Cynthia Lai (68 years old), a member of the Toronto City Council, who was a candidate for re-election in the municipal election held on Monday, has died. Her campaign manager, Harach Aindjian, also confirmed the council member's death on Friday afternoon. Aindjian also stated in a statement that Lai died in the hospital surrounded by her entire family, adding, "She advocated for the issues of her voters and provided services to the residents." Also, the campaign manager told CP24 channel that she had been fighting her illness throughout the year. Despite that, the councillor decided to run for re-election last spring when her condition improved, but he confirmed that he does not know the details of her illness, saying that Lai was very reserved about it. Lai was first elected as the member of the newly formed Ward 23 Scarborough North Board in 2018, where she was a member of the city budget committee, the economic and community development committee, and the Toronto Transit Commission board. Lai, who celebrated her 68th birthday on October 19, immigrated to Canada from Hong Kong in the 1970s. Before entering the political world, she worked as a successful real estate broker and later became the first Chinese Canadian president of the Toronto Real Estate Board. Mayor John Tory, who supported Lai's re-election, remembered her as a good and passionate person, saying: "She was optimistic and cheerful while being professional, respectful, and good at everything she did."