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 , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 41)

Thank you. When the Minister and department is going to be coming to committee to present, will we have the actual bottom line what money we have? When I’m hearing $22 in the bank and $875,000 here, I mean, it sounds like we have $22,875,000 minus liabilities and that. Now, I’m sitting here, trying to understand this. If we look at the liabilities, we look at the assets and depreciation of the equipment and that, our numbers actually go down, if I am understanding this correctly. Can the Minister or Mr. McCormick please clarify? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 41)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Can Mr. McCormick explain the bank balance? Is this a liability? Does this involve the equipment? Is that $22 million in cash? Is that what it is? Or is this assets and product? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

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...

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?

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?

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 41)

I hope that the Minister and the department actually really looks at it because, from what I understand, it sounds like a good idea.

The last question I do have is just in regards to when he talked about cost of freight going up the Dempster to Tuktoyaktuk. Now we have that road there. Have you guys or will you guys look at the cost of doing this? I understand that the railhead is here. This is the cost going up the railhead, but here is the cost going up on the Dempster to Tuktoyaktuk highway. Because I mean, to me, we spent a lot of money on building that road, and here is an opportunity to...

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 41)

I greatly appreciate that answer from the Minister. Yes, they are doing some really good work, trying to get the ferry operational and extending as possible.

In my previous conversations with the Minister, I spoke about the idea of moving the ferry landing to the Enbridge road and having the other landing relocated to the town dock. Has the Minister and the department looked at this option and have they done a cost analysis?

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 41)

Thank you. I thank Mr. McCormick for explaining that. Will the Minister provide this information at the meeting and explain exactly how that works so we can understand that? I mean, for me, I understand a little bit better, but I would like to be able to get that information out to my communities, even though they are not on the large shipment process. With this petroleum product eating the cost, the freight, it has an impact or could have an impact. I am hearing from Mr. McCormick that it doesn’t, but can we get that clarified and presented at the committee meeting? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 41)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have a couple of constituents here: Lyla Pierre from Sambaa Ke, Nathan McPherson from Fort Simpson. Also in the crowd is the Mackenzie Recreation Association, a number of members of them, who just celebrated their 25th anniversary, and I am very proud to recognize them here, in the House. I had an opportunity to work with a number of them previously: Janie Hobart, Erin Porter, Jessica VanOverbeek -- I said her name wrong; sorry, Jessica -- and Dale Loutit. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 41)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I think the people of the communities are happy with that. What is that cost going to be if we are providing it for free? Thank you, Mr. Chair.