Kate Reid

Member Great Slave

Kate Reid was elected to the 20th Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly to represent the constituency of Great Slave.

Ms. Reid was born in the city of Oshawa, Ontario in 1981. She has lived in Yellowknife since 1989. Ms. Reid’s journey is a testament to her diverse interests and unwavering dedication to making a positive impact in her community.

Ms. Reid’s career began in journalism, after graduating with a bachelor of journalism from Toronto Metropolitan University in 2003. Her interest in research led her to work at the Yellowknife Public Library, which in turn took her to the University of Toronto for a master’s degree in information studies, graduating in 2009. Returning to the north, she was grateful for the opportunity to join the staff at the NWT Archives, where she cultivated a deep appreciation for preserving and sharing the stories that define the territory and its government. Transitioning to the Government of Northwest Territories, Department of Environment and Climate Change, Ms. Reid brought her expertise to the forefront of environmental issues, contributing to sustainable development through legislative and policy work for five years prior to being elected.

Away from the demands of her professional life, Ms. Reid is married and finds solace and inspiration in an array of hobbies. Her love for music, art, burlesque, drag, film, and travel speaks to her eclectic tastes and a thirst for cultural exploration.

Ms. Reid’s dedication to community service is exemplary, marked by her role as the President of YWCA NWT from 2021 to 2023. Her leadership extends to the cultural realm as a past director for Folk on the Rocks, an annual music festival that enriches Yellowknife's cultural landscape. Additionally, Ms. Reid has actively contributed to community events such as NWT and Yellowknife Pride, Burn on the Bay and served as the UNW Local 40 President in 2019 and from 2021 to 2023, demonstrating her commitment to advocacy and the well-being of her fellow citizens.

Great Slave Electoral District:

Committees

Accountability and Oversight
Economic Development & Environment
Government Operations
Procedure and Privileges
Member Kate Reid
Great Slave
Member's Office

Yellowknife NT X1A 2L9
Canada

P.O. Box
1320
Email
Email
Phone
(867) 767-9143

Statements in Debates

Committee Motion 44-20(1): Tabled Document 193-20(1): 2025-2026 Capital Estimates – Education, Culture and Employment – Deferral of Department, Carried
Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 33)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So just a really basic question to start. The capital asset retrofit fund, there's two lines here, TCA and DM. Could the Minister explain to me what the difference is, please. Thank you.

Committee Motion 43-20(1): Tabled Document 193-20(1): 2025-2026 Capital Estimates – Municipal and Community Affairs – Deferral of Department, Carried
Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 33)

Yeah, thank you, Mr. Chair. And thank you to the Minister for that. I know the PAC for Sir John has reached out to her and is looking for a path forward on this project, obviously not in this particular budget but maybe for next year's budget. And so I'm wondering if I could get a commitment from the Minister to respond to the PAC to look at different funding pots that may exist for this kind of work if the money is tight for her? 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. So I can respect that answer. I just -- I guess I'd like to hear from the Minister of Environment and Climate Change that, in fact, yes, having -- even though there aren't any other options, vehicles, all of our infrastructure that emits greenhouse gases, does impact climate change. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Committee Motion 43-20(1): Tabled Document 193-20(1): 2025-2026 Capital Estimates – Municipal and Community Affairs – Deferral of Department, Carried
Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 33)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. And would the Minister characterize this issue as a high-need item in terms of the matrix that we make decisions on renovations and replacements? 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)

Yeah, thank you very much, Mr. Chair. So in some of my comments to the Minister of Finance yesterday, I know in our substantiations we talk about different ways that we make decision makings -- decision-making, pardon me, around the various metrics and choices that we make for selecting these items and considerations that we make about these items. There has been great conversation in previous Assemblies around the climate change considerations of these items. And so not to pick on the boat, not to make my colleague from Inuvik Boot Lake angry, it was just picked at random, I'm just curious as...

Question 366-20(1): Government of the Northwest Territories Public Service Employee Services
Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 33)

Yeah, I know -- thank you, Mr. Speaker -- it is a tricky one and an even trickier one is increasing Indigenous representation in the public service, Mr. Speaker. I know this side of the House is very keen on seeing how we can do a better job of that. The survey does not distinguish between Indigenous and non-Indigenous employees so I have to assume that Indigenous employees are struggling with low morale too.

So what specific actions will the Minister propose to take to ensure Indigenous employees feel valued, heard, and supported in this organization above and beyond what's contemplated in the...

Committee Motion 44-20(1): Tabled Document 193-20(1): 2025-2026 Capital Estimates – Education, Culture and Employment – Deferral of Department, Carried
Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 33)

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I appreciate that. Nothing further.

Question 366-20(1): Government of the Northwest Territories Public Service Employee Services
Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 33)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That's some tentatively possibly good news. When it was last mentioned in the 2022-2023 annual report, the leadership development program was on a hiatus since July of 2020 and an expected new option was to launch this year, Mr. Speaker. So can the Minister tell me the status of this program? Thank you.

Committee Motion 44-20(1): Tabled Document 193-20(1): 2025-2026 Capital Estimates – Education, Culture and Employment – Deferral of Department, Carried
Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 33)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So I would like to know if the Minister can explain how she sees the timelines of this particular environmental assessment aligning with the regional strategic environmental assessment that is underway. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Member’s Statement 376-20(1): Public Service
Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 33)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I care deeply about the public service as a past public servant and active local union president. I also recognize that the public service makes up a lot of the working population of this territory. And, yes, the numbers of total GNWT staff have gone up dramatically in recent years. The increase incurs in critical functions that we all rely on like health care and education supports. But the other thing we don't talk about as much is that through collective bargaining, people in precarious employment terms or casuals were made permanent. The increase reflects employees...