Jenny Kwan
Vancouver 49° 15' 39.14" N, 123° 6' 50.23" W Politics Person
Jenny Kwan has been the MLA for Vancouver-Mt. Pleasant since 1996. When she was first elected, she became one of the first Chinese-Canadians to sit in BC's Legislative Assembly. She was re-elected in 2001, 2005 and again on 12 May 2009.
In addition to representing Vancouver-Mt. Pleasant, Jenny currently serves as Opposition Critic for Small Business, Technology and Economic Development. She served as Chair of the Opposition Caucus from 2005 to 2009.
Born in Hong Kong, Jenny immigrated to Canada with her family when she was nine years old. She graduated from Simon Fraser University with a Bachelor of Arts, specializing in criminology. After graduating, she worked as a community legal advocate for the Downtown Eastside Residents Association.
Jenny was elected to Vancouver City Council in 1993 -- becoming the youngest councillor in Vancouver’s history -- and served for three years as the sole representative of Vancouver's municipal political party, COPE.
In 1998 Jenny was appointed Minister of Municipal Affairs, becoming BC's first Chinese-Canadian cabinet minister. Jenny also served as Minister of Women's Equality and Minister of Community Development, Cooperatives and Volunteers and was the provincial government’s lead person in developing the Vancouver Agreement.
Jenny has worked in the areas of women's rights, community development, housing and anti-poverty advocacy.
Jenny is married and lives in East Vancouver with her husband, daughter, son, and stepson.