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

Lesa Semmler
Inuvik Twin Lakes
Member's Office

Yellowknife NT X1A 2L9
Canada

P.O. Box
1320
Constituency Office

125 Mackenzie Rd
Unit 203
Inuvik NT X0E 0T0
Canada

P.O. Box
3130
Minister
Minister of Health and Social Services

Statements in Debates

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 43)

That would be best left for the sup health benefits section. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 43)

Yes, I do.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 43)

Thank you, Madam Chair. That is one thing that the health doesn't have is problems with surpluses so we do not have money to move around. Normally we don't -- you know, any money that we do -- I have yet to see any surpluses, sorry. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 43)

Thank you, Madam Chair. The PA, as it -- as standalone does not have the authority to look into the department, but the direction to the PA is to work directly with the deputy minister. And I think the other piece is to work directly with the health sustainability unit. So within all three of those pieces moving forward is how all of them are collaborating together on those -- like, to be able to ensure that, you know, that there's no duplication of services, that, you know, the -- where our programs are and the money that we're allocating to those programs and services, you know, within the...

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 43)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, and it's -- you know, I find that question -- it was just a couple of weeks ago that I was having this conversation because renewal is up this year for health care cards. And on our health care cards, they are very plain. They have an expiry date and they have our name. And so that was the question that I asked my staff, to go back to the department to say how do we work with infrastructure? You know, we have this struggle right now in our communities where a lot of people are looking for identification cards. How do we work together to provide...

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 43)

Thank you, Madam Chair. I'm going to pass that on to the ADM Mathison.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 43)

Thank you, Madam Chair. So the midwifery program is still continuing in Fort Smith and continuing in Hay River. There's been no change to those programs. They still, however, struggle to staff those positions and the territorial manager and the specialist positions that were negotiated back was to be able to work on how -- you know, what is midwifery going to -- like, coming up with a plan on what midwifery can look like in the Northwest Territories and what it -- I guess and how we roll that out and how can we roll that out and what is the cost going to be. So those are the things that those...

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 43)

Yes, you're correct.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 43)

Thank you, Madam Chair. I believe that one position, which is the one that sits within the department, is here because there was the specialist midwifery position that sits within the administrative and support services, and then the others fall under programs. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 43)

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, the healthy family program that's itemized in this section on 206, the 292 that the Member is referring to, is a contribution that goes directly to the Tlicho government. And then the -- the healthy choices fund is a -- like, it is -- I think it's an application-based, and there are 13 applicants that have applied through this fund for -- and I can provide that list, if you want, to committee afterwards. Thanks.