Balarama Holness, community organizer and former Alouette, will run for mayor of Montreal

Montreal’s mayoral race has a new contender.

Balarama Holness, community organizer, jurist and former Montreal Alouette player, is officially throwing his hat in the ring.

He announced his candidacy Thursday morning under the banner of a new political party known as Movement Montreal.

“New blood, new ideas — that’s what we want to bring to the table,” Holness said during his announcement outside city hall.

“Right now it’s the same old ideas, same old people and we want to bring new ideas.”

READ MORE: Former Montreal mayor Denis Coderre announces re-election campaign

The party says its campaign will focus on offering Montrealers “an alternative to the status quo.” Holness said he will seek to unite the city by prioritizing citizens’ desires for job security, affordable housing and accessible transportation.

“We are going to surprise people,” he said. “We are going to have the best ground game out of any political party.”

Holness is well known across the city. The former CFL player won a Grey Cup championship with the Alouettes in 2010.

The activist has also helped push the concept of systemic racism forward in Quebec’s political scene by forcing the city to confront the issue. He launched a petition in 2018 that was signed by more than 22,000 people.

Holness used a provision in the city’s charter to trigger a public consultation that would include 7,000 participants and produce 38 recommendations, including that Montreal recognize the systemic nature of racism and discrimination against racialized groups.

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The 37-year-old is running against Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante as well as Denis Coderre, who served as mayor from 2013 to 2017.

The election is months away, but several people have already announced their candidacy. Lawyer Marc-Antoine Desjardins and Félix-Antoine Joli-Coeur, a former political advisor, are also seeking the top job.

Montrealers head to the polls in November.

— with files from Global News’ Brayden Jagger Haines and The Canadian Press