Prince George, B.C.- She was known  as  the “Bulldozer”  the one  who  would press forward for  a cause and  she didn’t let anyone, or anything, stand in  her way.

MaryAnne Arcand passed away today,  succumbing to an illness which  first surfaced last  fall. She  passed away at the Prince George Hospice House,  surrounded by family.  She was 59.

With the Central Interior Logging Association for the  past  five years, she  was  most recently the Executive Director of that  Association.  Prior to that,  she had carved  a path  that  included  creation of the Carbon Offset Aggregation CoOperative, a company that helped  the trucking industry reduce it’s carbon foot print and  dollars.

She was with the BC Forest Safety Council for  four years,  during which time she was instrumental in  development of recommendations  aimed at reducing  injury and death on  resource roads.  Her work  saw the  implementation of  radio protocols, hours of service,   identification plates on  trucks for faster recognition of  company  vehicles, implementation of  mile markers on  resource roads,  resource road construction safety and no matter when  you  talked to MaryAnne, it was  quite  likely the conversation would  end with MaryAnne  reminding you that “Unsafe is unacceptable!”

She  spearheaded the  tire rebate program   for  CILA members,  was involved in  forestry worker training programs,  worked with Northern Health on  the Men’s health program, and was  working  with  other  resource industries to  ensure  there was co-ordination and co-operation  of safety  protocols  on resource  roads.

She was in demand to talk to conferences and conventions  on topics ranging from  road safety to the economics of forestry.

Accolades and awards  were heaped upon her for  her  dedication to  the cause of making sure everyone who  went to work in the morning,  came home safe at night.

Here are just some of the awards she  received over the years:

• She was named the Business  Person of the Year in 2012 by the Chamber of Commerce.
• Woman of the Year – Impact and Influence in 2010
• Health and Wellness Advocate of the Year,  2011
• Northern BC Health and Wellness Advocate of the Year, 2010
• Newsmaker of the Year  for the Northern BC Business and Technology Awards 2012
• Technology Provider of the Year Northern BC Business and Technology Awards
• Golden Apple Award Health Employers Association of BC
• Community Crime Prevention Award  Solicitor General of BC

She ran  for Prince George City Council in the   2008  municipal election, but  was not elected. 

She loved to sing,  and was, by all those  who  have heard her play,  an excellent guitar player and had a beautiful voice.  She would  sing, and play any style of music.  But for as much as she loved music,  it was her family that was her  priority.

She  leaves behind her husband George,  sons  Harald Bartel (Nicky) of Quesnel, William Bartel (Jennifer) of Surrey;  daughters Tina Marie Neufeld (Kevin)  of Victoria and Melanie Rose Lockington (Mark) of Surrey and grandchildren Mariah, Ivy,  Emma, Sophie, Chloe, Phoebe, Kaylee  and Kian.

She is survived by her parents, Bill and Ditty DeWitt of Williams Lake,  as well as  brothers John DeWitt (Gayle) of Langley,  Bill DeWitt of Langley, sisters Patricia Cecchini (Mark)  of Fruitvale and Joyce DeWitt-VanOosten (Gerry)  of Victoria.

Funeral arrangements have not yet been finalized.