Friends and colleagues remembered MaryAnne Arcand on Tuesday for her many business and service accomplishments.
Arcand died of cancer Monday in Prince George. She was 59.
Those who knew her and worked with her are describing her as someone who brought people together, shot from the lip, and was always ready to help.
"She was amazing. She never stopped. When she decided to go after a project, she dug in full force and never wavered until we got results, and generally it was the results she wanted," said 10-year colleague Kathleen Meise. At the Central Interior Logging Association they were affectionately known as Kat and Bulldozer.
"Road health was a project she was particularly proud of," said Meise. "She brought together all users of all roads, not just the logging side of things. She was very proud of that work, and yes, it saved lives. I know it did. I saw one trucker come up to her one day and tell her that she was the one who convinced him the old myth wasn't true, that in the truck you were better off not wearing your seatbelt so you could jump clear. He told her he had just started to wear the belt when he was in a crash and he admitted if he hadn't been buckled in, he would have been killed, but instead he was just fine. So there is one life right there.
"But she saved a lot of people because she pushed so hard at industry and at government on policies that needed to be address, she held people accountable and got those changes made."
She was also active in Rotary and last year became the second female president of the Downtown Rotary Club in Prince George.
The woman who did it first was her close friend Myrt Turner.
"Today I refuse to be sad," said Turner. "I want to celebrate and remember the person she was because she was a bigger-than-life character and she knew how to enjoy life. You just couldn't help getting caught up in that enjoyment if you were around her. Sadness and pity just wasn't in the cards.
"[She was] as loud as I was and had a quirky sense of humour," Turner added. "When we were out for coffee people knew we were there because we both loved to laugh and unfortunately we didn't know how to dial down the volume. MaryAnne was blunt and outspoken and because of that she got things done. She had strong opinions on a lot of things and was not shy in telling you what she thought. So many things we had in common and that is what friendship is all about and she knew how to be a great friend."
Arcand was the 2012 Prince George Chamber of Commerce Business Person of the Year and as founder of the Carbon Offsets Aggregation Cooperative also won the 2012 Newsmaker of the Year and Technology Provider of the Year awards.
Other accolades for Arcand included the Lieutenant Governor's Award for Academic Excellence and Community Involvement, Health and Wellness Advocate of the Year, Woman of Impact and Influence, the Solicitor General's Community Crime Prevention Award, and Member of the Year from the Interior Logging Association.
She not only had the ear of government, she was a trusted confident of those in the seats of the Legislature. Local MLAs Shirley Bond, John Rustad, Pat Bell (now retired) and Mike Morris consulted her frequently. In 2012, Small Business Minister Naomi Yamamoto appointed her to the province's Small Business Roundtable. During Arcand's final days at Prince George Hospice House, Bond sent her the message "Praying for you and your family daily, you are amazing, your faith and strength inspire all of us!"
Arcand had been battling bronchitis and pneumonia since fall, or so she thought. On Feb. 16 she suffered a stroke that led to a series of seizures. This alerted doctors to check for cancer and they found the disease far advanced. She had days of lucidity and used that time to say goodbye to loved ones and set her affairs in order. She had been attending to her work duties on a part-time basis throughout her illness.
"It just shows you how strong she was," Meise said.
Predeceased by her sister Tena DeWitt (1975), Arcand is survived by her husband George Arcand, parents Bill and Ditty DeWitt, and children Harald Bartel, Willy Bartel, Tina Neufeld and Melanie Lockington, their spouses and ten grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday at First Baptist Church at 11 a.m. followed by a celebration of life at the same location.
- See editorial on page 6
