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
Email
Phone
(867) 767-9143
Constituency Office

125 Mackenzie Rd
Unit 203
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 14)

Thank you, Madam Premier. Member for Frame Lake.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 14)

Thank you, Madam Premier. Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 14)

Thank you, Mr. Goldney. Member for Thebacha.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 14)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Does the Speaker wish to bring any witnesses into the House?

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 14)

Thank you, Member for Yellowknife Centre. Mr. Speaker.

Question 111-19(2): Mental Health and Suicide Resources for Students
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 11)

Will the Minister commit to providing ASIST, the Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training that the health department offers, or some type of peer counselling geared for students who have been taking on this role in person and through social media by default by not having anyone consistent that they can talk to but each other?

Member's Statement on Suicide in the Northwest Territories
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 11)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to talk about suicide. Just by saying this, I feel like I'm doing something I shouldn't.

Growing up in the North my entire life, I have seen and heard of many suicides. What I never did was talk about it after a loss, or be given the tools on what to do, or how to talk about suicide after it happened. We seem to just to try to move on, and then it happens again. The families, or those close to the loved ones lost to suicide, never get over the loss of their loved ones. Sometimes, we think, "why didn't I do something? Why didn't I help them?" The thing is that...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 11)

Just one last question. The only reason that I am highlighting this is because it was quoted in the strategic human resource line item that falls in this report. I'm just wondering if there is a review of that report that came about, because it is past the 10 years, and it was a 10-year action plan. Thank you.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 11)

Thank you, Madam Chair. I'm just looking, related to the budget here, under management and recruitment services, there is the strategic human resources. The main estimates this year, compared to the main estimates last year, are very, very similar. There's not much change in there. We talk a lot about investing into getting more staff. I know that those things may come later, with our priorities, but one of the things that I want to know is, in the strategic human resource section, when you break down that budget, it talks about the 20/20: A Brilliant North, NWT Public Service Strategic Plan...

Question 111-19(2): Mental Health and Suicide Resources for Students
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 11)

I believe that the rates of suicidal ideation, which are thoughts of suicide, in our youth are higher than we want to believe. We as parents are struggling alone, thinking that we are the only ones dealing with this issue, but more and more I am talking to more parents and more educators; we are having a crisis that is not being brought to the surface. I want to ask if there is a way that the Minister of education can work with the health department to really capture how many of our young people are struggling with suicidal ideation.