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

Lesa Semmler
Inuvik Twin Lakes
Member's Office

Yellowknife NT X1A 2L9
Canada

P.O. Box
1320
Email
Lesa_semmler@ntassembly.ca
Phone
(867) 767-9143 (link is a phone number)
Constituency Office

125 Mackenzie Rd
Unit 203
Inuvik NT X0E 0T0
Canada

P.O. Box
3130
Constituency Phone
867-678-2429(link is a phone number)
Minister
Email
Lesa_semmler@gov.nt.ca
Minister of Health and Social Services

Statements in Debates

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 38)

I will now call Committee of the Whole to order. Mr. Norn, what is the wish of committee?

Question 354-19(2): Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Northwest Territories Action Plan
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 38)

Thanks to the Minister for that. I am going to be looking forward to that in four to six months. My question to the Minister is: how is this going to be kind of infiltrated into the departments so that way we know, when we look at the calls for justice, that it kind of filters into all different areas of the GNWT, that the GNWT would be responsible for actioning? Can the Minister just say how this direction is being provided? Thank you.

Question 354-19(2): Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Northwest Territories Action Plan
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 38)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister responsible for the Status of Women. Will the Minister update this House if there has been any progress made on the development of an NWT action plan? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 38)

Mr. Speaker, your committee has been considering Tabled Document 181-19(2), Capital Estimates 2021-2022, and would like to report progress.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 38)

Does committee agree?

Question 346-19(2): Emerging Wisely Plan Approval Process
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 37)

During the public briefing that we had in September, I did ask the Minister if they could review the restrictions around funerals, and I'm just wondering if the Minister can tell me if the CPHO, if you know that they are reviewing this rule?

Question 346-19(2): Emerging Wisely Plan Approval Process
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 37)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I understand that the Chief Public Health Officer has the power to make all of the rules that have been in place and is not to be politically influenced, and we have heard this from the Premier and the past Minister. When this Emerging Wisely document was created, I would just like to know if this document was run by Cabinet before it was released to the public? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Member's Statement on COVID-19 Restrictions for Funerals
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 37)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. First, I'd like to express my condolences to the families in my community and the surrounding communities in the loss of their family members over the last few months. Since I left this House in June, just in our region alone, we have lost a lot of elders, younger people in our region. We just lost another person yesterday.

During this time of loss, families are under extreme stress. In addition to this, they are mourning, they are trying to arrange for funerals, and they are trying to do it in their ways, in their beliefs, in their burial ceremonies that bring them...

Question 346-19(2): Emerging Wisely Plan Approval Process
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 37)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just have one question to the Minister: if she can ask the Chief Public Health Officer if she could move this up. Lakes are freezing at home. In the North, we've already got blizzards going. We can't have outdoor funerals already. It's already too cold. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Question 346-19(2): Emerging Wisely Plan Approval Process
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 37)

I also understand that there has been many changes to this document, and we've heard Dr. Kandola has said this, that it's a moving doc. It's a living document. There's been a lot of changes in there. There's been a lot of changes with the essential workers, who gets exceptions, who can get exceptions to go to communities now. How is this information passed onto the CPHO if there was no one to influence her decision on making changes?