Constance Pathy

2004 Ramon John Hnatyshyn Award for Voluntarism in the Performing Arts

A passionate and tireless advocate for the transformative power of art in the community, Constance Pathy has shown her intense dedication to a number of arts organizations in Quebec and the country at large. Mrs. Pathy studied law at Leiden University in her native Netherlands, specializing in international law, and was awarded a twelve-month scholarship to the United Nations in New York for further studies in the field of the Status of Women, before coming to Canada in 1960.

In Montréal, she soon became immersed in the cultural life of the city, where she served on the boards of many performing arts organizations. She also earned two performance degrees from McGill in cello and viola da gamba which led to her playing in chamber groups such as the Quatuor Morency and Le Consort Royall.

Her commitment to the arts is evident in her long-term stewardship of Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, serving on the board since 1978 and as president for the past fifteen years. She describes herself as a "hands-on" volunteer, who likes to put her money where her mouth is, which led to the establishment of the company's endowment fund under her leadership.

Her dedication to the Ladies' Morning Musical Club, Montréal's oldest chamber music society, is equally impressive: a Committee member since 1968, she first served as president in 1975 on a rotating basis and has now been in office since 1990. Mrs. Pathy has also been a driving force at the Canadian Guild of Crafts, having now served on the board for more than twenty-five years, seventeen of which as chair. As a result of her groundbreaking leadership, she is known as an innovator, having founded Brome Beaux Arts in the Eastern Townships, an organization providing chamber music concerts free of charge, as a public service. She has also been deeply involved with the Canadian Arts Summit since its inception in 1998.

Over the past forty years, Constance Pathy has single-handedly proven that with the right motivation, zealous energy and a deeply personal passion, it is possible to build a city (perhaps even a country) where art can thrive for the benefit of all.