He always knew where he belonged
Phil Duffy
Northern News Services
Yellowknife (May 11/01) - Eric Bussey felt the pull of the North at an early age.
The GNWT's director of emergency services was born on a naval base in Newfoundland, and since his father was a firefighter with the United States Air Force the family moved around from base to base on a regular basis.
This afforded him the opportunity to meet Northern natives at an early age. He said from the first time he began to learn about native cultures in the North he was hooked.
"When I was a lad I spent a good deal of my formative years in Goose Bay. During that time I had a lot of Inuit friends and began to understand their culture," said Bussey.
"I began to appreciate the challenges they faced as a people and developed a certain sensitivity towards their situation. This is when I developed a keen interest in the NWT."
Bussey moved to Cambridge Bay in 1979, and three years later moved to Hay River. He started working for emergency services when he moved to Yellowknife 16 years ago.
"When I started working here it was called the Emergency Measures Organization and six years ago the title of the organization changed to what it is today," he said.
Bussey has never once regretted his choice of career or location.
"I am a lucky man. I love the North, my family, my work, and living in the city of Yellowknife."
As director for the emergency services division Bussey develops the overall direction of emergency measures and fire protection programs. He provides direction and guidance to the staff on strategic planning.
Bussey works closely with the RCMP and NWT communities developing search and rescue planning and arrangements to ensure an efficient response to missing persons reports.
He also designs training programs and advises the minister and deputy minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, keeping them apprised of current programs and events.
"One of the most satisfying aspects of my job is knowing that a group effort rescue went as smoothly as possible and I was responsible, if not solely then at least in part, for designing the overall contingency plan," he said.
Not really one for hobbies, Bussey does admit a fondness for music. "I enjoy listening to certain kinds of music. One of my all-time favourite artists is Loreena McKennitt."
"I was quite surprised when I discovered she was attending the National Search and Rescue Prevention Conference I was speaking at in Ottawa last March.
"I had already purchased her Live in Paris and Toronto CD and later discovered that $10 from the sale of every CD went to the Cook-Reese Memorial fund which she founded in 1998. Despite my age It was hard not to feel like a teenager when I met her and got her to autograph my CD."
