List of Chinese Canadians

This is a list of Chinese Canadians including both original immigrants who obtained Canadian citizenship and their Canadian-born descendants who are notable, have made significant contributions to the Canadian or international culture or society politically, artistically or scientifically, or have prominently appeared in the news.

Politics and public service

• Arnold Chan (陳家諾), MP for Scarborough—Agincourt, Liberal
• Michael Chan (陳國治), Ontario Cabinet Minister, MPP for Markham—Unionville, Liberal
• Raymond Chan (陳卓愉), former federal Minister of State, former MP for Richmond, Liberal
• Shaun Chen (陈圣源), Chairman of Toronto school board, Canada's biggest school board, elected to the House of Commons of Canada in 2015
• Gordon Chong (张金仪), former city councillor and former vice-chairman of the Toronto Transit Commission
• Ida Chong (張杏芳), BC Cabinet Minister, former MLA for Oak Bay-Gordon Head, BC Liberal
• Michael Chong (莊文浩), former federal Cabinet Minister, MP for Wellington—Halton Hills, Conservative
• George Chow (周烱華), two-term Vancouver City Councillor who was elected as a member of the Vision Vancouver party in 2005 and 2008^[1]
• Olivia Chow (鄒至蕙), MP for Trinity—Spadina from 2006 to 2014, New Democrat
• Adrienne Clarkson (伍冰枝), Governor General of Canada from 1999 to 2005, former journalist, novelist, publisher, winner of the Gemini Award: Best Host in a Light Information Programme
• Lillian Dyck, Canadian senator
• Ying Hope (刘光英), former Metro Toronto Councillor
• Ted Hsu (徐正陶), MP for Kingston and the Islands, Liberal
• Kerry Jang, politician, currently serving on Vancouver, British Columbia's City Council
• Douglas Jung (鄭天華), first Canadian of Chinese origin elected to Parliament, former MP for Vancouver Centre, Conservative
• Jenny Kwan (關慧貞), former BC Cabinet Minister, MLA for Vancouver-Mount Pleasant, New Democrat
• Norman Kwong (林佐民), former Lieutenant Governor of Alberta, star football player in CFL
• David Lam (林思齊), former BC Lieutenant Governor (1988–1995)
• Art Lee, former MP for Vancouver East and Parliamentary Secretary, former leader of British Columbia Liberal Party, Liberal
• Philip S. Lee (李紹麟) Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba (2009–2015)
• Richard Lee (李灿明), British Columbia Liberal Party MLA for Burnaby North, BC Liberal
• Chungsen Leung (梁中心), MP for Willowdale and Parliamentary Secretary for Multiculturalism, Conservative
• Sophia Leung (梁陳明任), former MP for Vancouver—Kingsway and Parliamentary Secretary, Liberal
• Joe Li (李国贤), Councillor for Markham and York Region, 2010-
• Laurin Liu (劉舒雲), MP for Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, New Democrat
• Raymond Louie (雷建华), Vancouver city councillor, former school trustee
• Alan Lowe (劉志強), former Mayor of Victoria, BC
• Jean Lumb, community activist and first Chinese-Canadian to receive the Order of Canada
• Gary Mar, former Albertan Cabinet Minister and MLA for Calgary-Mackay, Conservative
• Inky Mark (麥鼎鴻), MP for Dauphin—Swan River, Conservative
• Denzil Minnan-Wong (黄旻南), first Chinese Deputy Mayor, Toronto
• Victor Oh, Canadian senator from Ontario born in Singapore but of Chinese descent, Conservative
• Vivienne Poy (利德蕙), first senator of Chinese ancestry, sister-in-law to Adrienne Clarkson, Liberal
• Mary-Woo Sims, politician and social justice activist; best known as a former chief commissioner of the British Columbia Human Rights Commission
• Geng Tan (谭耕), MP for Don Valley North, Liberal
• Tony Tang, engineer and politician currently serving on Vancouver, British Columbia's City Council
• Peter Wing, first mayor of Chinese descent in North America, three successive terms as mayor of Kamloops starting in 1966
• Alice Wong (黃陳小萍), MP for Richmond Centre and former Minister of State for Seniors, Conservative
• Bob Wong (黃景培), former Ontario Cabinet Minister and MPP for Fort York, Liberal
• Patrick Wong, former BC MLA for Vancouver-Kensington, BC Liberal
• Peter Wong, former mayor of Sudbury, Ontario
• Soo Wong (黃素梅), Ontario MPP for Scarborough—Agincourt, Liberal
• Tony C. Wong (黃志華), former Ontario MPP for Markham, former York Region Councillor, Liberal
• Kristyn Wong-Tam (黃慧文), LGBTQ activist and Toronto councillor for the Rosedale electoral district
• Teresa Woo-Paw, Albertan MLA for Calgary-Mackay, Conservative
• David Xiao, Albertan MLA for Edmonton-McClung, Conservative
• John Yap (葉志明), BC MLA for Richmond-Steveston, BC Liberal
• Wai Young (楊蕭慧儀), MP for Vancouver South, Conservative

