Shuan Chen, the first person with both Indian and Chinese heritage to be elected to Canada’s Parliament, will formally resign as representative of the riding (as constituencies are called in Canada) of Scarborough North in Toronto in the House of Commons on August 15 due to health concerns following his serious motor vehicle accident last year.
The announcement came on Monday. He said, “In late fall 2025, I suffered a serious motor vehicle accident, while commuting to Ottawa, which has caused significant health issues that now prevent me from travelling there as frequently as the role requires. After discussing the situation with my family, I have decided that it is best for me to step down as a Member of Parliament.”
Chen was first elected to the House of Commons in October 2015 and then re-elected three times. In November 2015, in an interview with the Hindustan Times, Chen said, “I find myself in a very unique position as someone who was born in Canada of Chinese descent and with an Indian heritage through my parents.”
Chen was a member of the now defunct Canada-India Parliamentary Friendship Group and visited India in February 2018, of the several Indian-origin MPs to travel during then Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s bilateral trip.
{{/usCountry}}Chen was a member of the now defunct Canada-India Parliamentary Friendship Group and visited India in February 2018, of the several Indian-origin MPs to travel during then Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s bilateral trip.
{{/usCountry}}Chen belongs to a minuscule minority, that of the Chinese-origin diaspora that migrated to Canada from India and occupies a very rare hyphenated space in the country. His parents, mother Yueh Ming and father Kuo Tsai Chen, were both born and raised in India, before they emigrated to Canada in the 1970s as their family business in Kolkata faltered. “My parents speak Hindi. When I was younger, they would speak Hindi to one another and I would not understand a single word,” Chen said.
In a post on X, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney thanked Chen for his years of service. “Your advocacy for young people and your work to combat racism have made a real difference in your community and across Canada. Wishing you a full recovery and best of luck for what comes next,” he added.