Maxime Bernier is aggressively using social media platforms to organize supporters ahead of Friday’s expected announcement that will detail his new political party.

The renegade conservative has been asking his followers on Facebook and Twitter to join regional groups to form what he is calling The People’s Network. He’s encouraging supporters to work together to start groups for their own regions.

“Answer this tweet and say in what riding you are,” he said. “Follow and (direct message) each other and exchange contact info. (retweet) to reach more people.”

The MP for Beauce first tweeted about the Facebook groups on Tuesday.

MAD MAX SUPPORTERS IN ONTARIO

You can start talking to each other and organizing a group in your region. Answer this tweet and say in what riding you are. Follow, DM each other and exchange contact info. RT to reach more people. #onpoli #ontpoli — Maxime Bernier (@MaximeBernier) September 11, 2018

Bernier’s People’s Network is seeking supporters in French and English in Ontario, Quebec, and Atlantic Canada. He has English-only groups for supporters in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia and the North.

By midday Thursday, The People’s Network–North had 38 members. The People’s Network–British Columbia had 341 members. The People’s Network–Alberta had 512 members. The People’s Network–Saskatchewan had 138 members. The People’s Network–Manitoba had 106 members. The People’s Network—Ontario had 890 members. The french language group for Ontario, Le réseau populaire—Ontario, had 124 members. The People’s Network–Quebec had 226 members. The french language group for Quebec, Le réseau populaire–Québec, had 198 members. The People’s Network—Atlantic had 316 members. The french language group for Atlantic Canada, Le réseau populaire—Acadie, had 19 members.

All of the groups were created on Tuesday. All are public, except the group in B.C., which is closed.

Each of Bernier’s Facebook groups have representative banner photos from each region. The group for the North uses a photo of a bear. The group for B.C. uses a photo of the Lions Gate Bridge. The group for Alberta uses a photo of Calgary’s Saddledome. The group for Saskatchewan uses a photo of Saskatoon. The group for Manitoba uses a photo of Winnipeg. The groups for Ontario use a photo of the Toronto skyline and Ottawa. The groups for Quebec use photos of Montreal and Quebec City. The groups for Atlantic Canada use a photo of the Peggy’s Cove lighthouse and the Grande Anse lighthouse.

Bernier also retweeted a user yesterday who had created a group of their own for supporters in southwestern Ontario. Bernier shared the group called Mad Max Windsor Essex Chatham. It had 58 members.

Bernier’s announcement about his new party is in Ottawa Friday at 10 a.m.

“Things are also going well on the organizational side, with grassroots support popping up all over the country. There have already been meetings of supporters in some areas like Vancouver, and I know others are being planned elsewhere in the coming days,” he wrote on his Facebook page Thursday.

Bernier told supporters in an email yesterday that he hoped to reveal the party’s name and logo before Parliament resumes Monday.

Bernier registered online domains for The People’s Party of Canada and Parti Populaire du Canada on Aug. 30, as the Toronto Star reported.

Bernier told the Star his team registered several domain names to cover their tracks.

On Twitter, he said he will reveal more information about memberships, riding associations, volunteering and more, “in coming weeks,” as it sets up the party’s basic organization.

Bernier would become the fifth most followed federal party leader in Canada on Twitter behind Justin Trudeau (4.32 million followers), Elizabeth May (306,000 followers), Jagmeet Singh (128,000 followers), and Andrew Scheer (94,900 followers).

On Facebook, he ranks fifth in likes. He trails Trudeau (6.4 million), Scheer (211,000), Singh (185,000) and May (99,000).

According to Pollara Strategic Insights’ 2018 report on social media usage, 91 per cent of Canadians use some form of social media. The most popular platform is Facebook, which 80 per cent of all Canadians use, as well as 88 per cent of millennials.

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