Jay Macdonald

Member Thebacha

Minister of Environment and Climate Change
Minister of Justice
Government House Leader

Jay Macdonald was elected to the 20th Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly to represent the constituency of Thebacha. Mr. Macdonald was elected to the Executive Council of the 20th Assembly.

Mr. Macdonald was born on June 26, 1964, in the town of Hay River, Northwest Territories. As an Indigenous Métis, Jay's roots run deep in the Northern Canadian landscape, and his journey has been marked by diverse experiences that have enriched both his personal and professional life.

Mr. Macdonald’s family relocated to Fort Smith in 1970. Mr. Macdonald successfully managed his small engine repair shop, providing essential services to the community and establishing himself as a reliable entrepreneur. Simultaneously, he delved into the intricacies of recreation facility management, overseeing operations at the local arena and golf course.

In his 13-year tenure as the Manager of Forest Management Services with the Environment and Conservation Division of the Government of the Northwest Territories, Mr. Macdonald demonstrated an unwavering commitment to environmental stewardship.

Mr. Macdonald’s dedication to youth development is evident in his 12-year role as the House Parent Program Coordinator for the Western Arctic Leadership Program. For five years, he served as a house parent, providing a nurturing environment for students from Lutsel Ke attending PWK High School. This experience not only showcased his compassion but also contributed significantly to the academic and personal growth of the students under his care.

Drawing on his expertise as a Journey Person Small Equipment Technician, Mr. Macdonald spent 13 years managing a Polaris dealership and served as an Instructor for Small Equipment Maintenance, Aviation Fuel Management, and Logistics disciplines under the Incident Command System.

Mr. Macdonald’s commitment to community extends beyond his professional roles. As a dedicated volunteer, he served as President and Coach of Fort Smith Minor Hockey, nurturing young talent and instilling the values of teamwork and sportsmanship. His coaching prowess extended to the national stage as he led Team NWT at the National Aboriginal Hockey Championships.

In his role as a representative of the Fort Smith Métis Nation on the local District Education Association Board, Mr. Macdonald contributed to shaping educational policies that reflect the unique needs of the community. Additionally, he served as a Board Member and Chair of the Northwest Territories Apprenticeship and Occupational Certification Board, advocating for the recognition and advancement of skilled trades.

Mr. Macdonald’s commitment to community welfare is further evidenced by his involvement in various local activities and events. Whether coaching minor sports or contributing to volunteer initiatives, he has consistently worked towards creating a vibrant and cohesive community fabric.

Outside of his professional and community engagements, Mr. Macdonald has a full family life. He is married to Karen, is a proud father to three children, and a doting grandfather to three grandchildren.

In his leisure time, Jay indulges in hobbies that reflect his love for the outdoors. Golfing, fishing, gardening, and enjoying the vast Northern landscapes are among his favorite pastimes.

Thebacha Electoral District:

Committees

Jay Macdonald
Thebacha
Member's Office

Yellowknife NT X1A 2L9
Canada

P.O. Box
1320
Email
Jay_Macdonald@ntassembly.ca
Phone
(867) 767-9143 (link is a phone number)
Minister of Environment and Climate Change
Minister
Email
Jay_Macdonald@gov.nt.ca

Statements in Debates

Committee Motion 45-20(1): Tabled Document 193-20(1): 2025-2026 Capital Estimates – Infrastructure - Deferral of Department, Carried
Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 33)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'll pass that to Dr. Kelly.

Committee Motion 45-20(1): Tabled Document 193-20(1): 2025-2026 Capital Estimates – Infrastructure - Deferral of Department, Carried
Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 33)

Certainly. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, when the specifications are designed for these boats, specifically boats -- you know, trucks are a little bit different where you can go with one standard design. Typically what happens is the -- as the tender is being developed and the specifications are being developed, there's an interaction between FMD who coordinates that procurement and the specific region and the needs of that region depending on varying factors. So the potential rivers that may be -- where the boat may be used in the Nahendeh riding could be significantly different than the...

Committee Motion 45-20(1): Tabled Document 193-20(1): 2025-2026 Capital Estimates – Infrastructure - Deferral of Department, Carried
Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 33)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. No, I -- I mean there certainly is an impact in a contribution to the greenhouse gas total from all of this infrastructure that's on our landscape; however, I mean, like I said earlier, you know, the options of to go to other technologies are somewhat limited and, yes, much of the infrastructure that is on the capital plan is replacing existing infrastructure so it's not additions to the fleet but part of the replacement cycle. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Committee Motion 45-20(1): Tabled Document 193-20(1): 2025-2026 Capital Estimates – Infrastructure - Deferral of Department, Carried
Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 33)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So specifically to pick out individual projects, I think that overall a lot of the -- we look at -- we have communication projects. We have the detection projects. We have additional -- like, in here we have the wild land fire trucks, we have the -- sorry, the value protection trailers. So these are all pieces of infrastructure that are designed to support communities to ensure that the communities around the territories have the resources within their communities to support the community as well as ECC in how we are able to quickly respond to incidents. Currently now we...

Committee Motion 45-20(1): Tabled Document 193-20(1): 2025-2026 Capital Estimates – Infrastructure - Deferral of Department, Carried
Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 33)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. This specific item is part of a fleet of equipment that the department uses to deliver the programs for the department across the Beaufort Delta region. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Committee Motion 45-20(1): Tabled Document 193-20(1): 2025-2026 Capital Estimates – Infrastructure - Deferral of Department, Carried
Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 33)

Thank you. I'm going to go to the Minister.

Committee Motion 45-20(1): Tabled Document 193-20(1): 2025-2026 Capital Estimates – Infrastructure - Deferral of Department, Carried
Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 33)

Yes, Mr. Chair. Thank you.

Committee Motion 45-20(1): Tabled Document 193-20(1): 2025-2026 Capital Estimates – Infrastructure - Deferral of Department, Carried
Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 33)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes, there were. So maybe a little bit of history. So we started -- the original planning started for this project back in 2015 with the conceptual design. After the conceptual design phase, in 2022 we did put this project out as a modified P3 through Infrastructure as another alternative way of doing it, but the costs that came back on the proposed P3 project were out of the scope of the budget so that specific approach was not taken, and we went back to taking the approach of the design putting it out to tender as the project moved forward. And so I'll pass it to Dr...

Question 372-20(1): Funding for Youth Climate Change Advocacy
Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 33)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would certainly be supportive of working with the department to see what opportunities are available to support that initiative. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Committee Motion 45-20(1): Tabled Document 193-20(1): 2025-2026 Capital Estimates – Infrastructure - Deferral of Department, Carried
Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 33)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, currently, there is leased space at 149 McDougal Road where the forest management division operates out of which consists of office space on the second level. There are shop spaces where they do mechanic work as well as a lot of technical work on telecommunications equipment on the main floor, and then the basement is a warehouse with an elevator that is very inconsistent in quite an old building that stores a lot of the material for the fire suppression. And there's also a warehouse off site at one -- on King Street, as well as 22 sea cans that accompany that...