Kieron Testart

Member Range Lake

Kieron Testart was elected to the 20th Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly to represent the constituency of Range Lake.

Mr. Testart was born on March 22, 1985, in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. He was raised in the Northwest Territories, first residing in Tuktoyaktuk and later in Yellowknife, where Mr. Testart now lives with his family, his diverse background and wealth of experiences have shaped his commitment to community development and effective governance.

Mr. Testart was elected as Member of the Legislative Assembly for Kam Lake in the 18th Legislative Assembly, where he demonstrated a keen understanding of the issues facing his constituents. Beyond his legislative roles, Kieron has contributed significantly to the economic development of the region. Serving as the Director of Economic Development for the Yellowknives Dene First Nation from 2021 to 2023. Mr. Testart’s commitment to education and language advocacy is evident in his role as Program Coordinator for Canadian Parents for French from 2020 to 2021. His efforts have extended to policy analysis within the Government of the Northwest Territories and serving as Deputy Sheriff from 2009 to 2014.

Academically, Kieron holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science from the University of Lethbridge (2004-2009) and a Certificate in Parliamentary Governance from McGill University (2017).

Married to Colleen, he is the proud father of Corbin, Eve, and Leander. In addition to his professional pursuits, Kieron finds joy in various hobbies and interests, including a deep passion for Formula 1 and motorsport, a love for film and theatre, grassroots activism, and an avid curiosity about international affairs.

Kieron's commitment to community extends beyond the political realm. As a dedicated volunteer, he has been actively involved in various capacities, including serving on the NWT Federal Liberal Association Board of Directors since 2011, contributing to the Liberal Party of Canada. His volunteer experience also includes a position on the NWT Branch Board of Directors for Canadian Parents for French from 2014 to 2020 and mentoring youth with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada in 2014-2015.

Range Lake Electoral District

Committees

Member Kieron Testart
Range Lake
Member's Office

Yellowknife NT X1A 2L9
Canada

P.O. Box
1320
Email

Statements in Debates

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 23)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Nothing further.

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 22)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Was this program modelled on the Yukon’s program? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 22)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to table the following document “request to reduce corporate tax rates – correspondence from the Yellowknife Chamber of Commerce.”

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 22)

Those are scant details but I’ll take the Minister for his word. Perhaps he can commit to giving a tour of this new research centre to MLAs. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister elaborate on what this interlibrary loan program will entail? Has the department spoken to a law library in Alberta? I’m somewhat troubled when I see the assistant deputy minister in the media saying, “a law library somewhere in Alberta.” Does the Minister know which law library that is?

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 22)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, earlier today I spoke about the Department of Justice closing the law library and sources of public legal information in the Northwest Territories. I’d like to ask the Minister of Justice what kind of consultations were undertaken with the users of the library. Were lawyers, the Law Society, and legal advocates consulted in this? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 22)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. In our previous discussion, the Mining Incentive Program we have kind of a hard number: $400,000 is given out, but I think it’s $1.2 million that it’s oversubscribed by. That’s like the total amount of activity it could contain. That’s kind of the figure I’m looking for, just a sense of how many dollars are trying to access this fund and flow out of it. I take it that might not be readily available so I’m content to receive that from the department at a later date. My last question is about the Northern Frontier Visitors Centre. The infrastructure of that building is...

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 22)

I can review the report, Mr. Chair, thank you. I note one of the complaints I guess or criticism of our otherwise spectacular and ever growing tourism market is there’s not enough things to do in our communities. I think this contribution could bear a lot of fruit in developing our tourism market by having more attractions and drawing more people in. Has the department taken a look at how to use this funding to kind of produce more tourism draws in our communities and get more people coming? For instance, just going back to the convention bureau, our convention space is rather limited; we don...

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 22)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. For clarification, does the convention bureau also do work in Yellowknife or is it primarily focused on the communities? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 22)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Nothing further.

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 22)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I asked the Minister some questions about the Mining Incentive Program the other day. We have heard in several statements it is a great program that generates a lot of economic activity in the exploration sector. I also asked if this amount would be increased. I note that it is staying the same in this budget, and the ministry indicated that the long-term plan for the Mining Incentive Program is to expand it. Can the Minister just confirm that that is the department’s perspective of this very successful program? Thank you, Mr. Chair.