The President of the Association of Manitoba Bilingual Municipalities (AMBM) and Reeve of the Rural Municipality of La Broquerie, Ivan Normandeau, alongside the Reeve of the Rural Municipality of Saint-Laurent, Richard Chartrand, are welcoming a $1.2 million investment awarded to the Rural Municipality of Saint-Laurent to support its continued development and growth through the Direct Delivery Stream of the Build Communities Strong Fund.
This federal commitment marks an important milestone for the community, which has worked diligently to advance the expansion and upgrade of its wastewater lagoon. The investment in wastewater treatment infrastructure provides a strong foundation for future growth and long-term community development.
The AMBM would also like to thank the Honourable Rebecca Chartrand, Minister of Northern and Arctic Affairs and Minister responsible for the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency, who brings Manitoba’s voice to the Cabinet of the Prime Minister of Canada, the Right Honourable Mark Carney. Her leadership and commitment to strengthening communities are helping drive investments like this one—investments that are essential to the future of Manitoba’s bilingual municipalities and to regional prosperity.
This funding will directly enhance essential services for current residents while helping create the conditions needed to welcome new families, attract businesses, and support future development projects.
Among Manitoba’s bilingual municipalities, the Rural Municipality of Saint-Laurent stands out for its strong population growth. Between 2016 and 2021, its population increased by 10%, compared to the provincial average of 5%.
This investment clearly demonstrates that Manitoba’s bilingual municipalities are home to concrete, shovel-ready projects that address both local needs and national priorities. This reality is reinforced by findings from the AMBM’s Probe Research survey, which showed that nearly seven out of ten residents believe their municipality requires additional provincial and federal funding to move critical projects forward. In this context, accelerating project implementation and maintaining strong government commitments are essential to maximizing benefits for communities and the Canadian economy.
The Build Communities Strong Fund (BCSF)—a $51 billion investment over 10 years—represents a major opportunity that the AMBM is closely monitoring. Of particular interest is the Direct Delivery Stream, which will provide $6 billion over 10 years, including $1 billion dedicated to local impact projects administered through regional development agencies. This stream offers a tangible opportunity to fund community infrastructure projects with immediate benefits for Manitoba’s bilingual municipalities.
The AMBM remains closely engaged in the implementation of this program to ensure that ready-to-launch projects can fully leverage this strategic funding and contribute directly to the vitality and resilience of bilingual communities across Manitoba.
This momentum aligns closely with the Prosperity Framework for Manitoba’s Bilingual Municipalities, which highlights the strategic role these communities play in Canada’s economic development. Manitoba’s bilingual municipalities are well positioned to attract transformative investments and contribute meaningfully to the modernization of the Canadian economy. They provide an environment that supports innovation, industrial transformation, and sustainable growth while advancing national priorities.
These municipalities can also rely on their strategic planning framework, the Municipal Maturity Model (3M), as a tool for planning and decision-making. The 3M enables bilingual municipalities to assess their capacity and progress in key areas such as infrastructure, land-use planning, and economic development using criteria tailored to the realities of Official Language Minority Communities (OLMCs). This approach is also grounded in a rural development model that reflects a shared commitment to the growth and long-term prosperity of OLMCs, as highlighted in the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ report, The Future of Rural Canada.
By strengthening municipal capacity, the 3M promotes greater alignment between all orders of government and helps ensure public funds are used more effectively. It serves as a practical mechanism for accelerating transformative projects while generating measurable, lasting benefits for communities and residents alike.
The AMBM stands ready to work closely with the federal government to identify and advance municipal projects that are ready for implementation and that align with both local priorities and national objectives. In this spirit, the AMBM also looks forward to continuing a constructive dialogue with the Honourable Gregor Robertson, Minister of Housing and Infrastructure, to help move these initiatives forward and fully unlock the potential of Manitoba’s bilingual advantage. Manitoba’s bilingual municipalities are uniquely positioned to leverage their strategic location, bilingual advantage, and proven capacity to deliver results—contributing directly to sustainable growth and Canada’s long-term prosperity.
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.
