Lucy Kuptana

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

Public Accounts
Lucy Kuptana
Nunakput
Member's Office

Yellowknife NT X1A 2L9
Canada

P.O. Box
1320
Email
Email
Phone
(867) 767-9143
Minister
Email
Email
Minister Responsible for Housing Northwest Territories, Minister Responsible for the Status of Women

Statements in Debates

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 47)

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

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 47)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. For the 2023-2024 fiscal year, the program was undersubscribed. But, again, as President Erin Kelly mentioned earlier, in an earlier question, one of the things that Housing NWT plans to do is how they communicate these programs throughout the Northwest Territories, the availability of the program, who is eligible for the program, and the different programs that are available too. Because coming into housing, you know, I thought one or two, but there's a number of different programs available. So how we communicate that to people that really need this program support, so...

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 47)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Dr. Erin Kelly will provide more information to the budget adjustment. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 47)

You want to answer that?

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 47)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. An important question, especially around the transitional housing piece. But, again, like the Premier stated earlier, these homelessness and housing solutions, we need comprehensive and sustainable solutions around housing and homelessness in the Northwest Territories. So what we do as a department is we work with EIA together and have these discussions around shelters in the Northwest Territories and work in partnership, have discussions, have working groups around the homelessness transitional housing piece. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 47)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Dr. Erin Kelly will provide more information to the seniors aging in place budget item. Thank you.

Committee Motion 75-20(1): Tabled Document 275-20(1): 2025-2026 Main Estimates - Deferral of Department of Education, Culture and Employment, Carried
Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 46)

Thank you, Madam Chair. Mr. Jim Martin here will provide more information with the HELP unit disposition. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Committee Motion 75-20(1): Tabled Document 275-20(1): 2025-2026 Main Estimates - Deferral of Department of Education, Culture and Employment, Carried
Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 46)

Thank you, Madam Chair. $50 million for one year. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Committee Motion 75-20(1): Tabled Document 275-20(1): 2025-2026 Main Estimates - Deferral of Department of Education, Culture and Employment, Carried
Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 46)

Madam Chair, for that information, I'll ask President Kelly to speak on it.

Committee Motion 75-20(1): Tabled Document 275-20(1): 2025-2026 Main Estimates - Deferral of Department of Education, Culture and Employment, Carried
Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 46)

Thank you, Madam Chair. We are planning, and we have to plan, but we have to continue to look for federal funding for this plan. Reached out to the Minister of Housing and Infrastructure Canada to talk about funding through the FERN* pot that was announced last year by the federal government. We continue to advocate for these funds through either PT meetings or FPT meetings, and I have a meeting coming up tomorrow, an FPT meeting. But in terms of finding the funds, these, we plan, but we, again, need to find the funds for this. Thank you, Madam Chair.