OTTAWA — Conservative MP Scott Aitchison is set to resign by the end of the fall session, according to two sources close to him.
The sources, who spoke on the condition that they not be named, says Aitchison will be leaving to pursue other opportunities. He is expected to release a statement addressing his resignation on Wednesday.
Aitchison, who could not immediately be reached for comment, was first elected in 2019 to represent the Ontario riding of Parry Sound—Muskoka.
According to an event poster on the website of Newfoundland and Labrador Conservative MP Clifford Small’s riding association, Aitchison was slated to appear at a ticketed dinner Tuesday evening alongside other colleagues.
The MP has served as the Conservatives’ housing critic and mounted an unsuccessful bid for the party leadership in 2022.
One of the sources said Aitchison was ready to move on after spending more than 30 years in elected politics, first serving as a city councillor in Huntsville, Ont., before becoming mayor and then an MP.
Aitchison informed Opposition Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of his intention to resign last week, according to the source.
Poilievre is scheduled to deliver a speech on national unity in Edmonton on Tuesday evening at a fundraiser hosted by a third-party advertising group launched by one of his Alberta MPs that is campaigning for Alberta to remain in Canada ahead of the upcoming referendum.
Aitchison’s exit marks the eighth departure for Poilievre since the 2025 election.
Larry Brock, the former Conservative MP for Brantford—Brant South, resigned earlier this month to return to his former job as a provincial Crown prosecutor.
That followed the earlier resignation of longtime former Saskatchewan MP Cathay Wagantall and the decision by former Quebec Conservative MP Richard Martel to accept an appointment to the Senate.
The Liberals successfully flipped his former seat in Chicoutimi—Le Fjord in a byelection held last month, with the Conservatives slipping to a distant third behind the Bloc Québécois.
Before that, Poilievre saw four of his MPs —Chris d’Entremont, Michael Ma, Matt Jeneroux and Marilyn Gladu— each defect to the Liberals, beginning last fall.
For his part, Poilievre has vowed to stay on as leader, often pointing to the nearly 88 per cent of support he received from party members during his leadership review held at the party’s convention back in January.
Aitchison’s exit raises the number of outstanding byelections Prime Minister Mark Carney must call to seven, with both the Liberals and the Bloc Québécois also having seen several seats vacated.
Carney has yet to call a byelection in Brantford—Brant South, where many Conservatives are watching to see whether Poilievre can hold the seat amid polling that suggests he is trailing the Liberals.
Polling aggregator 338Canada.com currently lists both Brantford—Brant South and Parry Sound—Muskoka as “leaning Liberal.”
The Conservatives have held Parry Sound—Muskoka since 2006. The riding was previously represented by former Harper cabinet minister Tony Clement.
In anticipation of an upcoming byelection in Brantford—Brant South, Poilievre decided to forgo holding a nomination contest and appointed Brantford Mayor Ken Davis as the party’s candidate.
That decision was met with disappointment from local pastor Dave Carol, who had been endorsed by both Brock and his predecessor, former Conservative MP Phil McColeman. In a Facebook post, Carol said the riding “has a proud tradition of doing politics the right way.”
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