Bowinn Ma

Bowinn Ma
MLA
Parliamentary Secretary for TransLink of British Columbia
Assumed office
July 18, 2017
Preceded by Position Created
Member of the British Columbia Legislative Assembly
for North Vancouver-Lonsdale
Assumed office
May 9, 2017
Preceded by Naomi Yamamoto
Personal details
Born July 25, 1985 (age 32)
Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario
Political party New Democratic Party
Residence North Vancouver, British Columbia
Alma mater University of British Columbia
Profession Professional Engineer

Bowinn Ma is a Canadian politician, who was elected to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia in the 2017 provincial election.[1] She represents the electoral district of North Vancouver-Lonsdale as a member of the British Columbia New Democratic Party caucus.[1] She also serves as the Parliamentary Secretary for TransLink.[2]

Defeating two-term BC Liberal Cabinet Minister Naomi Yamamoto, rookie candidate Ma is the first New Democrat to win a seat on the North Shore since David Schreck in 1991.[1] The North Vancouver-Lonsdale upset result is often credited in part to increased turnout from Squamish Nation voters and the political mobilization of the Iranian-Canadian community, both of which strongly favoured Ma.[3][4]

Ma is the youngest member of the current BC Legislative Assembly and the Canadian born daughter of Taiwanese immigrants.[5] Ma, Katrina Chen, and Anne Kang are the first MLAs of Taiwanese heritage to be elected to the British Columbia Legislative Assembly.[6]

Background

Ma graduated from the University of British Columbia in 2008 with a Bachelor of Applied Science degree in civil engineering and from the UBC Sauder School of Business in 2009 with a Master of Management degree.[7] She is currently a Professional Engineer registered with the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia as well as a Project Management Professional.[8] She served as an engineer and project manager at Vancouver International Airport prior to her election.[8][9]

Prior to becoming involved in provincial politics, Ma led grassroots efforts against Bill C-51 after publicly challenging Justin Trudeau on his support for the bill during a public Q&A event at the University of British Columbia.[10][11]

A former student politician, Ma was only the fourth female president of the notorious UBC Engineers, and played a prominent role in the reform of the organisation.[12][13] Created in 2008 in honour of Ma's contributions to the organisation, the Engineering Undergraduate Society of the University of British Columbia awards the "Bowinn Ma Award" annually "in recognition of exceptional dedication, service, and self-sacrifice by an individual in completing their duties, both within and beyond the purview of their position".[14][15]

Electoral record

British Columbia general election, 2017: North Vancouver-Lonsdale
Party Candidate Votes%
New DemocraticBowinn Ma 12,361 45.45
LiberalNaomi Yamamoto 10,373 38.14
GreenRichard Warrington 4,148 15.25
LibertarianDonald N.S. Wilson 316 1.16
Total valid votes 27,198100.00
Source: Elections BC[16]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Ma claims North Vancouver-Lonsdale for the NDP. North Shore News, May 9, 2017.
  2. ↑ Metro Vancouver mayors have high hopes for new NDP TransLink boss, The Vancouver Sun, July 18, 2017
  3. ↑ Squamish Nation voters help NDP rookie Bowinn Ma win B.C. riding, The Globe and Mail, May 11, 2017
  4. ↑ 3 under-reported stories from the B.C. election, The Georgia Straight, June 17, 2017
  5. ↑ Prominent Chinese Canadian calls on B.C. parties to create Asian caucuses. The Georgia Straight, April 9, 2017.
  6. ↑ Taiwanese Canadian leader describes election of three B.C. MLAs as historic milestone, The Georgia Straight, June 9, 2017.
  7. ↑ Alumni Spotlight: Bowinn Ma, UBC Engineering, Jan 2015
  8. 1 2 Bowinn's background
  9. ↑ On Approach With Three Amazing Engineers at YVR, YVR, Feb 27, 2015
  10. ↑ Anti-terror opponent wants more accountability from Trudeau, CKNW, March 5, 2015
  11. ↑ C-51 Viva, Animal Voices, April 10, 2015
  12. ↑ Secrets of the Notorious Red Car, University of British Columbia, May 1, 2008
  13. ↑ British Columbia 2017 Election: North Vancouver-Lonsdale, CBC, April 10, 2017
  14. ↑ EUS Appreciation Awards, UBC Engineers, Retrieved Aug 8, 2017
  15. ↑ 2017 Engineer's Ball Awards, UBC Engineers, Retrieved Aug 8, 2017
  16. ↑ "2017 Provincial General Election Final Voting Results". Elections BC. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
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