Cynthia Lai ( ; zh, c=封賴桂霞, p=Fēnglài Guìxiá; October 19, 1954 – October 21, 2022) was a Canadian politician who represented Ward 23 Scarborough North on the

Toronto City Council Toronto City Council is the governing body of the municipal government of Toronto, Ontario. Meeting at Toronto City Hall, it comprises 25 city councillors and the mayor of Toronto. The Toronto City Council 2022–2026, current term began on Nove ...

from 2018 to 2022.

Background

Lai immigrated from

Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...

and moved to Canada in 1972. Her cousin is Tony Wong, is a former

member of Provincial Parliament Member of Provincial Parliament is the title given to provincial legislators in two legislatures: * Member of Provincial Parliament (Canada) * Member of Provincial Parliament (Western Cape) In the Western Cape province of South Africa, Member of Pro ...

(MPP) and municipal councillor. Prior to entering politics, Lai worked as a realtor and was president of the Toronto Real Estate Board, the first Chinese-Canadian woman to hold that position.

Political career

Lai was elected to the Toronto City Council in the 2018 municipal election to represent Scarborough North (Ward 23). She served on the council until her death in 2022.

Personal life and death

Lai was hospitalized on October 20 during the 2022 election campaign. She died on October 21, 2022, two days after her 68th birthday and just three days before the

municipal election In many parts of the world, local elections take place to select office-holders in local government, such as mayors and councillors. Elections to positions within a city or town are often known as "municipal elections". Their form and conduct var ...

. She had been suffering from

gallbladder cancer Gallbladder cancer is a relatively uncommon cancer, with an incidence of fewer than 2 cases per 100,000 people per year in the United States. It is particularly common in central and South America, central and eastern Europe, Japan and northern Ind ...

. She was interred at York Cemetery in Toronto. Flags at

Toronto City Hall The Toronto City Hall, or New City Hall, is the seat of the municipal government of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and one of the city's most distinctive landmarks. Designed by Viljo Revell and engineered by Hannskarl Bandel, the building opened in ...

Metro Hall Metro Hall is a 27-storey Postmodern architecture, Postmodern-style office tower at the corner of Wellington and John Street (Toronto), John Street in the Downtown Toronto, downtown core of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It looks out onto Pecaut Squ ...

and Toronto civic centres were flown at

half-mast Half-mast or half-staff (American English) refers to a flag flying below the summit of a ship mast, a pole on land, or a pole on a building. In many countries this is seen as a symbol of respect, mourning, distress, or, in some cases, a sal ...

, and the Toronto Sign was dimmed in her honour.

Electoral history

2018

Ward 23 Scarborough North

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lai, Cynthia 1954 births 2022 deaths Canadian people of Chinese descent Canadian businesspeople in real estate Hong Kong emigrants to Canada Businesspeople from Toronto Toronto city councillors Women municipal councillors in Ontario Deaths from gallbladder cancer Deaths from cancer in Ontario 21st-century Canadian municipal councillors 21st-century Canadian women politicians