Member Nunakput

Minister Responsible for Housing Northwest Territories
Minister Responsible for the Status of Women

Lucy Kuptana was elected to the 20th Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories in November 2023 to represent the constituency of Nunakput, which includes the communities of Paulatuk, Sachs Harbour, Tuktoyaktuk, and Ulukhaktok. A member of the Executive Council, she is the Minister Responsible for Housing Northwest Territories and the Minister Responsible for the Status of Women.

Prior to her election, Mrs. Kuptana was the Senior Administrative Officer for the Hamlet of Tuktoyaktuk. She was also a director with the Tuktoyaktuk District Education Authority.

For 22 years previous, Mrs. Kuptana was the Director of Operations, Communications, and Culture with the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation (IRC). In a volunteer capacity, she has served as a director of the Inuvik Homeless Shelter Society, trustee of the Arctic Inspiration Prize, president of the Inuvialuit Communications Society, director of the Inuvialuit Investment Corporation, director of the Tuktoyaktuk and Inuvik Community Corporations, and a committee member for the 2023 Northern Youth Games “Inuvialuit Piuyausiat” in Tuktoyaktuk.

Originally from Aklavik and raised at her family’s bush camp in the Mackenzie Delta, Mrs. Kuptana obtained a Level II and Level III Certificate in Community Administration from Aurora College in the early 1990s and returned to graduate with a Diploma in Business Administration and Management in 2013. Mrs. Kuptana is currently enrolled with Yukon University, where she is working towards accreditation in the school’s First Nations Governance and Public Administration program.

Despite a successful career spanning decades, Mrs. Kuptana credits her husband and family in supporting her. She says she owes much of her success to those who have fought – and continue to fight – for Indigenous and Inuvialuit rights.

Mrs. Kuptana’s guiding principle is to lead with respect, empathy, knowledge, and the willingness to work hard for the constituents she represents and all residents of the Northwest Territories.

Nunakput Electoral District

Committees

Lucy Kuptana
Nunakput
Member's Office

Yellowknife NT X1A 2L9
Canada

P.O. Box
1320
Minister
Minister Responsible for Housing Northwest Territories, Minister Responsible for the Status of Women

Statements in Debates

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 34)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Vice-president of finance and infrastructure will reply to the question. Thank you.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 34)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, with me today, on my left is president of Housing NWT, Eleanor Young. And to my right is the vice-president of finance and infrastructure, Jim Martin. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 34)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. For the 2025-2026 Capital Plan, Housing NWT is funding our projects internally. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 34)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I was trying to quickly look for the waiting list numbers for the Member while he was asking the question.

In terms of suitability for housing, again, this is work that's being done with Housing NWT. Suitability of housing requires many of our units to be modernized and improved. And this is something that I mentioned in the capital plan update last week, the ministerial statement that there's 364 units that were in the plan to be modernized and improved over the next couple of years. So this is an indication that Housing NWT is working, is planning, is looking at data...

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 34)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. MLA Nerysoo is describing the older three-bedroom units that came into housing in the early 1970s, and they provided a tour of one of their renovated housing units. I'm not sure myself if these nine units are the units that are in question, so I will ask vice-president Jim Martin to provide some insight to that. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 34)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Unfortunately, I wouldn't have that exact data at this moment, but I can commit to the Member to provide that to him for Mackenzie Delta riding. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 34)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Again, I noted that Housing NWT only has so much funds, so we have to prioritize the retrofits across the Northwest Territories and this list is the priority list at this time. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 34)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Housing NWT works with the Tlicho government for housing retrofits and construction in the Tlicho region. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 34)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I asked the vice-president of finance and infrastructure, and he confirmed the funds to retrofit these units for the 2025-2026 fiscal year. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 34)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. A major retrofit for a housing unit would include electrical, plumbing, foundation work, roofing work. It's detailed work to extend the life of the housing unit. But I will ask vice-president of finance and infrastructure to give more of a detailed description of our major retrofit. Thank you.