Canada's largest evacuation, was the wakeup call Fort McMurray resident Tony Bussey needed in order to lose 330 pounds!

MM: When did you move to  Fort McMurray and how did you make the decision? 

Tony: I moved to Fort McMurray twenty years ago this month. 

I was working at a window factory in Peterborough Ontario, I went to my supervisor and asked for a raise; the owner said: "If Tony doesn't like it; here's a stack of resumes of people who do". That was a punch in the stomach; I'd been working there for nearly two years.

I gave my two weeks notice; I had a little yellow geo metro that was all beat up. I put all my belongings in my car. My friend's mother gave me enough money to drive up here and I stayed with my cousin. 

I had a couple of friends at the time that were always raving about how great Fort McMurray was. 

I've been here and loved living here ever since; Fort McMurray is home.

MM:  What is your absolute favourite thing about living in Fort McMurray.

Tony:  Since I've lost my weight I'm really enjoying the trails. What I do is take my car and drive to certain areas of the town and explore all the different trails; it's all things I couldn't see before.

Also the general optimism of Fort McMurray, We're a unique town we do unique work; it's almost like we're all in it together. 

MM: What was your experience with your weight loss; you have a book out now what was it like walking into the book store and seeing your book on the shelf?

Tony: That was pretty surreal if you would have told me three years ago talking to you with well over 300 pounds gone; I would have said you're on crack.

Three years ago I was over 600 pounds and I could barely walk to my car without losing breath; life was a never-ending sadness. I really didn't think I would be alive today let alone sitting here talking about weight loss.

Now my life is about new experience, I got my passport; I've been to Mexico a couple of times and different places in the US. All of these things when I was big I dreamt of doing and now I'm fulfilling them.

Out at Suncor, it was a dream of mine to do the fire course. They were looking for four people so I did the course and I was given twelve minutes to do the course and I did it in 9 and I actually made the team.

All these things are coming true and to have a book now! Every day I get messages from people saying that they have started their own weight loss journey and they've used me for inspiration. ​

That's what means something to me. When the day comes and I'm on my death bed and somebody comes up to me and says "Tony I've changed my life because of what you wrote in that book".

I wanted to make the book as real as possible I wanted people to relate to what everything he's saying is what I'm going through now.  All he did was change his diet and walk. 
​
Whether you're struggling with food addiction, alcohol or drugs, you don't have to be trapped in that for the rest of your life; you can defeat it and there is hope.

MM: What was your experience during the 2016 evacuation and how did it prompt your weight loss journey?

Tony: I was evacuated twice, every day I woke up and wished I was someone else I wished the weight was gone. 

My mind was racing thinking what if I can't go back to Fort McMurray what if I have to find another job, who's going to hire a man who is almost 600 pounds and can't fit into anything. 

When they flew us back the second time; I have a fair bit of seniority and they were trying to bring back the senior guys. I got on the plane and it was a row of one seat and a row of two. 

I went to the row of two thinking I could put the armrest up but it didn't go up. I had almost 16 years with Suncor and I was ready to walk off the plane and throw it all away; I was that stressed out about it.
 
A friend told me to sit in his seat on the row of one and I barely fit into the seat. 

When we got to camp there was a little twin bed when I sat on it, it cracked. I could hardly fit in the small shower. The fire started raging again and they evacuated us again. 

A manager came and got me from the end of the lineup and put in the front. When your that size the last thing you want is for extra attention. When my manager moved me I felt every eye on me, deservingly so I would be asking the same question " why does that guy get to go up to the front and not me?".

I understand where they were coming from the last thing they would want is a guy that's almost 600 pounds passing out from the heat. 

They put me on the bus, I took up two seats and the bus was packed. I kept looking out and there's a huge line of people waiting to get on the bus, then I looked at the second seat I was taking up and realized because of me someone wasn't getting on the bus. That whole experience and the years of being obese all came together; that was the final straw. When I got to Edmonton I said I'm either changing this or I'm going to die trying.
​