The Unison Fund Receives $50,000 Donation from Doug and Lindsay Kelly

The Unison Fund, Canada’s only national charity dedicated to supporting music workers, announces today a generous $50,000 donation from Doug and Lindsay Kelly, Edmonton-based music lovers and longtime supporters of the city’s live music scene.

The Kellys’ donation will be directed toward helping music workers in and around Edmonton – a direct investment in the musicians, crew, and music professionals whose work makes this city’s cultural life what it is. Without them, there is no scene. This gift helps keep them in it.

Doug Kelly shared personal moments that inspired their decision to give :

“Having been an admirer of our local music scene for many years, I’ve had a few conversations that really stuck with me. A well-known leader of a jazz quartet here in Edmonton once told me, ‘Thank heavens my wife is a teacher, I could never make it on my own.’ Another time, I mentioned to a blues hall of fame guitarist how hard it must be for musicians to keep up with the cost of living these days. He simply responded, ‘I really can’t, but I get by.’ Those conversations never left me. These are incredibly talented people who give so much to this city, and they’re quietly struggling. That’s what moved my wife and me to make this contribution. We wanted to do something meaningful for the people behind the music we love.”

Edmonton’s live music scene contributes millions to the local economy every year. The venues, the festivals, the touring infrastructure, none of it exists without the musicians, crew, and music professionals who show up and do the work. Yet for most of them, there are no sick days, no benefits, and no safety net. When a health crisis hits, when an injury sidelines a touring musician mid-season, when unexpected financial hardship threatens to push someone out of the industry entirely, the consequences are immediate and serious for that person, and for the cultural life of this city. The Unison Fund exists to make sure that moment does not become the end. This $50,000 gift means more of those essential people have somewhere real to turn.

Said Alex Johnson, Executive Director of The Unison Fund:

“Across Canada, music workers are the backbone of our cultural life. But when hardship hits, they’re often left to navigate it alone, without the support systems most working people take for granted. That’s the gap Unison exists to close. What gives us hope are people like Doug and Lindsay Kelly, who see that reality and decide to act on it right in their own backyard. This kind of investment is exactly what music workers need, and exactly what the Kelly’s have delivered.”