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

Oral Question 736-19(2): COVID-19 Restrictions and Public Health Orders
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 77)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So my last question will be will the Minister commit to providing some type of information or working with her Cabinet and with the CPHO to come up with a list or something for us as residents in the Northwest Territories to know how much longer we're going to be in this public health emergency, what needs to happen to get out of the public health emergency, because we all know that we could live with this forever and we may never reach immunization rates that want to be reached, you know. So I would like to know some kind of documentation, some information for us to...

Committee Motion 127-19(2): Committee Report 13-19(2) – Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on the Review of the 2019-20 Northwest Territories Ombud Annual Report - Amendment of Section 24(1) of Ombud Legislation, Carried
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 77)

Thank you. The motion is in order. To the motion. Member for Frame Lake.

Oral Question 736-19(2): COVID-19 Restrictions and Public Health Orders
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 77)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to the Minister for that answer. And I'm sure it's very technical. I'm sure even myself, I wouldn't be able to understand a lot of the information without support. So I'm just wondering, also, my next question is, is this decision just the decision of the sole Minister with this information, or is it a group Cabinet decision to extend this public health emergency? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Committee Motion 126-19(2): Committee Report 13-19(2) – Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on the Review of the 2019-20 Northwest Territories Ombud Annual Report - Amendment of Section 25 of Ombud Legislation, Carried
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 77)

Thank you. The motion is in order. To the motion. Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? Abstentions? The motion is carried.

Ms. Martselos.

Motion to receive Committee Report 14-19(2) and move into Committee of the Whole, Carried
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 77)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

A key finding of the audit is that while ECE took steps to support student outcomes, the department did not know whether these efforts were improving student outcomes. ECE did not determine what was needed in small communities to improve access to education, and did not make enough of an effort to collect and use data to learn what changes might be needed to address the ongoing gaps in student outcomes.

Therefore, the Committee recommends,

The Standing Committee on Government Operations recommends that the Department of Education, Culture and Employment develop...

Committee Motion 124-19(2): Committee Report 13-19(2) – Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on the Review of the 2019-20 Northwest Territories Ombud Annual Report - Amendment of Section 23 of Ombud Legislation, Carried
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 77)

Thank you. The motion is in order. To the motion. Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? Abstentions? The motion is carried. Thank you.

---Carried

Ms. Martselos.

Committee Motion 123-19(2): Committee Report 13-19(2) - Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on the Review of the 2019-20 Northwest Territories Ombud Annual Report – Amendment of Section 17(3) of Ombud Legislation, Carried
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 77)

Thank you. To the motion. Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? Abstentions? The motion is carried.

---Carried

Ms. Martselos.

Committee Motion 122-19(2): Committee Report 13-19(2) – Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on the Review of the 2019-20 Northwest Territories Ombud Annual Report – Definition of Authorities in Ombud Legislation, Carried
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 77)

Thank you. To the motion. Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? Abstentions? The motion is carried.

---Carried

Ms. Martselos.

Committee Motion 122-19(2): Committee Report 13-19(2) – Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on the Review of the 2019-20 Northwest Territories Ombud Annual Report – Definition of Authorities in Ombud Legislation, Carried
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 77)

The motion is in order. To the motion? Member for Yellowknife North.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 77)

Mr. Speaker, your committee has been considering Committee Report 1319(2) and would like to report progress with eight motions carried and that Committee Report 1319(2) is concluded. And, Mr. Speaker, I move that the report of the Committee of the Whole be concurred with. Thank you.