Cynthia Lai

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Cynthia Lai

| image =

| imagesize =

| caption =

| native_name = 封賴桂霞

| native_name_lang = zh

| office1 = Toronto City Councillor
for Ward 23 Scarborough North

| term_start1 = December 1, 2018

| term_end1 = October 21, 2022

| preceded1 = Ward created

| succeeded1 = Jamaal Myers

| birth_date = {{birth date|1954|10|19}}

| birth_place = Hong Kong

| death_date = {{death date and given age|2022|10|21|68|}}

| death_place = Toronto, Ontario, Canada

| residence = Toronto, Ontario

| religion =

| nationality = Chinese-Canadian

| spouse = C. K. Fung

| relatives = Tony Wong (cousin)

| occupation =

}}

Cynthia Lai ({{IPAc-en|l|aɪ|audio=Cynthialainame.ogg}} {{respell|LY}}; {{lang-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 from 2018 to 2022.

Background

Lai immigrated from Hong Kong and moved to Canada in 1972.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cynthialai.com/aprg/aboutus.aspx|title=About Councillor Lai|website=www.cynthialai.com|access-date=January 3, 2020|archive-date=January 3, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200103041939/https://www.cynthialai.com/aprg/aboutus.aspx|url-status=dead}} Her cousin is Tony Wong, is a former member of Provincial Parliament (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).{{Cite web |date=2018-10-22 |title=Subway backer Cynthia Lai claims open seat in Ward 23, Scarborough North |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/toronto-election/2018/10/22/subway-backer-cynthia-lai-claims-open-seat-in-ward-23-scarborough-north.html |access-date=2022-10-22 |website=thestar.com |language=en}} She served on the council until her death in 2022.

Personal life and death

File:Grave of Cynthia Lai (1954–2022) at York Cemetery, Toronto.jpg

Lai was hospitalized on October 20 during the 2022 election campaign.{{Cite web |date=2022-10-20 |title=Toronto councillor campaigning for re-election hospitalized |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2022/10/20/toronto-councillor-campaigning-for-re-election-hospitalized.html |access-date=2022-10-22 |website=thestar.com |language=en}} She died on October 21, 2022, two days after her 68th birthday and just three days before the municipal election.{{Cite web |date=2022-10-21 |title=Toronto councillor Cynthia Lai, running for re-election, dies |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2022/10/21/toronto-councillor-cynthia-lai-running-for-re-election-dies.html |access-date=2022-10-22 |website=thestar.com |language=en}} She had been suffering from gallbladder cancer.{{Cite web |last=Talbot |first=Michael |date=October 21, 2022 |title=Toronto city councillor Cynthia Lai dies at age 68 |url=https://toronto.citynews.ca/2022/10/21/city-councillor-cythia-lai-dies/ |access-date=2022-10-22 |website=CityNews}}

She was interred at York Cemetery in Toronto. Flags at Toronto City Hall, Metro Hall and Toronto civic centres were flown at half-mast, and the Toronto Sign was dimmed in her honour.

