On June 26th, 2025, municipal leaders gathered in the Rural Municipality of Saint-Laurent as part of a series of strategic meetings aimed at unlocking the full economic potential of Manitoba’s Francophonie and its bilingual advantage. The event was organized by the Association of Manitoba Bilingual Municipalities (AMBM). Federal Member of Parliament for Saint-Boniface—Saint-Vital, Ginette Lavack, joined the discussions to hear their strategic priorities—priorities that call for a collective response. Manitoba’s bilingual municipalities provide essential services and manage daily operations and local infrastructure. Their role is central to the social and economic vitality of our regions. Building sustainable solutions means working as a team—a true Manitoba partnership.
Warmly welcomed by Reeve Richard Chartrand in the proud Métis community of Saint-Laurent, AMBM Chief Executive Officer Justin Johnson presented an overview of the key strategic files identified by members. Among these is the rollout of public consultations for the long-term provincial strategy on bilingualism, a fundamental tool to support bilingual municipalities in their leadership role toward a truly bilingual Manitoba. This strategy is a key element in building well-equipped, high-performing, and strong Francophone and bilingual communities. It can be supported by the Municipal Maturity Model (3M), a unique framework in Canada for municipalities delivering services in both official languages.
Johnson also emphasized the importance of systematically applying a dual lens—Official Language Minority Communities (OLMCs) and rural—in the design and distribution of federal funding programs. This approach is essential to ensure greater equity and full recognition of the specific realities experienced on the ground by rural bilingual municipalities.
In this context, the AMBM and its members remain attentive to the release of the next federal budget, expected in fall 2025, and position themselves as strategic partners to support the federal government in implementing measures tailored to the realities of Manitoba’s bilingual municipalities in the next generation of infrastructure funding to ensure successful growth.
As AMBM President Ivan Normandeau expressed: “By teaming up with municipalities, the Government of Canada ensures the implementation of concrete and sustainable solutions adapted to people’s daily lives.”
AMBM member municipalities have also adopted the Prosperity Framework for Manitoba’s Bilingual Municipalities, which outlines five strategic priorities: modernizing infrastructure; attracting and training a bilingual workforce; stimulating economic development, entrepreneurship, and investment; accelerating sustainable development and climate resilience; and strengthening bilingual government services and intergovernmental coordination. This framework also includes 23 concrete recommendations for the federal government to ensure coherent and structured action that benefits Manitoba’s bilingual communities.
Roundtable with Member of Parliament for Saint-Boniface—Saint-Vital, Ginette Lavack
AMBM member municipalities were able to present their key strategic priorities to ensure their communities are well-equipped, vibrant, and fully supported in their economic, social, linguistic, and environmental development.
The presence of the Member of Parliament for Saint-Boniface–Saint-Vital, Ginette Lavack, at this roundtable sends a strong message: that of a federal elected official who listens, is present on the ground, and recognizes the importance of engaging directly with Manitoba’s bilingual municipalities. As a representative of the federal government, her participation reflects a commitment to direct dialogue with municipal leaders, fostering an active and concrete partnership. This proximity paves the way for a better understanding of local realities and a more aligned federal response to the challenges faced by Manitoba’s bilingual rural communities.
A total of 14 AMBM member municipalities took part in the strategic roundtable, each bringing forward issues that are both shared and unique to their local context.
More specifically, the following themes were addressed:
- Wastewater infrastructure and housing: In general, wastewater treatment infrastructure is a pressing need for several bilingual municipalities in Manitoba. These facilities are essential for the economic development of communities, as they determine the capacity to accommodate new housing, support demographic and economic growth, and ensure environmental protection. However, available funding remains largely insufficient to meet current and anticipated demands, especially in a context of rising costs related to materials, labor, and environmental standards. In this context, the Red-Seine-Rat (RSR) Wastewater Cooperative—which includes the bilingual rural municipalities of La Broquerie, Ritchot, Taché, and De Salaberry—illustrates both the ambition and challenges of such a structuring project. This intermunicipal initiative aims to modernize and centralize wastewater management in southeastern Manitoba. However, implementation costs have significantly increased, raising major concerns for the participating municipalities. Increased federal support is essential to ensure the realization of this critical infrastructure.
- Recreational, health, and heritage facilities: Manitoba’s bilingual municipalities consistently express concerns about the sustainability of their community, heritage, and recreational facilities, which play a key role in quality of life, attractiveness, and cultural vitality. Maintaining heritage infrastructure linked to Francophone history requires targeted investments to preserve and showcase a legacy essential to Manitoba’s character and identity. Moreover, aging recreational infrastructure struggles to meet the growing needs of local populations, particularly in the context of demographic growth. Libraries are also under pressure to maintain their services and fully play their role as access points to information, culture, and bilingual learning. In terms of healthcare, the rural municipalities of Sainte-Anne, Taché, La Broquerie, and the Town of Sainte-Anne reaffirm their support for the designation of Hôpital Ste. Anne Hospital as a regional hospital. This designation is essential for the facility to operate at full capacity, offer services in both official languages, and adequately meet the needs of the region’s growing population while easing pressure on the healthcare system.
