New Maple Ridge museum director is passionate about telling stories from history

Gordana Dimovska began as executive director of the Maple Ridge Historical Society on July 2, overseeing the Maple Ridge Museum and Archives. She has been involved with the society and museum for about five years, serving as archivist from 2021 to 2024 and as board secretary in 2025.

Dimovska holds a master's degree in archival studies and says she has long been interested in history. Her specialty is the history of Japanese Canadians uprooted under the government policy of forced internment during the Second World War. With colleague Melissa Rollit, she created “What was Taken: The Forced Dispersal of Japanese Canadians in Maple Ridge,” which received BC Historical Federation recognition for exceptional service in 2024 and is now a permanent museum exhibit.

The museum has more resources and material than it can display, Dimovska said. It is working with members of Katzie First Nation to revitalize its First Nations exhibitions, resulting in a temporary exhibit that she encourages community members to visit.

She said she plans to build on the work of former executive directors Sheila Nickols, Val Patenaude and Shea Henry by expanding public access to collections, particularly digitally, and inviting new voices. A new collection-management system has established a foundation for putting the society catalogue online, while staff are working to translate exhibit text into as many languages as possible. Dimovska replaces Henry, who has taken a position with Heritage BC.