Sean Orr

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Sean Orr

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| office = Vancouver City Councillor

| term_start = April 15, 2025

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| birth_name =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1978|05|18}}

| birth_place = Surrey, British Columbia, Canada

| nationality = Canadian

| party = COPE

| otherparty = {{plainlist|

VOTE Socialist (2022)
BC Greens (2005)

}}

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| residence = Vancouver, British Columbia

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| occupation = {{hlist|Politician|writer}}

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| alma_mater = Simon Fraser University

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Sean Orr (born {{birth date|1978|05|18}}){{cite web |last1=Orr |first1=Sean |title=Sean Orr: Obscure Bands Played My Friend's Secret Loft Party... |url=https://scoutmagazine.ca/sean-orr-obscure-bands-played-my-friends-secret-loft-party/ |website=Scout Magazine |access-date=8 April 2025 |date=20 April 2010}} is a Canadian politician and writer in Vancouver, British Columbia.{{cite web |last1=Ali |first1=Amir |title=New Vancouver councillor caught in storm over past remarks {{!}} News |url=https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/vancouver-councillor-sean-orr-past-remarks |website=Daily Hive |access-date=22 April 2025 |language=en}} In 2025, he was elected to represent the left-wing Coalition of Progressive Electors (COPE) on Vancouver City Council. During the 2025 Vancouver City Council by-election, Orr garnered 50.7 percent of the vote, becoming one of two councillors elected.{{cite web |last1=Weichel |first1=Andrew |date=6 April 2025 |title=2 new councillors elected in chaotic Vancouver byelection |url=https://www.ctvnews.ca/vancouver/article/2-new-councillors-elected-in-chaotic-vancouver-byelection/ |access-date=8 April 2025 |website=CTV News}}{{cite news |last1=McElroy |first1=Justin |title=Vancouver's byelection a story of big lines, big passion, and ABC coping with a big loss |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/vancouver-election-analysis-orr-maloney-abc-sim-1.7503180 |access-date=22 April 2025 |work=CBC News |date=6 April 2025}}

Biography

Orr was born in Surrey to Northern Irish immigrant parents and raised in the Metro Vancouver area. He credits his family for his involvement in politics from a young age.{{cite web |last1=Lewis |first1=Nate |date=February 12, 2025 |title=COPE council candidate Sean Orr opens up about advocacy, pragmatism, and the intimidation of city hall |url=https://www.vancitylookout.com/p/cope-council-candidate-sean-orr |website=Vancity Lookout |language=en}}

He studied geography at the University of British Columbia before dropping out in his third year{{cite web |last=Kronbauer |first=Bob |date=29 April 2009 |title=PRETTY DRIFTED – PHOTOS BY SEAN ORR |url=https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/events-and-entertainment/pretty-drifted-photos-by-sean-orr-1917634 |access-date=8 April 2025 |website=Vancouver Is Awesome |language=en}} and soon began writing letters to the editor and blogging. This led to Orr writing for Toronto-based Beyond Robson's Morning Brew column in the mid-2000s, through which he gained popularity.{{cite web |title=Sean Orr |url=https://scoutmagazine.ca/contributor/seanorr/ |website=Scout Magazine |access-date=8 April 2025 |date=16 October 2023}}{{cite web |date=January 27, 2006 |title=Beyond Robson's Sean Orr Emerges from the Blogosphere. |url=https://thetyee.ca/Music/2006/01/27/MusicPix/ |website=The Tyee |language=en}}

Sean has undertaken many art projects. In 2009, he self-published a photography book called "Pretty Drifted," encapsulating snapshots of urban Vancouver.{{cite web |last=Marigomen |first=Jennilee |date=6 May 2009 |title=The Proof – Sean Orr |url=https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/events-and-entertainment/9506-1917679 |access-date=8 April 2025 |website=Vancouver Is Awesome |language=en}} Sean has been a musician in multiple bands such as Taxes, Kidnapping, producing music via the project Tassels, and most recently as front man for the hardcore-punk band NEEDS, since 2012.{{cite web |last=Bollwitt |first=Rebecca |date=October 14, 2007 |title=Vancouver Blogger Profile: Sean Orr |url=https://miss604.com/2007/10/vancouver-blogger-profile-sean-orr/ |access-date=8 April 2025 |website=Miss604}}{{cite news |last1=Hudson |first1=Alex |date=April 7, 2025 |title=Vancouver Just Elected a Hardcore Punk Vocalist to City Council |url=https://exclaim.ca/music/article/vancouver-just-elected-a-hardcore-punk-vocalist-to-city-council |access-date=9 April 2025 |work=Exclaim! |language=en}}

Since 2011, Sean has been a writer for Vancouver-based Scout Magazine. His column Tea and Two Slices showcases Orr's outspoken leftist political commentary and has provided a digital outlet for his advocacy and activism.{{cite news |last1=Carrigg |first1=David |title=Jewish groups condemn statements from new Vancouver councillor Sean Orr |url=https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/canada/jewish-groups-condemn-statements-from-new-vancouver-councillor-sean-orr/ar-AA1CzoUA |access-date=22 April 2025 |agency=MSN.com |publisher=Vancouver Sun |date=8 April 2025}}{{cite news |title=20 years after Woodsquat, the protest that began at an old Vancouver department store continues to resonate |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/woodsquat-retrospective-2022-1.6586412 |access-date=22 April 2025}}{{cite news |last1=Kulkarni |first1=Akshay |title=Vancouver Police Union breaks with tradition and endorses ABC Vancouver for municipal election |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/vancouver-police-union-endorsement-1.6607093 |access-date=22 April 2025 |work=CBC |date=5 October 2022}}

Orr graduated from Simon Fraser University with a Bachelor of Arts in geography and political science in 2025.{{Cite web |date=April 29, 2025 |title=SFU Geography Alumni Sean Orr wins Vancouver council seat in byelection |url=https://www.sfu.ca/geography/news-events/news-kudos-archives/2025-archives/Sean-Orr-wins-Vancouver-council-seat-in-byelection.html |access-date=2025-06-12 |website=Simon Fraser University |language=en}}

Vancouver City Council

Orr first ran as a candidate for Vancouver City Council in the newly formed municipal party VOTE Socialist during the 2022 Vancouver municipal election.Dan Fumano, "Firefighters' union endorses Stewart, 8 incumbent councillors for re-election". The Province, October 11, 2022. Orr received 13,744 votes in the election. Orr previously ran as a Green Party of British Columbia candidate in Surrey-Tynehead in the 2005 British Columbia general election.Elaine O'Connor, "What's at stake in the rest of the Lower Mainland's ridings". The Province, May 15, 2005.

Ahead of the 2025 Vancouver City Council by-election, the VOTE Socialist party officially deregistered as an electoral party in support of Sean Orr's candidacy with COPE.{{cite web |last1=Mooney |first1=Harrison |authorlink=Harrison Mooney|title=Sean Orr Is Fired Up to Grill Ken Sim |url=https://thetyee.ca/News/2025/04/14/Sean-Orr-Fired-Up-Grill-Ken-Sim/ |website=The Tyee |access-date=22 April 2025}} His campaign focused on homelessness, rent control, the Downtown Eastside, and climate change.

Since being elected as a councillor, Orr's past social media posts have come under scrutiny.{{Cite web |title=Newly-elected Vancouver councillor under fire for online posts critical of police – BC {{!}} Globalnews.ca |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/11134044/sean-orr-police-social-media-posts/ |access-date=2025-04-26 |website=Global News |language=en-US}}