MLA in North Vancouver-Lonsdale · BC provincial 2026
Bowinn Ma
Minister of Infrastructure, running again for the BC NDP in North Vancouver-Lonsdale.
Bowinn Ma has been the MLA for North Vancouver-Lonsdale since 2017 and Minister of Infrastructure since November 2024. In 2026 she answered for the delay of seven long-term care projects and phase 2 of Burnaby Hospital, which she said cost too much per bed, and announced a renewed Burnaby Hospital plan in September.
A researched record of Bowinn Ma's 12 commitments, 8 dated actions and 7 public statements from 2026, with 3 news items. Most come from the legislature record and government releases.
On dates without a confirmed appearance the public schedule is unknown; the candidate may still have activities that day. This static page changes only when its research is updated.
01 / Introduction
About Bowinn Ma
Bowinn Ma is the BC NDP candidate in North Vancouver-Lonsdale on Elections BC's list for the general election of October 24, 2026. She won the district in 2024 with 16,759 votes, 64.88% of the valid vote, according to the Elections BC statement of votes.
The legislature record lists her election years as 2017, 2020 and 2024, and shows her as Minister of Infrastructure from November 18, 2024. Government releases name her Minister of State for Infrastructure in the cabinet of November 26, 2020, and Minister of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness in the cabinet of December 7, 2022.
In the legislature in 2026 she answered questions on hospital, school and long-term care building projects. She said the government paused seven long-term care projects and phase 2 of Burnaby Hospital because costs had reached more than $1.8 million per bed. In April 2026 CBC News reported that contracts for several of these projects were cancelled. On September 21, 2026 she announced $210 million for the emergency department and surgical unit at Burnaby Hospital.
A government release of July 6, 2026 said Lisa Beare would take on her ministerial duties from July 7, and that Ma was expected back in September.
Her campaign page and the government's ministry biography say she is a professional engineer and worked on projects at Vancouver International Airport before 2017. Those are statements by her campaign and her ministry. voche.me did not check them with the engineering regulator or the airport.
Published positions and selected commitments, separated by election cycle. Status labels describe the evidence reviewed, not a numerical score or a complete audit of the platform. Council approval is different from delivery.
12 commitments shown · Checked Sep 30
2026 · Public servicesIn progress
Lower the cost per bed of long-term care homes
In the Infrastructure estimates debate on March 2, 2026, Ma said the ministry will work with Fraser Health and the other health authorities to lower the cost per bed of long-term care homes, using standard designs and factory-built construction. She said seven projects were paused because costs had reached more than $1.8 million per bed, and that six other projects continue.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
She names the method. She gives no target cost per bed, no number of new beds and no date for the standard designs.
What still needs checking
Do the standard designs appear, and at what cost per bed do the paused projects restart?
A government release on September 21, 2026 quotes Ma on a renewed Burnaby Hospital plan: $210 million from the Province for the emergency department and surgical unit, then cancer care and a new acute care tower.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
The release gives the $210 million. Black Press reports 13 more emergency treatment spaces and initial procurement by early 2027. No cost or date is given for the cancer care and acute care tower.
What still needs checking
Is initial procurement done by early 2027, and when is the acute care tower funded?
A government release on September 21, 2026 quotes Ma as construction began on a long-term care home in Lantzville, with 298 beds and a planned opening in 2029.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
The release gives the bed count, the Province's $236 million share of a $350 million cost, and 2029. The release is the government's own account.
A government release on September 11, 2026 quotes Ma on the opening of Cloverley Elementary, a new 585-seat school in North Vancouver, one of 23 new and improved schools opening in September 2026.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
The release gives the seat count and the opening month. It gives no cost for the school.
What still needs checking
What did the school cost, and are the other North Vancouver projects finished on time?
In question period on May 21, 2026, Ma said restoring Carihi Secondary in Campbell River after a 2024 fire is supported in Budget 2026, and that her ministry would speed up the work.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
She names the budget. She gives no cost figure and no completion date. She said an update would come before the summer; voche.me did not find one.
What still needs checking
Was the promised update published, and when does the school reopen in full?
In question period on February 23, 2026, Ma said the government has committed $2 billion to student housing at colleges and universities, and would keep working with partners to build more.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
She names the $2 billion already committed. She gives no number of new beds or date for future projects.
In question period on April 13, 2026, Ma said the government is slowing some building projects so it can keep building what people need, and that debt and interest costs must be managed.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
A statement of approach. It names no dollar saving or date.
Faster permits and environmental reviews for public projects
In the Infrastructure estimates debate on February 26, 2026, Ma said the Infrastructure Projects Act is the main way her ministry will shorten permit times, and that a faster environmental review process is being developed with the Environmental Assessment Office.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
She names the law and the process. She gives no target time for a decision and no date, beyond a discussion paper she said would come in the weeks after March 2.
What still needs checking
Was the discussion paper on faster environmental reviews published?
In the Infrastructure estimates debate on February 26, 2026, Ma said the health building policy asks designs to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent compared with a standard green building rating, for no more than 3 percent more cost.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
She describes a rule already in place. She gives no count of buildings or date.
What still needs checking
How many new health buildings meet the 50 percent rule?
Publish cost changes on large projects within 30 days
In the Infrastructure estimates debate on March 2, 2026, Ma said the government publishes each price change on projects over $50 million within 30 days of approval, as the law requires.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
She describes a legal duty already in place. She names no new measure.