Law and judiciary

• Jim Chu (朱小荪), first Chinese Chief Constable of the Vancouver Police Service
• Won Alexander Cumyow (溫金有), first person of Chinese origin born in Canada; as a court interpreter, was also the first ethnic-Chinese government official in Canada
• Guo Guoting, prominent lawyer who defended dissidents and Falun Gong practitioners
• Linda Ann Loo, Judge of the Supreme Court of British Columbia
• K. Dock Yip, lawyer

Business

• Caleb Chan, businessman; son of the late Chan Sun; donated $10 million to fund UBC's Chan Centre for the Performing Arts
• Tom Chan, Vancouver based real estate entrepreneur; brother of Caleb Chan and son of the late Chan Shun; donated $10 million to fund UBC's Chan Centre for the Performing Arts
• Tung Chan, former CEO of the Vancouver immigrant settlement society S.U.C.C.E.S.S.
• G. Raymond Chang, co-founder and former CEO of CI Financial, philanthropist and third Chancellor of Ryerson University, whose G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education is named after him
• Ben Chiu (邱澤堃), founder of KillerApp.com
• Danielle Fong, co-founder and Chief Scientist of LightSail Energy, Inc.
• Thomas Fung, Hong Kong-born Canadian businessman and philanthropist; eldest son of Fung King Hey; founder of the Fairchild Group
• Fung King Hey, one of the founders of Sun Hung Kai & Co; father of Thomas Fung
• David Ho, Vancouver-based entrepreneur originally from Hong Kong; founder of Harmony Airways; owner of the University Golf Club and MCL motors
• Gary Ho, businessman and ardent philanthropist
• Kwok Yuen Ho (何国源), co-founder and former CEO of ATI Technologies
• Andrea Jung (鍾彬嫻), CEO of Avon Products
• Li Ka-shing, Chairman of Hutchison Whampoa Limited and Cheung Kong Holdings; investor in Husky Oil
• Eva Kwok, businesswoman and former director of the Bank of Montreal
• Chu Lai, businessman, one of the earliest Chinese-Canadian merchants in British Columbia
• Cindy Lee, businesswoman; founder and current President and CEO of T&T Supermarket
• Paul Lee, former President of Electronic Arts
• Robert H. Lee, Vancouver based businessman; Chairman and founder of Prospero; Robert H. Lee Graduate School is named in honor of his philanthropy
• Michael Lee-Chin, investor; CEO of AIC Canada
• Richard Li, businessman; son of Hong Kong business mogul Li Ka-shing; Chairman of PCCW and chairman of PCCW's executive committee
• Victor Li, businessman; son of Hong Kong business mogul, Li Ka-shing and major investor in Air Canada
• Brandt C. Louie, President and CEO of H.Y. Louie Co. Limited; Chairman of London Drugs Limited
• Yip Sang, businessman
• Alfred Sung, fashion designer and founder of Club Monaco
• Brian Wong, co-founder of Kiip
• Milton Wong, financier and former Chairman of HSBC Canada
• Gabriel Yiu, businessman, journalist, and social activist

Athletics

• Chris Beckford-Tseu, ice hockey goaltender for the St. Louis Blues
• Patrick Chan (陳偉群), figure skater; 2011 World Champion and four-time Canadian Champion
• Bryan Chiu, Chinese-Canadian football player for the Montreal Alouettes
• Adderly Fong, race car driver
• Lori Fung, gymnast and winner of the first gold medal ever in Rhythmic Gymnastics at 1984 Olympic Games
• Andre Ho, table tennis player
• Chan Hon Goh (吳振紅), first Chinese-Canadian principal dancer with the National Ballet of Canada
• Carol Huynh, Olympic gold medalist in wrestling in the 2008 Summer Games in Beijing
• Larry Kwong, first Chinese-Canadian to play in the National Hockey League
• Norman Kwong (林佐民), known as "The China Clipper", fullback, won four Grey Cups and 30 individual Canadian Football League records; also served as former Lieutenant Governor of Alberta
• Mira Leung, figure skater
• Michelle Li, badminton player
• Landon Ling, soccer player
• Alexa Loo, Olympic snowboarder
• Jujie Luan, fencer
• Darryl O'Young, racing driver
• Wendy Saschenbrecker, fencer
• Eugene Wang, Olympic table tennis
• Megan Wing, figure skater
• Charlene Wong, former Olympic figure skater
• Brandon Yip, ice hockey player for the Phoenix Coyotes
• Mo Zhang, Olympic table tennis

