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
Constituency Office

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)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker -- sorry, Mr. Chair. It's been a long day.

I wanted to start just picking up the conversation first with Taltson pre-construction planning. I understand that for now we have 100 percent federal funding to continue with the planning, and I understand the GNWT is only one partner at the table; however, I think it's time for us to start considering what the GNWT's own portion of the future investment would need to be and to contemplate -- in a public way, to have those numbers out there publicly and to have the discussion as to whether that GNWT portion of the investment...

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 33)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd first like to recognize Yellowknife North constituents Kate Hearn, whose birthday is today, and her husband Woody Stone. And I'd also like to recognize Yellowknife North constituents, if they're still here -- I can't even see -- Sheila Bassett-Kellett, former SAO of the city of Yellowknife, and Dave Kellett. Thank you.

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)

She was referring it to the (audio).

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)

Thanks to the Minister for that. And I do look forward to us, when we are discussing new highway projects in the future, hopefully having some data at our fingertips about the full cost of repairing and maintaining our existing highways, we'll be able to take that into account fully when we consider new capital projects.

My only other question on this section has to do with the deferred maintenance part. I definitely support us allocating money to maintenance to -- of assets to protect life safety. I guess I'm wondering why such projects that often seem so urgent and so important to protect...

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. I'll just quickly go to another project I wanted to know about on this list which is a project down on the Ingraham Trail which is within my riding. If the Minister could explain a bit more about what is this 80-foot detection tower that is going to be built on the trail, where exactly on the trails you know, and explain what are some of the purposes of that new project. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

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. Chair. And so for the public to understand better for each of our highways how much money it actually takes to keep up these highways each year, you know, and some of those repairs might be small and some might be big, do we have any document or something that we could see that would show us for each highway how much we're spending on that highway each year to -- basically for asset management, small or large repairs, or reconstruction, just to keep that highway passable. Does that information exist, or could it be produced for committee? 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)

Can the Minister explain what would happen if we didn't build this building? What else would we do instead? Or what would be at stake or what would be risked if we didn't build this building? I understand that there are convenience issues, efficiency issues, but can the Minister explain what's the alternate scenario of not building this building? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

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 for that clarification; I appreciate it. That's all the questions. Thank you.

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. Can the Minister explain what the priority ranking for this project was in terms of severity of impact and, like, mitigation in terms of what would be the alternatives if we don't build this new centre? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

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)

Okay, thank you, Mr. Chair. So it sounds like this one was identified based on the severity of the impact or the need, which is good to hear.

I want to turn to another item on this -- well, actually, items that are not on the list. But in general in terms of capital dollars that are allocated to education authorities for projects, what efforts has the Minister taken to ensure that we can align education authority buildings, assets, with ECE's own capital standards in terms of how regularly technical assessments are carried out, you know, the kinds of investments that are made into asset...