Jay Macdonald

Member Thebacha

Minister of Environment and Climate Change

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

Member Jay MacDonald, Minister MacDonald
Thebacha
Member's Office

Yellowknife NT X1A 2L9
Canada

P.O. Box
1320
Email
Email
Phone
(867) 767-9143
Minister of Environment and Climate Change
Minister
Email
Email

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. Yes, Mr. Chair, the FMD is a headquarter function. So it is part -- forest management division is considered part of headquarters but it's based out of Fort Smith. So that's one of the large key employers for the community. The program has been there since devolution -- before devolution, it's been based out of Fort Smith. If I was to try and go back in time, I would say since the '60s. And so over time, it has evolved into the location that it is at now, has a significant number of deficiencies that I identified earlier which is certainly part of the driving force behind...

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, I do agree with that statement. It certainly does have an impact. 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. Certainly, I think the territorial fire centre is a key piece in our ability to respond in a timely manner and an effective manner. It will be a facility that allows for our territorial -- I lost my train of thought there, sorry.

It allows for our territorial leadership, so our territorial duty officer and support staff, to have a facility that has all of the necessary tools to support the regional operations. It allows our team that is looking after equipment, warehousing, resupply, communications, detection, to have a facility that's all in one that allows for the work...

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. And thank you for the question. I think that some of the challenges, especially in the Northwest Territories and certainly based on location, is having adequate infrastructure based on the resources that are available within that area. So in the Beaufort Delta, for example, the boats that are used to deliver the programming there need to be of a certain size and ability to deliver the programs to ensure that our staff are safe as they're doing that work. And there's not really anything currently on the market that would be able to enhance the goals in the way of not using...

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, this capital plan was developed prior to the report, the after action review being released, and some of the projects within this plan certainly do address some of the concerns raised through the after action review but they don't necessarily cover all of those. A lot of these projects were supported by an initiative from the federal government on a three-to-one cost sharing basis. And so what ECC did was took their allocation for capital and used that to leverage the federal government dollars to get -- to catch up on some of the backlog capital projects that...

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. On my right, I have Dr. Erin Kelly, deputy minister. And on my left I have Jessica St. Arnaud, director of finance.

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, so this is part of the territorial detection network. So a number of sites, I believe to date there's been 12. We have 12 detection sites, nine of those would be camera-based. This would be the same type of setup where it would be a remote camera installation that would allow for remote observation of the area. The specific location on the trail, I don't have that information currently at my fingertips. But it is part of a much larger territory-wide project to install these infrastructure detection sites near communities to ensure that we have adequate coverage to...

Motion 42-20(1): Appointment of Sergeant-at-Arms of the Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly, Carried
Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 33)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to extend a heartfelt recognition to master warrants officer retired and sergeant-at-arms Floyd Powder for his dedicated service and hard work within this Legislative Assembly. Floyd's deep commitment to honouring our veterans and serving the territory and Canada is reflected in his advocacy for Metis veterans and efforts in identifying grave sites as part of the Indigenous veterans’ initiative, these plus many more activities which Floyd has participated in.

As a valued NWT Metis Nation beneficiary and military veteran, Floyd has represented the NWT...

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, thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, part of the -- sorry, it's not necessarily an issue of convenience as much as also an issue of safety. Currently part of the facility has a small engine shop in a building that's essentially an office building. There's also the fact that our staff have been -- the warehouse is located in the basement so there are a lot of challenges with moving equipment and supplies in and out of the basement which creates significant risk to the staff. And the warehouse at King Street is a significantly old warehouse that is very outdated, hasn't been renovated in many...

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the Member for the question. I'm certainly always supportive of youth participation in all of government across the whole Northwest Territories, and I would definitely go back and have a discussion with the department to see what opportunities we could look at in the future. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.