Photo by Troy Fleece, Regina Leader Post
Yesterday we celebrated the opening of the Creative City Centre and the newly named Hague Gallery, our performance and exhibition space. Named in honour of our good friend Harold Hague and his family, the Hague Gallery was packed with people who came to pay tribute, including the Honourable Ralph Goodale, MP for Wascana; His Worship Mayor Pat Fiacco; the former Lt. Governor of Saskatchewan, Dr. Lynda Haverstock; and people from the arts and business communities and local media. The Hague family have owned and operated Loggie’s Shoes for many decades, and it is with their support and cooperation we have been able to convert the two floors above the shoe store into our new Creative City Centre.
Harold is 90 years old in June, and still comes to work at the shoe store five days a week. He is one of the unsung heroes of our community, having contributed in countless ways over the years by serving on numerous boards and committees. He was directly involved in the fundraising campaigns that resulted in the building of our current YWCA and the Douglas Park Track & Field Facility. He was a founder of the downtown business improvement district association, now known as Regina Downtown. He was the driving force behind the establishment of the Remembrance Day Service at the Brandt Centre, which now draws about 5,000 people each November 11. He has been a tireless advocate for veterans, the downtown and our quality of life in Regina.
I first met Harold in 2005 when we began working on a feasibility study to convert the Royal Canadian Legion Building into an arts facility. I met him for a tour of that building and ended up spending over three hours talking with him about the building, the plight of many veterans in our city, and their struggles to keep the building functioning. That first conversation led to a lasting friendship with Harold and his wife Jan that I treasure. I was raised by my parents to believe that giving back to your community in some way is an integral responsibility that all of us must accept to maintain a decent quality of life. Harold embodies this principle on a daily basis. He has become a role model and a good friend, and it is really exciting to be able to recognize his decades of community service by naming our space the Hague Gallery.
Here’s the article that ran in today’s Leader Post:
http://www.leaderpost.com/entertainment/Creative+City+Centre+launched/4755862/story.html