What still needs checking
Are all 2026 price changes on the table within 30 days?
Recorded votes and government programs where an official source names her. A government program is the government's; it is listed here only where the release quotes her.
Announced; initial procurement expected by early 2027
Renewed Burnaby Hospital plan announced
The Province set $210 million for the emergency department and surgical unit at Burnaby Hospital. The government release quotes Ma, and Black Press reports she announced it at the hospital.
Scope, limits and sources
The earlier phase 2 plan was delayed in Budget 2026 because of cost. The release is the government's own account.
Voted yes on third reading of the K'ómoks Treaty Act (Bill 20)
The recorded vote index lists Ma voting yes at second reading on May 20 and at third reading on May 28, 2026, and no on an amendment at second reading.
Scope, limits and sources
The index records her vote. It does not record a speech by her on the bill.
Voted yes on third reading of the freedom of information bill (Bill 9)
The recorded vote index lists Ma voting yes at second and third reading of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Amendment Act, 2026, and yes on two amendments moved by Gibson.
Scope, limits and sources
The index does not describe what each amendment changed.
Records are labelled by type, including official findings, civil proceedings and political disputes where applicable. Each entry identifies the response found in the sources and the latest status verified for this page.
Policy dispute
Delayed long-term care projects and Burnaby Hospital phase 2
Budget 2026 delayed phase 2 of Burnaby Hospital and seven long-term care projects. CBC News reported on April 30, 2026 that consultant contracts for Burnaby Hospital and long-term care homes in Delta, Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Kelowna and Fort St. John were cancelled. In the same report the Mayor of Delta said he believed the Delta project was over, the head of the Burnaby Hospital Foundation said she felt misled, and the seniors advocate called the delays concerning.
Candidate or party response
Ma said the projects were not cancelled, that their timelines were rescheduled, and that costs of up to $1.8 million per bed were too high, according to CBC News and the Hansard record.
Verified status and limits
On September 21, 2026 the government announced a renewed Burnaby Hospital plan with $210 million for the first stage. voche.me found no new timeline for the seven long-term care projects on this date.
A dated reading list from independent publishers. The headings below are voche.me summaries; follow each link for the original article, context and any corrections.
Reporting
CBC News · Emily Fagan
Contracts cancelled for delayed health projects
Reports the cancelled contracts and Ma's comments that the projects were rescheduled.
Sources checked September 30, 2026. Official records establish decisions; campaign material establishes stated positions; reporting adds investigation and context. None alone establishes every claim.
The campaign page lists no events and no platform of her own. Her MLA website, bowinnmamla.ca, answered HTTP 503 on this date. Her X, Facebook and Instagram pages show no readable posts to a direct read, so nothing from them is used. The Infrastructure estimates debates of February 26, March 2 and March 3, 2026 were read for her main answers and not line by line. Votes are taken from the vote index only; the transcripts of those votes were not opened, and Bill M233 was not read. voche.me found no 2026 statement by her on transportation, the cost of living or public safety. Her campaign page says her work led to a rapid transit concept for the North Shore; voche.me did not check this against TransLink records. Her professional engineer registration and her work at Vancouver International Airport are stated by her campaign and her ministry biography and were not checked with Engineers and Geoscientists BC or the airport. Her record as Minister of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness from 2022 to 2024 was not reviewed. No 2026 all-candidates meeting for North Vancouver-Lonsdale was found. The Times Colonist report on the cancelled contracts answered HTTP 403 and was not used. Campaign finances and endorsements were not reviewed. The questionnaire has not been sent.
Research status
What voche.me has checked
Evidence reviewed on 2026-09-30: the Elections BC candidate list and 2024 statement of votes, the legislature's 2026 speech and vote indexes, 15 transcripts of 2026 sittings where she spoke, eight government releases, her campaign page, the BC NDP platform page and release list, and reports from CBC News and Black Press.
Her commitments on this page come from what she said in the legislature and in government releases in 2026. Her campaign page states no measures of its own. Sections with no entry record that voche.me found nothing on this date.
Proposed questions for a future interview. They have not been sent to the candidate, and no answers have been supplied.
No questions and answers have been supplied.
Have your own question?
Ask Bowinn Ma directly. We send it to the campaign, and publish the reply here if we get one.
05 / About this page
Questions about this page
Facts voche.me can state about Bowinn Ma's page itself, answered directly rather than left blank.
Is this an official page for Bowinn Ma?
No. This page is researched by voche.me from public sources, listed below, and is separate from Bowinn Ma's own campaign.
What party is Bowinn Ma running with?
Bowinn Ma is running for MLA with BC NDP.
Does Bowinn Ma currently hold public office?
Yes. Bowinn Ma currently serves as Minister of Infrastructure; MLA for North Vancouver-Lonsdale.
How many sources does this Bowinn Ma profile cite?
This profile lists 4 sourced references, each with the date voche.me checked it, in the Sources section below.
Why do some questions on Bowinn Ma's page show no answer?
The "Questions & answers" section on this page lists questions voche.me would put to Bowinn Ma in a future interview. They have not been sent yet, so the page says plainly that no answer has been supplied instead of leaving the section blank.
When is the election Bowinn Ma is running in?
The 2026 British Columbia election, including the MLA race, is decided on October 24, 2026.
06 / Candidate contributions
Space for campaign updates
No campaign updates yet
Announcements, event details and messages can be added here, with their source and publication date. No campaign submission has been added.
