Vince McKay

Member Hay River South

Minister of Infrastructure
Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs
Minister Responsible for Workers' Safety and Compensation Commission
Minister Responsible for the Public Utilities Board

Vince McKay was elected to the 20th Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly to represent the constituency of Hay River South. Mr. McKay was elected to the Executive Council of the 20th Assembly.

Mr. McKay was born on September 17, 1977, in the picturesque town of Hay River.

With a career spanning an impressive 26 years with the Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT). Mr. McKay began his journey as a Corrections Officer, steadily climbing the ranks to become a trusted Corrections Supervisor. His leadership acumen led him to the esteemed position of Deputy Warden and eventually to the Directorship of the Investigations and Standards Office (ISO). In each role he demonstrated an unwavering commitment to justice, fairness, and the betterment of his community.

Mr. McKay’s dedication to the safety and well-being of Hay River residents extends to his 30-year tenure with the Hay River Fire Department. His legacy is further solidified by his ownership and operation of Westech Fire and Safety since 1999, showcasing his entrepreneurial spirit and commitment to the highest standards of safety.

In the realm of civic duty, Mr. McKay has been an integral part of the Hay River Town Council for an impressive 15 years. His tenure has been marked by a steadfast focus on community development, thoughtful governance, and a genuine concern for the welfare of his fellow citizens. His impact on the town council has left an indelible mark, earning him respect and admiration from colleagues and constituents alike.

Family lies at the heart of Mr. McKay’s life, with his wife, Barbara, and two children. Together, they form a united front that has weathered the challenges of a life devoted to public service.

Away from the rigors of his professional life, Mr. McKay finds solace and joy in a myriad of hobbies. An avid sports enthusiast, he can be found on the ice, or navigating the fairways with a golf club in hand. His love for the great outdoors is evident in his passion for camping, fishing, boating, and playing softball—activities that provide a well-deserved respite from the demands of his roles.

Hay River South Electoral District

Committees

Vince McKay
Hay River South
Member's Office

Yellowknife NT X1A 2L9
Canada

P.O. Box
1320
Email
Minister
Email
Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Minister Responsible for Workers' Safety and Compensation Commission, Minister Responsible for the Public Utilities Board

Statements in Debates

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 66)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The ICS training is the standard across Canada. That training is being provided to all -- sorry, offered to all communities who are interested in it to help with the community emergency plans and their preparedness. The public service has had many workshops to have their staff trained and have the ability to stand up staff for surge capacity. Also, I think it's important to remember that as elected officials and somebody who's been involved in emergencies in the past, we tend to want to get involved. And I think that's the important part of the mandatory ICS training...

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 66)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is part of the process, and like I said earlier, this process is well underway. I think it's no secret that we've tendered this, and it's come back out, but we're in the process of getting this out there, and we're committed to working with local contractors in the area. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 66)

Again, Mr. Speaker, you know, municipal and community affairs applies all the funding through the communities and applies -- or distributes it equally through all the communities. The hamlet does not have any debt with the new treatment plant that they put through as it was part of their community planning. The plant's been operational since the commissioning last summer. So a little bit of information in regards to the cost, so total cost of the plant was estimated to be about $4.9 million. It was about $4.7 million. You know, the hamlet funded this by their community funding. So any of the...

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 65)

Thank you, Madam Chair. With me today, Rick Hunt, the WSCC president and CEO to my left. And to my right, Patrick Bruce, legal counsel with the Department of Justice.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 65)

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document: Workers' Safety and Compensation Commission Northwest Territories and Nunavut Annual Report 2024. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 65)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Emergencies happen anytime, anywhere, not just with wildfires. It is important that the territorial government supports local governments in being prepared for emergencies. MACA supports communities in emergency management and developing their community emergency management plans to ensure that they're prepared when an emergency strikes. If there's a flood and they need to evacuate, we need to have those preparedness documents prepared well in advance so that there isn't that instant reaction and place -- things are in place in order to assist a community when they're...

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 65)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We have a few plans bringing forward to cover that fund off. One of them is obviously submitting to the government for more funding to help support that. However, we also need to fine tune what we're doing, you know, looking at expenses, looking at what we're paying for in order to contribute to the actual fund itself to make sure that the funds are actually getting to the athletes and their abilities to participate in sports and games. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 65)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to recognize my supervisor, constituency assistant from Hay River South, Myrtle Graham, who is in the gallery today. Thank you.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 65)

Thank you, Madam Chair. I am here to present Bill 21, An Act to Amend the Workers' Compensation Act.

The purpose of the bill is to modernize the pension-related provisions in the Workers' Compensation Act, aiming to create a fairer and more equitable compensation system that will bring the Northwest Territories in line with the approach used by the rest of Canada.

The proposed legislative amendments replace lifetime pensions, based solely on medical impairment, with a wage-loss benefit system that better considers a worker's job and the impact the injury has had on their ability to continue...

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 65)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will speak only to the wildfire -- or sorry, the emergency evacuation line of the questioning there. And essentially what the goal is to make sure that communities are prepared and the resources that are provided by the GNWT to the communities in order to make sure that they're prepared to evacuate include educated people in ICS, people trained in the management for community emergencies, and the ability to work and -- the ability to assess the emergencies and the hazards and make those decisions with the community, not the community telling the -- sorry, not the...