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, 2nd Session (day 74)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize Terry Jaffray, or Teresa Jaffray, as I found out her real name was today, or yesterday, actually, and her husband Brian Jaffray, who both are constituents in my riding, as well as Mayada Echtay, who is one of my new constituents' assistant. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 74)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I guess my concern is: when asked the question are we going into business against a company that is in my riding? In my riding, we have a company that deals in the Sahtu and down the river to the Fort Liard in Nahendeh. Is this company, MTS, going to be in business against the company that is in my riding? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Question 801-18(2): Maintenance of Highway Roadside Turn-offs
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 74)

I thank the Minister for that answer. It is great to hear that this is starting to happen. I am happy to see we have got an increase of 2.3 per cent of tourists coming into our territorial parks, and, in my riding, 49.84 per cent have seen an increase at Blackstone. To me, these sites are important. Roadside assistance is important to clean them and that. Is the Minister able to share with us the schedule, or is maintenance just done day-to-day?

Question 801-18(2): Maintenance of Highway Roadside Turn-offs
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 74)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we have seen in the news and my colleagues and the Cabinet have heard people talk about turn-offs and the shape that they are in, and in my riding people are asking who is responsible for this. I assumed it was ITI or ENR or both of them, but I was not totally sure. Can the Minister responsible for Infrastructure identity who is responsible for what with these road turnoffs? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Acknowledgment 24-18(2): Bernice Hardisty-Isaiah, 2017 Premier's Award for Collaboration Recipient
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 74)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate my constituent, Miss Bernice Hardisty-Isaiah, for receiving the Premier's Award for collaboration for implementation of the NWT cancer strategy. I've had the pleasure of working with Bernice in previous positions and I'm happy to see her hard work recognized. With a big heart and sympathetic spirit, she has always been dedicated to the entire well-being. On behalf of the region, I would like to express the pride we have in her for receiving this work. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Question 797-18(2): Designated Authority Council Training
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 73)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today, the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs did a Minister's statement on designated authority council training. It is very exciting, and I am happy to hear this. I guess my first question for the Minister is additional funding to support delivery. If this delivery is going to be done by the internet, what additional costs are we looking at for this delivery of the program? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Committee Motion 107-18(2): Comprehensive Response to Committee Report 10-18(2) within 120 days, Carried
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 73)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I guess it has been a very long day. Mr. Chair, I move that this Assembly recommend that the government provide a comprehensive response to this report and its recommended actions within 120 days. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Question 789-18(2): Nutrition North Program
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 73)

I thank the Premier for his answer. It is unfortunate the federal government is going to look after this program because it is hurting a number of northern communities, especially in my riding. Mr. Speaker, will the Premier work with his Ministers to come up with a plan that we can take to the federal government to address issues of communities who don't have stores or have challenges such as transportation and freight issues, or do not have stores at all if the federal government allows them to?

Committee Motion 105-18(2): Bill 16, An Act to Amend the Education Act, Amendment to Clause 4 (re: mandatory review of hours of instruction after three years by the Legislative ASsembly), defeated
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 73)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. As I said previously, I did contact a number of people in the union and in the department and spoke about this. The union agrees. We need to do an evaluation and move forward and so has the department talked about their evaluation. What committee has done is remodeled our – modeled after the statuary requirement to review the Official Language Act, established options to formally engage a committee, the Legislative Assembly in reviewing of its items or significant changed interest.

We also picked the date of saying we wanted the sitting as of July 1st, which normally will...

Question 789-18(2): Nutrition North Program
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 73)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, for the past few days, I've used my Member's statements to talk about Nutrition North. As stated in my statements, this program is not working for my riding. To add to this, we have seen numerous reports and articles about the challenges this program faces across the North. Mr. Speaker, can the Premier inform this house which department is working with the federal government to make this program work better for small and isolated communities in the North? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.