Aaron Gunn | |
|---|---|
| Member of Parliament forNorth Island—Powell River | |
| Assumed office April 28, 2025 | |
| Preceded by | Rachel Blaney |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1989 or 1990 (age 35–36) |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Other political affiliations | BC Conservatives (since 2022) BC Liberals (until 2021) |
| Residence | Campbell River, British Columbia |
| Education | University of Victoria (B.Com.) |
| Website | aarongunn |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | Canadian Army |
| Unit | 5th (British Columbia) Field Artillery Regiment, RCA |
| YouTube information | |
| Channel | |
| Years active | 2018–present |
| Subscribers | 100 thousand |
| Views | 11.6 million |
| Last updated: September 26, 2025 | |
| Website | |
Aaron GunnMP (born 1989 or 1990)[1] is aCanadian politician and filmmaker. A member of theConservative Party, he has served as theMember of Parliament (MP) forNorth Island—Powell River since the2025 federal election.
Gunn's campaign drew national attention due to controversy over his remarks onresidential schools andIndigenous reconciliation, which were condemned by the British Columbia's First Nations Leadership Council and other indigenous groups.[2] In 2022, he had previously sought theleadership of theBritish Columbia (BC) Liberal Party, but was disqualified.[3]
Gunn first gained public attention through his documentaries, including Vancouver Is Dying[4] and Canada Is Dying,[5] as well as through his political commentary series Politics Explained.[6]
Gunn grew up inGreater Victoria,[3] and became interested in filmmaking as a teenager.[7] He earned aBachelor of Commerce from theUniversity of Victoria[8] and served in the5th (British Columbia) Field Artillery Regiment of theCanadian Army Reserve.[2][9]
After university, Gunn worked for theCanadian Taxpayers Federation, where he developed his communication skills.[7] He then worked for conservative organizationCanada Proud, producing about 200 two-minute videos on political topics.[7]
Aaron Gunn has been producing both short- and long-form videos since 2017. His documentary series,Politics Explained, has amassed millions of views acrossFacebook andYouTube, with four seasons available to watch online.[10]
As a result of consistent content on social media, Gunn is among the most followed political figures in Western Canada, with 120,000 followers on Facebook and 100,000 subscribers on YouTube.[10]
Gunn’s filmmaking career grew to significant prominence in 2022, when he releasedVancouver Is Dying, an hour-long documentary that explores issues including crime, homelessness and the overdose crisis.[11] Published on the heels of the 2022 Vancouver municipal election, the movie garnered over two million views on YouTube in just a few weeks.[11]
Some analyses have speculated that the film played a pivotal role in then-mayor Kennedy Stewart losing the election.[12] Stewart himself validated this speculation, crediting Gunn’s work for his loss.[13] Critics say the film misrepresents addiction policy and contributes to the stigmatization of marginalized populations.[11] The film presently sits at 4.5 million views on YouTube.[14]
Gunn went on to produceCanada Is Dying, a sequel which garnered nearly two million views on YouTube.[15]
In October 2021, Gunn announced he was seeking the leadership of theBC Liberal Party (nowBC United). However, he was disqualified from the2022 British Columbia Liberal Party leadership election after the party stated that his views conflicted with its commitments todiversity andreconciliation.[3][16]
Following his disqualification, Gunn founded Common Sense BC, an advocacy group to explore the viability of a right-wing alternative to theBC Liberals.[17] Common Sense endorsed a slate of candidates who stood for election to theBC Conservative Party board at the May 2022 annual general meeting. The endorsed candidates, including conservative strategist Angelo Isidorou, were elected, marking a significant shift in the party's leadership.[18] In August 2022, the party revealed a new logo, website, and platform. Isidorou went on to serve as Executive Director and Provincial Campaign Manager in the2024 BC general election.[19]
Gunn received the federalConservative Party nomination in December 2023 for the riding ofNorth Island—Powell River.[20] His candidacy came under scrutiny during the2025 federal election for his previous social media posts aboutCanada's residential school system, including controversial remarks where he claimed Indigenous groups inOntario had “asked for” residential schools and that the word "genocide" did not reflect the reality of the residential school system.[21] In 2020, Gunn tweeted: “There was no genocide. Stop lying to people and read a book”.[22] He continued to make statements of this nature in 2021 when he described residential schools as “much-maligned”.[23] These comments were condemned by the British Columbia's First Nations Leadership Council and theUnion of British Columbia Indian Chiefs.[24] Indigenous groups protested at Gunn's campaign office.[25] An online petition calling for his removal as a candidate because of those comments received over 15,000 signatures.[26][27]
Conservative Party leaderPierre Poilievre stood by Gunn, despite calls to have him removed.[28] Poilievre called the claims that Gunn had denied the impact of residential schools "false" and "misinformation".[23] Gunn did not speak for himself on the issue, but Poilievre asserted that "[Gunn] has said that he wants to continue to condemn the residential schools and build stronger partnerships with First Nations people to unlock our resources so that we can produce incredible paycheques and opportunities for First Nations communities".[23]
In September 2025, Aaron Gunn was interviewed by Aaron Pete, a First Nations chief in Chilliwack.[29] When asked about his prior comments on residential schools, Gunn emphasized the importance of using precise language.[30] He stated that while residential schools were “horrible, regrettable,” and caused generational trauma, this did not automatically meet the definition of genocide. Instead, Gunn argued that the term “cultural genocide” was more accurate, aligning with terminology used in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s reports.[31]
Gunn has publicly opposed the B.C. Northern Shelf Marine Protected Area (MPA) Network (better known as the Great Bear Sea MPA Network). The conservation project has involved nearly 20 years of negotiations with over a dozen coastalFirst Nations, the province of British Columbia, and the federal government.[32] The scope of the MPA was decided through consultation with 17 First Nation leaders who have been involved in identifying the key conservation areas in their territories, as well as biologists, provincial marine planners andFisheries and Oceans Canada staff.[32] Gunn produced avideo titled “No Fishing Allowed: Trudeau's plan to decimate an entire industry”, arguing the MPA is without scientific merit and politically motivated move by former Prime MinisterJustin Trudeau to end commercial and recreational fishing. Gunn asserts the MPA is solely the “agenda of radical environmentalists”.
