Biography.guide
Home › People › Lawyer › Arnold Chan
Portrait of Arnold Chan

Arnold Chan

1967 – 2017

Canadian politician

Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About Arnold Chan

Lived 1967 – 2017 (aged 50). Arnold Chan was a Canadian lawyer and politician.

Early career Prior to his election, Chan worked as a lawyer and, for a time, for the Ontario government as chief of staff to Ontario cabinet minister Michael Chan and then as senior aide to Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty.

Federal politics Chan won the Liberal nomination for Scarborough—Agincourt after incumbent Liberal MP Jim Karygiannis resigned to run for Toronto City Council. He was elected to Parliament with 59 per cent of the vote in a by-election held in 2014.

While in opposition, Chan served as Liberal critic for the Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario, and critic for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario. In November 2014, he became critic for Tourism and Small Business.

On January 22, 2015, Chan revealed to the public that he would take a five-week leave of absence while undergoing treatment for nasopharyngeal cancer. Upon his return, he resumed his role and criticized the Harper government's partisan use of public advertising, and their lack of promotion of Canada in the global tourism market.

Following the Liberal victory in the October 2015 federal election, Chan became Deputy Leader of the Government in the House of Commons. Chan was known for his advocacy on behalf of the Armenian Canadian community, and chaired the Canada-Armenia Parliamentary Friendship Group. saying "I am not sure how many more times I will have the strength to get up and do a 20-minute speech in this place, but the point I want to impart to all of us is that I know we are all honourable members, I know members revere this place, and I would beg us to not only act as honourable members but to treat this institution honourably," adding "I would ask all of us to elevate our debate, to elevate our practice."

Personal life Chan was diagnosed with nasopharyngeal cancer in 2014. After going into remission following treatment in 2015, the disease recurred in 2016. Chan died on September 14, 2017, at the age of 50. Yip won a December 11, 2017 by-election for Chan's former seat.

Chan was the older brother of physician Kevin Chan.

Electoral record

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

Birth century
Occupation
Nationality
Education
University of Toronto, Peter A. Allard School of Law, University of British Columbia, Dr Norman Bethune Collegiate Institute
Positions held
Deputy Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Member of the House of Commons of Canada
Also known as
ANOD

Family & relationships

Spouse
Jean Yip

People in Arnold Chan's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Arnold Chan's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Arnold Chan?

Canadian politician

When was Arnold Chan born?

Arnold Chan was born on 10 June 1967 in Scarborough.

When did Arnold Chan die?

Arnold Chan died on 14 September 2017 in Toronto.

What was Arnold Chan's occupation?

Arnold Chan was a lawyer and politician.

What nationality was Arnold Chan?

Arnold Chan was Canadian.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Arnold Chan

· Wikidata: Q17305769

· DBpedia: Arnold Chan

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Arnold Chan. https://biography.guide/arnold-chan/

MLA: "Arnold Chan." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/arnold-chan/.

Chicago: "Arnold Chan." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/arnold-chan/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Page generated 2026-09-27 05:30 UTC