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

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 9)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to recognize a longterm friend. We grew up together in Hay River and he now lives in Yellowknife. Sean Ivens, welcome to the Legislative Assembly.

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 8)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. First of all, I would like to congratulate the Department and Health and Social Services for working towards the new child and youth mental health workers. I think it is very important. In my riding, it has been a huge concern. Just in the past year, we have had a number of sad incidents and some tragic ones. I have got to thank the departments for working together for that, and I know, from talking with the people in my riding, they are very supportive of this direction of people working together on that.

I would also like to thank the department for continuing to expand...

Question 81-18(3): Process for Disconnecting Service
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 8)

I thank the Minister for that answer. I guess I'm going to have to, kind of, go with that question here: how do they communicate that with the local housing authority? Is it through email? Is it through telephone? How do they communicate that information?

Question 81-18(3): Process for Disconnecting Service
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 8)

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as most people, Members, we end up with issues that are related to people's issues with the Power Corporation and that, or Housing Corporation and, you know, arrears and that. So my questions today are for the Minister responsible for the Northwest Territories Power Corporation. Mr. Speaker, what policy or procedures does the corporation follow when they have overdue accounts? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Committee Motion 26-18(3): Tabled Document 63-18(3): Main Estimates 2018-2019 - Education, Culture and Employment - Deferral of Further Consideration of the Estimates for the Department of Education, Culture and Employment, Carried
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 8)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I am going to try to be brief on mine here. I have a number of comments that I would like to make.

I guess my first one: I would like to applaud the Executive for putting the $250,000 to the Northwest Territories and Nunavut Council of Friendship Centres. I think that is a good investment. What my big thing is, is I would like to see it annually. I think that this organization does some really good work, and we should be doing it annually. It should not be just a onetime offshoot, so I am hoping that the department can look at that. I think that is a good investment for...

Question 81-18(3): Process for Disconnecting Service
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 8)

Thank you, and I thank the Minister for that, and I apologize. It just jumped into my head there, and I appreciate the direct response from the Minister and the commitment. I'm hoping they actually reach out by phone call instead of just by mail. So my last question to the Minister is: does the corporation have a policy that they follow to disconnect the power for good, and what is the threshold for this decisionmaking? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Question 81-18(3): Process for Disconnecting Service
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 8)

I thank the Minister for his answer. Mr. Speaker, we have a number of individuals who live in public housing, and so they have to pay their bills accordingly and that. Can the Minister please advise, if a person lives in public housing, does the Power Corporation reach out to the local housing authority and advise them of the situation? In other words, if the power is going to be cut or restricted?

Member's Statement on Eulogy for Sarah Jane McLeod
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 8)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today, I regret to inform you that Sarah Jane McLeod passed away on October 12, 2017. Sara Jane Isaiah was known as well as Sally. She was born on September 27, 1933, in Fort Simpson, Northwest Territories, to Eva Isaiah and Foster Browning.

Sally grew up in Aklavik as a ward of the church. She attended school there. As an adult, she returned to Fort Simpson, where she did odd jobs around the community before moving to Edmonton to work at the Charles Campsell Hospital. Later on, she returned to the North to work as a domestic worker for the family who ran the Forestry...

Question 79-18(3): Mental Health and Addictions Treatment Facilities
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 7)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I thank the Minister for that answer. I find it very important, especially with the after-care. I mean, that is when they are back here, in the territory, so I appreciate your answer on that. The other big thing that we find, though, is family and the support system that we have here for the people coming back, so my next question to the Minister, Mr. Speaker, is: what support programs are available for family members and spouses who have loved ones who are attending addiction programs outside the NWT? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Question 79-18(3): Mental Health and Addictions Treatment Facilities
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 7)

I thank the Minister for that information, and I appreciate with the youth it is very complex, so I appreciate that number. I will move forward here. The next question I have for the Minister, Mr. Speaker, is: what programs are available to residents before they head off for treatment for the addiction? What do we do to prepare these people as they are going out for their treatments?