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

Committee Motion 71-18(2): Tabled Document 261-18(2): Main Estimates 2017-2018, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Deferral of Environment Activity, Carried
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 61)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I guess I'm looking at Fort McMurray, I was down there; I saw what happened, how quickly it can change. It's very scary, and how fires do amazing things. I saw trailers not touched where houses were burnt on both sides and back and front.

So can the department or the Minister provide us some assurances that the department will work with the communities to find some money to help put these firebreaks in place so that we can make these safer communities? We're living in an environment where a lot of our communities do not have the equipment necessary. Even in Fort McMurray...

Committee Motion 71-18(2): Tabled Document 261-18(2): Main Estimates 2017-2018, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Deferral of Environment Activity, Carried
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 61)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Can the Minister tell us how this department and Municipal and Community Affairs work together to work with firebreaks around communities? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Committee Motion 70-18(2): Tabled Document 261-18(2): Main Estimates 2017-2018, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Deferral of Corporate Management Activity, Carried
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 61)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I thank Dr. Kelly for her answer. I’m just struggling with this whole process that there seems to be redundancies they say in the Deh Cho but in some of the other regions, there’s more positions in there. I’m looking at one region where there are four positions combining these two or we’ll have one. I’m struggling with how this works because you talked about water resources is that area. I’m looking at that page and this page here. There seems to be a large number in certain areas. That is a big concern for me.

It also really pushes my concern that it seems to be the...

Committee Motion 70-18(2): Tabled Document 261-18(2): Main Estimates 2017-2018, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Deferral of Corporate Management Activity, Carried
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 61)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I thank the Minister for his answer. I'm a little concerned, though, how the reduction of this position seems to be able to be filled by another position within the department. Does the reduction of this position meet the mandate as set out by this government? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Committee Motion 70-18(2): Tabled Document 261-18(2): Main Estimates 2017-2018, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Deferral of Corporate Management Activity, Carried
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 61)

Thank you, Mr. Chair, and I thank the Minister for that answer. So can the Minister please advise us why the Deh Cho position was cut over the other regions? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 61)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I would just like to ask the Minister just to clarify the four positions. The four positions, one is being retired, correct, and the three positions are not filled, so those three positions, is that money gone, or is that money just staying within the department? I am just trying to get a clear picture on this. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Question 659-18(2): Inclusive Schooling Funding
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 61)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Minister for his answer. I look forward to that information. I guess, when he is providing that information, will the Minister commit to providing us how many new PST teachers will be needed for each school? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Question 659-18(2): Inclusive Schooling Funding
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 61)

I thank the Minister for his answer. I guess my question, though, and I understand that: where is this money? Is it still in the budget? Was it something from here? Okay, thank you.

The Minister has also referenced ECE commitment to seeing a program support teachers in each community NWT school. I understand from our discussions in Committee of the Whole that they will be funded through the health, wellness, and students line item. What dollar amount has been identified to get these positions filled and bring a PST to each NWT school?

Committee Motion 71-18(2): Tabled Document 261-18(2): Main Estimates 2017-2018, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Deferral of Environment Activity, Carried
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 61)

Thank you, Mr. Chair, and I thank the Minister for that answer, that's good to hear. I guess my big concern is that the department does a great job being reactionary, and I give them full credit to it, I'm hoping that the department will start looking at this as being a preventative way of making these communities safe.

In my riding, we live in very treed areas and sometimes the communities are totally engulfed in the trees. I would hope that the Minister can work with the department and get them to start looking at a proactive approach, a plan in place to address this concern in the...

Member’s Statement on Impacts of Climate Change on Transportation Systems in the Sahtu
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 61)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I have been travelling across the NWT, the topic of caribou comes up with a lot of people. The more people I talked to, the more I became interested in what was happening in the Deh Cho in this area. After doing research, I found out the Department of Environment and Natural Resources is doing studies with boreal caribou in the Deh Cho.

Mr. Speaker, it was initiated in 2004 with the deployment of 10 satellite collars on adult female caribou at the request of, and after consultation with, Sambaa K'e Dene Band.

I am happy to say that there are extensive consultations in...