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 1103-20(1): Canadian Institute for Health Information
Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 85)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And as I have mentioned many times in this House, we have the data. In order to prioritize this, you know, we would need extra staff to keep up to the amount of data that we have to manually track and submit. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Question 1114-20(1): Paramedics
Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 85)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yes.

Question 1103-20(1): Canadian Institute for Health Information
Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 85)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, what we mandate, the coding to CIHI is inpatient surgical and day procedures; however, we do have the data for the emergency room. It's, you know, that they've had to prioritize those mandated areas that they submit. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I will have a conversation with my colleague, of Minister of health about that information -- or Finance. Sorry, I am Minister of health. Minister of Finance. It's been a long week.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, midwifery within the Northwest Territories, as the Member is aware, is in Hay River and Fort Smith. The two programs there, Fort Smith is fully staffed right now; Hay River still have, I think, vacancies there; however, they're being filled with casuals in ensuring that that program is sustained. So where we are working right now is the work plan. The work that's being done on the birth works is more of the Indigenous perspective on Indigenous birth midwifery and being able to provide resources in the smaller communities for perinatal and getting that...

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

Yes, Mr. Speaker, I will take that back to NTHSSA to see what we have available to be able to share that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Motion 67-20(1): Establishment of an Office of the Child and Youth Advocate, Carried
Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 85)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to the mover and the seconder of the motion for highlighting the importance of ensuring that children and youth and families who interact with the child and family services system have access to meaningful avenues for support, feedback, and recourse.

Mr. Speaker, the well-being of children and youth is a priority for this government and we do remain committed to strengthening transparency, accountability, responsiveness to our system. This motion proposes an establishment of an independent Office of Child and Youth Advocate as a statutory officer of this...

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Northwest Territories Health and Social Services has a working group, and they have staff that are involved in the retention of staff. There are certain things that are going on within the department, and one of the other big pieces is within the health authority is training and mentorship, because we do have a lot of new staff, especially with us having the college and the nurses coming in. Our staff are feeling overwhelmed so to have dedicated staff to making sure that they are being supplemented to be able to support these new nurses and things...

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Right now, the working group is meeting next month, and they are -- part of that work is to look at options of how to implement midwifery into our hospitals. We know that not just here but even in Inuvik, as a birthing hospital for instance, we struggle with obstetric nurses and so this work is happening right now. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Question 1119-20(1): Healthcare Informatics
Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 85)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the system is still supported and is safe. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.