The City of Montreal has validated a petition from local activists who hope to fight systemic racism at city hall.
On July 27, Montreal in Action filed a petition of 20,000 signatures calling on city staff to hold public consultations on systemic racism and discrimination. The city then had 21 days to review the signatures.
Balarama Holness, a McGill law student who spearheaded the petition, said on Friday that the city ended their review after counting 16,700 valid signatures. He says the city is now working on a timeline for the consultations.
“Montrealers have declared that inclusion is a cornerstone of our culture here in Montreal and in Quebec,” Holness told reporters on Friday.
“Montrealers are united under the concept, under the culture, of inclusion, of diversity and (living together).”
Holness said he hopes the city will create a budget and action plan to monitor systemic racism and correct it.
Montreal In Action says city staff and elected officials remain overwhelmingly white and don’t represent the population of Montreal.
With a report from CTV Montreal’s Rob Lurie
