This is a list of Chinese Canadians including both original immigrants who obtained Canadian citizenship and their Canadian-born descendants who are notable, have made significant contributions to the Canadian or international culture or society politically, artistically or scientifically, or have prominently appeared in the news.
Politics and public service Arnold Chan (陳家諾), late MP for Scarborough—Agincourt, Liberal Michael Chan (陳國治), current Markham Regional Councillor and former Ontario Cabinet Minister, MPP for Markham—Unionville, Liberal Raymond Chan (陳卓愉), former federal Minister of State, former MP for Richmond, Liberal Katrina Chen (陳葦蓁), MLA for Burnaby-Lougheed, BC NDP Shaun Chen (陳聖源), former chairman of the Toronto District School Board, Canada's largest school board, elected to the House of Commons of Canada in 2015 representing Scarborough North Kenny Chiu (趙錦榮), former MP for Steveston-Richmond East, Conservative Gordon Chong (張金儀), late former city councillor and former vice-chairman of the Toronto Transit Commission Ida Chong (張杏芳), BC Cabinet Minister, former MLA for Oak Bay-Gordon Head, BC Liberal Michael Chong (莊文浩), former federal Cabinet Minister, MP for Wellington—Halton Hills, Conservative George Chow (周烱華), two-term Vancouver City Councillor who was elected as a member of the Vision Vancouver party in 2005 and 2008"Councillor George Chow" , Vancouver City Website, Accessed August 29, 2009. Olivia Chow (鄒至蕙), Mayor of Toronto, former MP for Trinity—Spadina from 2006 to 2014, New Democrat Professor at Ryerson University Adrienne Clarkson (伍冰枝), Governor General of Canada from 1999 to 2005, former journalist, novelist, publisher, winner of the Gemini Award: Best Host in a Light Information Programme Han Dong (董晗鵬), MP for Don Valley North, Independent (formerly Liberal) Lillian Dyck, Canadian senator Ying Hope (劉光英), late former Metro Toronto Councillor Ted Hsu (徐正陶), MP and current MPP for Kingston and the Islands, Liberal Nathan Ip, MLA for Edmonton-South West, Alberta NDP. Former vice-chair and trustee of the Edmonton Public School Board Kerry Jang (鄭文宇), politician, currently serving on Vancouver, British Columbia's City Council Douglas Jung (鄭天華), first Canadian of Chinese origin elected to Parliament, former MP for Vancouver Centre, Conservative Vincent Ke (柯文彬), Ontario MPP for Don Valley North, Independent (formerly Progressive Conservative (PC)) Jenny Kwan (關慧貞), BC Cabinet Minister, MLA for Vancouver-Mount Pleasant and MP for Vancouver East, New Democrat Norman Kwong (林佐民), former lieutenant governor of Alberta, star football player in CFL Cynthia Lai (封賴桂霞), late former Toronto city councillor for the Scarborough North electoral district David Lam (林思齊), late former BC Lieutenant Governor (1988–1995) Art Lee, former MP for Vancouver East and Parliamentary Secretary, former leader of British Columbia Liberal Party, Liberal Philip S. Lee (李紹麟) Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba (2009–2015) Richard Lee (李燦明), former British Columbia Liberal Party MLA for Burnaby North, BC Liberal Chungsen Leung (梁中心), former MP for Willowdale and Parliamentary Secretary for Multiculturalism, Conservative Sophia Leung (梁陳明任), former MP for Vancouver Kingsway and Parliamentary Secretary, Liberal Laurin Liu (劉舒雲), former MP for Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, New Democrat Raymond Louie (雷建华), Vancouver city councillor, former school trustee Alan Lowe (劉志強), former mayor of Victoria, BC Jason Luan (栾晋生), former AB MLA for Calgary-Hawkwood, Progressive Conservative (PC) Jean Lumb (林黃彩珍), late community activist and first Chinese-Canadian to receive the Order of Canada Gary Mar (馬健威), former Albertan Cabinet Minister and MLA for Calgary-Mackay, Conservative Inky Mark (麥鼎鴻), MP for Dauphin—Swan River, Conservative Denzil Minnan-Wong (黃旻南), first Chinese Deputy Mayor, Toronto Mary Ng (伍鳳儀), federal Minister of Small Business and Export