Wikipedia

Wai Young

Wai Yee Young[a] (née Siu; born May 20, 1960) is a Canadian politician from Vancouver, British Columbia. She was elected to the House of Commons of Canada in the 2011 election, representing the electoral district of Vancouver South as part of the Conservative Party of Canada, but was defeated by Liberal Party candidate Harjit Sajjan in the 2015 election.[1] She subsequently contested the 2018 Vancouver mayoral election as leader of Coalition Vancouver, and the 2019 federal election as a Conservative candidate, but was unsuccessful.

Wai Young
楊蕭慧儀
Member of Parliament
for Vancouver South
In office
May 30, 2011 – August 4, 2015
Preceded byUjjal Dosanjh
Succeeded byHarjit Sajjan
Personal details
BornSiu Wai-yee
(1960-05-20) May 20, 1960 (age 66)
Hong Kong
PartyConservative (federal)
Coalition Vancouver (municipal)
University of British Columbia
Occupation
  • Policy consultant
  • small business owner
Websitevotewaiyoung.ca

Personal life and career

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She was born in Hong Kong,[2] and immigrated to Canada at the age of four.[3] She attended Killarney Secondary School in Vancouver,[4] and graduated from the University of British Columbia (UBC) in 1982 with a degree in sociology.[3][5] Young has also taken post-graduate coursework in Mass Communications and Urban Planning and Design at Simon Fraser University and the British Columbia Institute of Technology. She is a mother of twins and has been the foster parent of seven children.[4]

After graduating from UBC, Young worked for the provincial Ministry of Children and Family Development and the federal Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration.[3] She then founded a consultancy business in 1993, helping community groups access funding from different levels of governments;[3] her clientele included the Vancouver Chinatown Business Improvement Association, South Vancouver Policing Centre and S.U.C.C.E.S.S.[4] Some of her work includes developing services for immigrants, and helping to found the Canadian Immigrant Settlement Sector Alliance (CISSA). Young founded and chaired Canada's first Youth-At-Risk Task Force, which became the National Crime Prevention Program;[6] she also established Canada's longest-running breakfast program for underprivileged children.[4]

Young has spent over thirty years working and volunteering in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, and served in various capacities at a number of community agencies, including as president of the Strathcona Community Centre Association, and as a director of YWCA Vancouver.[4]

Politics

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She ran as a Conservative candidate in the 2008 federal election, facing Liberal candidate and former Premier of British Columbia Ujjal Dosanjh in Vancouver South. Initial validated results indicated both candidates received 38.4% of the vote, with Dosanjh winning by 33 votes over Young.[7] The slim margin automatically triggered a recount, which confirmed Dosanjh's victory but only by a margin of 22 votes.[8] The Conservative Party requested a second judicial recount, which again confirmed Dosanjh as the victor.[9]

Young once again faced Dosanjh in the 2011 federal election, this time defeating him by a margin of nearly 4,000 votes;[3][10] she became the first Conservative member of parliament (MP) to be elected in Vancouver since 1988. As the only government MP in Vancouver, she championed for various projects within the city, including the Kitsilano Neighbourhood House, Supportive Community Housing, the Salvation Army Deborah's Gate Program, the Wavefront Wireless Commercialization Centre Society and the Asia Pacific Gateway Skills Program.[6] Regarding the first SkyTrain faregate, Young said, "The new faregates will make SkyTrain service safer and more secure for commuters."[11] On January 7, 2014, Young announced $2.5 million of federal funding towards the Killarney Seniors Centre.[12]

On October 26, 2011, Young was elected vice-chair of the Canada-China Legislative Association (CCLA); she was subsequently elected as chair on March 5, 2013. This association provides a forum for discussing bilateral and multilateral issues facing both Canada and China.[4]

