The staff at the Native Co-ordinating Council with a basket of bannock delivered by Georgette Arcand. (Submitted photo/Prince Albert Indian Métis Friendship Centre)

By Susan McNeil

Friendship

Just relax and have a piece of bannock

Apr 28, 2022 | 4:00 PM

Georgette Arcand is on a mission to bring bannock to businesses, agencies, schools and any other place she can think of in Prince Albert.

Arcand’s goal is simple; bring togetherness and get people to stop and take a break.

“Every now and then we get phone calls for someone to make bannock. So whenever we take it there, everyone is so excited. So I thought it would be nice to give people bannock,” she said.

Arcand is the program director for the Prince Albert Indian Métis Friendship in Prince Albert and makes the bannock herself.

Batch sizes vary, depending on how many people are in the office she is taking it to.

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“I just thought it would be nice to give people bannock. It doesn’t cost anything, just as a thank you,” Arcand said.

The idea is to get people to stop and smell the coffee – along with a piece of fresh bannock.

“You know everybody works so hard, everyone’s so busy all the time. Just relax…and have a piece of bannock,” Arcand said with a laugh.

Once she figured out what she wanted to do, the name bannockgram occurred to her and so that is what she is using.

Along with a basket of handmade bannock, Arcand also includes a jar of jam, butter and a card saying thank you on behalf of the Friendship Centre written in English, Michif, Cree and Dene.

The card thanks people in English, Cree, Michif and Dene. (Submitted photo/Prince Albert Indian Métis Friendship Centre)

Because she didn’t want to just show up and not have enough to go around, Arcand calls ahead to the place she wants to deliver and asks how many people are in the office.

“I’ve just been picking people throughout the city. There’s no rhyme or reason, you know people that help out in the community, different agencies, schools and businesses,” she said.

Arcand wants to make sure she gets every school in the city.

The gift is well received by all the places she takes a basket too.

“Whenever it gets there, they’re happy. They’re excited, they’re appreciative and we share them on our Facebook page,” Arcand said.

So far, she has brought bannock to Riverside School, the Native Co-ordinating Council, Prince Albert Community Housing, the Prince Albert Grand Council executive office, the Northern Lights Development Corp., Victims Services, the Prosecutors office and the First Nation’s University.

Anyone wanting to make sure an office gets their own bannockgrams can contact Arcand at the Friendship Centre at 306-764-3431 or by email at paimfc.programs@sasktel.net.

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susan.mcneil@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @princealbertnow