Visual arts

• Raymond Chow, martial arts film producer
• Richard Fung, video artist, writer, public intellectual and theorist
• Terence Koh, diverse work sometimes involving queer, punk, and pornographic sensibilities
• Ken Lum, public art champion, award-winning educator
• Bruce Mau, design, architecture, art, museums, film, eco-environmental design, and conceptual philosophy
• Paul Wong, award-winning artist, curator, and organizer of public interventions
• Tobi Wong

Entertainment

• Aarif Rahman, Hong Kong born Chinese Canadian singer/actor
• Aimee Chan, Canadian actress based in Hong Kong
• Caleb Chan, Canadian composer
• Shannon Chan-Kent, Canadian voice actress, singer and actress
• Angela Chang, Taiwanese singer and actress
• Brandon Chang, Taiwanese actor and entertainer
• Osric Chau, Canadian actor
• Edison Chen, Hong Kong Canadian film actor, musician, producer, entrepreneur, and fashion designer
• Terry Chen, Canadian film and television actor
• Fred Cheng, Canadian-born Hong Kong actor and singer
• Olivia Cheng, Canadian actress, broadcast journalist, and former correspondent for Entertainment Tonight Canada
• Kayi Cheung, Miss Hong Kong 2007
• Leslie Cheung, Hong Kong singer, actor and film producer, Cantopop pioneer
• Charlene Choi, Hong Kong actress and singer, Cantopop group Twins
• Rae Dawn Chong, Canadian-American actress
• Robbi Chong, Canadian actress and former model
• Tommy Chong, Canadian-American comedian, actor, writer, director, activist, and musician, part of comedy duo Cheech & Chong
• Lawrence Chou, Canadian singer and actor
• Jacky Chu, Taiwanese actor; former member of Taiwanese group 183 Club
• Christy Chung, Canadian actress and restaurateur
• Linda Chung, Canadian actress and singer
• Shawn Dou, Chinese-Canadian actor
• Liu Fang, musician, plays pipa (Chinese lute)
• Saskia Garel, Jamaican-Canadian actress and singer
• Chan-hon Goh, ballet dancer, past principal dancer with the National Ballet of Canada
• Anna Guo, musician, plays yangqin (Chinese hammered dulcimer)
• Han Mei, musician and scholar of ethnomusicology, plays guzheng (Chinese plucked zither) and liuqin (Chinese lute)
• He Qiuxia, musician, plays pipa (Chinese lute)
• Anne Heung, Canadian actress and model
• Denise Ho, Hong Kong-based Cantopop singer
• Sandrine Holt, English-Canadian model and actress
• Matthew Ko, Hong Kong actor, 2005 Mr. Hong Kong
• Kristin Kreuk, Canadian actress
• Jade Kwan, Hong Kong Cantopop singer
• Julia Kwan, Vancouver-based filmmaker, resident at Canadian Film Centre
• Kelvin Kwan, Cantopop singer^[2]
• Miranda Kwok, screenwriter, actress, and film producer
• Sonija Kwok, Hong Kong actress, currently works for TVB, 1999 Miss Hong Kong
• Karena Lam, Taiwanese actress and singer based in Hong Kong
• Henry Lau, singer-songwriter, producer, and actor working in Korean pop music; member of Super Junior-M
• Byron Lawson, Canadian actor
• Cory Lee, Canadian singer-songwriter and actress
• Sook-Yin Lee, Canadian broadcaster, musician, filmmaker, and actress; host of CBC Radio's Definitely Not the Opera
• Selena Li, Canadian actress
• Anastasia Lin (林耶凡), actress, Miss World Canada 2015, human rights activist, denied opportunity to enter Miss World due to activism
• Bernice Liu, Canadian actress, singer, and commercial model based in Hong Kong
• Hollie Lo, Canadian actress
• Ellen Joyce Loo (盧凱彤), singer, Cantopop group at17
• Alexina Louie, Canadian composer
• Crystal Lowe, Canadian actress and model, best known for her scream queen roles
• Yvette Lu, Canadian independent film and stage actress, filmmaker, singer, composer, writer and producer
• Linlyn Lue, Canadian actress
• David Y.H. Lui, Vancouver arts impresario and producer
• Nicole Lyn, actress known for her role in TV series Student Bodies
• Kenneth Ma, Canadian actor working in Hong Kong
• Lena Ma, beauty pageant queen
• Maggie Ma, Canadian film actress
• Melissa O'Neil, Canadian singer and musical theatre actress
• Daniel Ong, actor and radio-TV personality in Singapore
• Eddie Peng (also known as Peng Yu-yen), actor
• Keanu Reeves, Canadian movie actor
• Lydia Shum, Hong Kong and Canadian comedian and actor
• Mina Shum, Canadian independent film director
• Valerie Tian, actress
• Meg Tilly, actress and novelist
• Angela Tong, Hong Kong based Canadian actress
• Nicholas Tse, Hong Kong based Canadian actor
• Yee Jee Tso, Canadian actor
• Byron Wong, music and TV producer; founder of several entertainment and new media production and design companies
• Debbie Wong, actress and model^[3]
• Ellen Wong, Canadian actress of Cambodian and Chinese descent
• Kris Wu (also known as Wu Yifan and Kris), Canadian-Chinese actor and singer-songwriter, former member of band EXO
• Stephen Yan, celebrity chef
• Benny Yau, Canadian television presenter, actor, and singer
• Sally Yeh, Taiwanese-Canadian Cantopop singer and actress
• Françoise Yip, Canadian actress
• Catalina Yue, singer, songwriter, actress
• Rui Shi Zhuo, Canadian composer

