Lord, we thank You for the experience and varied perspectives that MLA:Jenny Wai Ching Kwan brings to her position. We pray that her strengths, influence, and leadership skills will be used effectively. Give her keen intuition and clear vision. May she honour uprightness and walk in wholeness. We pray for unity in our government so that ideas that are good, excellent and of real value are recognized and acted upon. We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Jenny Wai Ching Kwan was first elected as the MLA for Vancouver-Mount Pleasant in 1996, becoming one of the first Chinese-Canadians to sit in B.C.’s Legislative Assembly and the first Chinese Canadian cabinet minister in the history of B.C. She was re-elected in May 2013.
Jenny serves as Opposition Critic for Housing and Community Living B.C.
Born in Hong Kong, Jenny Wai Ching Kwan immigrated to Canada with her family when she was nine years old.
She holds a bachelor of arts (criminology) from Simon Fraser University. Jenny began working as a community legal advocate in the Downtown Eastside shortly after graduation.
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 progressive municipal political party, COPE.
Jenny was appointed Minister of Municipal Affairs in 1998, and also served as Minister of Women’s Equality and Minister of Community Development, Cooperatives and Volunteers. She was the provincial government’s lead representative in developing the Vancouver Agreement.