Cynthia Lai

Cynthia Lai (October 19, 1954 – October 21, 2022) was a Canadian politician who represented Ward 23 Scarborough North on the Toronto City Council from 2018 to 2022.

Background Born in British Hong Kong, Lai immigrated to Canada in 1972. She worked as a realtor prior to entering politics, managing a Royal LePage branch in Scarborough before founding the Global Link Realty Group. She had also served as president of the Toronto Real Estate Board, the first Hong Kong-Canadian woman to hold that position,

She and her husband C. K. Fung had two sons.

In the 2014 municipal election, Lai ran for Toronto City Council in Ward 41 Scarborough-Rouge River, She ran for council again in the 2018 municipal election, this time defeating Maggie Chi to become councillor for Ward 23 Scarborough North. She was appointed to the board of the Toronto Transit Commission in October 2020.

Lai was hospitalized on October 20 during the 2022 election campaign; she had been suffering from gallbladder cancer. She died on October 21, 2022, two days after her 68th birthday and just three days before the municipal election, and was interred at York Cemetery in Toronto. Flags at Toronto City Hall, Metro Hall and Toronto civic centres were flown at half-mast, and the Toronto Sign was dimmed in her honour.

Electoral history Municipal 2018 Toronto municipal election Ward 23 Scarborough North

Provincial Ontario by-election, November 24, 2005Scarborough—Rouge RiverPartyCandidateVotes%+/-