Passing of Warren Allmand - Mayor Coderre marks the passing of a great Montrealer and an important figure in Canadian politics

MONTRÉAL, Dec. 9, 2016 /CNW Telbec/ - It was with profound sadness that Montréal Mayor Denis Coderre learned of the passing of Montréal-born politician Warren Allmand on Tuesday at the age of 84. A federal member of Parliament from 1965 to 1997, Mr. Allmand represented constituents in the riding of Notre-Dame-de-Grâce for more than 30 years in the House of Commons. He went on to serve on Montréal city council from 2005 to 2009, as councillor for the district of Loyola in the borough of Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce.

"Shortly after I entered federal politics, I had the privilege of getting to know Mr. Allmand, who was one of the leading ministers in the Trudeau government of the 1970s. We'll always remember him as the man who, acting as solicitor general, tabled bill C-84 abolishing the death penalty in Canada in 1976. An ardent defender of human rights, after leaving politics he served as head of the organization Rights and Democracy, immediately before shifting his focus to the municipal scene. He was a man of principle who never hesitated to challenge conventional wisdom, promote dialogue and express his deeply held convictions," said Mr. Coderre.

In a sign of respect, the mayor asked that Montréal flags be flown at half-mast. "The citizens of Notre-Dame-de-Grâce have lost a long-standing friend and ally. On their behalf and on behalf of all Montrealers, my deepest sympathies go out to his wife Rose, his children Patrick, Juliet and Robin, and all his loved ones," concluded Mr. Coderre.

SOURCE Ville de Montréal - Cabinet du maire et du comité exécutif

Catherine Maurice, press attaché, Office of the Mayor and the Executive Committee, 514 346-7598