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
Member 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

Motion 33-20(1): Municipal Funding Gap, Carried
Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 24)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So I will also be supporting this motion. It's well known, and certainly those of us who have been in municipal government, know how deep this cuts when it comes to the impacts on municipalities. But just to give some more perspective on, you know, where the gap -- or the size of the gap that we're dealing with. You know, according to our government's own calculations, so in terms of water and waste funding, on average, communities only get about 52 percent of what they're owed. On average, in terms of operations and maintenance funding, communities get about 74 percent...

Committee Motion 30-20(1): Deferral Motion – Tabled Document 111-20(1): Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 1, 2024-2025
Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 24)

Thank you for that. So I'm still not clear what ITI or the GNWT's role in that is, but that could be a further conversation. But my final question, so one of the specific actions that ITI has in its business plan to support housing is connecting economic analysis of the housing sector to determine whether an industry led microcluster could be fostered for the NWT Housing sector I suppose as a whole. Can you explain what exactly that would involve? I don't really understand what that action is at all. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Committee Motion 30-20(1): Deferral Motion – Tabled Document 111-20(1): Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 1, 2024-2025
Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 24)

Okay. And that is -- certainly, I think, fisheries are an important industry that we don't want to lose sight of. But probably a whole other conversation in and of itself that I won't get into now.

My next question, so the SEED program -- well, the first question -- I know that there's going to be an incorporation of arts funding all into ITI. Is the arts funding that used to be done through ECE all to come out of SEED funding, or is it coming out of somewhere else in this line? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Committee Motion 30-20(1): Deferral Motion – Tabled Document 111-20(1): Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 1, 2024-2025
Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 24)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So my first question is about Prosper NWT. And so it looks like the budget has been reduced by about 24 percent between last year's budget and this year's budget. Can the Minister explain what's happening there or the rationale behind that? Thank you.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 24)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So I definitely appreciate the challenges and the dilemma that we're in. I'm just concerned that we're approving money for something that we might not be able to actually accomplish.

On the second one, in term of the acquisition of portables for Colville Lake, do we have a better news story on that one? Do we expect that that will actually be accomplished with the $2.824 million?

Committee Motion 30-20(1): Deferral Motion – Tabled Document 111-20(1): Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 1, 2024-2025
Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 24)

That's fine. Thank you for that. And that is quite astonishing to see that that specific thing was included in legislation. Thank you.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 24)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So I absolutely agree that we need to make sure that there is appropriate space for kids to go to school in Tuktoyaktuk and Coville Lake and all the other places. Just to clarify, though, is this $2.325 million definitely going to get those modular classrooms up to Tuk and get them set up and going? Do we have confirmation that that is what it will take, and we will be able to do that with that amount of money? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Committee Motion 30-20(1): Deferral Motion – Tabled Document 111-20(1): Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 1, 2024-2025
Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 24)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. In terms of revenues and potential revenues from our parks and campgrounds, I know that there were some changes made recently. So on the one hand, I'm wondering what the department can do to ensure that low income people across our territory still have as much access as possible to parks and campgrounds. I'll start with that one. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 24)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I guess what I'm trying to get at here is if we set out ahead of time that certain equipment or infrastructure needs upgrading or replacing or maintenance or repair at certain times, it's generally based on our expected costs of what would happen if we didn't do those upgrades or maintenance or repairs, you know, things might start to break down or they don't work efficiently, or. Do we expect any increase costs in repair, maintenance, O and M, from delaying upgrades that NTPC has previously identified that it requires? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Committee Motion 30-20(1): Deferral Motion – Tabled Document 111-20(1): Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 1, 2024-2025
Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 24)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. And to be clear, I mean, I'm aware that there is independent geological analysis done of the, you know, geological claims that are being made, but I'm looking for more of an independent analysis by an economist. But I'll leave that for now. And last question on that is were there any recommendations coming from that evaluation done in 2020, and if so, have those recommendations been actually implemented? Thank you, Mr. Chair.