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 153)

Mr. Speaker, your committee has been considering Committee Report 4919(2) and Committee Report 5119(2) and would like to report progress with 25 motions carried, and that Committee Report 49 and Committee Report 5119(2) are concluded. And Mr. Speaker, I move that the report of the Committee of the Whole be concurred with.

Question 1500-19(2): Dempster Highway Repair
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 153)

Well, I'm glad to hear that. And I'm just wondering if there's  is there any plans on a joint submission because there's not just the road that needs to be repaired. There's two bridges. There's the wooden bridge, there's the small bridge that's  like, you can't get wide loads up that highway. We have a housing crisis, we can't get anything wider than 14 foot 5 inches up that highway because of that wooden bridge in the Yukon. Those are all in the Yukon. And I need this Minister to advocate so that we can get more in our region. Thank you.

Committee Motion 447-19(2): Committee Report 49-19(2): Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on the 2021-22 Review of the Official Languages Act – Indigenous-Language Signs, Carried
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 153)

The motion is in order. To the motion. Member for Yellowknife North.

Committee Motion 440-19(2): Committee Report 49-19(2): Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on the 2021-22 Review of the Official Languages Act - Creative Commons for Indigenous-Language Resource Material, Carried
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 153)

Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? Abstentions? The motion is carried.

Carried

Member for Yellowknife North.

Committee Motion 456-19(2): Committee Report 51-19(2): Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on Indigenous Representation in the Northwest Territories Public Service - Hiring Practices and Job Competitions, Carried
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 153)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, with this recommendation, a lot of people when you look at the GNWT's job descriptions, they don't make a lot of sense. They're not a lot of them are in plain language. You read them and somebody you can't meet the qualifications. Like, I don't like, it just seems like you just there's not a target that you can meet. So that's why with this one and then equivalencies. We talk about equivalencies in many job descriptions. But as somebody who's applied on jobs, I have never been able to understand how I measure up to an equivalency. And if that was...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 153)

Yeah, it wouldn't be proper of me if I didn't recognize my predecessor, past honourable R.C. McLeod, and welcome you back, and to his wife Judy. I used to work with Judy. We ran all of the health centres and the hospital nurses. We were pretty busy back then. She kept herself busy while Robert was down here working. So I'd like to welcome them here.

Committee Motion 446-19(2): Committee Report 49-19(2): Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on the 2021-22 Review of the Official Languages Act - Right to Receive Language Services, Carried
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 153)

Thank you. To the motion.

Committee Motion 440-19(2): Committee Report 49-19(2): Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on the 2021-22 Review of the Official Languages Act - Creative Commons for Indigenous-Language Resource Material, Carried
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 153)

Thank you. To the motion. Member for Great Slave.

Representation in the Northwest Territories Public Service - Appeal Process for Public Service Positions, Carried
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 153)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. This is one thing that we heard that Indigenous employees, they don't even apply anymore because they feel that there's no process with the affirmative action and the appeals process, there's nothing that can help them even call out when there are injustices in the hiring process. So this is why we said before a P2 or a P3 is offered a position, and if there is a P1 candidate that was interviewed, passed an interview that didn't get the offer, that they are notified that a P2 you know, that they didn't get the offer to a P2 or a P3 because this has happened. There has...

Committee Motion 445-19(2): Committee Report 49-19(2): Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on the 2021-22 Review of the Official Languages Act – Indigenous-Language Early Childhood Education, Carried
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 153)

Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? Abstentions in the motion is carried.

Carried

Member for Yellowknife North.