After being defeated by Liberal Party candidate Harjit Sajjan in the 2015 federal election,[1] she considered contesting the Non-Partisan Association nomination for the 2018 Vancouver mayoral election,[13] but instead formed her own municipal party Coalition Vancouver on June 21, 2018;[14] she came in fourth place at the October 2018 mayoral election.[15] In July 2019, Young was announced as the Conservative candidate in Vancouver South for that year's federal election, but lost in a rematch with Sajjan.[16] She subsequently sought the Conservative nomination for Richmond East—Steveston in the 2025 federal election,[17] but was unsuccessful.[18]

Electoral record

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Federal

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2019 Canadian federal election: Vancouver South
Party Candidate Votes%±%Expenditures
LiberalHarjit Sajjan17,80841.2-7.61$96,879.65
ConservativeWai Young14,38833.3-0.58$82,900.36
New DemocraticSean McQuillan8,01518.6+4.63none listed
GreenJudy Zaichkowsky2,4515.7+3.12none listed
People'sAlain Deng5321.2–$11,771.39
Total valid votes/expense limit 43,194100.0
Total rejected ballots 431
Turnout 43,62558.9
Eligible voters 74,114
Liberal hold Swing -3.52
Source: Elections Canada[19][20]
2015 Canadian federal election: Vancouver South
Party Candidate Votes%±%Expenditures
LiberalHarjit Sajjan21,77348.81+15.05$161,402.16
ConservativeWai Young15,11533.88-8.54$118,748.27
New DemocraticAmandeep Nijjar6,23013.97-7.10$63,954.79
GreenElain Ng1,1492.58+0.37$5,232.68
Marxist–LeninistCharles Boylan1780.40-0.09–
Progressive CanadianRaj Gupta1660.37––
Total valid votes/Expense limit 44,611100.00 $203,440.39
Total rejected ballots 2590.58–
Turnout 44,87064.04–
Eligible voters 70,062
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing +11.80
Source: Elections Canada[21][22]
2011 federal election redistributed results[23]
Party Vote %
  Conservative15,57142.43
  Liberal12,38933.76
  New Democratic7,73221.07
  Green8082.20
  Others2020.55
2011 Canadian federal election
Party Candidate Votes%±%
ConservativeWai Young19,50443.31+4.87
LiberalUjjal Dosanjh15,60434.65-3.84
New DemocraticMeena Wong8,55218.99+1.37
GreenJean Hakizimana1,1512.55-2.38
Marxist–LeninistCharles Boylan2220.49-0.01
Total valid votes 45,033100.0  
Total rejected ballots 2810.62+0.09
Turnout 45,31455.77+3.77
Eligible voters 81,245
Conservative gain from Liberal Swing +4.36
2008 Canadian federal election
Party Candidate Votes%±%Expenditures
LiberalUjjal Dosanjh16,11038.49-9.56$74,163
ConservativeWai Young16,09038.44+11.30$80,086
New DemocraticAnn Chambers7,37617.62-3.45$22,765
GreenCsaba Gulyas2,0654.93+1.65$413
Marxist–LeninistCharles Boylan2110.50+0.04
Total valid votes/Expense limit 41,852100.0   $85,093
Total rejected ballots 2230.53+0.12
Turnout 42,07552.00-4.00
Liberal hold Swing -10.43

Municipal

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2018 Vancouver municipal election: Vancouver Mayor
Party Candidate Votes%Elected
IndependentKennedy Stewart49,70528.71Green tickY
NPAKen Sim48,74828.16
IndependentShauna Sylvester35,45720.48
Coalition VancouverWai Young11,8726.86
Yes VancouverHector Bremner9,9245.73
Vancouver 1stFred Harding5,6403.26
ProVancouverDavid Chen3,5732.06
IndependentSean Cassidy1,5360.89
IDEA VancouverConnie Fogal1,4350.83
IndependentMike Hansen9510.55
IndependentJason Lamarche6950.40
IndependentRollergirl6860.40
IndependentPing Chan6530.38
IndependentJohn Yano5100.29
IndependentTim Ly3490.20
IndependentSophia C. Kaiser3360.19
IndependentSatwant K. Shottha3310.19
IndependentLawrence Massey2330.13
IndependentKaty Le Rougetel1810.10
IndependentGölök Z. Buday1780.10
IndependentMaynard Aubichon1390.08

