Balarama Holness, activist and former CFL player, enters Montreal mayoral race

After months of speculation, Balarama Holness, a lawyer, activist and former member of the Montreal Alouettes,is officially throwing his hat in the ring for the Montreal mayoral election.

Holness will be running under his new party, Mouvement Montral. He said he plans to have a full slate of 103 candidates for the municipal election on Nov. 7.

"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," he said in a statement Thursday announcing his candidacy. "They expect more from their politicians and I am here to deliver results."

His platform will prioritize Montrealers' job security, affordable housingand accessible public transportation.

In the next four weeks, the new party will introduce candidates in Montreal's Ville-Marie, Sud-Ouest and Cte-des-NeigesNotre-Dame-de-Grce boroughs, Holness said at a news conference.

"Creating a new party, there's this idea that you must wait, you have to be a city councillor," he said.

"We don't have to create ceilings for ourselves. Many people will say 'take your time'. We won't take our time."

WATCH |Balarama Holnesswants to be Montreal's first Black mayor:

Activist and former Alouettes player hopes to be Montreal's first Black mayor

3 years ago

Duration 5:01

Balarama Holness says his Mouvement Montral party will present a full slate of candidates for November's election.

Holness saidhe plans to reduce taxesfor businessesin low-income areas, such as Montral-Nord, Saint-Micheland Rivire-des-PrairiesPointe-aux-Trembles.

"We have to modernize city hall and modernize our economy," he said. "Right now, there's amajor focus on the city centre. However all 19 boroughs can become economic hubs in their own right."

Community organizing

While studying law at McGill University, Holness ran unsuccessfully as a Projet Montral candidate in Montral-Nord in 2017.

The same year, he founded Montreal in Action, a social justice group which collected 20,000 signatures, urging the city to hold consultations about systemic racism in municipal institutions.

The Office de consultation publique de Montral (OCPM) released 38 recommendationsin 2020 based on the consultations.

Its final report foundthe citycould not "efficiently" fight systemic racism and discrimination, leading to the creation of a Commissioner to Counter Racism and Discrimination position.

Holnessalso won a Grey Cup with the Montreal Alouettes in 2010.

He joinsincumbent Mayor Valrie Plante and former mayor Denis Coderre in the race.

Jean-Franois Cloutier (quit Montral), Marc-Antoine Desjardins (Ralliement pour Montral) andGilbert Thibodeau (Action Montral) have also announced their candidacy.