On the occasion of Official Languages Day 2025, the President of the Association of Manitoba Bilingual Municipalities (AMBM) and Reeve of the Rural Municipality of La Broquerie, Mr. Ivan Normandeau, issued the following statement to highlight the day and fully activate our bilingual advantage—a key pillar of prosperity in Manitoba and across Canada:
On this Official Languages Day 2025, the AMBM strongly reaffirms that our linguistic duality is not merely a legacy to preserve, but a strategic advantage for all our communities.
For nearly 40 years, our municipalities—local governments in direct contact with the Francophone population—have worked tirelessly to support the development, prosperity, and vitality of Manitoba’s bilingual communities.
Driven by this commitment, they have adopted an innovative regulatory framework: the Municipal Maturity Model (3M). Designed to improve municipal service delivery and meet the real needs of residents, this unique tool marks a pivotal milestone. It is an innovative lever aimed at complementing the continuum of government services in both of Canada’s official languages. The 3M lays a foundation upon which the provincial government can build the future while strengthening our bilingual identity.
Manitoba’s bilingual municipalities are thus essential partners in translating national and provincial policies and visions into concrete actions on the ground. Their proximity to residents, deep understanding of local needs, and adaptability make them strategic allies for supporting federal and provincial governments in implementing sustainable, community-tailored solutions.
That’s why it’s time to join forces and fully unlock the economic potential of our two official languages. By relying on the structural role of Manitoba’s bilingual municipalities, we can strengthen social cohesion, stimulate innovation, and open new economic horizons—here in Manitoba and across the country.
Activating our bilingual advantage means investing in sustainable prosperity. It means equipping ourselves with the tools to succeed in an interconnected world, attract talent and investment, and assert Manitoba’s leadership role in promoting and enhancing linguistic duality in Canada.
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.
