Getting to know Tammy Hwang, Ward 4 councillor and one of the many new faces at city hall

When Tammy Hwang first heard about outgoing councillor Sam Merulla's retirement two years ago, she saw herself filling the role - driven by her love for business development and inside-the-city work.

Hwang, a fur mom, a cool aunt, will officially represent Ward 4 at city hall, after winning a tightly paced 11-candidate race.

She lives in Ward 6 with her husband and her bulldog pug, Johnny, and plans to return to Ward 4 where she owns property.

She was seven when her immigrant parents moved to Hamilton from Toronto. Her parents, originally from Taiwan, bought a store in the east end of Hamilton, Babe's Jubilee at King and Province, where Hwang spent (her) formative years" - attending elementary and secondary schools, and finally going to McMaster University to pursue a business program.

A first-generation Canadian, Hwang said, My sister and I definitely had the immigrant experience. We know how hard it is to come to a new country, to essentially lean on the ones who can speak English."

She remembered her time as an unofficial young translator to her parents while they were learning English. My parents were small business owners of a corner store, and they always had great conversations with the community, but for anything that required in-depth English, my sister and I would help."

Hwang feels many immigrant families could relate to her experience of helping their families navigate life in a new country.

She also takes pride in being an aunt to her four niblings (nieces and nephews) and hanging out with them as their temporary mom" when her sister and brother-in-law are away.

Hwang spent four years of her adult life in China, getting a sense of her cultural roots, before returning to Hamilton to work for Innovation Factory. As much as I speak Mandarin, I've grown up in Canada, and never experience what Asia is like ... and it gave me a chance to understand where my family comes from."

In her most recent job with the city's economic development department, Hwang focused on attracting new investments, and helping immigrants and newcomers establish businesses in Hamilton, connecting small businesses with resources for growth, while mentoring young entrepreneurs on the side.

Hwang, who was recognized as a YWCA Woman of Distinction, also co-founded a coworking space in downtown Hamilton - CoMotion on King Street.

Ritika Dubey is a reporter at The Spectator. rdubey@thespec.com