Sterling Downey grew up in the Crawford Park district of Verdun that he still calls home. 

After co-founding the UnderPressure Urban Arts Festival in 1996, he opened collaborative spaces created for and by the emerging street art community. 

Sterling was first elected city councilor for the Desmarchais-Crawford district in Verdun in 2013. He has been reelected twice, most recently in November 2021. Currently, deputy mayor of the Borough, he has previously served as deputy mayor of the City of Montreal. In addition to his responsibilities as Borough and City councillor, Sterling sits on the Agglomeration council, is Vice-chair of the Commission de la présidence du conseil, and is a member of the Commission sur le développement social et la diversité montréalaise.

Sterling is currently a community representative on Riverview School’s governing board, has a role on Verdun Elementary’s Governing Board, and is a community representative on Beurling Academy’s governing board.

Sterling has never shied away from his past and has not let it define him. He uses his experiences to help marginalized youth by speaking about the effects of bullying and by helping communities such as LGBTQ2S youth find safe spaces where they can thrive. 

While helping youth is a big part of who Sterling is, he is also committed to recognizing and honoring his community’s veterans past and present. Sterling was a major proponent of the “Sentier des coquelicots” (translated: Poppy Trail) in the Crawford Park neighborhood and championed the recent impressive revamping of the cenotaph at Parc du Souvenir in front of Borough Hall in Verdun. He always finds the time to volunteer his services to sell poppies within his community for Royal Canadian Legion Branch #4. 

The United Irish Societies of Montreal are thrilled to present Councillor Sterling Downey as the Chief Reviewing Officer of the 2023 St. Patrick’s Parade in Montreal.