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 40) Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
Political party	New Democratic Party
Residences	North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Alma mater	University of British Columbia (BASc) Sauder School of Business
Profession	Engineer

Bowinn Ma is a Canadian politician. She was first elected to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia in 2017. She was re-elected in 2020 and again in 2024, winning by a lot of votes each time. She represents the area of North Vancouver-Lonsdale as a member of the British Columbia New Democratic Party.

Currently, she is the Minister of Infrastructure. This is a new job in the government of Premier David Eby. Her role is to help build big projects for the province. Before this, she was British Columbia's first Minister for Emergency Management and Climate Readiness. In an earlier government, she was the Minister of State for Infrastructure. She also worked on projects like expanding the SkyTrain and replacing bridges. From 2017 to 2020, she was a special helper for TransLink.

About Bowinn Ma

Bowinn Ma was born on July 25, 1985, in Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario. She grew up to be an engineer. In 2008, she earned a degree in civil engineering from the University of British Columbia. She also studied business there in 2009. Before becoming a politician, she worked as an engineer and project manager. She helped manage projects at the Vancouver International Airport.

Ma was the fourth female president of the UBC Engineers. She helped make changes to the organization. There is even an award named after her, the "Bowinn Ma Award." It is given each year to someone who shows great dedication and service.

In November 2023, Ma became one of the few women in British Columbia's history to give birth while serving as a government minister.

Her Work in Politics

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

After being elected, Bowinn Ma started the Bowinn Ma MLA Social Justice Scholarship. These are three $500 scholarships for high school students in her area. The scholarships help students who care about social justice and have overcome challenges.

From 2017 to 2020, Ma was the youngest member of the British Columbia Legislative Assembly. Her parents came to Canada from Taiwan. She, Katrina Chen, and Anne Kang were the first politicians of Taiwanese background elected in British Columbia.

Ma was the first New Democrat to win a seat in the North Shore area since 1991. She won against Naomi Yamamoto, who had been in office for two terms. Many people believe her win was helped by more voters from the Squamish Nation and the Iranian-Canadian community.

In 2018, Ma spoke out in the BC Legislature to support others. She also openly discussed her past experiences to help raise awareness for Provincial Eating Disorder Awareness Week.

In 2020, she was offered a job as 'Minister of Citizenship Services'. However, she chose to focus on her work as a local politician instead.

Re-election in 2020

Bowinn Ma in 2017.

In the 2020 election, Bowinn Ma received support from former Green Party of British Columbia leader Andrew Weaver. He said she works very hard for her community. He also called her one of the strongest voices against climate change.

Ma knew it would be a tough election. She was the first New Democrat to win her seat in a long time. But she believed her government needed to keep working to help British Columbians during the COVID-19 pandemic. She won the election for North Vancouver-Lonsdale. She told the North Shore News that votes are earned, and she would keep working hard for her community.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Ma found creative ways to stay in touch with people. She hosted online chats and even gave virtual origami lessons. She also visited classrooms online. She and a local councillor even played short musical concerts outside apartment buildings for residents.

Improving Transportation

Since 2017, Ma has focused a lot on transportation. She talked about traffic problems during her 2017 election campaign. She said that affordable housing is linked to traffic. She also wanted more money for public transportation. This would create jobs and help the economy. She believed it would also help with traffic and create a sustainable way to travel.

In 2017, Ma became the Parliamentary Secretary for TransLink. Her job was to oversee TransLink as it expanded. The government promised to fund many projects. These included more SeaBus service and a new B-line bus.

Ma also led a committee that made recommendations for ride-hailing services. She worked with the Minister of Transportation to increase 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, Ma's job included working on important transportation projects. These projects included extending the Millennium Line and building the Surrey-Langley Skytrain. Other projects were widening Highway 1 and replacing the Massey Crossing.

North Shore Transportation Plan

Ma started the Integrated North Shore Transportation Planning Project (INSTPP) in 2018. She was its leader. This project brought together different groups to plan transportation. These groups included local cities, TransLink, and the governments of Canada and British Columbia. First Nations groups like the Tsleil-Waututh Nation and Squamish Nation were also involved.

The project released its report in September 2018. Ma said that the groups worked together in a way that had never happened before. The report helped everyone understand the transportation problems on the North Shore. It also created a clear plan for the region to move forward.

Rapid Transit for the North Shore

Ma strongly supports rapid bus lines. She sees them as a step towards full rapid transit. She helped start the first study to see if a rapid transit line could connect the North Shore and downtown Vancouver. This study began in May 2019.

Ma and TransLink successfully launched a RapidBus (TransLink) line. This line, called the R2 Marine Dr, started on April 6, 2020. It connects Park Royal Exchange to Phibbs Exchange. Some of her fans on social media even call it the "#BowinnLine."

As Minister of State for Infrastructure, Ma's projects included planning high-speed transit links for the North Shore. These links aim to provide cleaner transit and create jobs.

Helping with Housing

Ma is a strong supporter of solving the housing crisis in Metro Vancouver. She supported government actions like increasing taxes on foreign buyers. She also supported a new speculation tax and a higher school tax rate on expensive homes.

In 2018, Ma helped raise money for a homeless shelter in North Vancouver. She spent a night sleeping in her car to support this cause. She also helped a youth safe house get funding from the government for the first time. She joined high school students in sleeping outside to raise money for Covenant House. This agency helps young people who are homeless. She is also known for helping renters who are struggling.

Emergency Management

Bowinn Ma was British Columbia’s first Minister of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness. This new government department was created to deal with the effects of climate change. She led British Columbia's response to several emergencies. These included an ice storm in 2022 and wildfires in 2023 and 2024. She also managed responses to a drought and flooding.

In the fall of 2023, Ma introduced a new law called 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. The law also helps British Columbia prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies in a more complete way. It also requires climate risk assessments.

Electoral Results