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
Extension
12195
Constituency Office

198 Mackenzie Rd
Unit 123
Inuvik NT X0E 0T0
Canada

P.O. Box
3130
Constituency Phone
Minister
Email
Minister of Health and Social Services

Statements in Debates

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 21)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I did commit to get the many ways that we do this and I there is way to do it and I am not going to sit here and explain from this health centre we do it this way and sometimes if they are coming in from a small community they may go in a secure with a practitioner. The patient may go. There are multiple different ways, and depending on which physicians and, you know, so. This is the coordination of our special clinics when they refer, they have their processes and so if there are individual so there doesn't seem to be an issue, because it hasn't come to light, and so...

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 21)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we send thousands of people to Alberta so if a Member wants to know about a specific instance, is this something that he has multiple constituents that are coming to him and so if he wants to bring this forward to my office, I would gladly look into it. Thank you.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 21)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I will commit to getting the numbers that people that are being sent out from Yellowknife necessarily  you know, if they come back to Yellowknife doesn't mean that this may be their end location because if somebody goes out and is getting well  has gotten well, recovered from  you know, and they may go to  back to their home communities as they may have supports in those communities, so I  what I can commit to is knowing the people that have been sent out from Yellowknife to the Member. Thank you.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 21)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, while the five to six spaces may not address the full need of the  once we start to, you know, monitor who's coming back and whether or not what the type of facility or recovery or aftercare that they're going to need, housing they're going to need, it's  this specific area is for those that are returning back and being able to support them through transitioning on to living on their own; however, I understand the Member's concern that right now we don't know how many we're going to need this. You know, we may. You know, at this time, I can't  I couldn't...

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 21)

Mr. Speaker, today I want to congratulate the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation on 40 years since signing this monumental land claim agreement. I want to thank the current chair of the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, Duane Smith, and the board of directors on the work that they do to lead this organization.

I want to take this time to honour the many people who have worked together to make this agreement a reality 40 years ago today. Many of the signatories to the Inuvialuit Final Agreement have now passed on, but their families live on and thrive. The Inuvialuit people continue to be stewards...

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

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Last year we had to go for a supp with the increase in number of people that were accessing and the cost that it the increased cost to travel, like the air costs and stuff to send people out. This time we didn't put those costs we didn't bill that into the budget this year because we were able to get an agreement with NIHB that their NNADAP programs that they have in Canada, they will approve the funding if any Indigenous people that are status or Inuit that fall under their program can access those programs, that through NIHB, the travel will be also included. So that...

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

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I guess where I'm my I'm it's not for me to ask you questions. But for the concerns that I've heard are not on the low income side I guess. They're people having anybody who's under that threshold or has never had any services before, you know, I mean, this is where they're actually going to have an extended health benefit whereas they've never had it before. You know, if you're living in a house and you own your home and you're paying high utility costs, you know, I mean, this is where income testing is coming in and other insurances so, like, your employer...

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

Thank you, Mr. Chair. There was a lot of numbers. There was a lot of calculations in that. I am not a mathematician, and I could not keep up with where we were at. What I can say with that, you know, is I understand that there's people out there that are not getting any services. There are people that are getting you know, and the majority of people already that may be working in positions, they may have some type of insurances. This doesn't inhibit them from applying on this program as well. So this is the payer of last resort, but it can be in combinations with other. It's not going to...

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

Yes, I do, Mr. Chair.

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

Sorry, Member. Can you just repeat what your question was so that I can make sure I'm answering the right...