Ted Hsu (pronounced “SHU”) lives in Kingston, Ontario with his wife and two daughters. His extended family of parents, aunts and an uncle also call Kingston home. Ted’s parents immigrated to Kingston in 1964, and he grew up in the Calvin Park area of Kingston, attending St. Thomas More and LCVI.
Ted’s diverse background of experiences helped him to understand the biggest challenges of the people of Kingston and the Islands and he became an effective legislator for those who reside here.
In 2011, Ted was elected Member of Parliament for Kingston and the Islands, one of very few scientists in parliament. In 2014-15, Ted revived and led a national campaign to restore the long-form census because of the vital information it delivers to our society. That restoration became the first act of the newly elected Liberal government in 2015. Public Health is a critical beneficiary of this information. Two additional highlights of his term included his role as chair of the Ontario Liberal caucus from 2012-2015, as well as being awarded a Maclean’s Parliamentarian of the Year (2013) as MP who “Best Represents Constituents” for his work for the people of Kingston and the Islands.
In 2015, Ted successfully finished his term and announced he would not seek re-election. That decision in 2015 was a hard one, but right for his family at that time.
Although Ted stepped down, he did not step away from politics and serving his community. He continued on, simply closer to home. He has worked locally with startup companies, coached robotics teams, mentored budding politicians, volunteered on a city referendum campaign and managed two election campaigns. He returned to volunteering on the board of SWITCH, a local sustainable energy association, and the Chinese Canadian Association of Kingston and District.
In 2019, in response to one of our community’s most dire issues, Ted was asked by Mayor Bryan Paterson to co-chair the Mayor’s Task Force on Housing. He stepped up to the invitation, worked with an amazing group of community members, and then co-wrote the final report with recommendations to City Council. Over a year of work, the task force identified solutions to providing more housing and making housing more affordable for all in the Kingston area.
In 2020, Ted chose to once again serve the residents of Kingston and the Islands as their elected representative – this time as MPP – to continue his hard work for the community.