Lesa Semmler

Member Inuvik Twin Lakes

Minister of Health and Social Services

Lesa Semmler currently serves as the Member representing Inuvik Twin Lakes in the 20th Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly, having been re-elected to the position. Born in Yellowknife, NT, and raised in Inuvik, where she still resides, Ms. Semmler has deep roots in the Northwest Territories. 

A Registered Nurse, Ms. Semmler graduated from the Aurora College Northern Nursing Program in 2000 and earned her Community Health Nurse Certification from the Canadian Nurses Association in 2008. With 15 years of frontline nursing experience at the Inuvik Regional Hospital, she focused on Acute Care, Homecare, and Public Health. Her career also included roles as the Manager of Acute Care Services and eventually the Regional Manager of Acute Care Services under the Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority. Notably, she served as the Inuvialuit Health System Navigator at the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, assisting Inuvialuit Beneficiaries in navigating the healthcare system. 

Beyond her healthcare career, Ms. Semmler has actively contributed to education and community service. She served on the Inuvik District Education Authority, assuming the role of Chair from 2015 to 2018, and chaired the Beaufort Delta Education Council. Ms. Semmler participated in various working groups at the territorial and national levels, including the Inuit Tuberculosis Elimination Board and the Inuit Midwifery Revitalization. Her commitment to social justice is evident in her voluntary work as a member of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls National Family Advisory Circle, where she worked to ensure northern voices were heard and represented. Lesa Semmler's life and career reflect her passion for healthcare, education, and advocating for the well-being of her community.

Inuvik Twin Lakes Electoral District

Committees

Inuvik Twin Lakes
Member's Office

Yellowknife NT X1A 2L9
Canada

P.O. Box
1320
Email
Email
Phone
(867) 767-9143
Extension
12195
Constituency Office

198 Mackenzie Rd
Unit 123
Inuvik NT X0E 0T0
Canada

P.O. Box
3130
Constituency Phone
867-678-2429
Minister
Email
Email
Minister of Health and Social Services

Statements in Debates

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 23)

Thank you, Member. Minister.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 23)

Thank you, Member. Minister.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 23)

Thank you, Minister. Member for Kam Lake.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 23)

Thank you, Madam Chair. Just with this, it's brought to light through COVID that we have a lot more and my colleague has related to it about mental health, going through virtual. Our doctors' appointments are virtual. By looking at our specialty services, it's $26 million here. I think about: we go into medical travel. There are a lot of costs involved with medical travel, meeting the specialist. Is there a plan, looking at these high numbers, to ways to look to save costs for our government by more virtual care specialty clinics to try get rid of some of our wait lists and maybe start using...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 23)

Thank you, Minister. Are there further comments to this section? Member for Monfwi.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 23)

Thank you, Minister. Mr. Cooper.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 22)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Committee has been considering Tabled Document 30-19(2), Main Estimates 2020-2021, and wish to report progress. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 22)

I call the committee to order. Can we take a short recess? What is the wish of the committee? Mr. Norn.

Question 237-19(2): On-going Issues Facing the Northwest Territories
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 22)

Thank you, Madam Premier, for your answer. There's another component to my question: we know we have talks of an election, maybe, in the fall, so do we have an idea of when we can expect more resources to flow north to help us, as a government, to tackle some of these issues?

Member's Statement on On-going Issues facing the Northwest Territories
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 22)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. While we as a government deal with the COVID pandemic, it will and is becoming very clear that we will need more resources to address the needs of our residents. People will look to the government to help them during these trying times.

While we face this pandemic and all that it involves, we also have other ongoing issues here in the North. Some of the issues have been called a crisis. I'm speaking of issues like housing; health of our people; the cost of living; our children in care; protection of our vulnerable women and children; infrastructure needs, just in the...