On September 25th, 2025, the leaders of Manitoba’s bilingual municipalities gathered in the provincial capital for a series of strategic meetings organized by the Association of Manitoba Bilingual Municipalities (AMBM). The aim was to unlock the full economic potential of Manitoba’s Francophone communities and leverage the province’s bilingual advantage. Following a day that showcased the strategic alignment between Manitoba’s bilingual municipalities and the provincial government, the AMBM issued the following readout highlighting concrete initiatives to enhance the delivery of municipal services in both official languages, boost international trade, support interprovincial economic development, and promote climate resilience:
Strengthening the delivery of municipal services in both official languages
The day began with remarks from the Honourable Glen Simard, Minister of Municipal and Northern Relations and Minister responsible for Francophone Affairs. He announced a joint provincial and federal investment through the 2023–2028 Canada–Manitoba Agreement on French-Language Services (CMAFLS) aimed at improving the delivery of municipal services in both official languages.
A total of $1.6 million over three years will be invested in two projects under the Municipal Maturity Model (3M) regulatory framework:
- A bilingual signage program to equip municipal buildings, infrastructure, and public spaces with uniform bilingual signage, enhancing the visibility of both official languages and making it easier for residents to identify available services; and
- The creation of a municipal engagement team consisting of a coordinator and several advisors to support Manitoba’s rural bilingual municipalities in developing and implementing their 3M action plans, providing language training, translation services, and resident satisfaction surveys related to bilingual service delivery.
This announcement supports the normalization of both official languages in Manitoba’s public spaces and serves as a strategic lever to increase the province’s attractiveness, stimulate entrepreneurship, and encourage new investments by positioning bilingualism as a distinctive and sustainable competitive advantage.
Looking toward international trade
In this context, the AMBM’s subsidiary, the Economic Development Council for Manitoba Bilingual Municipalities (Conseil de développement économique des municipalités bilingues du Manitoba, or CDEM), has acquired the half-license for the World Trade Centre Winnipeg (WTCW) and now holds an ex-officio seat on its Board of Directors. During the September 25th meeting, Ms. Madeleine Arbez, CDEM Executive Director, Mr. André Brin, WTCW Executive Director, and Mr. Norman Dupas, Board member of the Agence nationale et internationale du Manitoba (ANIM), shared their vision for this new partnership.
This development paves the way for greater representation of a Francophone and bilingual Manitoba in international trade, creating tangible opportunities to attract businesses and investors, especially from the global Francophone economic community.
Manitoba’s bilingual municipalities, empowered by their fiscal tools and close community ties, are uniquely positioned to drive economic growth and diversification. As Mr. Ryan Faucher, Economic Development Officer for the Rural Municipality of Ritchot, emphasized, this strategic collaboration places communities at the forefront to fully capitalize on economic benefits for all Manitobans. He also highlighted the unique synergy within the economic development structure of the Rural Municipality of Ritchot.
Strengthening interprovincial partnerships
Beyond their international reach, Manitoba’s bilingual municipalities play a strategic role in forging targeted interprovincial partnerships. Through active engagement, they help break down barriers to internal trade and foster economic exchange across Canada’s regions.
In this regard, an update was provided on the Beauce–Manitoba project, which concretely demonstrates the potential for collaboration and growth among Francophone and bilingual communities nationwide. This initiative highlights how municipalities can build meaningful alliances based on shared interests and a common vision for economic development.
The project aligns with The Fair Trade In Canada (Internal Trade Mutual Recognition) Act and the amendment to The Commemoration of Days, Weeks and Months Act (“Buy Manitoba, Buy Canadian Day”, adopted in June 2025 by the Manitoba government to eliminate interprovincial trade barriers and grow the provincial economy.
Launching Manitoba’s economic development strategy
Manitoba’s bilingual municipalities are intensifying their efforts to drive Manitoba’s prosperity and turn provincial economic ambitions into concrete, sustainable initiatives.
On September 25th, 2025, the Premier of Manitoba, the Honourable Wab Kinew, unveiled the Manitoba’s Economic Development Strategy, a roadmap designed to stimulate a productivity- and growth-driven economy. The Department of Business, Mines, Trade and Job Creation presented an overview of the Manitoba economy and outlined their new approach to support economic activity.
