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

Question 26-19(2): Indigenous Languages Preservation
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 3)

More so with my question, I think what I am looking for: is there more of a plan to train language speakers who we currently have so that they can be instructors or teach other people?

Member's Statement on Auditor General's Report on Early Childhood to Grade 12 Education in the Northwest Territories
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 3)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today, I would like to highlight a couple of areas from the Auditor General Report on Education in the Northwest Territories.

Under the section of planning, supporting the delivery of education, where it says the department did not take sufficient action on key elements of education delivery, the slow process on Indigenous language and culture-based education: in my community, the schools have had language classes, and they have language teacher. These teachers are amazing, but we are losing our language. We are losing Inuvialuktun. We are losing Gwich'in in our...

Question 26-19(2): Indigenous Languages Preservation
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 3)

I am going to go on to a different topic within the same Member's statement. What is the plan to ensure that our students are getting the education and support that they need to move to the next grade on track, so that, by the time they do reach grade 10, we are not losing them to dropout, and then we see the high unemployment rates because they are not eligible to get jobs and stuff?

Question 26-19(2): Indigenous Languages Preservation
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 3)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Like I said before, my questions are for the Minister of Education. What is the plan of the department to ensure that we are preserving our languages, especially in my region, the Gwich'in and Inuvialuit languages, before they are gone and we have no one to learn from? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Question 20-19(2): Northwest Territories Power Corporation Board
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 2)

The NWT needs to trust this government, as my other colleague has said today. I know that the Minister has asked the chair and the board to come up with a governance model and options, but these are the DMs, not the DMs on this board. Can the Minister have this board made up of regional reps sooner than later?

Question 10-19(2): Schools North Apprenticeship Program and Trades Education
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 2)

Just one last thing: would the Minister, since I am pretty sure SFA falls under the Minister's department, if they could look at maybe a way that that would help apprentices continue on and maybe support them in that area? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Question 10-19(2): Schools North Apprenticeship Program and Trades Education
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 2)

In my Member's statement, I also talked about the trades trailers that are in my community that have been sitting there. Will the Minster advise me what the plan from the department is to continue to work with the Indigenous governments in my community to ensure that these trailers are being utilized for the purpose that they were purchased for?

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize my CA, Loretta Rogers, and I would also like to recognize a former colleague, John Stephenson. We both sat as previous chairs of education boards.

Question 20-19(2): Northwest Territories Power Corporation Board
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 2)

The impartial part: how can we ensure that decisions by this board, and they represent different departments, that we know that they are being impartial?

Question 20-19(2): Northwest Territories Power Corporation Board
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 2)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister responsible for NTPC. Yesterday, my colleague questioned the Minister regarding the board. The Minister stated that DMs are not DMs when they are sitting on this board, but then he stated that Deputy Ministers are using their skill sets to run it. This is in Hansard. So how can we ensure that the DMs who are not DMs are impartial when making decisions that are made when it is involving their departments? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.