silvergoldmagazine.ca
COMMUNITY
Inspiring Our Community
Liz Pascual is first and foremost a daughter, sister,
mother friend. And a beloved senior advocate.
If someone is in need of help or encouragement, Liz Pascual seems to instinctively
know how to give that support. Liz always makes time for everyone and in her
eyes, everyone is just as important and special. Even when under stress, Liz keeps
on smiling and working hard to complete the task at hand, showing respect for
everyone – whether it is family, friends or members of the YWCA Senior Centre
in Hamilton, where she works as Supervisor.
Liz joined the staff at the Centre as assistant to the manager. At that time she was
teaching exercise and dance classes and, when some of the seniors were looking
for something different to do, Liz began teaching them Hawaiian dance. She
thought it was to be just a small dance class for fun, but it became a rewarding
challenge for her, which she took on with pride as these ladies later became part
of the Hamilton Golden Age Variety show.
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For several years, Liz produced the HGAV variety show along with her duties
as choreographer of the Hula Wahines dance group. She always made sure the
costumes were not only spectacular, but were also designed age-appropriately. In
2007 the Golden Age Variety Show was awarded the Arts and Entertainment
Award at the annual Tourism Hamilton awards. To this day, Liz continues to help
and inspire the community, and along with its members, will be celebrating the
YWCA Senior Centre’s 40th year this March.
Often described as one of Hamilton’s most-respected
arts advocates, Barbara Milne is much more than that.
The Pearl Company Arts Centre’s co-founder and executive director, Barbara
Milne, has won several major awards, including the YWCA’s Woman of Distinction
in the Arts; Tourism Hamilton’s Art and Entertainment Ambassador Award; and
along with her partner Gary Santucci, the City of Hamilton Lifetime Achievement
Award in the Arts.
Art, in all its forms, is her passion, second only to community service. She
and Gary have worked tirelessly to help transform Hamilton’s once-struggling
Landsdale neighbourhood, turning it into what they affectionately call “The
Pearl District”, bringing the arts to the community and the community to the
arts, while giving a leg up to those in need.
Long recognized as a leading impresaria, Barbara has championed the cause
of promoting and nurturing local talent, as well as attracting internationallyacclaimed musicians, dancers, actors, filmmakers and other artists.
Now officially a not-for-profit organization, the Pearl is a multi-disciplinary
space that develops and presents works that draw on all of the arts. Its mandate is
to provide work that is multi-cultural, socially-aware and connected to Hamilton’s
diverse communities. Barbara Milne is the heart of the Pearl.
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