Shauna Morgan

Member Yellowknife North

Shauna Morgan was elected to the 20th Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly to represent the constituency of Yellowknife North.

Ms. Morgan was born and raised in Barrie, Ontario. Having called Yellowknife home for the past 15 years, she has embraced the dynamic, creative and eclectic lifestyle in Old Town near Great Slave Lake.

Ms. Morgan’s commitment to public service is evident in her two consecutive terms on Yellowknife City Council from 2015 to 2022. During this time, she held pivotal roles, including Deputy Mayor, Chair of the Community Energy Planning Committee, and Chair of the Community Advisory Board on Homelessness.

Ms. Morgan holds degrees in International Development (B.A. Hons) and International Affairs (M.A.), specializing in community economic and political development in remote and Indigenous communities globally. She worked with a grassroots cross-cultural peacebuilding movement in the Philippines from 2002 to 2003. Her master's research delved into negotiations between mineral exploration companies and First Nations in Canada, focusing on land access during the earliest stages of mineral exploration.

Over the past 15 years in Yellowknife, Ms. Morgan has prioritized work at the community level. Working with private consulting firms and a non-profit thinktank focused on clean energy, she served as a resource person to Indigenous governments and communities across the NWT. Her contributions ranged from planning renewable energy projects to housing initiatives, building cross-cultural environmental research and monitoring programs, and navigating the complexities of major resource extraction projects.

Ms. Morgan has drawn on her well-rounded skill set to diversify her professional pursuits. While serving as a City Councillor, she managed her own piano teaching studio, worked as an on-the-Land educator with Bushkids NWT, and contributed for many years as a full-time member of the Snow Castle construction crew and snow carving team. Additionally, she engaged in facilitation and consulting contracts.

Active in the arts community, Ms. Morgan provides piano accompaniment for Yellowknife’s Aurora Chorealis (adult community choir) and Fireweed Children’s Choir. She served as a Board member for the Yellowknife Women’s Society and a weekly volunteer with Food Rescue and has dedicated time to the Yellowknife Ski Club and Victim Services.

Ms. Morgan’s love for the land is palpable in her adventurous spirit. She enjoys a myriad of outdoor activities in the North across all seasons, from whitewater and flatwater canoe trips to hiking in Auyuittuq National Park and along the Canol Trail. Her passion extends to cycle touring, cross-country skiing, mountain biking, and hunting for moose and ducks with her partner.

Yellowknife North Electoral District

Committees

Accountability and Oversight
Social Development
Economic Development & Environment
Shauna Morgan
Yellowknife North
Member's Office

Yellowknife NT X1A 2L9
Canada

P.O. Box
1320
Email
Email
Phone
(867) 767-9143
Extension
12170
shaunamorgan.yknorth@gmail.com
Constituency Office
Email
Email

Statements in Debates

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 48)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I do think that is very important to -- you know, by next budget season, to have a very intentional system that we can show in the budget that we are planning for forced growth and inflation in the grants and contributions that we give to those non-profits providing those essential services. So I'm glad to hear that that is a goal, and I do really urge the department to prioritize this to make sure that by next year budget cycle we have that in place. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 47)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I just wanted to ask whether Housing NWT is considering getting out of the business of leasing buildings, I mean, to other GNWT departments or other community-based organizations and whether, for example, this activity would be better housed under, like, Department of Infrastructure. I guess -- okay, I'll just leave that as my first question to the Minister. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 47)

Okay, thank you, Mr. Chair. I'm going to leave that for now. I'm still confused; if we don't even know yet who's going to own and operate or how these units are going to work, I'm not sure how we can get a very specific number like $408,000 in savings if we're not sure what's happening to the units. But to be continued.

I had a few questions about items in the business plan that I think are related to this page. So on page 407 of the business plan under -- it's titled initiatives of community housing, it talks about the goal of working with Indigenous governments or NGOs to create supportive or...

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 47)

Thank you. And so can you clarify when you're talking about these nine training sessions, is that with staff that are already working for the LHOs and they're gaining additional skills, or are these -- is that training people so that we can hire new people or training people who work for other organizations such as Indigenous governments to -- like, who are we training, and are we hoping to get them, like, certifications out of this, or what is the -- really the expected outcome from those trainings? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 47)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I do have a few remaining questions. The first is just following up on the last line of questions that I was asking about the HELP program and the disposition of those 51 units. The Minister or her staff people had said that the adjustment is $408,000. I think there's a reduction there. Can the Minister explain where those savings come from? How are we saving $408,000 by disposing of the units? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 47)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. And thank you for clarifying. So that is good to know and that we have plans for the additional three. Does the Minister have any insights on what is -- what are some of the barriers to trying to fill up all those positions and whether there's opportunities for broader partnerships with ECE or Aurora College to try to make sure that we can fill up all those apprenticeship spots? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Question 556-20(1): Homeownership Programs and Supports
Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 47)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the Minister for having those numbers on hand.

So 21 out of 190 units is a pretty low percentage I think we can all agree. Can the Minister explain what were some of the barriers or challenges that prevented more of those HELP tenants from actually achieving that homeownership that they set out to achieve when they joined the program? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 47)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. That's all my questions on this page.

Member’s Statement 522-20(1): Homeownership in the Northwest Territories
Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 47)

Mr. Speaker, lots of people here in Yellowknife dream of being able to afford their own home, but more people in small NWT communities can't even dream about it because the path to homeownership is barely possible. And it wasn't always this way. This is a story that many others in this room know much better than me.

Obviously, people used to build their own homes where they wanted, then the federal government started pushing people into government housing around the late 1950s with the promise of $2 a month rent. And sometimes the government actively demolished the homes that people had built...

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 47)

Okay, thank you for that. And do we have numbers yet for 2024-2025 in terms of whether it was fully subscribed? Thank you, Mr. Chair.