Electoral history

=2018=

=Ward 23 Scarborough North=

class="sortable wikitable"
scope="col" style="background-color:#bfdeff;width:200px;text-align:left;padding-left:5px;"\| Candidate ! scope="col" style="background-color:#bfdeff;width:88px;" \| Votes ! scope="col" style="background-color:#bfdeff;width:95px;" \| Percentage ! scope="col" style="background-color:#bfdeff;width:150px;"\| Registration Date ! scope="col" style="background-color:#bfdeff;width:500px;text-align:left;padding-left:5px;"\| Notes
valign="top"\|Cynthia Lai \|valign="top" align="right"\|5,589 \|valign="top" align="right"\|27.02% \|valign="top" align="center"\|May 28, 2018 \|Endorsed by Toronto Sun.{{Cite web\|url=https://torontosun.com/news/local-news/toronto-sun-endorsements-for-city-council\|title=Toronto Sun endorsements for city council\|date=October 21, 2018\|language=en-CA\|access-date=May 2, 2019}}
valign="top"\|Maggie Chi \|valign="top" align="right"\|4,137 \|valign="top" align="right"\|20.00% \|valign="top" align="center"\|June 19, 2018 \|Worked as a constituency assistant to former Councillor Chin Lee, Ward 41, for 5 years.{{Cite news\|url=https://www.thestar.com/news/toronto-election/2018/09/30/wide-open-scarborough-north-race-draws-diverse-array-of-candidates.html\|title=Wide open Scarborough North race draws diverse array of candidates {{!}} The Star\|work=thestar.com\|access-date=October 9, 2018\|language=en}} Endorsement and support from Chin Lee (former City Councillor), Glen De Baeremaeker (Deputy Mayor for Scarborough), Shaun Chen (Member of Parliament, Scarborough North), Tom Chang (President of the Brimley Forest Community Association), Gary Loughlin (President of the C.D Farqhuarson Community Association).{{Cite web \|url=https://www.maggiechi.ca/blank \|title=Maggie Chi for Ward 44 City Councillor \|access-date=October 11, 2018 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181011133355/https://www.maggiechi.ca/blank \|archive-date=October 11, 2018 \|url-status=dead }}
valign="top"\|Felicia Samuel \|valign="top" align="right"\|3,702 \|valign="top" align="right"\|17.89% \|valign="top" align="center"\|July 25, 2018 \|Former provincial NDP candidate. Endorsed by Toronto & York District Labour Council,{{cite web\|publisher=Toronto & York Region Labour Council \|url=http://www.labourcouncil.ca/uploads/8/8/6/1/8861416/endorsementlistseptember27th2018.pdf \|title=Endorsements 2018 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181016123439/http://www.labourcouncil.ca/uploads/8/8/6/1/8861416/endorsementlistseptember27th2018.pdf\|url-status=dead\|archive-date=October 16, 2018\|date=October 16, 2018\|access-date=May 7, 2019}} Progress Toronto,{{Cite web\|url=https://www.progresstoronto.ca/campaign-2018-scarborough-north\|title=Council Ward 23 – Scarborough North\|website=Progress Toronto\|language=en-US\|access-date=May 7, 2019\|archive-date=October 4, 2018\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181004064417/https://www.progresstoronto.ca/campaign-2018-scarborough-north\|url-status=dead}} Toronto Star,{{cite news\| url=https://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorials/2018/10/16/these-are-the-council-members-toronto-needs.html\| title=These are the council members Toronto needs\| date=October 16, 2018\| work=Toronto Star}} and NOW magazine.{{Cite web\|url=https://nowtoronto.com/news/toronto-election-2018-voters-guide\|title=Toronto Election 2018: A voter's guide to the good, bad, ugly and progressive choices for council\|last=DiMatteo\|first=Enzo\|date=October 17, 2018\|website=NOW Magazine\|language=en-us\|access-date=May 2, 2019\|archive-date=May 2, 2019\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190502052707/https://nowtoronto.com/news/toronto-election-2018-voters-guide/\|url-status=dead}}
valign="top"\|Neethan Saba \|valign="top" align="right"\|2,808 \|valign="top" align="right"\|13.57% \|valign="top" align="center"\|July 27, 2018 \|
valign="top"\|James Chow \|valign="top" align="right"\|1,487 \|valign="top" align="right"\|7.19% \|valign="top" align="center"\|May 16, 2018 \|
valign="top"\|Ashwani Bhardwaj \|valign="top" align="right"\|1,259 \|valign="top" align="right"\|6.09% \|valign="top" align="center"\|July 25, 2018 \|
valign="top"\|Sheraz Khan \|valign="top" align="right"\|453 \|valign="top" align="right"\|2.19% \|valign="top" align="center"\|July 27, 2018 \|
valign="top"\|Dameon Halstead \|valign="top" align="right"\|391 \|valign="top" align="right"\|1.89% \|valign="top" align="center"\|June 12, 2018 \|
valign="top"\|Mahboob Mian \|valign="top" align="right"\|335 \|valign="top" align="right"\|1.62% \|valign="top" align="center"\|July 9, 2018 \|
valign="top"\|Sandeep Srivastava \|valign="top" align="right"\|273 \|valign="top" align="right"\|1.32% \|valign="top" align="center"\|June 26, 2018 \|
valign="top"\|Anthony Internicola \|valign="top" align="right"\|254 \|valign="top" align="right"\|1.23% \|valign="top" align="center"\|May 8, 2018 \|

class="sortable wikitable"

scope="col" style="background-color:#bfdeff;width:200px;text-align:left;padding-left:5px;"| Candidate