Promotion and MP for Markham—Thornhill, Liberal Victor Oh (胡子修), Canadian senator from Ontario, born in Singapore but of Chinese descent, Conservative Billy Pang (彭錦威), Ontario MPP for Markham—Unionville, Progressive Conservative (PC) Vivienne Poy (利德蕙), first senator of Chinese ancestry, sister-in-law to Adrienne Clarkson, Liberal Ken Sim (沈觀健), mayor of Vancouver Mary-Woo Sims (沈明麗), politician and social justice activist; best known as a former chief commissioner of the British Columbia Human Rights Commission Mark Sutcliffe, mayor of Ottawa Geng Tan (譚耕), former MP for Don Valley North, Liberal Tony Tang, engineer and former Vancouver city Councilor Daisy Wai, Ontario MPP for Richmond Hill Peter Wing (吳榮添), first mayor of Chinese descent in North America, three successive terms as mayor of Kamloops starting in 1966 Alice Wong (黃陳小萍), MP for Richmond Centre and former Minister of State for Seniors, Conservative Bob Wong (黃景培), former Ontario Cabinet Minister and MPP for Fort York, Liberal Patrick Wong (黃耀華), former BC MLA for Vancouver-Kensington, BC Liberal Peter Wong, former mayor of Sudbury, Ontario Soo Wong (黃素梅), Ontario MPP for Scarborough—Agincourt, Liberal Tony C. Wong (黃志華), former Ontario MPP for Markham, former York Region Councilor, Liberal Kristyn Wong-Tam (黃慧文), LGBTQ activist and Toronto councillor for the Rosedale electoral district Teresa Woo-Paw (鮑胡嫈儀), former Albertan MLA for Calgary-Mackay, Conservative David Xiao (蕭輝), Albertan MLA for Edmonton-McClung, Conservative John Yap (葉志明), BC MLA for Richmond-Steveston, BC Liberal Jean Yip (葉嘉麗), MP for Scarborough—Agincourt, Liberal Wai Young (楊蕭慧儀), former MP for Vancouver South, Conservative
Law and judiciary Jim Chu (朱小荪), first Chinese Chief Constable of the Vancouver Police Service Susan Eng (伍素屏), former chair of the Metro Toronto Police Services Board Avvy Go (吳瑤瑤), prominent social justice lawyer and member of the Order of Ontario Guo Guoting (郭国汀), prominent lawyer who defended dissidents and Falun Gong practitioners Linda Ann Loo, Judge of the Supreme Court of British Columbia Won Alexander Cumyow (溫金有), first person of Chinese origin born in Canada; as a court interpreter, was also the first ethnic-Chinese government official in Canada Kew Dock Yip (葉求鐸), first Chinese-Canadian lawyer Peter Yuen (源植勉), first Chinese-Canadian Deputy Chief of the Toronto Police Service
Military
At the start of World War II Chinese Canadians could not serve in the Royal Canadian Navy or RCAF as they were deemed aliens but could serve in the Canadian Army.
Douglas Jung, later as federal MP William Lore, RCN Lieutenant Commander, later lawyer and insurance agent in Hong Kong
Business Caleb Chan, businessman; son of the late Chan Sun; donated $10 million to fund UBC's Chan Centre for the Performing Arts Tom Chan, Vancouver based real estate entrepreneur; brother of Caleb Chan and son of the late Chan Shun; donated $10 million to fund UBC's Chan Centre for the Performing Arts G. Raymond Chang, co-founder and former CEO of CI Financial, philanthropist and third Chancellor of Ryerson University, whose Chang School of Continuing Education is named after him Ben Chiu (邱澤堃), founder of KillerApp.com Danielle Fong, co-founder and Chief Scientist of LightSail Energy, Inc. Thomas Fung, Hong Kong-born Canadian businessman and philanthropist; eldest son of Fung King Hey; founder of the Fairchild Group Fung King Hey, one of the founders of Sun Hung Kai & Co; father of Thomas Fung David Ho, Vancouver-based entrepreneur originally from Hong Kong; founder of Harmony Airways; owner of the University Golf Club and MCL motors Gary Ho, businessman, philanthropist, and official of the Tzu Chi Buddhist philanthropic foundation Lawrence Ho (何猷龍), Canadian and Hong Kong founder of Melco Resorts & Entertainment Andrea Jung (鍾彬嫻), CEO of Avon Products Li Ka-shing, Chairman of Hutchison Whampoa Limited and Cheung Kong Holdings; investor in Husky Oil Eva