The Honourable Jamie Moses, Minister of Business, Mines, Trade and Job Creation, emphasized the importance of strong partnerships between municipalities and the province, as well as the strategic advantage of bilingualism in Manitoba’s economic growth.
The AMBM is pleased that the provincial government recognizes bilingualism as a lever for driving trade and investment—a key element in our Prosperity Framework for Manitoba’s Bilingual Municipalities. The strategy explicitly highlights the need to collaborate with Francophone economic partners such as CDEM, an AMBM subsidiary, and to increase their visibility and impact at trade shows.
Furthermore, Manitoba’s bilingual municipalities are acknowledged as essential partners in this collaborative effort. By leveraging their expertise and close connections to local communities, the strategy confirms the critical role of municipal governments in implementing transformative economic projects, such as strategic investments in water and wastewater infrastructure, which directly contribute to sustainable development, quality of life, and investment attraction across the province.
Maximizing the impact of infrastructure funding
With the upcoming federal budget in mind, the AMBM continues its efforts to maximize the impact of infrastructure funding for Manitoba’s bilingual municipalities, ensuring that every dollar invested strengthens local services, drives economic diversification, and enhances community quality of life.
To this end, the AMBM is exploring ways to optimize the Canada Community-Building Fund (CCBF) or a similar mechanism for Manitoba municipalities committed to Canada’s official languages, as recommended in their Prosperity Framework for Manitoba’s bilingual municipalities. Mr. Justin Johnson, AMBM Chief Executive Officer, delivered a presentation on this topic.
As highlighted by a recent survey conducted with the Association of Manitoba Municipalities (AMM) by Probe Research, 83% of Manitobans strongly agree or somewhat agree that Ottawa should help municipalities fund essential water and wastewater projects, such as treatment plants, sewer lines, and lagoons.
These two elements have enabled the AMBM to prepare for federal budget consultations in a structured manner, identifying key priorities for Manitoba’s bilingual municipalities and formulating targeted recommendations to optimize the impact of federal infrastructure investments.
By anticipating federal government directions, the AMBM positions itself as a proactive partner, ready to align its priorities with objectives related to cost reduction, economic stimulation, and consolidation of prosperity for the province as a whole.
Promoting sustainable development
To help Manitoba’s bilingual municipalities adapt to climate change, Eco-West Canada (EWC), an AMBM subsidiary, introduced a new service offered by the Canadian Urban Institute (CUI) and funded by Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada (HICC): the Climate Ready Infrastructure Service (CRIS).
This free service aims to support rural municipalities (with populations of around 30,000 or less) by connecting them to climate experts who can help integrate climate resilience into public infrastructure projects, including water systems, buildings, and parks, with council approval.
The new service prioritizes projects undertaken by cohorts of municipalities, maximizing benefits, targeting interventions, and encouraging the sharing of best practices among communities. EWC is considering forming a cohort of Manitoba’s bilingual municipalities for this initiative.
Toward one truly bilingual Manitoba
To conclude the day, Minister Glen Simard met with municipal leaders as part of the consultation on Manitoba’s long-term bilingualism strategy.
He recalled the mandate letter from Premier Wab Kinew, which aims to improve access to services and make Manitoba one truly bilingual province. The goal is to develop a long-term bilingualism strategy in collaboration with the Francophone community through an online survey and targeted public consultations, including this meeting with municipal leaders.
Municipal participants emphasized that bilingualism is both a cultural and strategic asset for Manitoba: it drives economic growth, attracts investment and tourism, strengthens municipal services and inclusion, and supports the identity and pride of Francophone and bilingual communities.
Several challenges were discussed: a shortage of bilingual staff, financial constraints in offering services in both languages, needs for essential infrastructure, and the necessity of raising public awareness about the added value of bilingualism.
Minister Glen Simard reaffirmed the government’s commitment to this process, stressing the importance of building strong, inclusive communities and valuing all residents. The approach aims for a united Manitoba, where everyone benefits from economic and social development.
30 years of AMBM incorporation
The day was also marked by a special celebration of the 30th anniversary of the AMBM’s incorporation, which took place exactly on September 25th, 1995, highlighting three decades of dedication and collaboration in service of Manitoba’s bilingual municipalities and Francophone communities.
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.
