Shane Thompson

Member Nahendeh

Speaker

Shane Thompson was re-elected to the 20th Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly after serving in the 18th and 19th Assemblies representing the constituency of Nahendeh. Mr. Thompson is the Honorable Speaker of the 20th Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly.

Mr. Thompson was first elected to the 18th Assembly in November 2015 and served as Chair of the Standing Committee on Social Development. Mr. Thompson was also a member of the Standing Committee on Priorities and Planning, the Standing Committee on Rules and Procedures, and the Striking Committee.

Mr. Thompson was born on July 11, 1963, in Hay River. He has lived in Kugluktuk (Coppermine), Inuvik, Hay River, and in Edmonton, while at the University of Alberta. Fort Simpson has been his home since 1992.

Mr. Thompson previously served two terms (three years each) as an elected official with the Fort Simpson District Education Authority, spending the last four years as the chairperson. Over the past 35 years, he has served on various community and territorial boards.

Mr. Thompson was employed as the Senior Sport and Recreation Coordinator with Municipal and Community Affairs (GNWT) in the Deh Cho region before being elected as a Member.

Mr. Thompson completed the Community Recreation Leaders Program at Arctic College in 1989 and is currently working on a Masters Certificate on Evaluation at the University of Victoria and Carleton University. He also completed three years towards an Education degree at the University of Alberta.

Mr. Thompson is an active volunteer with Northern Youth Aboard, CBET and Fundamental Movement, and HIGH FIVE®. As well, he is a past member of the Sport North Federation Board, NWT Softball and of NWTRPA, and the past president of Seven Spruce Golf Course.

Mr. Thompson is the father of seven children - five daughters and two sons – and has nine grandchildren.

He has been a Justice of the Peace since 1991.

Nahendeh Electoral District

Committees

Shane Thompson
Nahendeh
Member's Office

Yellowknife NT X1A 2L9
Canada

P.O. Box
1320
Email
Phone
Extension
12005
Constituency Office

9706-100th Street
Fort Simpson NT X0E 0N0
Canada

Phone

Statements in Debates

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 48)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, when I was asking the Minister responsible for Housing, he said that the corporation demand, he was talking about the demand and need of the HELP units in the communities. Can the Minister provide what the corporation definition is of "demand" for HELP units in the communities? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 48)

If there are four applicants, there are four HELP units, I would assume there was a need. Unfortunately, I guess the corporation has a different matrix of deciding what needs are. It is my understanding that the Housing Corporation is bringing in two more units during the winter months. Are these units going to be HELP units or market rent units?

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 48)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions will be for the Minister responsible for Housing. The corporation has this great program called HELP, and it helps people get into their homes and become homeowners, and I think it's a great program. However, recently I've been advised that there were four applicants for four units in the community of Fort Simpson. Two candidates were very successful and very happy to hear that; however, one of the other two were competing now for only one unit because they turned in one of the HELP units into the market house renting. Can the Minister explain...

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 48)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Fiddle music came to the NWT with the voyageurs and has been ingrained in northern culture and music since the first traders. Angus Beaulieu, Stanley Lafferty, and Colin Adjun are some of the best known, but there are many other fine northern fiddlers. Kole Crook represented the next generation.

Kole was a much-loved young fiddler known for his gentlemanly ways and selflessness and generosity of spirit. He was a deeply spiritual man, who lived his Christian faith by sharing himself, his money, and means with whoever might need it. He spent much time with the elders...

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 48)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I thank the Minister for that answer. Mr. Speaker, this seems to be a large amount of money to be sole-sourced. I've looked at the Financial Administration Act, and I know the Executive Council made on behalf of the government authorized contracts, authorized to enter into a contract that falls within a class of contracts. However, the Executive Council must record its reasons for authorized contracts entered into these things. Can the Minister advise how he was able to enter a sole-source contract for this type of huge amount of money, and if there was a record of...

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 48)

I appreciate the Minister's answer. He kind of took part of my next question. Can the Minister advise this House how much the sole-source contract is worth for this three-year period?

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 48)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Well, I am stumped for words here because, first of all, I have never, ever said anything bad about the district office. They have done a great job. They are promoting the information out there. They are getting there, but what I am seeing is that the Housing Corporation has changed a HELP unit to market rental unit, we are bringing in more market rental units, and people are still looking for HELP units. Is this government taking away the HELP units, then? Is this no longer going to be an option for people in the future?

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 48)

I thank the Minister for that answer. So he is talking about community housing plans and that, and we are going to do six in the next year coming up, so can he tell me when Fort Simpson is going to be on that list? Because, if we are going to be waiting six, 12, 14, two years from now, I would like to know that so the community can know that. Because right now the Housing Corporation is relying on these community housing plans, so can the Minister advise us when Fort Simpson will be on that list?

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 48)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That's great news, and I thank the Minister for providing that here today. With these new units coming into place, will that unit they changed from HELP to market be turned back to a HELP unit so residents can have that opportunity to get into this program? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 48)

I wasn't asking about applicants. I am just saying that I know that there were four applicants, four HELP units. Again, what was the rationale to reduce that one, take one of those HELP units to a market unit, because there are two applicants looking for these types of units?