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

Board of Management
Shane Thompson
Nahendeh
Member's Office

Yellowknife NT X1A 2L9
Canada

P.O. Box
1320
Email
Email
Phone
867-767-9130
Extension
12005
Constituency Office

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

Phone
867-695-3780

Statements in Debates

Member's Statement on Aurora College Foundational Review
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 80)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Last Friday the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment delivered a Minister's statement about the Aurora College foundational review and later tabled a letter written by the Standing Committee on Social Development. Both concerned the planned review. The Minister also said, and I quote from the unedited Hansard: "I appreciate committee's advice about the timelines and have decided to extend the timeline."

I am wary of arguing who said what. Nevertheless, as a member of this committee, I must object. As the Member for Yellowknife Centre has already said, we're not...

Question 876-18(2): Small Community Employment Support Program
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 80)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Minister for that answer. I guess my next question is: are we going to change this program, instead of calling it Small Community Employment Support Program, to "job creation" or "job support program for the Northwest Territories?" Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Question 876-18(2): Small Community Employment Support Program
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 80)

I thank the Minister for his answer. I will take his word that there is no report there, then. However, during the exchange with the Minister and the honourable Member for Deh Cho, we heard that previous funding which was allocated for small communities was not fully utilized. We made a significant increase, influx, of money to the program so that we could create employment and small programs. During the exchange, we heard the department is looking at communities such as Behchoko, Hay River, Inuvik, Fort Simpson, Fort Smith, and Norman Wells to be allocated to apply for these funds. Can the...

Question 856-18(2): Student Financial Assistance for Upgrading
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 79)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Minister for that clarification. That is very helpful. I have witnessed some of the challenges for the students first-hand and have been very fortunate that my constituent assistant has been well-versed in this area and has been able to move mountains to help the youth in some of these other funding programs out there, but it has been challenging. Will the Minister have his department look into feasibility to have Student Financial Assistance available to students who need to upgrade and wish to do it at a southern institution? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Question 856-18(2): Student Financial Assistance for Upgrading
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 79)

I thank the Minister for that answer. We will work with them on that. I am familiar, basically, in that you have to take 60 per cent of a work load to get that. I thank the Minister for that. Mr. Speaker, if the department is not able to fund students to upgrade, what funding programs are available for students to upgrade, and how is this information shared with the students?

Member’s Statement on Eulogy for Peter B. Shaw
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 79)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it has been a long week of doing eulogies, and today it will continue. Today, I would like to speak about a beloved member of the community of Fort Simpson who passed away late last week. Peter B. Shaw moved to Fort Simpson in the 1980s. Before moving to Fort Simpson, Peter had travelled the world. After his arrival to town, he called Fort Simpson home, and hardly travelled outside very much.

Some of Peter's most memorable commitments to the community included the Santa Claus Parade, the Memorial Day Poppy Sale, and Memorial Day Celebration as part of the...

Question 856-18(2): Student Financial Assistance for Upgrading
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 79)

I thank the Minister for that answer. That is great to hear, that there are other opportunities for students out there besides Student Financial Assistance. Throughout the years, I have heard that students can attend Aurora College and take upgrading courses and be eligible for SFA. Can the Minister explain how this is possible? Is it an access program, or is it upgrading just specifically through the Aurora College?

Question 856-18(2): Student Financial Assistance for Upgrading
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 79)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yesterday I asked questions of the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment about Student Financial Assistance. I would like to follow up with some questions with the Minister here today. I have heard from various students throughout the years that they were not as successful in high school as they should have been. As they start looking at their future, they realize they need to upgrade their marks, and they start looking for institutions that offer this type of program and funding. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister please advise us: are students eligible...

Bill 24: An Act to Amend the Coroners Act
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 78)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, the Standing Committee on Social Development concluded its review of Bill 24, An Act to Amend the Coroners Act, on August 22, 2017, with a public hearing held here at the Legislative Assembly building. The committee received no public submissions on the bill, and carried two motions to amend the bill. Enquiries can be extremely difficult for communities, including families and those fulfilling a civic duty by serving as a juror. Members are pleased that Bill 24 takes concrete steps to lessen that burden. Individual Members may have additional comments or...

Question 842-18(2): Student Financial Assistance Travel Provisions
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 78)

I thank the Minister for his help clarifying some of this confusion out there. Again, it is new for some of these new students and, again, some parents who have not had children move out of home, I guess. Can the Minister explain how many trips a student is entitled to during the school year and when these trips are being scheduled?