Lesa Semmler

Member Inuvik Twin Lakes

Minister of Health and Social Services
Minister Responsible for the Status of Women 

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

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's Office
Email
Email

Statements in Debates

Question 1132-20(1): Speech and Language Pathologists
Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 86)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I believe that Nunavut has a contract with the Northwest Territories to be able to provide those services; however, I do believe that we prioritize, you know, all of the -- everyone that's coming into the system, but I'd have to take that back and get more detail on how that would work. But I do believe that if we weren't able to meet the needs, you know -- like, I don't have that level of detail here in the House. Thank you.

Question 1131-20(1): Spending on Contract and Agency Healthcare Staff
Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 86)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I stated that the reliance on agency nurses is declining in the Northwest Territories as we are strengthening the way that we are recruiting and the type of -- you know, we're recruiting half-time positions and job shares and we're looking at different ways to meet the needs of the workforce today. So that is one of the most important pieces is that we're not solely reliant on filling a lot of the needs. There's a lot of misunderstanding because there are casual term nurses that do come into the system but they are paid under the collective agreement the...

Question 1131-20(1): Spending on Contract and Agency Healthcare Staff
Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 86)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I don't have that level of detail; however, I do know that I do get monthly updates when I have my meeting with the NTHSSA. And since December, I believe we've used two and that is to ensure that the Inuvik obstetrics stays open. However, we are more and more relying on just continuing with our long-term casuals and our terms that do come back. A lot of the recruitment and retention that's been done has -- although it's not filling all our vacancies, they are filling job shares which are more permanent in the communities and that's -- you know, we're trying...

Question 1125-20(1): Addictions and Wellness Programming
Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 86)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yes, this is one of our priorities of this government, that we all said that we needed and we wanted, and so that's why we are committed to working and moving this type of a project and supporting the Endacho Indigenous-led to being able to establish within the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Question 1123-20(1): Nurse to Patient Ratios
Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 86)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, Potato/potata. Well, I mean, I love the North. I would never move to Vancouver or anywhere in BC; I don't like the rain, I don't like the fires. So I believe that, you know, the North is a place where you go when you want a lifestyle and many people love and enjoy -- like, the nurses that I worked with in Inuvik, and they continue -- they're there, they love it, it's their home. You know, and I think this is the thing, is we have a work-life balance and, you know, unfortunately, sometimes, you know, we talk about, yes, there's times where nurses have to...

Question 1101-20(1): Midwifery Services
Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 85)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, one of the areas -- so to that question, the work that's going on is we have a working group. So between the -- like, there's an advisory committee, and they're working together for this work plan. One of the areas is the programs foundation to midwifery care in the territory must be supported to ensure that they can meet the community needs but also remain attractive workplaces for midwives. The other thing in a lot of these smaller communities is midwives need to be able to have so many births a year, like to be able to -- and the majority of the people...

Question 1111-20(1): Data Collection in northwest Territories Healthcare
Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 85)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I don't have that level of detail. Thank you.

Question 1101-20(1): Midwifery Services
Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 85)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, My department is working with ISC to look at repurposing the funding to explore traditional birth works, and this could potentially include traditional knowledge healing, Indigenous birth work education, and perinatal resources. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Question 1110-20(1): Nurse Retention
Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 85)

Yes, we do do exit interviews. The level of where those are done, I am not aware, but I know that when I was being briefed on coming up with the new -- you know, with the new people strategy, that that is one of the bigger areas where they are looking at, also from the town halls, also from the in-person meetings. And they've taken a lot of that information and tried to turn it into the new document that we should be hopefully being able to share shortly with committee. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Question 1109-20(1): Midwifery Services
Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 85)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I don't have that level of detail right now, but what I can do is once the session is over, I will ask my department to brief me as to all of the work that has been going on in this area and, you know, I can meet with the Member after I have that briefing. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.