Bowinn Ma facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Honourable Bowinn Ma MLA
Bowinn Ma in 2024
Minister of Infrastructure of British Columbia
Incumbent
Assumed office November 18, 2024
Premier	David Eby
Preceded by	Position established
Minister of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness of British Columbia
In office December 7, 2022 – November 18, 2024
Premier	David Eby
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Kelly Greene
Minister of State for Infrastructure of British Columbia
In office November 26, 2020 – December 7, 2022
Premier	John Horgan David Eby
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Dan Coulter
Parliamentary Secretary for TransLink of British Columbia
In office July 18, 2017 – November 26, 2020
Premier	John Horgan
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Position abolished
Member of the British Columbia Legislative Assembly for North Vancouver-Lonsdale
Incumbent
Assumed office May 9, 2017
Preceded by	Naomi Yamamoto
Personal details
Born	(1985-07-25) July 25, 1985 (age 39) Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
Political party	New Democratic Party
Residences	North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Alma mater	University of British Columbia
Profession	Engineer

Bowinn Ma, MLA is a Canadian politician. She was first elected to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia in 2017. She has won re-election twice, in 2020 and 2024. She represents the area of North Vancouver-Lonsdale as a member of the British Columbia New Democratic Party.

Currently, Ma is the Minister of Infrastructure. This new role focuses on building important projects for the province. Before this, she was British Columbia's first Minister for Emergency Management and Climate Readiness.

From 2020 to 2022, Ma was the Minister of State for Infrastructure. In this role, she helped with major projects like expanding the SkyTrain and replacing the Massey Tunnel and Pattullo Bridge. From 2017 to 2020, she was the Parliamentary Secretary for TransLink. She also served on important committees.

When she was first elected in 2017, Bowinn Ma was the youngest member of the British Columbia Legislative Assembly. She is the daughter of immigrants from Taiwan. She, along with Katrina Chen and Anne Kang, were the first MLAs of Taiwanese background elected in British Columbia.

Ma was the first New Democrat to win a seat on the North Shore since 1991. She won against an experienced politician, Naomi Yamamoto. Many believe her win was helped by increased voter turnout from the Squamish Nation and the Iranian-Canadian community.

In November 2023, Ma became the third woman in British Columbia's history to give birth while serving as a cabinet minister.

About Bowinn Ma

Bowinn Ma studied at the University of British Columbia. She earned a degree in civil engineering in 2008, focusing on transportation. In 2009, she also earned a Master of Management degree. She is a certified Professional Engineer and a Project Management Professional. Before becoming a politician, she worked as an engineer and project manager at Vancouver International Airport.

Ma was the fourth female president of the UBC Engineers. She helped improve the organization. The "Bowinn Ma Award" is given annually by the Engineering Undergraduate Society. It recognizes students who show great dedication and service.

Her Work in Politics

Bowinn Ma with BC NDP Leader David Eby during the 2024 election

After being elected, Ma started the Bowinn Ma MLA Social Justice Scholarship. This scholarship gives $500 to one graduating high school student from three local schools. It helps students who are going to college and have shown a commitment to social justice.

In early 2020, Ma was offered a role as 'Minister of Citizenship Services'. However, she chose to decline the offer. She wanted to focus on her work as a local MLA for her community.

During the 2020 election, former Green Party of British Columbia leader Andrew Weaver supported Ma. He said she works very hard for her community and cares deeply about people. Ma won the election for North Vancouver-Lonsdale. She told the North Shore News that votes are earned, and she would continue to work hard for her community.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Ma found creative ways to connect with people. She hosted online chats and offered virtual origami lessons. She also visited classrooms online and sent out regular COVID-19 updates. She even played short musical concerts outside apartment buildings and care homes for residents.

Improving Transportation

Since 2017, Ma has focused a lot on transportation issues. She campaigned on improving public transportation and reducing traffic. She believes that better transportation helps create jobs and grow the economy. She also supports expanding British Columbia's rapid transit system. This helps reduce traffic and creates a more sustainable way to travel.

In 2017, Ma became the Parliamentary Secretary for TransLink. Her main job was to oversee TransLink as it expanded its services. This included adding more SeaBus trips and increasing bus service.

Ma also led a committee that made recommendations for ride-hailing services. This committee included members from different political parties. They worked together to suggest rules for companies like Uber and Lyft.

Ma also worked to improve BC Transit bus service. In 2018, she started the Integrated North Shore Transportation Planning Project. This project created a plan to improve transportation on the North Shore.

As Minister of State for Infrastructure in 2020, Ma's job included advancing important transportation projects. These projects included extending the Millennium Line SkyTrain and building the Surrey-Langley SkyTrain. She also worked on widening Highway 1 and replacing the Massey Crossing and Pattullo Bridge.

Integrated North Shore Transportation Planning Project

Ma started and chaired the Integrated North Shore Transportation Planning Project (INSTPP) in 2018. This project brought together different governments and transportation agencies. Their goal was to create a plan for better transportation on the North Shore.

The project involved the City of North Vancouver, District of North Vancouver, District of West Vancouver, TransLink, and the Canadian and BC governments. It also included the Tsleil-Waututh Nation and Squamish Nation. The project released its report in September 2018.

The report noted that this project involved an "unprecedented" level of teamwork. It was the first time these groups worked together to understand transportation challenges. They created a unified plan for the region.

North Shore Rapid Transit

Ma strongly supports rapid bus lines. She sees them as a step towards full rapid transit. She helped launch the first study into a rapid transit line connecting the North Shore and downtown Vancouver.

After much discussion, Ma and TransLink successfully launched the RapidBus (TransLink) R2 Marine Dr line. This express bus service started on April 6, 2020. Many of her supporters call this the "#BowinnLine" because of her leadership.

As Minister of State for Infrastructure, one of her goals was to plan and develop high-speed transit links for the North Shore. These links would bring cleaner transit, support economic growth, and create construction jobs.

Housing

Ma is a strong supporter of addressing the housing crisis in Metro Vancouver. She supports measures like the BC NDP Government's foreign buyers tax and speculation tax. These taxes aim to make housing more affordable.

In 2018, Ma helped raise money for the North Vancouver homeless shelter. She spent a night in her car to support the cause. She also helped the North Vancouver youth safe house get funding from the government. She joined high school students in sleeping outside to raise funds for Covenant House, which helps homeless youth. She also works to support renters who are facing difficulties.

Emergency Management

Ma was British Columbia’s first Minister of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness. This new ministry was created to help communities deal with the effects of climate change. She led British Columbia's response to several emergencies. These included the 2022 ice storm, 2023 wildfires, and 2023 extreme drought. She also oversaw the 2023 provincial state of emergency due to wildfires.

In late 2023, Ma introduced the Emergency Disaster Management Act. This law was passed in November 2023. Ma said this law officially recognizes the rights of First Nations in emergency management. It also focuses on a four-step approach: preventing, preparing for, responding to, and recovering from emergencies. The law requires climate risk assessments and updates how emergencies are defined to fit modern challenges.

Electoral record

Images for kids

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  Bowinn Ma in 2017.