AMBM President and Deputy Reeve of the R.M. of La Broquerie, Mr. Ivan Normandeau, the Mayor of the Town of Ste. Anne, Mr. Richard Pelletier, and the Mayor of the R.M. of Taché, Mr. Justin Bohémier, issued the following joint statement in recognition of National Francophone Immigration Week, November 7 to 13, 2021:
The theme of National Francophone Immigration Week is The Thousand Flavours of La Francophonie.
This theme invites us to recognize and celebrate the rich diversity that Francophone immigrants bring to our beautiful province.
For the past two years, the AMBM has been actively involved in the implementation of the Welcoming Francophone Communities (WFC) Initiative in the Seine River region (Rural Municipalities of Taché and La Broquerie as well as the Town of Ste. Anne) led by the Société de la francophonie manitobaine (SFM) and coordinated and implemented by the Réseau en immigration francophone (RIF) du Manitoba. Through the WFC process, we identified issues facing newcomers, including rural connectivity, affordable housing and regional/inter-regional mobility. Bilingual municipalities have a role to play to create favourable conditions for these issues to move forward, in partnership with communities.
In the spring of 2022, we will also release the new Manitoba Bilingual Municipalities Francophone Immigration Strategy.
In Manitoba, Francophone immigration has multiple, long-term benefits for the community, businesses, schools, community groups and cultural life in general.
All these extraordinary people who choose to settle in our Francophone and bilingual communities make them even stronger, more vibrant and open to the world. Our municipalities pride themselves on being places where social ties are forged, where community belonging takes root and where cultural creativity springs forth.
Regardless of the size of our municipality, we all have a role to play in welcoming Francophone newcomers with dignity and fostering their integration by relying on our values of hospitality, sharing and community spirit.
A subsidiary of the AMBM, the Economic Development Council for Manitoba Bilingual Municipalities (CDEM) plays a leading role in Francophone economic immigration. The organization promotes the Invitation to Manitoba component of the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP) and assists its eligible Francophone clients in their immigration process. In 2020-2021, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, CDEM processed nearly 1,100 applications, selected 274 immigrants and invited 125 people to make an exploratory visit to Manitoba. The CDEM’s immigration sector is an important support vector for the recruitment of a Francophone and bilingual workforce. In the coming years, we hope that the CDEM will obtain the necessary resources to increase its promotional efforts in order to encourage an influx of Francophone newcomers to our communities.
We would also like to highlight the extraordinary work done by the key players in the Francophone immigration continuum in the province of Manitoba. Together with our municipalities, they are helping to make Manitoba a first-rate host and to foster an inclusive and rewarding way of life for all: you have our gratitude.
Together, let’s continue the discussions and actions to mobilize our communities towards the importance and key ingredients of successful immigration.
Information: Office of the Chief Executive Officer (O-CEO), 204-289-4077, [email protected].
