Member Nahendeh

Speaker

Shane Thompson was re-elected to the 20th Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly after serving in the 18th and 19th Assemblies representing the constituency of Nahendeh. Mr. Thompson is the Honorable Speaker of the 20th Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly.

Mr. Thompson was first elected to the 18th Assembly in November 2015 and served as Chair of the Standing Committee on Social Development. Mr. Thompson was also a member of the Standing Committee on Priorities and Planning, the Standing Committee on Rules and Procedures, and the Striking Committee.

Mr. Thompson was born on July 11, 1963, in Hay River. He has lived in Kugluktuk (Coppermine), Inuvik, Hay River, and in Edmonton, while at the University of Alberta. Fort Simpson has been his home since 1992.

Mr. Thompson previously served two terms (three years each) as an elected official with the Fort Simpson District Education Authority, spending the last four years as the chairperson. Over the past 35 years, he has served on various community and territorial boards.

Mr. Thompson was employed as the Senior Sport and Recreation Coordinator with Municipal and Community Affairs (GNWT) in the Deh Cho region before being elected as a Member.

Mr. Thompson completed the Community Recreation Leaders Program at Arctic College in 1989 and is currently working on a Masters Certificate on Evaluation at the University of Victoria and Carleton University. He also completed three years towards an Education degree at the University of Alberta.

Mr. Thompson is an active volunteer with Northern Youth Aboard, CBET and Fundamental Movement, and HIGH FIVE®. As well, he is a past member of the Sport North Federation Board, NWT Softball and of NWTRPA, and the past president of Seven Spruce Golf Course.

Mr. Thompson is the father of seven children - five daughters and two sons – and has nine grandchildren.

He has been a Justice of the Peace since 1991.

Nahendeh Electoral District

Committees

Shane Thompson
Nahendeh
Member's Office

Yellowknife NT X1A 2L9
Canada

P.O. Box
1320
Constituency Office

9706-100th Street
Fort Simpson NT X0E 0N0
Canada

Statements in Debates

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 165)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, unfortunately, these people that were impacted by the fires there, their accommodations we're relooking at it in January. But as we work on it, it might be extended until we get them actually back into their home or a replacement home as we work through that process. So right now, we got it in January and then we will be as we move forward, we'll be looking at each individual case by case. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 164)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following two documents: Northwest Territories 911 20222023 Annual Report; and, Municipal and Community Affairs Wildfire 2023 - High Level Chronology. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 164)

I guess I didn't make myself clear, and I apologize to the House and the public out there. It's going to be my recommendation to the next Assembly I repeat the next Assembly, not this Assembly here. We only got two weeks left. So there is no way we could do justice to the work that needs to be done. So what we're saying is that we're making the recommendation to the next government, whether Cabinet and AOC, to look at this, develop a terms of reference, develop a special committee to do the work. It can't be done, and we don't want to shortchange the work that needs to be done. We need to be...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 164)

Thank you. That's kind of both portfolios. So we will be both both departments will be doing an afteraction review of what the situation is. With ECC, we deal with individual situations that are impacting communities. So there will be I call it a number of chapters that we're having impacted communities that were with the wildfire. So we'll be doing that. And then we will do an overall review of the impact of the fire season itself.

Now, in regards to Municipal and Community Affairs, it's going to be an independent report. We will be going out to the public. We will be going out, and we will...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 164)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, with those type of questions, I would encourage the Member to reach out to the Minister of Finance and Minister of Infrastructure to answer the energy and finance. I know Members on the other side think that I have all the answers, but other departments have the work that do the work on this area. So I would encourage the Member to reach out to them. Thank you.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 164)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Department of Environment and Climate Change is the GNWT lead for climate change using a coordinated interdepartmental approach that is outlined in the 2030 NWT Climate Change Strategic Framework. Under the framework, the Department of Infrastructure implements an energy strategy which is how the GNWT addresses reducing greenhouse gas emissions related to energy supply and consumption. The Department of Finance implements the NWT carbon tax approach. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 164)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it seems as some people on the other side thinks being on this side's easy. I'd love to be on that other side to ask those questions and get them you know, and say, when are you going to get it resolved and how are you going to do it. And I know Members over there say well, we got to fix it. We have a process. We have investigations going on. So, Mr. Speaker, a terms of reference has been developed, and we have identified an independent party to review the or to conduct a review. And the review will be conducted once the investigation has been completed...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 164)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, these incidents are still being investigated for suspected illegal harvesting in a mobile zone and wastage of edible caribou. I can tell you that I met with the chief last fall and have written to him to offer to work on reconciliation efforts once an investigation is completed. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 164)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about this summer's devastating wildfire season that affected a majority of Northwest Territories residents. Territorial emergencies began in May and ended in September and saw a total of 12 communities impacted and roughly 70 percent of all NWT residents evacuated from their communities.

I understand how stressful these emergency events must have been for residents. I was an evacuee myself in the spring of 2021 and understand the challenges and the anxiety that these situations bring. There are also challenging days ahead as many of...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 164)

Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. I can't speak for Cabinet. That's the Premier's role and responsibility. But what I'm saying, my personal, opinion is that the next Assembly, the next Cabinet, the next AOC sits down and has that conversation. If they feel it needs to be led by X, then great. I agree. The next Assembly needs to do that. And it's not going to be a Cabinet or AOC directive. I believe it should be the collective when they meet at the very beginning when they talk about some of the mandates that they need to do, some of the things that they need to task the next Assembly to get done...