Montreal city officials have decided to officially rename Kent Park in Côte-des-Neiges to Martin Luther King Jr. Park this summer. Expected to be approved in city council meetings this afternoon, this marks one of the first times the Plante administration has renamed a city park. 

Kent Park in Côte-des-Neiges is a popular park for children and residents of the area. Many people flock to the park in the summer months. With many sports fields and large open space, the park is ideal for the many families in the neighbourhood. 

Côte-des-Neiges is a historically ethnic community and according to city councillors, renaming the park after Martin Luther King Jr. acknowledges the historical contributions of the civil rights movement. Some surrounding parks in Côte-des-Neiges are also named after civil rights activists. 

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TL;DR  Kent Park in Côte-des-Neiges is being renamed after Martin Luther King Jr. Valerie Plante praised Dr. King's contributions to the civil rights movement and his pursuit of an equal society and wants to pay tribute to his incredible impact on the world.

Martin Luther King Jr. was a highly respected civil rights activist who mobilized a whole movement against segregation and prejudice against black people in the United States.

After his assassination in 1968, people across the world mourned his untimely death and honoured the man in various ways. In the U.S., Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a national holiday on King's birthday that honours the man with a day of solemn reflection. 

In Montreal, we don't officially recognize the holiday, but we'll be able to honour King's rich legacy by renaming Kent Park in his name. Set to become official this afternoon, Valerie Plante and her administration are very happy to make this happen. 

Mayor Valerie Plante is often progressive when it comes to social justice issues and her administration's decision to rename the park shows her commitment to acknowledging the contributions of civil rights activists. 

Kent Park is located in the Côte-des-Neiges—Notre-Dame-de-Grâce borough surrounded quiet residential streets. Two nearby parks are named after Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi. 

The name change, according to city councillors, will enhance the quality of life around the public space and will pay tribute to the important contributions of Martin Luther King Jr. while acknowledging the continuing battle with civil rights issues across the world. 

This marks one of the first times the Mayor has actively changed the name of a Montreal park. City councillors will make it official this Wednesday afternoon. 

Kent Park was once named after British royalty, which didn't represent the city's multi-cultural values, according to some people. Côte-des-Neiges residents must get used to the name change sooner than later as Kent Park has been called that since 1967. 

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