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 37)

I thank the Minister and the staff for getting out there and talking to the IGOs. I think that is what he says he is calling it. I'm not too sure what that is, but I thank him for that. I guess my next question is in regard to this information sheet. Why wasn't this information sheet done before they started posting up? Why wasn't this information shared out there to the general public until now when they are asking for it?

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 37)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to follow up with some more questions to the Minister of Lands. When he talked about going into Nahendeh to consult and talk to the people, he's talking about October 22nd and the 25th. There are six communities in the Nahendeh riding, so can the Minister please explain where they are meeting, and with whom they are meeting? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 37)

I thank the Minister for that answer. Again, government is sloughing on the responsibility. I have asked him: how can we get the government, the Department of Lands, to get that information to the cabin owners? I am not asking about Indigenous governments. I am not asking about process. I am asking him how we are going to get that information to the residents, the ones who are the traditional peoples. The hunters and trappers who are out there are getting notices right now, saying that, you know, you have got to come in. So how are we getting that information to them, just putting a notice up...

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 37)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this is a follow-up on my Member's statement today here. My questions will be for the Minister of Lands. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister explain why residents are feeling that their treaty rights are being taken away by having their cabins be considered unauthorized occupancy on their own traditional land? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 37)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, the Standing Committee on Social Development concluded its review of Bill 16, An Act to Amend the Social Assistance Act, on September 27, 2018, with a public hearing held at the Legislative Assembly building. No public submissions were received concerning this bill. The committee supports the changes contained in the bill as outlined by the Minister. Individual Members may have additional comments or questions as we proceed with the consideration of this bill. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 37)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, before I get into my Member's statement, I would like to inform the House that I am going to be out of the House on Tuesday to Thursday for personal issues. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, during my visit to the communities of Fort Liard and Wrigley, the chiefs were questioning why the GNWT is charging members or looking at charging band members who have traditional cabins $840 per year. This goes against Treaty 11. The chiefs were able to share with me the Report of The Commissioner for Treaty No. 11, dated October 12, 1921. The author of the report was D.C. Scott...

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 37)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, the Standing Committee on Social Development concluded its review of Bill 14, the Miscellaneous Statute Law Amendment Act, 2018, on September 27, 2018, with a public hearing held at the Legislative Assembly building.

So-called "housekeeping bills" such as these ensure that territorial legislation is subject to regular review for consistency and accuracy. A minor amendment was made at the committee clause-by-clause review and was concurred with by the Minister. Following the committee's review, a motion was carried to report Bill 14, the Miscellaneous Statute Law...

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 37)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I appreciate the Minister taking my well-being into account, and I appreciate that. I thank him very much. So, when we talk about unauthorized occupancy, traditional cabins are not unauthorized occupancy. That is a right. So is the government looking at asking them to actually get leases after it's all said and done?

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 37)

I thank the Minister for that answer. My understanding is he is going to get a list to us, to myself, anyway, to show me whom he has been talking to in the Nahendeh riding. I must apologize to the Minister; the information sheet. Well, I guess it's the information. So will the Minister be willing to provide that information to us so we can share it with the residents of the Northwest Territories?

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 37)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and if the Minister is confused, now I'm going to get confused, because he's the one who told me they were going to do this information sheet. So if he doesn't know what it is, we are in real deep trouble here. So will the Minister tell me exactly when that information sheet is going to be out, given to us, so we can share it with our constituents? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.