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

Committee Motion 220-19(2): Standing Committee on Social Development report on the Child and Family Services Act – Lifting NWT Children, Youth and Families: An All of Territory Approach to Keeping Families Together – Overrepresentation of Indigen
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 111)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I apologize for my comments, and I you know, I take back if the Premier or whoever raised the Point of Order, because I can't hear it on this side. So if they would have let me can finish my statement, maybe they would have understood what I was leading to. And I was never making it a point that it was this government. This is an ongoing historical problem that we need to raise.

It's the same fight that many Indigenous families have fought for missing and murdered Indigenous women, that it was never it was never recognized as a crisis. And until we start to recognize...

Recorded Vote
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 111)

For.

Recorded Vote
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 111)

In favour.

Question 1075-19(2): Knowledge of Joint Venture and Indigenous Government
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 111)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, if this is a new policy or process that we are going to be moving money around to Crown corporations so we don't have to follow government procurement, can you provide me or this House with the copy of how that's done so that maybe all the other aboriginal groups can negotiate in the same way? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Question 1075-19(2): Knowledge of Joint Venture and Indigenous Government
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 111)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of Infrastructure and also the Minister of Northwest Territories Power Corporation.

Can the Minister explain to me what policy process was used to negotiate the fivekilometre access road to the wind project, which was awarded to a consortium led by an Alberta company? Thank you.

Question 1068-19(2): Inuvik Mike Zubko Airport Expansion Project
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 111)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I understand that this is a fiveyear project, but this is a timesensitive section that needs to be done so that other layers can be put on later on. What is holding up this section of the project to put the lift down so that we're protecting the permafrost? Why can't we go ahead with this?

Recorded Vote
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 110)

In favour.

Question 1048-19(2): Mike Zubko Airport Project
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 108)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yeah, this is $150 million project, possibly more, in our backyard. National security, Arctic sovereignty. You know, everything that we have right now, we're we need to to this project to move forward. We cannot delay it any further. And I'm just asking the Minister, even if the meeting is on right now, will she commit to meeting with the three tripartite meeting to resolve the further issues. Thank you.

Question 1040-19(2): Mike Zubko Airport Project
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 108)

My final supplementary is this: Minister, you know, with the amount of this phase that's been allocated, it's a small amount that needs to be done before the thaw. You know, I know it's cold today but it can change next week. So what I'm asking is this Minister to direct her staff to release that $8 million to get going on this phase that we won't lose a year. The rest of the project, the you know, after the meeting today but will she commit to that today?

Question 1040-19(2): Mike Zubko Airport Project
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 108)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So the Minister's department are knowingly causing a delay to a project of major national security importance. Minister, what has the government done to avoid this delay and to move this work forward on its intended timeline in the interests of national security and to assist with postpandemic economic recovery of our local businesses? Thank you.