THE ELECTION IS OFFICIALLY A THREE-WAY RACE: MOVEMENT MONTREAL ANNOUNCES SEVEN CANDIDATES AND ITS PLANS FOR A JUST AND INCLUSIVE ECONOMIC RELAUNCH 

Montréal, Quebec -- On Monday, June 21st, 2021, Movement Montreal announced seven (7) new candidates, officially making the municipal election a three-way race. In front of City Hall, Mayoral Candidate and Head of Movement Montreal, Balarama Holness, presented candidates running in Lachine, Le Plateau-Mont Royal, L’Île-Bizard-Sainte-Geneviève, Côte-des-Neiges-Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, Ville-Marie, and Villeray-Saint-Michel-Parc-Extension. “Movement Montreal is proud to gain the insight, expertise, and knowledge of these candidates,” declared Holness, “all of whom will work with us towards a stronger Montreal for all.” 

Nadine Chalati, a corporate lawyer and business owner, will be running for City Councillor in the Fort Rolland district of Lachine. At her side is Curren Dewan who spent his youth in the Du Canal district of Lachine, and will now be running for its Borough Councillor position. Together they will prioritize initiatives that enhance Lachine’s economic development with active community involvement.

Max-Henri Bailly will be running with Movement Montreal as Borough Mayor in Le Plateau-Mont Royal. Bailly holds a master’s degree in electrical engineering and an MBA from McGill University. His ability to understand intricate economic issues will benefit both Montreal and Le Plateau-Mont Royal greatly. At the press conference, Shane Thompson, who is joining Movement Montreal’s team as a City Councillor candidate in the Saint-Jacques district of Ville-Marie, explained that he will prioritize housing, transportation, and economic recovery throughout his campaign. “It is time for new leadership in Montreal, and Movement Montreal is the party that will listen to Montrealers and take bold action,” he added.

Passionate about Movement Montreal’s vision to put “people before politics,” Ghassan Baroudi will run for borough mayor in L’île-Bizard-Sainte-Geneviève. Baroudi, an expert in organizational development and change management, looks forward to restoring trust between government and community organizations in Montreal. Aminata Ndiaye, an activist interested in the social economy, will run for borough mayor of Villeray-Saint-Michel-Parc-Extension. Currently a full-time civil servant, she holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from UQAM and a master’s in administration from the University of Sherbrooke. As for CDN-NDG, Matthew Kerr will run for its mayorship, prioritizing housing and economic empowerment in the area. 

During the press conference, Holness also took the opportunity to outline Movement Montreal’s plan for a “just and inclusive economic relaunch.” Key elements of the plan include (1) the establishment of a Small Business Center to improve the accessibility and ease of applying for business licenses and terrasse licenses, (2) the creation of economic zones in low-income boroughs that provide tax incentives for small business, and (3) support for enhanced coordination between urban development and construction companies. 

“Although Montreal’s economy has slowly begun to reopen, we need to ensure that our economic relaunch prioritizes the businesses that have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. To date, 46% of small- and medium-sized businesses in Montreal have partially closed, and an additional 31% have had to shut down permanently. These closures are partially due to the exorbitant cost of COVID-19 safety measures on these businesses, averaging over $160,000,” Holness explained. 

“If we want Montreal to thrive, to be the booming metropolis it once was, we need to take decisive action to improve the economic capacity of our businesses and our city. I am confident that Movement Montreal’s relaunch will address small-business needs and make the city stronger for decades to come,” announced Holness.

Ndiaye echoed this sentiment, highlighting that “economic growth does not need to be sacrificed in the pursuit of a more sustainable and just society.” Chalati, a small-business owner herself, explained that with Movement Monteal’s support, she will work to improve the economy, with a focus on small business-owners in Lachine and throughout Montreal.  “Job creation, reduction of income inequality, and wealth generation are crucial elements that need to and will be addressed.”