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

Member’s Statement 1112-19(2): Sexual Violence Awareness Month and Supreme Court of Canada Ruling
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 115)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today is the last day of the Sexual Violence Awareness Month in Canada, and I recognize and pay tribute to all the victims of sexual violence. We must raise awareness of the devastating impacts sexual violence has on a person, their family, and their community.

Mr. Speaker, every day in the territory someone is the victim of sexual violence. Sexual violence is verbal harassment, sexual exploitation, sexual assault, and rape. The Northwest Territories has the second highest rate of sexual assault in Canada. This is 7.3 times higher than the national rate, Mr...

Committee Motion 241-19(2): Committee Report 29-19(2): Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on the Review of the Languages Commissioner for the Northwest Territories Annual Report 2020-2021 – Public Bodies’ Response to Recommendatio
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 115)

Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? All those abstaining. The motion is carried.

Carried

Mr. Johnson.

Committee Motion 240-19(2): Committee Report 29-19(2): Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on the Review of the Languages Commissioner for the Northwest Territories Annual Report 2020-2021 – Requests for Information from Public Bodie
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 115)

Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? All those abstaining. The motion is carried.

Carried

Mr. Johnson.

Oral Question 1103-19(2): Inuvik Shelters
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 114)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So that brings me back to my initial thought, question, is what is going to happen to the homeless shelters in Inuvik if nobody bids on these RFPs? Like, I'm looking at the RFP. I've received an email from past board members about the RFP and how strict and how many things that they're asking for. We know that there's gonna be ongoing issues. So what is Housing Corporation going to do now that they've assumed operations? They have assumed. These boards are no longer there. They're dissolved. They've closed up their books. So what is Housing Corporation going to do? Or...

Oral Question 1103-19(2): Inuvik Shelters
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 114)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions, as I mentioned in my Member's statement, are for the Minister responsible for Homelessness.

This past fall, or actually last spring, it was raised in the House when there was struggles with the board to keep the emergency shelter warm with my continuous talks with the Minister. What I would like to know now, since the Housing Corporation has taken over operations of the two shelters in Inuvik, can the Minister advise what is the plan on the future running of these two homeless shelters in Inuvik? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Member’s Statement 1101-19(2): Inuvik Shelters
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 114)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this past winter, the homeless shelter and the emergency shelter have been operated by the Housing Corporation. Since being elected, I raised issues that have been brought forward to me impacting them and their operations. The emergency shelter was having difficulty and needed support; however, the homeless shelter, from my discussions with the past board, were running somewhat well by the board minus their concerns for minimal funding and ongoing search for funding.

Mr. Speaker, the past board had stated that they would assume to take over the emergency...

Committee Report 27-19(2): Special Committee on Reconciliation Indigenous Affairs Interim Report: What We Heard About the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and Negotiating Agreements
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 114)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I hope I'm the last to speak because I want to close this up by thanking the committee again for the work that we have done as this is an interim report. We still have many Indigenous governments that we want to hear from. So hopefully this discussion in the Committee of the Whole today, and even some of the questions that are being asked in here, is going to stem up some of that conversation, especially with our Indigenous leaders, and we would love to hear from them on these topics.

And so I want to make sure that all of us know that this report has been tabled and it is...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 114)

In favour.

Oral Question 1103-19(2): Inuvik Shelters
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 114)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Well, I guess my final supplementary question to this Minister is where's our homeless strategy? It was promised in the 18th Assembly. The Minister has said on repeated occasions, when asked by Members of this side of the House, when are we going to see it, it'll be the oh, it'll be ready the next session, next session. We haven't seen it. Where is this homelessness strategy and when can we expect to see this strategy? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Oral Question 1103-19(2): Inuvik Shelters
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 114)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The cost of running the shelter over the winter has, I think if the last numbers that I received from the Minister, have almost quadrupled from what their funding is normally is. So I'm just wondering if the RFP is put out now and the Indigenous groups are going to run it and they come back with an amount that doesn't meet what the budget used to be, because this is the issue that I raised with the Minister even when we met with in our community in my community, what are we going are we going to continue to is Housing Corporation going to continue to run these...