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

Oral Question 1141-19(2): Standard Offer of Agreement
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 117)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the RFP for apartments, hotels, and B and Bs was just done on Monday. We're working procurement, and we're trying to work as fast as we can to try and get that standard offer out there for accommodations. As soon as we get it, we will make sure that Members are aware of it as well as the contractors who have submitted to the bid. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Oral Question 1139-19(2): National Building Code Standards
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 117)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the NBC 2015 requires at least two exits, and there must be arranged so that they are clear, visible, identifiable, and accessible.

For public safety reasons, we cannot facilitate a single means of exit, the current adoption or adopted code, as well as the 2020 code, requires two exits to ensure that at least one exit is available during emergency evacuation if one is blocked due to fire or smoke. I do not want to be the Minister that has only one exit and we have a fatality going out there. So we are going to follow the code as it is and follow the...

Minister’s Statement 255-19(2): Enhancing Transparency and Client Experience
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 117)

Mr. Speaker, I would like to provide an update on the Department of Lands' progress related to enhancing transparency and client experience for residents of the Northwest Territories.

Mr. Speaker, the Department of Lands is an active member in the Government of the Northwest Territories Open Data Initiative, which aims to increase government transparency and accountability by proactively making data available to the public, while respecting our privacy, security, and legal obligations.

In support of this initiative, the Department recently expanded the information and data related to land...

Recorded Vote
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 117)

In favour.

Oral Question 1142-19(2): Regional Assessment of the Arctic Corridor
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 117)

Well, Mr. Speaker, first of all, caribou are very important, and I don't need anybody to tell me that. I live it. My family lives it. Indigenous governments live it.

I've been talking with Indigenous leadership. We are going to Nunavut this month to talk about caribou.

So I thank the Member for that. But caribou are very important.

To answer his question, the GNWT expects that any regional assessments would include opportunity for meaningful Indigenous and public participation. The GNWT support federal participation funding for our regional strategic environmental assessment if one is held. The...

Oral Question 1142-19(2): Regional Assessment of the Arctic Corridor
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 117)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, sometimes people say perfect is the enemy of good. Well, if we do good, then we get criticized for not being perfect. So we need to do the job right. So I just want to make that very clear.

The federal government has agreed to hold primary discussions with Indigenous governments, the GNWT, the Government of Nunavut, and boards. The GNWT will actively participate in this engagement. The GNWT has not developed a position on a regional assessment. I need to stress we have not come up with a position.

The GNWT will first be participating in engagements led by...

Oral Question 1141-19(2): Standard Offer of Agreement
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 117)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm more than willing to work with the Member on this, as well as the Member from the Deh Cho. Right now our schedule is getting really, really busy, but this is an important thing, and I'm hoping that I can do it middle of next week starting Wednesday. I think that's where my schedule allows me to get in there. So, yes, I will be making that commitment to work with the Member to get in there you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Oral Question 1141-19(2): Standard Offer of Agreement
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 117)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I said earlier that we were working on this and it's just getting finalized with the deputy minister who will be sending it to our office. And once that is done, within probably 24 hours, we'll have that information out to the pathfinders, the MLAs that are affected which is, you know, Deh Cho, Hay River North, Hay River South. So we will make sure that they have that information to them as well as the pathfinders as well as the insurance companies that we have had reach out to us. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Oral Question 1139-19(2): National Building Code Standards
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 117)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the standard's already in place in the NWT as referenced in the current adopted edition of the National Building Code 2015. Many additional changes are incorporated in the 2020 edition of the NBC to further improve the accessibility design. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Oral Question 1139-19(2): National Building Code Standards
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 117)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the NWT is currently using the 2015 National Building Standards or the National Building Code. The code permits construction of mass timber buildings up to six stories. The 2020 edition that the Member's talking about was released in March of 2022, and the fire marshal's office has up to two years, or until 2024, to adopt it. But I'm happy here to say it to this here in the House and for the people out there that the fire marshal's office will be adopting it in the first quarter of the 2023 fiscal year. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.