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

Committee Motion 44-20(1): Tabled Document 193-20(1): 2025-2026 Capital Estimates – Education, Culture and Employment – Deferral of Department, Carried
Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 33)

I definitely appreciate that. So when the department is considering new highways, new capital highway projects, is the data about how much it takes to maintain and repair a highway each year -- is that taken into account in terms of predicting future O and M and capital costs for a highway; is that taken into account before embarking on a new highway capital project? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Committee Motion 45-20(1): Tabled Document 193-20(1): 2025-2026 Capital Estimates – Infrastructure - Deferral of Department, Carried
Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 33)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. When this project was thought up, was there alternatives that were identified in a, you know, project proposal in terms of how else they challenges might be addressed? And does that document still exist somewhere? I know that it's -- we're a little bit further along into the project now but I'm just trying to understand how a project like this gets ranked as sort of top priority as a major new capital building in our territorial budget when it seems that there are alternatives to building a $32 million building. But were other possible solutions to those challenges...

Committee Motion 44-20(1): Tabled Document 193-20(1): 2025-2026 Capital Estimates – Education, Culture and Employment – Deferral of Department, Carried
Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 33)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister explain which kind of highway repairs would fall under capital versus which might fall under operations and maintenance? We see a number of different highway projects listed here under asset management. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Committee Motion 45-20(1): Tabled Document 193-20(1): 2025-2026 Capital Estimates – Infrastructure - Deferral of Department, Carried
Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 33)

Okay, thank you, Mr. Chair. And so currently these services are already being provided out of a leased space, so -- but an A rating for mitigation, I think -- unless I'm misunderstanding the system -- implies that there's very few to no alternatives. What's wrong with the idea of just continuing to lease space instead of building a new $32 million building? Thank you.

Committee Motion 43-20(1): Tabled Document 193-20(1): 2025-2026 Capital Estimates – Municipal and Community Affairs – Deferral of Department, Carried
Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 33)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. And certainly this is a new area for me as well, but can the Minister confirm whether or not education authorities are actually aligned with ECE's own capital standards or they're not yet. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Committee Motion 45-20(1): Tabled Document 193-20(1): 2025-2026 Capital Estimates – Infrastructure - Deferral of Department, Carried
Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 33)

So just to clarify, $16 million has already been spent but construction hasn't begun? Does that mean materials have already been procured, or that $16 million has been spent on, like, planning stages?

Committee Motion 43-20(1): Tabled Document 193-20(1): 2025-2026 Capital Estimates – Municipal and Community Affairs – Deferral of Department, Carried
Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 33)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So can the Minister or her staff clarify in that process of working things out with the Aurora College board, did you ask them to identify projects like under a certain funding limit, like within a certain funding range? Okay, we could afford to do things around this range, what have you got for us, or did you ask them to identify projects based on the level of urgency? I'm just wondering how this particular project was identified as something that we should do now and not something that we should look to the federal government to fund or put off until later. I'm...

Committee Motion 45-20(1): Tabled Document 193-20(1): 2025-2026 Capital Estimates – Infrastructure - Deferral of Department, Carried
Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 33)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So first I wanted to ask some questions about the territorial fire centre. Can the Minister just provide us with the total budget for building this new project. Thank you.

Question 368-20(1): Early Literacy Development and Support
Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 33)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And finally, does the department see further opportunities to involve traditional knowledge experts and Indigenous language experts in developing and delivering these early language programs? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Committee Motion 44-20(1): Tabled Document 193-20(1): 2025-2026 Capital Estimates – Education, Culture and Employment – Deferral of Department, Carried
Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 33)

Okay, so that would amount to $10 million of GNWT funding just for planning, which I would consider a very significant amount of money for something we're not even sure is a good idea.

In terms of this project's priority ranking, I know that all the projects go through the planning process. We see at the back of our books that it has to be evaluated according to impact, severity of impact, and urgency in mitigation. Can the Minister share with us how this project was rated in terms of the urgency of the project, the severity of the impact, and also mitigation, so what other options could there...