Marci Ien facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Marci Ien
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Ien in 2023
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| Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth | |
| Assumed office October 26, 2021 |
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| Prime Minister | Justin Trudeau |
| Preceded by | Maryam Monsef (Women and Gender Equality) Bardish Chagger (Youth) |
| Member of Parliament for Toronto Centre |
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| Assumed office October 26, 2020 |
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| Preceded by | Bill Morneau |
| Personal details | |
| Born | July 29, 1969 Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Political party | Liberal |
| Alma mater | Ryerson Polytechnical Institute (BA) |
| Occupation | Journalist, television host |
| Known for | Former co-host of The Social, former news anchor for Canada AM |
Marci Ien is a Canadian politician and former journalist. Born on July 29, 1969, she is currently the Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth. This means she works to make sure everyone, especially women, girls, and young people, has fair chances and is treated equally. She is a member of the Liberal Party of Canada and represents the area of Toronto Centre in the House of Commons of Canada, which is where Canada's laws are made. Before becoming a politician, Marci Ien was a well-known TV journalist. She co-hosted the talk show The Social and was a co-anchor on the morning show Canada AM. When she was a child, she even appeared on a Christian children's TV show called Circle Square.
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Who is Marci Ien?
Marci Ien is a Black Canadian with family roots in Trinidad. Her father, Joel Ien, moved to Canada in the late 1960s to go to university. He later became a teacher, principal, and school superintendent in Toronto.
Marci was born in the St. James Town area of Toronto. She grew up in Scarborough and went to Stephen Leacock Collegiate Institute and Agincourt Collegiate Institute for high school. As a child, she was often seen on the TV show Circle Square, which was produced by Crossroads Christian Communications.
Today, Marci Ien lives in Toronto with her two children, Blaize and Dash. In 2020, she wrote a book called Off Script: Living Out Loud. This book shares stories about her life, from growing up in Toronto and working as a journalist to her decision to enter politics.
From News Reporter to TV Host
Marci Ien studied radio and television arts at Ryerson Polytechnical Institute (now Toronto Metropolitan University). She graduated in 1991. Her career in journalism started that same year at CHCH-TV in Hamilton, Ontario. She worked there as a news writer and a reporter, covering different stories.
In 1995, she began reporting from Queen's Park in Toronto. This is where the government of Ontario is located. Her reports were shown on CHCH's local news and on a national newscast called Canada Tonight.
Marci Ien joined CTV in 1997. She first worked as a reporter for CTV Atlantic, covering big events like the crash of Swissair Flight 111 near Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia. In 1998, she moved back to Toronto to anchor for CTV Newsnet, which was CTV's all-news channel at the time.
From 2003, Marci also anchored the national morning show Canada AM. She became a co-host of the show in 2011 and stayed until it ended in 2016. She even went back to Atlantic Canada to take part in the 2010 Winter Olympics torch relay in Halifax.
After Canada AM, Marci Ien became a guest host and then a permanent host on the talk show The Social. She worked on The Social from 2016 until 2020, when she decided to enter politics.
Awards for Her Journalism
Marci Ien has received many awards for her excellent work as a journalist.
- In 1995, she won a Radio Television Digital News Association Award for her news series called Journey to Freedom. This series explored the Underground Railroad, a secret network that helped enslaved people find freedom.
- In 2008, she received a Harry Jerome Award from the Black Business and Professional Association. This award recognized her achievements in media.
- In 2014, she was given the Planet Africa Award for her outstanding work in media.
- In 2015, she was nominated for a Canadian Screen Award in the Best Host category for her role on Canada AM.
- In 2016, she was honored with an African Canadian Achievement Award for her contributions to journalism.
Becoming a Politician
On September 17, 2020, Marci Ien announced that she would be running for a political position. She became the candidate for the Liberal Party of Canada in Toronto Centre. This was for a special election called a by-election, which was held to fill the seat left empty by former Finance minister Bill Morneau.
Marci Ien won the by-election on October 26, 2020. She defeated Green Party of Canada leader Annamie Paul. This meant she became a Member of Parliament (MP) for Toronto Centre.
She was re-elected in the federal election on September 20, 2021. She received even more support from voters this time. Soon after, on October 26, 2021, she was appointed to the Cabinet as the Minister for Women, Gender Equality and Youth. As a minister, she is part of a special group of politicians who lead different parts of the government.