Media

• Josephine Au, reporter and producer for Canadian Omni.2 TV news Cantonese language service
• Steve Chao, journalist for Al Jazeera English, formerly with CTV News
• Wei Chen, journalist for Canadian radio and TV
• Cindy Cheung, TV presenter, most recently with Fairchild Television
• Sharlene Chiu, television reporter, host, and producer most known for MTV News Canada
• Lila Feng, television weather presenter and program host
• Mellissa Fung, journalist for CBC news
• Jiang Weiping, journalist, emigrated to Canada after release from prison in China
• Bernard Lo, news anchor and show host for financial TV shows, based in Hong Kong
• Elaine Lui, television reporter, entertainer, "gossip maven" for CTV Television Network
• Sheng Xue (also known as Reimonna Sheng), Canadian Chinese journalist, writer, activist for civil rights in China
• Ziya Tong, Canadian television personality and producer, news and science shows
• Jan Wong (黃明珍), journalist for several Canadian newspapers, known for Lunch With... column

Literature

• Cheng Sait Chia, poet
• Denise Chong (鄭霭玲), author of books on history, former economic adviser to the government, author of widely anthologized speech "Being Canadian"
• Wayson Choy (崔維新), novelist and memoirist, teaches writing at Humber College
• Jim Wong-Chu, poet, author, historian, activist
• Judy Fong Bates, fiction writer
• Evelyn Lau (劉綺芬), poet, novelist, essayist, novelist
• Vincent Lam, non-fiction and fiction writer and practicing physician, winner of 2006 Scotiabank Giller Prize
• Larissa Lai, poet and novelist
• Sky Lee, feminist, lesbian writer of fiction and non-fiction
• Andy Quan, gay Canadian novelist who explores interaction sexual and cultural identity, now living in Australia
• Goh Poh Seng, Singaporean and Canadian novelist, poet, playwright
• Fred Wah, novelist, critic, writer, and former Canadian Parliamentary Poet Laureate
• Rita Wong, poet
• Paul Yee, historian, prolific writer of both children's and adult books about the Chinese Canadian experience
• Chia-ying Yeh, poet and scholar, UBC professor and Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada
• Ying Chen (应晨), novelist

Science and technology

• Thomas Chang, physician, medical scientist, and inventor credited with co-inventing the world's first artificial cell
• James K. M. Cheng, architect
• Kin-Yip Chun, geophysicist
• Roger Hui, computer scientist and co-developer of the J programming language
• Yuet Wai Kan, medical scientist and physician; pioneer of applying molecular biology and genetics into clinical medicine
• Victor Ling, medical researcher whose research focuses on drug resistance in cancer; known for his discovery of P-glycoprotein
• Tak Wah Mak, medical researcher, geneticist, oncologist, and biochemist; known for his discovery of the T-cell receptor and pioneering work in the genetics of immunology
• Bing Thom, architect
• Paul Tseng, applied mathematician who went missing while kayaking in the Yangtze River in the Yunnan province of China and is presumed dead
• Tsui Lap-chee, geneticist
• Joseph Yu Kai Wong, physician and philanthropist
• William Kwong Yu Yeung, astronomer; discoverer of asteroids and the comet 172P/Yeung

Education and academia

• Jerome Chen, historian of China, author, former professor at York University
• Konrad Ng, scholar of Asian-American cinema and digital media; director of Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center; professor at University of Hawaii at Manoa

Other

• Susur Lee, chef and international restaurateur based in Toronto

References