Shane Thompson

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

Board of Management
Nahendeh
Member's Office

Yellowknife NT X1A 2L9
Canada

P.O. Box
1320
Email
Email
Phone
867-767-9141
Extension
11128
Constituency Office

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

Phone
867-695-3780

Statements in Debates

Question 434-18(3): Education Renewal – School Funding Framework
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 42)

I'm looking forward to seeing the positive impact it will have on the students, the teachers, and the communities. Mr. Speaker, will the Minister be able to tell us will this change be a new policy moving forward, or is this just a one-time shot for this year?

Question 434-18(3): Education Renewal – School Funding Framework
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 42)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today the Minister of Culture, Education and Employment did a Minister's statement on renewing the NWT education system, and, on page 3, she spoke about revising the school funding framework to provide resources to ensure no less than two full-time teacher positions are allocated to each school. This is a very important step, and I'd like to thank the Minister and the department for doing this. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister advise why this issue was not addressed before the start of the school year? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Member's Statement on Passing of Dennis Buboire
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 42)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, Dennis Buboire was a true warrior, battling one disease after another up to his passing on June 23, 2018, at St. Boniface Hospital, with his wife, Gloria, and his son, Levi, at his side.

Dennis was born and raised in Pine Falls, Manitoba; lived and worked in Winnipeg and Thompson, Manitoba; Toronto, Ontario; and most recently, Fort Simpson, NWT.

In 2001, Dennis accepted a position with the Government of the Northwest Territories, Department of Municipal and Community Affairs as a Capital Infrastructure and Works Planning Manager for the Deh Cho region. Fort...

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 42)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I thank the Minister for the commitment. I have no further questions. Thank you.

Question 443-18(3): Public Information on Taxation of Traditional Cabins
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 42)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Stage one, is that the only number he knows? Really, I have asked the question: how many stages are there? Stage one, yes. We know that. We are trying to find out how many stages are there. Is it 100? At the end of the day, who makes the final decision on, what is it called? Rights-based cabins. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Question 443-18(3): Public Information on Taxation of Traditional Cabins
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 42)

I thank the Minister for the non-answer again. It is really discouraging, very discouraging, to see this government is downloading on the IGOs. They are saying, "Here you go. Here you go." They are not taking responsibility. We are trying to get information out there.

The Minister said it was stage one or step one. Will the Minister please explain how many stages there are through this since we get this information out there? How many stages are there? The Minister talks about a letter; it is stamped confidential, so we can't even share this information.

Can the Minister tell us how many stages...

Question 434-18(3): Education Renewal – School Funding Framework
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 42)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I hope that the Financial Management Board will continue to support that because I think this is a very important initiative being brought forth by the Minister. So, can the Minister advise us: will this have an impact on the support staff, like the classroom assistants and language specialists?

Question 432-18(3): Land Rights for Traditional Cabins
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 41)

Thank you. The Minister of Hope. Every time I ask him a question, we get this "hope" answer. "I hope something will happen." "I am hoping this." This is the Government of the Northwest Territories, not the Indigenous government, not DFN. This is the Government of the Northwest Territories' responsibility.

The question I asked the Minister was: will he give us the same information that he has given to these Indigenous government organizations so that we can go out there and get that information to them? I am not asking him to say "hope" that those other organizations are going to do it. I am...

Question 432-18(3): Land Rights for Traditional Cabins
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 41)

Yes, he has worked with Indigenous governments, and he is organizing that. However, this is a regional government, and these cabin owners are community-based. I know that Acho Dene is getting consulting as well, but again, what about the other three communities out there: Wrigley, Nahanni Butte, and Sambaa K'e? Is it DFN's responsibility now to get that information out there?

This is a government decision, not DFN's thing. Will the Minister advise us, will they look at going to the smaller communities and getting this information out there?

Question 426-18(3): Fort Simpson Ferry Service
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 41)

I thank the Minister for that answer. It actually comes down to the million-dollar question: has the department looked at actually building a bridge across the Liard River? We are talking about Mackenzie Valley Highway. We are doing a bridge up at the Great Bear River. Has the department looked at building a bridge or a floating bridge, similar to what there is in BC, using the two islands in the river? Have they done a cost analysis of that?