Anne Kang ( zh, t=康安禮; born 1977) is a

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

politician who has represented the

electoral district An electoral district, also known as an election district, legislative district, voting district, constituency, riding, ward, division, or (election) precinct is a subdivision of a larger state (a country, administrative region, or other polity ...

Burnaby-Deer Lake Burnaby-Deer Lake is a provincial electoral district in British Columbia, Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the ...

in the

Legislative Assembly of British Columbia The Legislative Assembly of British Columbia is the deliberative assembly of the Parliament of British Columbia, in the province of British Columbia, Canada. The Legislative Assembly meets in Victoria, British Columbia, Victoria. Members ar ...

since 2017. A member of the

British Columbia New Democratic Party The New Democratic Party of British Columbia (BC NDP) is a social-democratic provincial political party in British Columbia, Canada. As of 2017, it governs the province. It is the British Columbia provincial arm of the federal New Democrati ...

(BC NDP) caucus, she has served in the

cabinet Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to: Furniture * Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers * Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets * Filing ...

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

since 2020, currently as Minister of Municipal Affairs. Prior to her election as

Member of the Legislative Assembly A member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) is a representative elected by the voters of a constituency to a legislative assembly. Most often, the term refers to a subnational assembly such as that of a state, province, or territory of a country. S ...

(MLA), Kang served as a

city councillor A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, rural council ...

Burnaby Burnaby is a city in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia, Canada. Located in the centre of the Burrard Peninsula, it neighbours the City of Vancouver to the west, the District of North Vancouver across the confluence of the Burrard I ...

for three terms.

Early life and education

Born in

Changhua County Changhua County (Mandarin Pinyin: ''Zhānghuà Xiàn''; Wade-Giles: ''Chang¹-hua⁴ Hsien⁴''; Hokkien POJ: ''Chiang-hòa-koān'' or ''Chiong-hòa-koān'') is the smallest county on the main island of Taiwan by area, and the fourth smallest ...

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...

, Kang immigrated to

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

as a child, and has lived in

since 1986. She grew up in the Deer Lake neighbourhood, and graduated from

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

's David Thompson Secondary School with Honours in the Math & Science Program. She completed her post-secondary education at the

University of British Columbia The University of British Columbia (UBC) is a public university, public research university with campuses near Vancouver and in Kelowna, British Columbia. Established in 1908, it is British Columbia's oldest university. The university ranks a ...

, receiving a Bachelor of Music, a Bachelor of Education (Elementary), and Diploma in Special Education (Learning Disability). Kang has received a Master’s Degree in Special Education (Gifted and Creative Learning) and completed two levels of Montessori Certification. She continued to further her education, obtaining certificates in Sustainable Business Strategy from Harvard University, and certificates in Change Leadership, and Financial Accounting, both from Cornell University. Kang's personal interests are in the areas of social sustainability, youth and young adults, education and immigration.

Community involvement

Kang has volunteered, and held positions with a number of

not-for-profit A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

and

community organizations Community organizing is a process where people who live in proximity to each other or share some common problem come together into an organization that acts in their shared self-interest. Unlike those who promote more-consensual community bui ...

. These include: * Founding Director, Global Federation of Chinese Business Women Association of British Columbia * Director, Progressive Housing Society * Founding Director, TIO Group of Young Professionals * Director, Taiwanese-Canadian Association * Founding Director, Taiwanese Heritage Association In recognition of her community involvement, she was awarded the

Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal The Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (french: Médaille du jubilé de diamant de la reine Elizabeth II) or The Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal was a commemorative medal created in 2012 to mark the 60th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's ...

in 2012. Kang has also spoken about her challenges with stuttering, and the need to end the stigmatization of those with the condition.

Municipal politics (2008-2017)

Kang first ran for office in the 2008 municipal election as a candidate for the Burnaby Citizens Association, and was elected as a councillor on

Burnaby City Council The Burnaby City Council is the governing body for the City of Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada. The council consists of the mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city ...

. She won re-election twice, serving as councillor for a total of three terms. As a city councillor, Kang served the community of Burnaby through several sub-roles such as * Council Liaison for the Public Library Board * Vice Chair of the Environment Committee * Member of the Public Safety Committee * Council Youth Liaison. Kang also led environmental initiatives and infrastructure projects while on Council - fostering the development of a food scrap recycling program, and planning the renovation and restructuring of the city's main library. Effective June 27, 2017, Kang was on unpaid leave from her position as Burnaby city councillor due to her recent election to the

. Her vacant position on Burnaby City Council was left unfilled until the 2018 municipal election.

Provincial politics (2017-present)

The incumbent MLA for

Kathy Corrigan Kathy Corrigan is a Canadian politician who served as a Member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia in the 39th and 40th Parliament of British Columbia, from 2009 to 2017. As a member of the BC New Democratic Party, she was elected ...

(BC NDP) announced in 2016 her decision to not seek re-election in the next provincial election. Kang was acclaimed as the NDP's candidate for the riding in May 2016, then won the seat in the 2017 provincial election. She is among the first three Taiwanese-Canadians to be elected to the

, alongside fellow New Democrats

Katrina Chen Katrina Chen (; born 14 July 1983) is a Canadian politician who has represented the electoral district of Burnaby-Lougheed in the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia in 2017. A member of the British Columbia New Democratic Party (BC NDP) ...

and

Bowinn Ma Bowinn Ma, MLA is a Canadian politician, who was elected to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia in the 2017 provincial election.Parliamentary Secretary for Seniors within the

Government of British Columbia The Government of British Columbia (french: Gouvernement de la Colombie-Britannique) is the body responsible for the administration of the Canadian province of British Columbia. A constitutional monarchy, the Crown is the corporation sole, assumi ...

in July 2017, additionally serving as Parliamentary Secretary for Multiculturalism as of July 2019. She was appointed Minister of Citizens' Services in January 2020. Kang won re-election as MLA for Burnaby-Deer Lake in the 2020 provincial election, and was named Minister of Advanced Education, Skills and Training in November 2020. She was subsequently named Minister of Municipal Affairs in the

Eby ministry The Eby ministry is the combined Cabinet (formally the Executive Council of British Columbia) that has governed British Columbia since November 18, 2022. It is chaired by the 37th premier of British Columbia, David Eby. The Cabinet is made up ...

on December 7, 2022.

Electoral record

References

External links

MLA: Hon. Anne Kang
– Legislative Assembly of British Columbia biography {{DEFAULTSORT:Kang, Anne British Columbia New Democratic Party MLAs British Columbia school board members Burnaby city councillors Living people People from Changhua County Taiwanese emigrants to Canada University of British Columbia alumni Women MLAs in British Columbia Women municipal councillors in Canada 21st-century Canadian politicians 1977 births Canadian politicians of Chinese descent