Gunn was elected in the2025 federal election, receiving 38.8% of the vote, flipping the seat from theNew Democratic Party (NDP).[33] The election discussion largely revolved around Gunn, as both theNDP andLiberal Party candidates defined their candidacies in opposition to his.[34] The surge in theLiberal Party vote potentiallysplit the vote and contributed to his win.[35]
In interviews after his win, MP-elect Gunn emphasized that voters were concerned about jobs, crime, and the drug crisis. He noted many in his district are tired of losing high-paying jobs and having to work out of province.[36]
On 16 June 2025, Gunn was appointed to the Standing Committee for Fisheries and Oceans.[37]
Gunn describes himself as a"small-c" conservative.[38]
Free Speech
Aaron Gunn has been outspoken about the importance of free speech.[39] Most notably, Gunn released a nearly hour-long documentary entitled The End of Free Speech in Canada, which explores the effects of censorship in Canada.[40]
More recently, he spoke at the House of Commons Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights (JUST) regarding Bill C-9: An Act to amend the Criminal Code (hate propaganda, hate crime and access to religious or cultural places), questioning the motives behind the proposed legislation.[41]
Fisheries and Oceans
Aaron Gunn currently serves as a member of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans.[42] Gunn is a supporter of the fisheries industry on the British Columbia coast and passed a committee study motion to investigate the Draft Salmon Aquaculture Transition Plan for British Columbia and the Government of Canada’s proposed phase-out of the sector by 2029.[43]
He has also been a critic of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and the Government of Canada’s target to protect 30% of Canada’s oceans by 2030.[44]
Drugs and Crime
In his maiden speech in the House of Commons, Gunn criticized several crime-related bills passed under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government, including Bills C-75 and C-5, which he argued have contributed to an increase in repeat violent offenders.[45]
Gunn has also expressed opposition to safe-supply drug policies and has advocated for abstinence-based recovery programs, themes he previously highlighted in his documentary work.[46] His documentaries include Vancouver Is Dying[47] and Canada Is Dying.[48]
Forestry
Aaron Gunn has been an advocate for the forestry industry in British Columbia.[49]
In September 2025, Gunn authored an open letter addressed to Prime Minister Mark Carney and British Columbia Premier David Eby, which was co-signed by North Island MLA Anna Kindy and eight mayors from his riding.[50] The letter stated that the coastal forestry industry was in crisis and warned that the situation would deteriorate without urgent policy changes.[51]
In the letter, Gunn called on the federal and provincial governments to expedite permits, restore legal certainty, and support a predictable fibre supply.[52]
Powell River Dams Electricity Exportation
Aaron Gunn has stated that Canadian natural resources should “first benefit Canadians before anyone else.”[53]
On October 29, 2025, Gunn tabled a petition in the House of Commons on behalf of constituents in North Island–Powell River opposing Powell River Energy Inc.’s application to the Canadian Energy Regulator for a 30-year electricity export licence to the United States.[54]
Diversity practices in the military
Gunn opposes diversity hiring in the Canadian military, stating that it constitutesdiscrimination against white males. As of 2025, the Canadian military is 70% white and male.[55]
Gender issues
Gunn believes that there are two genders and that the “gender pay gap doesn’t exist".[56]
Abortion
Anti-abortion group Campaign Life Coalition rated Gunn with an approving "green light".[57] Gunn has never publicly commented on abortion.
Opioid crisis
Gunn opposessafe supply and decriminalizinghard drugs, stating that their implementation has been a"terrible disaster" in Canada. He says that treatment and recovery should be prioritized.[58]
Russia
Gunn posted about Russian presidentVladimir Putin approvingly on social media in 2014. He also suggested that Russia would have faced less international scrutiny for itsanti-LGBT law if it had taken what he described as the "politically prudent" approach of broadly restricting free expression, as China had done during the2008 Beijing Olympics. These comments resurfaced in 2025, when he was running for MP. He recanted his old statements, calling them "foolish".[24]
| 2025 Canadian federal election:North Island—Powell River | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ** Preliminary results — Not yet official ** | ||||||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures | |||
| Conservative | Aaron Gunn | 31,356 | 38.80 | +2.58 | ||||
| New Democratic | Tanille Johnston | 26,467 | 32.61 | –6.85 | ||||
| Liberal | Jennifer Lash | 21,045 | 26.04 | +12.74 | ||||
| Green | Jessica Wegg | 1,558 | 1.93 | –3.93 | ||||
| People's | Paul Macknight | 341 | 0.42 | –4.14 | ||||
| Independent | Glen Staples | 156 | 0.19 | N/A | ||||
| Total valid votes/expense limit | ||||||||
| Total rejected ballots | ||||||||
| Turnout | 80,813 | 74.10 | ||||||
| Eligible voters | 109,060 | |||||||
| Conservativenotional gain fromNew Democratic | Swing | +4.72 | ||||||
| Source:Elections Canada[59][60] | ||||||||