to retain the services of
a local ad agency and produced the commercial using union performers. ACTRA takes very seriously the
need to protect children from exploitation in the commercial industry. Children are especially
vulnerable to pressures from advertisers, agencies, producers, agents and parents. Doing commercials
outside of the industry agreement means that productions can pay children substandard wages and not
adhere to industry standards around safety, rules that limit the hours and conditions under which
children can work, tutoring and nutritional obligations.
Woman of Distinction Award to be created in honour of Lorena Gale
Launched by the Union of BC Performers (UBCP) Women’s Committee, the Lorena Gale Woman of
Distinction Award will be presented annually to a UBCP member whose work as a performer, and within
the artistic community at large, embodies accomplishments that advance the status of women in society.
Named in honour of UBCP member Lorena Gale, whose career has been characterized by her
enduring commitment to power, intelligence and truth, this accolade seeks to encourage the continued
growth and diversification of performing opportunities for women, by celebrating those whose
endeavours promote that reality. Lorena’s film and television work boasts over 200 credits, from feature films
to MOWs and television series, including Traitor, Saved, The X-Files, Smallville, Kingdom Hospital and
Battlestar Galactica.
WIDC 2010 calls all ACTRA actors and women directors
ACTRA Toronto members continue to upgrade their skills through the Creative Women Workshop
Association (CWWA). In March Alison Reid attended the CTV/Women in the Director’s Chair
(WIDC) Career Advancement Module, receiving intensive career coaching from senior industry professionals
including Anne Frank from Telefilm Canada, Rachael Fulford at E1 Entertainment and Trish Williams
at CTV. Now WIDC is searching for participants for their 2010 workshop. The WIDC workshop is
a one-of-a-kind professional development offering in Canada which runs from January 14 to 31, 2010
in beautiful Banff, Alberta. This year it will be led by an acclaimed ACTRA Toronto member; actress
and director, Helen Shaver. The deadline for women directors is September 30th, 2009. Cast
and crew have until October 31st, 2009 to apply.
For more information and application forms go to www.creativewomenworkshops.com or
contact Carol Whiteman at carol@creativewomenworkshops.com.
Lorena Gale
Creative Arts Savings & Credit Union offers mobile banking
After many years of planning, the Creative Arts Savings & Credit Union finally began taking new
members earlier this spring. And more ACTRA members in Ontario are joining every day.
One product that has really taken off is mobile banking. Members can get account balances and view
their recent account activity with their cell phone or other handheld devices. Banking-on-the-move
appears well-suited to the performer’s lifestyle.
Creative Arts is a financial institution that understands the unique challenges faced by creative
professionals. It’s a special kind of institution that caters to performers’ needs, offering a full line of
products including chequing, savings, loans, mortgages, GICs, TFSAs, RRSPs and business accounts.
To find out more about what your new credit union can do to help you manage your day-to-day finances and
reach your financial goals call 416.642.6749, or go online and visit www.creativeartscu.com.
Summer 2 0 0 9 29

