Melanie Mark

Early Life

Melanie Mark grew up in and around the East Vancouver area. Her mother worked in a fish cannery. At age three, her mother left her father due to domestic violence. He later died of a heroin overdose in the Downtown Eastside when Mark was in her 20s.

Mark’s childhood was fraught with adversity and trauma. She survived physical abuse from as young as five years old, because of her mother’s addiction to alcohol (see also Child Abuse). By age 10, Mark had been sexually abused (see also Sexual Abuse of Children). She has described witnessing the loss of her younger brother Wayne, who was killed by a semi-trailer while riding his bike, as one of her most traumatic experiences.

At age 16, Mark was forced out of her home by her mother. She couch-surfed before going into foster care at age 17. After Mark left home, her mother turned to drugs, which led to the neglect of her siblings who also became foster children. One of the families Mark lived with was her aunt and uncle and their six children. It was there that she found some stability.

She has often said, “education and participation in sports are the great equalizer.” These enabled her to climb out of poverty. She became the first in her family to graduate from high school and a post-secondary institution. Her heart was set on becoming a police officer in order to find justice for vulnerable children. In her pursuit, Mark received a diploma in criminology from the Native Education College and Douglas College. She later pursued a degree in political science, with a minor in sociology, from Simon Fraser University.

Advocacy for Children and Youth

Melanie Mark takes pride in her Indigenous identity. She has written about her identity in an essay titled “My Life So Far,” stating “I knew that I was Nisga'a, Gitksan, Cree and Scottish. My grandparents spoke the language and I grew up on the traditional foods, salmon, bannock, deer and Indian tacos. But I also knew that being an Indian was not a cool thing… I learned to be ashamed to tell people that I was Native.”

Things started to shift when Mark found a job as an art interpreter at the Vancouver International Airport for the late Haida artist Bill Reid. “The more I learned about Native mythology and spirituality, the more intrigued I was to learn about my own history,” she wrote in her essay. In her 20s, Mark learned about the horrors of the residential schools that three of her grandparents were forced to attend.

Informed by her experiences of trauma and neglect, the well-being of children and youth was the inspiration for Mark’s career. She has taken on roles as a youth worker, child and youth advocate and coordinator with Save the Children Canada. In these positions, she spent years speaking with Indigenous children and youth across Canada who were affected by sexual exploitation. Prior to being elected to office, Mark served on the senior executive team of the British Columbia Office of the Representative for Children and Youth, which helps young people navigate the child and youth welfare system.

Political Career

Advancing public policy is important to Melanie Mark. She felt she could help make systemic changes on the most pressing issues for individuals and families. In 2015, long-time MLA Jenny Kwan gave up her seat in Mount Pleasant to run in the Canadian federal election. Kwan later gained a seat in the House of Commons representing Vancouver East. A few months later, in a by-election, Mark claimed victory in the NDP stronghold.

The historical significance of Mark’s election was publicly made clear on 17 February 2016 when she was sworn in at the British Columbia legislature. Mark wore her grandmother Thelma Mark’s buttoned-blanket regalia. Surrounded by family, drummers and singers from the Nisga’a Nation drummed Mark into the legislature following traditional protocol.

Former BC Premier John Horgan appointed Mark to cabinet as the Minister of Advanced Education, Skills and Training in 2017. She later became the Minister of Tourism, Art, Culture and Sport in 2020.

During her seven years in office, Mark implemented a slew of initiatives and reduced barriers to increase access to affordable education. These initiatives prioritized education for Indigenous communities, women, youth-in-care (youth in the child welfare system) and immigrants. During her leadership, the ministry funded an Indigenous language fluency degree and created the first Indigenous law degree and school at the University of Victoria. These changes were in response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action. Mark also oversaw the move to eliminate interest on student loans in British Columbia and ushered in a tuition waiver program for former youth-in-care ages 19 to 26.

As Minister of Tourism, Art, Culture and Sport, Mark oversaw numerous investments and announcements by the government. She was Minister when the government announced funding for the Chinese Canadian Museum in Vancouver. Additionally, she contributed to a bid to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup. In this position, she was also involved in the announcement of a planned investment to rebuild the Royal BC Museum. According to reports, the building was seismically unsafe and inaccessible, along with other issues requiring repair. At a projected cost of $789 million, critics argued the project was too expensive.

In February 2023, Mark announced she was stepping away from politics to focus her attention on raising her daughters, Maya and Makayla. At the same time, she revealed her diagnosis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Mark’s resignation speech, which included describing the joys of being a minister as well as her time in the legislature as feeling like a “torture chamber,” made headlines throughout the province. Specifically, Mark addressed the way question period was conducted and her experiences of “character assassination” from the opposition. She stated, “I wanted to be an MLA so I can be a strong voice for my community… I wanted to disrupt the status quo.” She vowed to continue advocating for reconciliation and economic, social and environmental justice.