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

Shauna Morgan
Yellowknife North
Member's Office

Yellowknife NT X1A 2L9
Canada

P.O. Box
1320
shaunamorgan.yknorth@gmail.com
Constituency Office

Statements in Debates

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 59)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So I understand that the government intends to go out and do some public engagement with stakeholders prior to making any changes to the Public Service Act. Can the Minister explain whether the government intends to offer any guidance or opinions during those public consultations about how the current legislation may interact with Charter rights; will that be part of the public engagement? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 59)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I have a question under education about the funding to support the delivery of the practical nurse program at Aurora College. That's the next section. We're just on the first -- one section at a time. Okay, I'll wait. Thank you for that.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 59)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions here are for the Minister of Justice. I would like to ask about Charter issues related to the Public Service Act which specifies currently that all members of the public service, by default, will be represented by the Union of Northern Workers, or UNW, for the purposes of collective bargaining except, of course, for the teachers who are represented by the NWT Teachers' Association.

So my first question is can the Minister of Justice say whether the act as it currently stands substantially interferes with GNWT employees' rights to freely associate under the...

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 59)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today we have a great number of nurses joining us in the gallery. I hope people look up and see them and acknowledge them, and you may even recognize them. These are the nurses who have been helping you when you get sick or injured. They've been treating your family members, caring for your community members and neighbours. They are here now because they need our help. They need us to care about them.

A recent independent survey by the nursing association revealed that 85 percent of nurses in the NWT want a separate collective agreement. This is important to...

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 59)

Mr. Speaker, today I want to talk about proper channels. GNWT employees, including frontline health workers, are often told if you have a concern, you have to go through the proper channel. Don't take it to the political level, don't take it to the media. And that's all well and good until that refrain is used as an excuse not to do anything or not to take responsibility or to make staff who are already overwhelmed chase after yet another manager or fill out yet another form.

Sometimes staff have already gone through every channel available to them, and no solution has been communicated back to...

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 59)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to welcome a number of visitors we have to our gallery today. I want to welcome Yellowknife North constituent Tamara Holliday, registered nurse, and also one of the leaders with our Local 11. I want to recognize Zach Coady, also a Yellowknife North constituent. I want to recognize Allen Linde from YK North and Eemon Linde, and I think there's a number of others who have joined us today. Thank you all so much for taking time out of your day to be part of these debates and discussions. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 59)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to ask for unanimous consent to return to number 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 59)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the Statement of Consistency with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples for Bill 26-21, An Act to Amend the Public Service Act. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 59)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So that is encouraging to know that the government has agreed to participate in the workshop. Is there a time by which the government will have to confirm or decide, indicating to the NWT Medical Association that it is willing to go forward and enter into these style of negotiations? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 58)

Okay, that's great news. Thank you to the Minister for that. Is there other changes the department is working on to the Medical Professions Act that would further reduce barriers to labour mobility, and what are the timelines on those kinds of changes? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.