On Friday, May 18, a collision, just eight kilometres east of Vanderhoof, claimed the life of long-time community proponent June Clark.
Her husband, Bob, who was also in the vehicle, was transported to Vancouver General Hospital and is currently in critical condition.
This information comes from Nechako-Lakes MLA John Rustad, who confirmed the tragic news.
“I’m still in shock,” said Rustad, who was close friends with Clark since the two first met in 2004, when Rustad was first entering into provincial politics. Clark served as president of Rustad’s riding association and managed his campaign during the last election.
Per DriveBC postings, the collision occurred just after 5 p.m. on Friday, which closed Highway 16 east of Vanderhoof for more than six hours.
North District RCMP are not releasing any details at this time.
(EDITOR’S NOTE: The original version of this story included information regarding the accident reported by Nechako-Lakes MLA John Rustad. Rustad contacted the Omineca Express on May 25, 2018 to inform us that the information he gave was incorrect. Rustad sincerely apologizes for the misinformation.)
Rustad was quick to praise Clark’s enduring commitment to the betterment of her community, as he states she was constantly advocating for numerous facets in and around Vanderhoof.
“Even though she was very involved in all levels of politics, she was also very active in her church and incredibly active in her community,” said Rustad. “She had a real passion for trying to make things better and to improve things in the community. She did a lot of work around advanced education and trying to advocate for a new college in Vanderhoof. She worked behind the scenes on so many different things here in the community.”
“It’s quite remarkable,” said Rustad.
Clark and her husband ran JB Clark & Co. Inc., a consulting services firm that has specialized in regional project development for private and public sector organizations since 1998. She was also formerly a member of the College of New Caledonia board of directors for two years, from July 2014 to July 2016.
According to her biography on the CNC website, Clark has been involved with many different organizations over the years, from a community and economic development manager for the provincial government in northern B.C to the director for Northern Health’s information and technology services
June was also an active and devoted volunteer, dedicating her time to her local church as well as working with Ducks Unlimited. She also served on multiple boards in the community, including the Vanderhoof Chamber of Commerce, University Resources Inc. and the Good Neighbors Committee, among others.
Bob Clark previously worked as B.C.’s “beetle boss”, having been appointed in 2002 by the previous B.C. Liberal government to oversee efforts to contain and control the mountain pine beetle. He began his work with the BC Forest Service in 1972 and also worked as the lead on the provincial government’s recovery efforts in Burns Lake, after their loss of the Babine Forest Products mill.
Rustad said the Clark family is taking things day-by-day.
“I haven’t had an update for a couple of days from them, but the last that I heard was that he (Bob Clark) is starting to be able to respond,” sad Rustad. “He is still needing assistance from a machine for breathing and obviously has numerous serious injuries, so he has a series of surgeries and other things in front of him.”
Ultimately, Rustad wants to remember Clark for her outstanding character and positivity over the years.
“In all of the years that I knew June, I don’t think I ever saw her angry,” said Rustad. “She was a very passionate person, very much a person of faith. I would go to her with issues and she would always find a way to be constructive, or to find a way to work on solutions. She was a very positive person and a very positive influence.”
