Marci Ien (born 1969) is a Canadian politician who served as minister for women and gender equality and youth from 2021 to 2025. A member of the

Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. For example, while the political systems ...

, Ien represented Toronto Centre in the

House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the Bicameralism, bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of ...

from 2020 to 2025. Previously, she was a broadcast

journalist A journalist is a person who gathers information in the form of text, audio or pictures, processes it into a newsworthy form and disseminates it to the public. This is called journalism. Roles Journalists can work in broadcast, print, advertis ...

for CTV. She co-hosted the CTV daytime talk show '' The Social'' from 2017 until 2020. Previously, she was a reporter for

CTV News CTV News is the news division of the CTV Television Network in Canada. The name ''CTV News'' is also applied as the title of local and regional newscasts on the network's owned-and-operated stations (O&Os), which are closely tied to the nationa ...

and a co-anchor on the CTV morning program '' Canada AM''. As a child, she appeared regularly on the Christian children's show '' Circle Square''.

Background

Marci Ien is a Black Canadian of

Trinidadian Trinidadians and Tobagonians, colloquially known as Trinis or Trinbagonians, are the people who are identified with the country of Trinidad and Tobago. The population of Trinidad is notably diverse, with approximately 35% Indo-Trinidadian, 34% ...

descent. Her father, Joel Ien, had come to Canada in the late 1960s to attend university and went on to a career in education as a teacher, principal, and school superintendent in Toronto. Ien was born in

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

's St. James Town neighbourhood and grew up in

Scarborough Scarborough or Scarboro may refer to: People * Scarborough (surname) * Earl of Scarbrough Places Australia * Scarborough, Western Australia, suburb of Perth * Scarborough, New South Wales, suburb of Wollongong * Scarborough, Queensland, sub ...

, going on to attend Stephen Leacock Collegiate Institute and Agincourt Collegiate Institute. Ien appeared regularly on the Crossroads Christian Communications program '' Circle Square''.Marci Ien
. ''Who's Who in Black Canada'', January 4, 2011. Ien lives in Toronto with her daughter Blaize and son Dash. Her 2020 book ''Off Script: Living Out Loud'' chronicles her life growing up in Toronto, working as a journalist, and deciding to enter politics.

Journalism

Ien graduated with a degree in radio and television arts from

Ryerson Polytechnical Institute Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU, or Toronto Met), formerly Ryerson University, is a Public university, public research university located in Toronto, Canada. The university's core campus is situated within the Garden District, Toronto, Gar ...

in 1991. She began her career at

CHCH-TV CHCH-DT (channel 11) is an independent television station in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Owned by Channel Zero (company), Channel Zero, the station maintains studios on Innovation Drive in the west end of Hamilton; prior to 2021, it was located ...

Hamilton, Ontario Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Ontario. Hamilton has a 2021 Canadian census, population of 569,353 (2021), and its Census Metropolitan Area, census metropolitan area, which encompasses ...

in 1991 as a news writer and general assignment reporter. In 1995 she began reporting from Queen's Park in Toronto, with her reports appearing both on CHCH's local news and on WIC's national newscast '' Canada Tonight''. In 1997 Ien moved to CTV as a reporter for

CTV Atlantic CTV Atlantic (formerly known as the Atlantic Television System, or ATV) is a system of four television stations in the Maritimes, owned and operated by the CTV Television Network, a division of Bell Media. Despite the name, it is not available ...

, covering major stories including the crash of Swissair Flight 111 off

Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia Peggy's Cove is a small rural community located on the eastern shore of St. Margarets Bay, Nova Scotia, St. Margarets Bay in the Halifax Regional Municipality, which is the site of Peggys Cove Lighthouse (established 1868). Geography Peggy's C ...

, before returning to Toronto in 1998 to anchor CTV Newsnet, as CTV's all-news channel was then called,. From 2003, Ien also anchored the nationwide '' Canada AM'' morning broadcast show, which she co-hosted from 2011 until the show's cancellation in 2016. Ien returned to Atlantic Canada to participate in the Halifax leg of the 2010 Winter Olympics torch relay. Following ''Canada AM'', Ien was a guest and then permanent host of '' The Social'' (2016-2020) until her move to politics.

Awards

In 1995, Ien won a

Radio Television Digital News Association The Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA, pronounced the same as " rotunda"), formerly the Radio-Television News Directors Association (RTNDA), is a United States-based membership organization of radio, television, and online news dir ...

Award for her news serial ''Journey to Freedom'', a look at the

Underground Railroad The Underground Railroad was an organized network of secret routes and safe houses used by freedom seekers to escape to the abolitionist Northern United States and Eastern Canada. Enslaved Africans and African Americans escaped from slavery ...

. In 2008, she was the recipient of a Black Business and Professional Association Harry Jerome Award in the media category. In 2014, she was granted the Planet Africa Award for excellence in media. In 2015, Ien garnered a

Canadian Screen Award The Canadian Screen Awards () are awards given for artistic and technical merit in the film industry recognizing excellence in Canadian film, English-language television, and digital media ( web series) productions. Given annually by the Academy ...

nomination in the Best Host category for her work on ''Canada AM''. In 2016, she was honoured with an African Canadian Achievement Award for her journalistic achievements.

Politics

On September 17, 2020, Ien was announced as the

Liberal Party of Canada The Liberal Party of Canada (LPC; , ) is a federal political party in Canada. The party espouses the principles of liberalism,McCall, Christina; Stephen Clarkson"Liberal Party". ''The Canadian Encyclopedia''. and generally sits at the Centrism, ...

's candidate in Toronto Centre for a

by-election A by-election, also known as a special election in the United States and the Philippines, or a bypoll in India, is an election used to fill an office that has become vacant between general elections. A vacancy may arise as a result of an incumben ...

to fill the seat vacated by former Finance Minister

Bill Morneau William Francis Morneau Jr. (born October 7, 1962) is a Canadian businessman and former politician who served as minister of finance and member of Parliament (MP) for Toronto Centre from 2015 to 2020. Morneau was the executive chairman of ...

's resignation. She won the

on October 26, 2020, defeating

Green Party of Canada The Green Party of Canada () is a federal political party in Canada, founded in 1983 with a focus on green politics. The Green Party is currently the fifth largest party in the House of Commons by seat count. It elected its first member of ...

leader Annamie Paul. Ien was re-elected on September 20, 2021, with increased support and appointed to Cabinet as Minister for Women, Gender Equality and Youth on October 26, 2021. Ien announced on March 7, 2025, that she would not be a candidate in the

2025 Canadian federal election The 2025 Canadian federal election was held on April 28, 2025, to elect members of the House of Commons of Canada, House of Commons to the 45th Canadian Parliament. Governor General Mary Simon issued the writs of election on March 23, 2025, afte ...

Electoral record

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Ien, Marci 1969 births Living people Actresses from Toronto Black Canadian broadcasters Canadian child actresses Canadian people of Trinidad and Tobago descent Canadian television news anchors Journalists from Toronto People from Old Toronto Politicians from Toronto Toronto Metropolitan University alumni Canadian women television journalists Black Canadian women CTV Television Network people Canadian television talk show hosts Liberal Party of Canada MPs Members of the 29th Canadian Ministry Members of the House of Commons of Canada from Ontario Members of the King's Privy Council for Canada Black Canadian politicians Women government ministers of Canada Women members of the House of Commons of Canada 20th-century Canadian journalists 21st-century Canadian journalists 21st-century Canadian women politicians 20th-century Canadian actresses Black Canadian journalists 21st-century members of the House of Commons of Canada Women's ministers of Canada 20th-century Canadian women journalists 21st-century Canadian women journalists