Active seniors from across Canada will be showcased in a Shaw Spotlight Feature that will be launched Thursday with Prince George host Diane Levesque.
Levesque is an Indigenous artist who found her creative passion about 20 years ago and only really made time to take a deep dive into her work since she retired five years ago.
“I am self taught and very passionate about my artwork,” Levesque, a member of the Dzawada’enuxw and Shuneymuxw First Nations (Kingcome Inlet, Alert Bay and Gilford Island), said.
Michael Kast, the Shaw Spotlight access coordinator who produced the show in Prince George, said he knew Levesque would be the ideal host for the Golden Years feature because how she embraces life is reflected in those seniors in the show.
“But it started out that we were just joking around,” Kast recalled. “And then I thought ‘why not?’ Diane is photogenic and confident. Having known Diane for about 15 years, I was comfortable being able to give her direction.”
As the host, Levesque introduces each segment of the show.
“At first, I was a bit nervous,” Levesque said. “But we used a teleprompter so that helped a lot. After I did a couple of the introductions Michael leaned in to tell me that I could be myself and that really helped.”
They did several location shoots in and around Prince George that lent themselves to the theme of each upcoming segment.
Golden Years showcases several people, including a man who walked 100 km as part of a Kidney Foundation fundraiser, a group of Aquafitters, a lawn bowler, a jazz trio, a wood turner and the man behind the Old Fat Guy cooking blog.
“It only took about a week and a half to do the shoot,” Levesque said. “And I thoroughly enjoyed it. Working with Michael and Jonathan (Shaw Spotlight producer who worked the second camera) was a blast! I had a lot of fun. And Michael was my comfort zone. At first, I didn’t know what to expect at the beginning but we had a great time.”
The national show is a first for both Kast and Levesque.
“Way to go, buddy!” Levesque laughed and high-fived Kast.
The show airs on Thursday at 11 a.m. by visiting https://youtu.be/5BCWKWm9FVA.
For more information about Levesque and her work visit https://indigenousartcreations.com/about-the-artist.
