Lesa Semmler

Bureau du député

Circonscription électorale d’Inuvik Twin Lakes

Lesa Semmler a été réélue à la 20e Assemblée législative des Territoires du Nord-Ouest après avoir été députée représentant Inuvik Twin Lakes à la 19e Assemblée. Mme Semmler a été élue au Conseil exécutif de la 20e Assemblée législative des Territoires du Nord-Ouest.

Mme Semmler est née à Yellowknife (TNO) et a grandi à Inuvik (TNO), où elle réside encore aujourd’hui.

Mme Semmler a obtenu son diplôme d’infirmière autorisée dans le cadre du Programme d’études en soins infirmiers dans le Nord du Collège Aurora en 2000 et son attestation d’infirmière en santé communautaire de l’Association des infirmières et infirmiers du Canada en 2008. Elle a décroché son certificat en leadership du Collège de Vancouver en 2012 et son certificat du programme de perfectionnement en leadership du gouvernement des Territoires du Nord-Ouest et de la School of Business de l’Université de l’Alberta en 2016.

Pendant 15 ans, Mme Semmler a été infirmière autorisée de première ligne à l’Hôpital régional d’Inuvik, où elle s’est concentrée sur les soins de courte durée, les soins à domicile et la santé publique. Elle a également travaillé pendant un an au Service de santé publique à Yellowknife, et a été gestionnaire du service de soins de courte durée à l’Hôpital régional d’Inuvik, puis gestionnaire régionale des soins de courte durée après la fusion avec l’Administration des services de santé et des services sociaux des TNO. Plus récemment, elle a travaillé pour la Société régionale inuvialuite à titre d’intervenante pivot du système de santé pour les Inuvialuits, aidant les bénéficiaires inuvialuits à s’orienter dans le système de santé.

De 2012 à 2015, Mme Semmler a siégé au conseil d’administration de l’Administration scolaire de district d’Inuvik, dont elle a assuré la présidence de 2015 à 2018. Durant cette période, elle a également été présidente du Conseil scolaire de Beaufort-Delta.

Mme Semmler a également été membre de nombreux groupes de travail aux niveaux territorial et national, tels que le Conseil inuit d’éradication de la tuberculose, l’initiative de revitalisation des services de sages-femmes inuites et Hotii ts’eeda (Stratégie de recherche axée sur le patient des TNO). Elle a par ailleurs été membre de la Société régionale inuvialuite ainsi que de nombreuses autres initiatives liées à la santé.

En outre, Mme Semmler s’est portée volontaire à titre de membre du Cercle conseil national des familles de l’Enquête sur les femmes et les filles autochtones disparues et assassinées. Elle a ainsi eu l’honneur de prendre part à cet événement historique traitant du passé des Territoires du Nord-Ouest, œuvrant à ce que toutes les voix du Nord soient entendues et représentées dans le rapport final.

Mme Semmler aime lire, réaliser de petits projets de rénovation et faire de la motomarine dans le delta du Mackenzie avec son mari pendant l’été.

Elle est mariée à Jozef Carnogursky, son partenaire depuis 25 ans. Ils ont deux enfants, Jozef et Myja.

Committees

Inuvik Twin Lakes
Bureau

Yellowknife NT X1A 2L9
Canada

P.O. Boîte
1320
Extension
12195
Bureau de circonscription

198 Mackenzie Rd
Unit 123
Inuvik NT X0E 0T0
Canada

P.O. Boîte
3130
Constituency Phone
Ministre
Ministre de la Santé et des Services sociaux

Déclarations dans les débats

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 52)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I hear the Minister. I know that we are supposed to be rolling out a very detailed cultural awareness campaign soon, and all of the GNWT staff are going to be there; but there is no course in the world that is going to change somebody who doesn't want to take it. That's the issue. These are the issues. Our people are still going to be afraid of the healthcare system, so they're not going to speak up; they're not going to advocate for themselves. I, again, just want to push the Minister to really look into these types of positions for our people in the Northwest...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 52)

Next time, I will make sure, when I'm treated badly, I'll call myself; and I did. Would the Minister consider a position in each of the hospitals or regional centres that would assist with being an advocate for patients who need help navigating the system? Because not everybody, when they come in from a small community, knows where to go, knows how to communicate, and they are afraid of the healthcare system. We do have history of not trusting the healthcare system in this country, Indigenous people.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 52)

Thank you. I am not painting everyone with the same brush. I know that not all staff are like this, but I am bringing this to this floor so that everyone out there can hear. People need to be responsible for their actions, and we need to hold them to account for that, even as co-workers. People, if you witness this happening in your workplace, this needs to be addressed. If it's happening to our residents, our residents need to feel safe to report it. The only way things will change is if we make the change. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 52)

Mr. Speaker, your committee has been considering Minister's Statement 77-19(2), National Housing Co-Investment Fund; Tabled Document 165-19(2), Government of the Northwest Territories Response to Committee Report 1-19(2), Report on Long-Term Post-Pandemic Recovery, Recommendations to the GNWT; Tabled Document 166-19(2), Government of the Northwest Territories Response to Committee Report 2-19(2), Report on Long-Term Post-Pandemic Recovery, Recommendations to the GNWT; Tabled Document 167-19(2), Government of the Northwest Territories Response to Committee Report 3-19(2), Report on Long-Term...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 52)

I call Committee of the Whole to order. What is the wish of committee? Mr. Norn.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 52)

I hear the Minister, and I hear what she says. We do have great staff, but not necessarily are these staff trained to be able to understand a lot of the systems. This government assisted Aurora College to create a nursing program 20-plus years ago. We've had 20-plus years of graduates of nursing. The goal of that program was to have Indigenous nurses working in their own communities for their own people. It's still not happening.

I would like to ask the Minister again if we can have patient advocates and have them be nurses in these hospitals. If we can't have nurses in these hospitals, then...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 52)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We have all heard of Brian Sinclair, Joyce Echaquan, and our own Hugh Pakik. These situations were caused by someone's opinion. Who advocates before it gets this serious? My question for the Minister of Health and Social Services is: What option does someone have immediately if they feel they are not getting the help they need or feel that they have been treated unfairly or with discrimination in the Health and Social Services Department, which includes the hospitals, clinics, health centres, and social services offices?

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 52)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On the morning of January 18, 2021, I read a CBC article with a video of a man crawling out of a southern emergency department and a nurse walking beside him, and it stated that she was saying, "You're a big boy. You're strong. Come on, big boy. Stand up." Only to find out later that he had Guillain-Barre Syndrome, which was affecting him to walk. Mr. Pontone also a history of bipolar, so he felt that's why his concerns were dismissed.

It made me think of Hugh Pakik, an Aklavik elder who died of a stroke after being mistaken for being drunk. In the CBC article that I...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 51)

Mr. Speaker, your committee has been considering Minister's Statement 77-19(2), National Housing Co-Investment Fund; Tabled Document 165-19(2), Government of the Northwest Territories Response to Committee Report 1-19(2), Report on Long-Term Post-Pandemic Recovery, Recommendations to the GNWT; Tabled Document 166-19(2), Government of the Northwest Territories Response to Committee Report 2-19(2), Report on Long-Term Post-Pandemic Recovery, Recommendations to the GNWT; Tabled Document 167-19(2), Government of the Northwest Territories Response to Committee Report 3-19(2), Report on Long-Term...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 51)

I will call Committee of the Whole to order. What is the wish of committee? Mr. Norn.