Cynthia Lai, Toronto city councillor and former Toronto Regional Real Estate Board (TRREB) president, is being remembered for her contributions to her community and the real estate industry.
On Oct. 21, her campaign office announced the community leader’s passing in a statement, saying Lai died in hospital surrounded by her family.
The announcement came days before Toronto’s municipal election, where she was running to keep her seat as city councillor for Scarborough North.
Lai served as president of TRREB from 2003 to 2004. According to her profile on the city’s website, she was the first Chinese-Canadian woman elected to the position. She also served on the board of the Real Estate Council of Ontario, the province’s industry regulator.
Following a successful career in real estate, Lai, who immigrated to Canada in the early 1970s, was elected in 2018 to serve the constituents of Ward 23 in Scarborough.
Lai was “a trailblazer and helped open the doors for other women,” Kevin Crigger, president of TRREB, said in a statement. She is remembered as “a fierce advocate for her community and a champion of increasing women’s participation in municipal government.”
According to Lai’s biography, her three tenets in life were: “Work hard, live well and give back!”
Lai is survived by her husband, C.K. Fung and her two sons, Derrick and Darren. No cause of death has been released, and Lai’s family is asking for privacy.
Funeral details and information for those looking to send condolences can be found on the City of Toronto’s website.
