Dear Members and Guests of Northern Trails,

It is with great sadness that we learned of the passing of our chairman, Sue Popesku, this past weekend. Though she hadn’t been feeling well, her passing was unexpected and her family, friends, and community are mourning her loss.

As you know, Sue was a great champion of heritage, arts, and culture in the Peace Region.  When Sue moved to Fort St. John in 1974 from Chicago, she was in for a huge cultural shock. However, it didn’t take her long to get involved in the local cultural scene. Sue has worked and volunteered with museums, arts councils, the Fort St. John Hospital foundation, many tourism initiatives, and various cultural projects over the past five decades.

Sue was the driving force that brought museums and those interested in heritage together under the umbrella of the Northern Trails Heritage Society five years ago. Sue knew that local museums and heritage organizations need to work together to have a stronger, united voice in a region where the importance of heritage is often overlooked. She thought that we could learn from and with each other. Sue was determined that we could better preserve, promote, and share the heritage of Northeastern British Columbia as a group of individuals and organizations working on projects that unite us rather than staying in our own bubbles. She volunteered countless hours to lead us, apply for grants on our behalf, and see projects through to fruition.

Sue leaves behind big holes to fill in the arts, culture, and heritage sectors. Let’s carry on her vision for heritage by continuing to work together as the Northern Trails Heritage Society. We will stay in touch in regards to the current projects we are working on and how you and your museum/archives can help. For now, let’s take a moment to remember what a wonderful lady Sue was and what a pillar she was in the arts and heritage community.

Sincerely,
Heather and Robin