Awards

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  • Queens Diamond Jubilee Medal Recipient [6]
  • YWCA Woman of Distinction Award Nominee[6]
  • Volunteer of the Year, Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation [6]

Notes

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  1. ↑ Chinese: 楊蕭慧儀; Jyutping: Joeng4 Siu1 Wai6 Ji4

References

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  1. 1 2 Azpiri, Jon (October 19, 2015). "Liberal Harjit Sajjan defeats Tory incumbent Wai Young in Vancouver South". Global News. Retrieved October 19, 2015.
  2. ↑ "Profile - Young, Wai". Library of Parliament of Canada. Retrieved May 5, 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 溫哥華南區華裔候選人簡介：楊蕭慧儀(保守黨) [Vancouver South Chinese candidate profile: Wai Young (Conservative)] (in Traditional Chinese). Sing Tao Daily. October 10, 2019. Retrieved May 5, 2026.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Wai Young - Member of Parliament for Vancouver South". waiyoung.ca. Archived from the original on January 28, 2012.
  5. ↑ "Volunteer list" (PDF). University of British Columbia Alumni Association. Retrieved May 8, 2026.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 "Unknown". [permanent dead link]
  7. ↑ "Recount ordered for Dosanjh's Vancouver South riding". CBC News. October 16, 2008. Retrieved May 8, 2026.
  8. ↑ "Dosanjh hangs on to B.C. seat by 22-vote margin". CTV News. October 24, 2008. Archived from the original on October 29, 2008. Retrieved October 26, 2008.
  9. ↑ "Second recount confirms Grit victory in B.C.". Calgary Herald. November 5, 2008. p. A7.
  10. ↑ "Conservatives hold on as urban ridings shuffled in B.C." CBC News. May 3, 2011. Retrieved May 8, 2026.
  11. ↑ "First SkyTrain faregate installed". The Surrey Leader. Retrieved September 9, 2012.
  12. ↑ "The Vancouver Sun - Killarney seniors centre closer to construction with federal funding". The Vancouver Sun. Retrieved November 11, 2014.
  13. ↑ Pablo, Carlito (May 2, 2018). "Former Vancouver MP Wai Young drops out of race for NPA's mayoral nomination". The Georgia Straight. Retrieved May 8, 2026.
  14. ↑ McElroy, Justin (June 21, 2018). "'Free the roads': Wai Young joins Vancouver's race for mayor on anti-bike lane platform". CBC News. Retrieved October 21, 2018.
  15. ↑ "B.C. Municipal Elections 2018 - Results". CBC News. Archived from the original on November 11, 2020.
  16. ↑ Alini, Erica (October 22, 2019). "Liberal incumbent Harjit Sajjan retains his seat in Vancouver South". Global News. Retrieved May 8, 2026.
  17. ↑ 【聯邦大選前哨戰】列治文史蒂夫斯頓選區 趙錦榮和楊蕭慧儀競爭保守黨提名 [Leading up to the federal election: Kenny Chiu and Wai Young compete for Conservative nomination in Richmond East-Steveston] (in Traditional Chinese). Sing Tao Daily. December 15, 2024. Retrieved May 5, 2026.
  18. ↑ 【2025聯邦大選】區澤光及西格爾獲保守黨提名競逐列治文兩選區 [2025 federal election: Chak Au and Zach Segal nominated by Conservative Party to contest two Richmond ridings] (in Traditional Chinese). Sing Tao Daily. March 26, 2025. Retrieved May 5, 2026.
  19. ↑ "List of confirmed candidates". Elections Canada. Retrieved October 4, 2019.
  20. ↑ "Election Night Results". Elections Canada. Retrieved November 15, 2019.
  21. ↑ "Elections Canada – Confirmed candidates for Vancouver South, 30 September 2015". Archived from the original on October 4, 2015.
  22. ↑ "Preliminary Election Expenses Limits for Candidates 42nd General Election October 19, 2015". Archived from the original on October 3, 2015.
  23. ↑ Pundits' Guide to Canadian Elections
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