As news of the passing of MaryAnne Arcand spreads, the tributes to this  special  woman continue.

The following is from Pat Bell,  former Minister of Forests,  and  Jobs, Skills Development,  Tourism and Innovation:

The loss of MaryAnne Arcand to our community is a tragic one but her legacy will continue in the north and will last for much longer than her time with us. I knew MaryAnne for the last 8 years and became a good friend. Her desire to contribute and support our community was unstoppable, earning MaryAnne the nick name “Bulldozer”, a name that she wore with pride.

MaryAnne’s accomplishments were many. She led the initiatives to improve truck safety in the logging industry, developed a new source of income for resource industries through the Carbon Aggregators Initiative and brought the log harvesting industry together in her role as CEO of the Central Interior Loggers Assoc. More importantly MaryAnne brought people together and you just knew that when she showed up you would be part of her new team, MaryAnne wouldn’t take no for an answer.

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to visit with MaryAnne, this visit coming at a time when she understood the seriousness of her condition. She was upbeat and reflective not on the circumstances that she faced but the many accomplishments of her life. The impact MaryAnne made on our community was significant and lasting and she understood that she was leaving Northern British Columbia a better place. As we talked about the many things we worked on together she had a very simple message, “just do the right thing”. She never succumbed to political or community pressure, she was a principled, caring individual that new what to do and how to do it.

Prior to leaving I gave MaryAnne a big hug and she said to me “Don’t worry about it, I’ll get things cleaned up, up there and I’ll see you in a while”. Somehow I’m sure that she will make the next life a better place just as she made this one better.

Never doubt MaryAnne!

– Pat Bell