Kwok, businesswoman and former director of the Bank of Montreal Chu Lai, businessman, one of the earliest Chinese-Canadian merchants in British Columbia Cindy Lee, businesswoman; founder, President, and former CEO of T & T Supermarket Paul Lee, former president of Electronic Arts Robert H. Lee, Vancouver based businessman; chairman and founder of Prospero; Robert H. Lee Graduate School is named in honor of his philanthropy Tina Lee, (李佩婷), CEO of T & T Supermarket Michael Lee-Chin, investor; CEO of AIC Canada Richard Li, businessman; son of Hong Kong business mogul Li Ka-shing; Chairman of PCCW and chairman of PCCW's executive committee Victor Li, businessman; son of Hong Kong business mogul, Li Ka-shing and major investor in Air Canada Brandt C. Louie, President and CEO of H.Y. Louie Co. Limited; Chairman of London Drugs Limited Yip Sang, businessman Alfred Sung, fashion designer and founder of Club Monaco Brian Wong, co-founder of Kiip Milton Wong, financier and former chairman of HSBC Canada Gabriel Yiu, businessman, journalist, and social activist Changpeng Zhao, founder and CEO of Binance, he is the richest Canadian as of March 2024
Athletics Avianna Chao (趙航), sport shooter in the Olympic Games Chris Beckford-Tseu, ice hockey goaltender for the St. Louis Blues Chun Hon Chan, Olympic weight lifter Patrick Chan (陳偉群), figure skater; 2011 World Champion, four-time Canadian Champion and Olympic medalist Bryan Chiu, Chinese-Canadian football player for the Montreal Alouettes Zach Edey, consensus player of the year in NCAA Division I men's basketball in 2023 and 2024 (Chinese–Canadian mother) Adderly Fong (方駿宇), race car driver Lori Fung (馮黎明), gymnast and winner of the first gold medal ever in Rhythmic Gymnastics at 1984 Olympic Games Chan Hon Goh (吳振紅), first Chinese-Canadian principal dancer with the National Ballet of Canada Andre Ho, table tennis player Joshua Ho-Sang, ice hockey player Jason Ho-Shue, badminton player and national champion in Men's singles Carol Huynh (黃嘉露), Olympic gold medalist in wrestling in the 2008 Summer Games in Beijing Samantha Jo (aka Sam Tjhia), martial arts, Olympian, actress Larry Kwong, (吳啟光), first non-white and first Chinese-Canadian to play in the National Hockey League. Broke hockey's colour barrier Norman Kwong (林佐民), known as "The China Clipper", fullback, won four Grey Cups and 30 individual Canadian Football League records; also served as former lieutenant governor of Alberta Mira Leung (梁美諾), figure skater Michelle Li (李文珊), badminton player and 2014 Commonwealth Games Champion Landon Ling (林家亮), soccer player Alexa Loo (盧仙泳), Olympic snowboarder Jujie Luan (栾菊杰), fencer Maggie Mac Neil, Olympic gold medal swimmer, 2021 Olympics in Tokyo Darryl O'Young (歐陽若曦), racing driver Jayde Riviere, Soccer player, 2020 Olympic gold medal with Canada national team. Wendy Saschenbrecker, fencer Emilio Estevez Tsai (蔡立靖), soccer player Eugene Wang (王臻), Olympic table tennis Megan Wing, figure skate Charlene Wong, former Olympic figure skater Lester Wong, Olympic fencer Brandon Yip (葉勁光), ice hockey player for the Phoenix Coyotes Zhang Mo (張墨), Olympic table tennis Carol Zhao (赵一羽), tennis player
Visual arts Raymond Chow, martial arts film producer Richard Fung, video artist, writer, public intellectual and theorist Terence Koh, diverse work sometimes involving queer, punk, and pornographic sensibilities Ken Lum, public art champion, award-winning educator Bruce Mau, design, architecture, art, museums, film, eco-environmental design, and conceptual philosophy Fiona Staples, multi-award winning comic book artist Paul Wong, award-winning artist, curator, and organizer of public interventions Tobi Wong, artist Xiaojing Yan (闫晓静), sculptor, installation artist Matthew Wong (王俊傑), painter
Entertainment Allison Au, Chinese-Jewish Canadian jazz saxophonist Aarif Rahman (李治廷), Hong Kong born Chinese Canadian singer/actor Aimee Chan (陳茵媺), Canadian actress based in Hong Kong