Stan Cho is a second-generation Korean-Canadian who is proud to call Willowdale home. Born on September 14, 1977, and raised in Toronto, my story is a familiar one to lots of Canadians.
Stan’s dad immigrated to Toronto from South Korea without knowing the language or culture, but he understood something essential about this place: as long as you’re not afraid of hard work there are opportunities here for everyone. He started working at a Beck’s convenience store, that was his first real job. He worked long hours in order to bring my mom and grandparents to Canada.
Eventually he got his real estate licence and opened his own brokerage, and that became our family business. I’m extremely grateful to my parents, not just for the life they were able to give me and my two siblings, but for the values they instilled in us.
Stan was born in Rexdale but moved to Willowdale when he was around 8 years old. He attended York Mills Collegiate and eventually the University of Toronto where he played varsity Rugby and served in the student government.
After being elected in 2018, Stan was appointed the Parliamentary Assistant to the President of the Treasury Board. Then he became the Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Finance in 2019, before being appointed to Premier Ford’s Cabinet as Associate Minister of Transportation in 2021.
At the Ministry of Transportation, he convened the municipal transit working group that ultimately led to Ontario’s ‘One Fare’ program, successfully introduced debit and credit payment options across most transit systems around the GTHA, including GO and the TTC, and led the charge to procure three new trainsets to bring back passenger rail service between Toronto and Northeastern Ontario.
In September 2023, Stan was named Minister of Long-Term Care.
At the Ministry of Long-Term Care, Stan oversaw the groundbreaking and opening of thousands of new and upgraded LTC beds across the province, secured the largest year-over-year funding increase in sector history, and launched a new investigations unit to strengthen industry oversight and enhance resident safety.
In June 2024, Stan was proudly appointed the province’s Minister of Tourism, Culture and Gaming.