! scope="col" style="background-color:#bfdeff;width:88px;" | Votes

! scope="col" style="background-color:#bfdeff;width:95px;" | Percentage

! scope="col" style="background-color:#bfdeff;width:150px;"| Registration Date

! scope="col" style="background-color:#bfdeff;width:500px;text-align:left;padding-left:5px;"| Notes

valign="top"|Cynthia Lai

|valign="top" align="right"|5,589

|valign="top" align="right"|27.02%

|valign="top" align="center"|May 28, 2018

|Endorsed by Toronto Sun.{{Cite web|url=https://torontosun.com/news/local-news/toronto-sun-endorsements-for-city-council|title=Toronto Sun endorsements for city council|date=October 21, 2018|language=en-CA|access-date=May 2, 2019}}

valign="top"|Maggie Chi

|valign="top" align="right"|4,137

|valign="top" align="right"|20.00%

|valign="top" align="center"|June 19, 2018

|Worked as a constituency assistant to former Councillor Chin Lee, Ward 41, for 5 years.{{Cite news|url=https://www.thestar.com/news/toronto-election/2018/09/30/wide-open-scarborough-north-race-draws-diverse-array-of-candidates.html|title=Wide open Scarborough North race draws diverse array of candidates {{!}} The Star|work=thestar.com|access-date=October 9, 2018|language=en}} Endorsement and support from Chin Lee (former City Councillor), Glen De Baeremaeker (Deputy Mayor for Scarborough), Shaun Chen (Member of Parliament, Scarborough North), Tom Chang (President of the Brimley Forest Community Association), Gary Loughlin (President of the C.D Farqhuarson Community Association).{{Cite web |url=https://www.maggiechi.ca/blank |title=Maggie Chi for Ward 44 City Councillor |access-date=October 11, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181011133355/https://www.maggiechi.ca/blank |archive-date=October 11, 2018 |url-status=dead }}

valign="top"|Felicia Samuel

|valign="top" align="right"|3,702

|valign="top" align="right"|17.89%

|valign="top" align="center"|July 25, 2018

|Former provincial NDP candidate. Endorsed by Toronto & York District Labour Council,{{cite web|publisher=Toronto & York Region Labour Council |url=http://www.labourcouncil.ca/uploads/8/8/6/1/8861416/endorsementlistseptember27th2018.pdf |title=Endorsements 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181016123439/http://www.labourcouncil.ca/uploads/8/8/6/1/8861416/endorsementlistseptember27th2018.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 16, 2018|date=October 16, 2018|access-date=May 7, 2019}} Progress Toronto,{{Cite web|url=https://www.progresstoronto.ca/campaign-2018-scarborough-north|title=Council Ward 23 – Scarborough North|website=Progress Toronto|language=en-US|access-date=May 7, 2019|archive-date=October 4, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181004064417/https://www.progresstoronto.ca/campaign-2018-scarborough-north|url-status=dead}} Toronto Star,{{cite news| url=https://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorials/2018/10/16/these-are-the-council-members-toronto-needs.html| title=These are the council members Toronto needs| date=October 16, 2018| work=Toronto Star}} and NOW magazine.{{Cite web|url=https://nowtoronto.com/news/toronto-election-2018-voters-guide|title=Toronto Election 2018: A voter's guide to the good, bad, ugly and progressive choices for council|last=DiMatteo|first=Enzo|date=October 17, 2018|website=NOW Magazine|language=en-us|access-date=May 2, 2019|archive-date=May 2, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190502052707/https://nowtoronto.com/news/toronto-election-2018-voters-guide/|url-status=dead}}

valign="top"|Neethan Saba

|valign="top" align="right"|2,808

|valign="top" align="right"|13.57%

|valign="top" align="center"|July 27, 2018

valign="top"|James Chow

|valign="top" align="right"|1,487

|valign="top" align="right"|7.19%

|valign="top" align="center"|May 16, 2018

valign="top"|Ashwani Bhardwaj

|valign="top" align="right"|1,259

|valign="top" align="right"|6.09%

|valign="top" align="center"|July 25, 2018