- Economic development: Economic development remains a central concern for Manitoba’s bilingual municipalities, particularly regarding the creation and maintenance of sustainable jobs within their communities. This challenge is even more pronounced in rural areas, where constraints related to access to skilled labour, connectivity infrastructure, and wastewater treatment hinder the growth of existing businesses and limit the establishment of new entrepreneurial initiatives. Nevertheless, municipalities have concrete levers for action, such as implementing measures to promote and attract development. They can also benefit from the reduction of interprovincial barriers to stimulate access to Canadian markets, notably by strengthening economic ties with communities like those in the Beauce region. Municipalities therefore emphasize the need for increased support to assist local employers, stimulate bilingual entrepreneurship, and create the necessary conditions for structured and sustainable economic development.
- Rural connectivity: Access to reliable connectivity—whether cellular or internet—remains a major concern for municipal leaders and residents in several bilingual municipalities in Manitoba. This issue has direct and immediate impacts on public safety, economic attractiveness, local business connectivity, access to virtual healthcare services, digital inclusion of rural populations, and prospects for residential and commercial development. The lack of adequate coverage not only hinders community growth but also exacerbates territorial inequalities in terms of services and opportunities. Targeted government support is therefore necessary to address these gaps and ensure equitable cellular and internet coverage across the regions.
- Welcoming newcomers: Manitoba’s rural bilingual municipalities play a key role in welcoming and settling newcomers, whether Francophone or bilingual. For these communities to fully contribute to economic immigration and demographic vitality goals, they must be able to offer living conditions comparable to those in urban centers: available housing, employment opportunities, integration support, basic infrastructure, and access to connectivity. This requires targeted resources adapted to the regional realities of Manitoba’s bilingual municipalities. On the ground, it is often dedicated volunteers who, in the absence of structured support, mobilize to welcome and assist newcomers. While local involvement is admirable, it cannot replace a sustainable and professional settlement service offering that meets the needs of rural Francophone and bilingual communities. The priority remains to ensure rural reception capacities that match the needs, in line with development goals and community realities.
- Climate resilience: The effects of climate change are increasingly felt in rural bilingual municipalities in Manitoba, with extreme events putting local infrastructure and population safety to the test—particularly wildfires affecting at least two rural bilingual municipalities: Alexander and Piney. Municipalities often have to absorb additional operational costs, which weakens their long-term planning capacity. In a context where risks related to flooding, droughts, and wildfires are expected to intensify, municipalities do not always have the human, technical, or financial resources needed to adapt and respond effectively. It is therefore essential to strengthen support for rural municipalities so they can acquire the tools, skills, and infrastructure necessary to face climate change head on, protect their populations, and ensure the sustainability of their regions.
Member of Parliament Ginette Lavack then provided some initial responses to the municipalities present, while acknowledging the complexity and interdependence of many of the issues raised.
Lavack committed to following up with her parliamentary colleagues and the relevant federal departments to relay the concerns expressed by municipal leaders and to better equip the federal government to respond in a coordinated manner. Her approach of active listening and openness to dialogue was praised by participants, who saw it as a positive signal of a willingness to move forward in a spirit of collaboration and concrete solutions.
The AMBM, along with its subsidiaries—the Economic Development Council for Manitoba Bilingual Municipalities (CDEM) and Eco-West Canada (EWC)—reaffirmed their full commitment to working with all orders of government to help identify concrete solutions rooted in the realities of Manitoba’s bilingual rural communities.
Tour visit to the former Town Hall of the Rural Municipality of Saint-Laurent
The Chief Administrative Officer of the Rural Municipality of Saint-Laurent, Billie Jean Oliver, provided an overview of two major development projects underway in the municipality:
- Transformation of the Former Town Hall into a library and museum: Initially envisioned as a local municipal museum, residents expressed a desire to also include a library that would preserve Michif heritage. Several steps have already been taken toward realizing this project, and discussions are ongoing with various stakeholders to bring it to fruition. The Municipal Council estimates that the library and museum should be fully operational within two to three years. Municipal leaders had the opportunity to visit the building, which currently houses artifacts from a traveling museum exhibit on the Michif heritage of Saint-Laurent.
- Construction of a Michif Heritage Centre: Following the conclusion of the exhibition Nos vies: l’exposition des Métis de Saint-Laurent at the Smithsonian in 2015, residents of Saint-Laurent expressed a strong desire to continue showcasing the exhibit within the municipality. The Rural Municipality of Saint-Laurent is actively working to make this community dream a reality.
About the AMBM
The AMBM is the voice of bilingual municipal leadership in the province of Manitoba. It represents 16 municipal governments committed to offering services in both official languages to their residents. Together, these municipalities represent the majority of Manitoba’s population. Manitoba’s bilingual municipal leadership also leads the AMBM Group, a consortium of three organizations with complementary mandates: the AMBM, the Economic Development Council for Manitoba Bilingual Municipalities (Conseil de développement économique des municipalités bilingues du Manitoba, or CDEM) and Eco-West Canada (EWC), which specializes in the green economy. Complementing each other, these three organizations actively contribute to the development, vitality and sustainability of the province’s Official Language Minority Communities (OLMC) and the province as a whole.
Information: Office of the Chief Executive Officer (O-CEO), 204-289-4077, bcdd-oceo@ambm.ca.
