THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF A NEW PARTY: A FRESH VISION TO ENERGIZE MONTREAL

Montreal, Quebec – on Thursday, May 20, 2021, activist, jurist, and Grey Cup winning Montreal Alouette, Balarama Holness, announced his candidacy for Mayor of Montreal under his new party, Movement Montreal. With the motto “People Before Politics,” Movement Montreal is focused on energizing the city by serving and representing all Montrealers. Holness promises that Movement Montreal’s “new approach to political organizing, campaigning, and policy-making will prioritize peoples’ needs, support their aspirations, and give them a voice.”

Movement Montreal was formed out of Holness’ desire to provide Montrealers with an alternative to the status quo. Stemming from his success with grassroots advocacy in Montreal, his political movement seeks to unite the city by prioritizing Montrealers’ desires for job security, affordable housing, and accessible public transportation. “Montrealers expect a fairer government that understands the struggles that small business owners, seniors, youth, and Montrealers from all backgrounds have faced during the COVID-19 pandemic. They expect more from their politicians – and I am here to deliver results.”

With an eye towards fairness and justice, Holness will take a participatory approach to building the party’s platform, working alongside Montrealers to highlight their wants in its policies. “We need to hear directly from Montrealers. Too many political parties assume what their constituents want and need. We are here to change that by putting Montrealers at the heart of our campaign.” By enabling peoples’ participation in its decision-making processes, collaborating with Montrealers to shape its policies, and fostering an environment of transparency and accountability, Movement Montreal will put Montrealers first.

In his announcement speech, Holness committed to “seize this crucial moment to relaunch Montreal’s economy and build a vibrant post-COVID city where jobs, housing, and public transportation are accessible to all.”