Members’
The ACTRA Toronto TIP program, seven years young.
The Toronto Indie Productions (TIP) program is 7 years old, with almost 400 completed film
productions to its name. The TIP program is a national and international success story, proudly
boasting over 2,700 festivals entries.
TIP started at a time when most festivals only accepted finished material on film. Now the medium
has shifted and the primary method of exhibition is digital video. The program also had to overcome
distributors’ mistaken belief that they couldn’t distribute features budgeted at less than $1,000,000.
But the market has proven them wrong and 20 TIP features, with budgets under 275,000, have been
distributed in limited theatrical runs. TIP folks are the most innovative in the country as they continue to
make films in spite of the uncertain economy. For example, 7 of Diamonds, a TIP project about a hobo
who finds some magic dice that will change his life forever, will be the first 3D film to be shot in
Canada. As well, Alison Reid’s award winning TIP feature Baby Formula, based on her successful TIP
short Succubus, recently premiered commercially at a cinema near you.
For more information about the TIP program please visit www.actratoronto.com/ TIP/TIP.html.
Julian Richings on the set of 7 of Diamonds.
Photo courtesy of Motion Pictures Toronto
ACTRA appears before Heritage Committee
ACTRA Toronto member, Wendy Crewson, and ACTRA’s National President, Richard Hardacre,
travelled to Ottawa in May to speak before the Heritage Committee’s hearings on the state of Canadian
broadcasting. During the hearings ACTRA asked MPs to show leadership, present a modern vision
for Canadian broadcasting and not fall victim to broadcasters’ pleas for industry deregulation.
“We have to get beyond the idea that Canadian broadcasting is in crisis, take a step back and create
a long-term vision for a strong, vibrant independent Canadian broadcasting system,” said Crewson.
“These hearings have made it painfully clear that we will not get the leadership we need from private
broadcasters or cable companies.”
ACTRA also urged Parliamentarians to make funding the CBC a top priority and confirmed its
support for the Heritage Committee's own recommendation that the annual allocation for the CBC
be increased by $7 per Canadian.
Welcome new members!
Ginny J Allen
Jason Allin
Rachelle Arbez
Aneisha Bacchus
Brandon Bally
Paulina Berger
Josée Boudreau
Daniel Briere
Dalton Brown
John F Bryans
Michelle Bugay
Madeleine Butler
Dominic Cashman
Madison Cassaday
Jessica Clement
Lana Denis
Saccha Dennis
Diana Diaz
Garth Howard Drabinsky
Carl Fortin
Jahmil French
Irina Funtikova
Ana Beatriz Garzaro
Jim Guthrie
Rachel Hale
Monika Hamdard
Lauren Hammersley
James Hartnett
Cassidi Hoag
Hannah Hogan
Addison Holley
Meghan Hoople
Adelaide Humphreys
Jaklyn Ioffe
Jeff Irving
Elizabeth Jacobs
Garrett Jamieson
Jessica Toni Kennedy
Joey Lee Kippax
Shannon Kook-Chun
Aurora Kruk
Joel Labelle
Nathan Lachance
Chris Lang
Megan Latham
Joseph Lazare
Michael Lazarovitch
Tori Leach
Joel Lemay
Mike Lummis
Elicia Mackenzie
Trevor Martin
Eli Martyr
Blake Mcgrath
Tonya Mcnabb
Shannon Micol
Anwyn Musico
Julie Nguyen
Megan Nuttal
Ann O'Kane
Yvan Pedneault
Abigail Pinto Correia
Sean Pratt
Dan Ramos
Mark Ramsay
Roy Richard
Louie Rossetti
Megan Rossi
Varun Saranga
Saad Siddiqui
Akufuna Sifuba
Michaela Snoyer
Alex Spencer
Linsey Stewart
Gina Sylvester
Rachel Tam
Ryan Tilley
Matthew C. Tissi
Giles Tomkins
Stacey Tookey
Peter Twigge
Mia Van Wyck-Smart
Angela Vanderwal
Spencer Walker
O'Neil Watson
Kevin Andrew White
Carrie Jayne Wiebe
Dewshane Williams
Robin Evan Willis
Amy Wy Wong
30 A C T R A TO R O N TO P E R F O R M E R S

Birth
ACTRAToronto members, Paul Tedeschini and Nicolle Nattrass are absolutely thrilled to announce
the arrival of their baby boy, Isidoro (Izzy) Mario Tedeschini, born April 17, 2009 at 2:36 a.m., 6 pounds,
15 ounces. Izzy is a month early and a whole lot of beautiful.
On September 8, 2007, ACTRA Toronto
member Rhonda Lee Stephenson was
betrothed to Dr. Tony J. Read of London,
England. The couple hand-fasted on the
blacksmith’s anvil in medieval fashion at
Gretna Green, Scotland. Their wedding feast
followed at Borthwick Castle, Edinburgh.
After honeymooning in Scotland, the Greek
Islands and Turkey, the couple hosted a
blessing ceremony celebration at their home,
Aye Lighthouse B&B, in Gore’s Landing,
Ontario, on October 6, 2007. Their magical
tale requires a great bottle of merlot and a stiff
breeze.
The wait is over.
Step up to a new financial institution
Creative Arts Savings and Credit Union is officially open for business.
Signup and join today to access a full line of services and products from a financial institution that was created
just for you. At Creative Arts, we understand the entertainment business, and the professionals who work in it.
Joining is easy. Just go to www.creativeartscu.com and apply for membership now.
The wait is over. Join Creative Arts today!
416.642.6749 • Toll free: 877.643.3660
Summer 2 0 0 9 31

Annual
Labour Day
Parade
Monday September 7
Calling all ACTRA Toronto members! Bring your friends and family out to
march in the annual Labour Day Parade on Monday, September 7th. ACTRA
Toronto is proud to join other Toronto-area unions in this annual parade celebrating
the history and struggle of working people and the achievements of organized
labour. Meet us on University Avenue and Queen Street West. The parade marches
along Queen Street and south on Dufferin Street to the Canadian National
Exhibition. Everyone marching in the parade will get into the Exhibition for free.
For more information, check out www.actratoronto.com
ACTRA Toronto Performers
625 Church Street, 2nd floor
Toronto,ON
M4Y 2G1
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