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 97)

Thank you. Member for Kam Lake. A quick one.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 97)

Thank you, Member for Tu NedheWiilideh. Minister of NWT Housing Corp, did you want to respond?

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 97)

Thank you. Mr. Martin.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 97)

Thank you. Minister responsible for NWT Housing Corporation.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 97)

Thank you. Member for Frame Lake.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 94)

Mr. Speaker, your committee has been considering Bill 23; Bill 29; Tabled Document 56119(2), 20222023 Main Estimates, and would like to report progress, and Mr. Speaker, I move that report of the Committee of the Whole be concurred with. Thank you.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 94)

Thank you. There's a motion on the floor to report progress. Does committee agree?

Question 907-19(2): Indigenous Hiring
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 94)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to the Minister, and I hope it is happening. And, you know, I just wanted to say, like, to Mr. Speaker, when you and I toured the correctional facility here, one of the comments that I did make when we were there was that other than the warden at the time, there was not one other Indigenous employee that we saw while we did the tour. Every employee that we did see was and the counsellor. Just the two. And the warden is no longer there. So I just wanted to make that comment.

Can the Minister be bold and commit to issuing a ministerial directive to instruct...

Question 907-19(2): Indigenous Hiring
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 94)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, one of our committee's government operations has had presentations from human resources on the Indigenous recruitment and retention framework, and each department must create a plan. So what is the plan specifically at Justice to reverse these trends? And I know he says that we're going up, but we should have a plan to make sure that number stays where it's going up and continues so that we have a representative government in Justice. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Member's Statement 917-19(2): Indigenous Hiring
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 94)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I just want to let you know how frustrated I am. I can't even keep track of how many times the Members in this house have talked about the vital importance to increase Indigenous hiring and the concerns that hiring managers are not even using the programs that have been created to increase Indigenous recruitment and retention.

Mr. Speaker, the Standing Committee on Government Operation has set the following priority: Identify the systemic barriers to increasing the prepresentation of Indigenous people in the public service and review GNWT's human resource...