Kieron Testart

Member Range Lake

Kieron Testart was elected to the 20th Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly to represent the constituency of Range Lake.

Mr. Testart was born on March 22, 1985, in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. He was raised in the Northwest Territories, first residing in Tuktoyaktuk and later in Yellowknife, where Mr. Testart now lives with his family, his diverse background and wealth of experiences have shaped his commitment to community development and effective governance.

Mr. Testart was elected as Member of the Legislative Assembly for Kam Lake in the 18th Legislative Assembly, where he demonstrated a keen understanding of the issues facing his constituents. Beyond his legislative roles, Kieron has contributed significantly to the economic development of the region. Serving as the Director of Economic Development for the Yellowknives Dene First Nation from 2021 to 2023. Mr. Testart’s commitment to education and language advocacy is evident in his role as Program Coordinator for Canadian Parents for French from 2020 to 2021. His efforts have extended to policy analysis within the Government of the Northwest Territories and serving as Deputy Sheriff from 2009 to 2014.

Academically, Kieron holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science from the University of Lethbridge (2004-2009) and a Certificate in Parliamentary Governance from McGill University (2017).

Married to Colleen, he is the proud father of Corbin, Eve, and Leander. In addition to his professional pursuits, Kieron finds joy in various hobbies and interests, including a deep passion for Formula 1 and motorsport, a love for film and theatre, grassroots activism, and an avid curiosity about international affairs.

Kieron's commitment to community extends beyond the political realm. As a dedicated volunteer, he has been actively involved in various capacities, including serving on the NWT Federal Liberal Association Board of Directors since 2011, contributing to the Liberal Party of Canada. His volunteer experience also includes a position on the NWT Branch Board of Directors for Canadian Parents for French from 2014 to 2020 and mentoring youth with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada in 2014-2015.

Range Lake Electoral District

Committees

Kieron Testart
Range Lake
Member's Office

Yellowknife NT X1A 2L9
Canada

P.O. Box
1320
Email
Extension
12150
Constituency Office
Email
Phone

Statements in Debates

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 81)

The Minister indicated a number of emergency situations or temporary accommodations due to construction. I think there is a big difference between those circumstances and circumstances where policy changes have brought more students into the school than the school can contain. Will the Minister look at the possibility of modular classroom facilities and report back to both the House and the school board?

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 81)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to know what the Minister of Education's plan is to resolve overcrowding in Ecole St. Joseph's School. Thank you

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 81)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I do see that here. There have been delays in this work previously. Is it smooth sailing ahead, or are we going to continue to see delays on this project? Thank you.

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 81)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. That information is already public. Is there any reason not to print it here, just for greater transparency of these budget documents? Thank you.

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 81)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think that is part of the issue here, is we need to make sure that that money is going into local projects. Can the Minister commit to working with communities to make sure they are maximizing this investment, I know that that is part of leveraging federal funding, but with our own dollars, and taking a look at those surpluses and seeing if they can be invested in projects for today rather than continuing our economic woes, so to speak?

This kind of infrastructure spending creates growth. It is creating record growth in Canada, as part of increased federal...

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 81)

Not to pre-empt this plan, but is this going to be a costed plan that actually has numbers attached to it, or is it an aspirational plan that talks about "support" and "working with" and "capturing" opportunities? Is it a costed plan that is going to actually deliver funds into our communities and get our economy back on track?

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 81)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I suppose this is an ongoing issue with schools in Yellowknife, and I am pleased that the department is trying to lump them out because they are not all the same, and you cannot just take kids from one district and put them in another. You need to work with the school boards. Parents choose to put their kids in those school boards, and those school boards deserve the support, when we put programs like junior kindergarten and inclusive education into these schools. Again, I would like to ask the Minister: can the Minister answer if he has a cost for those modulars, what...

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 80)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just to comment on that approach, it is a prudent solution. However, there may be other infrastructure projects that local communities are focusing on, and, by the department encouraging them to prioritize certain things, it may take away from other stuff that is being planned. If there is any way we could provide the funding directly to them for this specific purpose, I think that would be a more equitable solution than potentially forcing communities to give up on other infrastructure projects that they have been planning for some time, but I will leave that with the...

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 80)

Thank you. I just want to follow up on some of the line of questioning that my honourable friend from Yellowknife Centre made. The Minister made a comment that some of these emergency service needs, such as fire prevention, are going to be addressed by federal infrastructure programs. My understanding is that Infrastructure Canada does not have funding for emergency services infrastructure. Can the Minister address how that is being addressed if it is not through the federal funding programs? Thank you.

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 80)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. If there is a requirement for new telecommunications equipment or new hardware that goes into broadcasting technology, the microphones that we're using today, am I correct that that is therefore all handled by the O and M budget? Thank you.