The leadership team of the Association of Manitoba Bilingual Municipalities (AMBM) has completed its strategic tour with member municipalities. The tour demonstrated that bilingual municipalities are ambitious, collaborative, and ready to move forward, but they require tools and support that reflect the realities of rural communities.

The AMBM has just concluded its 2026 strategic tour of member municipalities, visiting the Rural Municipalities of Taché, Sainte-Anne, Montcalm, and De Salaberry throughout July. The tour marks an important milestone as the current municipal election cycle draws to a close.

Over the past several months, the AMBM team travelled nearly 5,300 kilometres to meet with municipal elected officials and administrative leaders. These discussions provided an opportunity to take the pulse of local communities, gain a deeper understanding of local realities, and hear directly about municipal priorities, concerns, and aspirations for the years ahead.

The tour reflects the AMBM’s commitment to remaining closely connected to its members and advocating for their needs with all orders of government. It also provided an opportunity to assess the progress achieved since the beginning of the current municipal term while identifying the challenges that will continue to shape the development of Manitoba’s rural bilingual communities.

While each region faces its own unique circumstances, one clear message emerged across all municipalities: Manitoba’s bilingual municipalities are focused on the future, but they require the resources, infrastructure, and government partnerships necessary to support growth and respond to the realities of today’s rural communities.

AMBM member municipalities now have stronger planning and governance tools at their disposal, particularly through the adoption of the Municipal Maturity Model (3M) regulatory framework. This framework enables municipalities to better prepare for growth, strengthen organizational capacity, and advance transformative projects that benefit their bilingual communities.

Infrastructure Funding Remains the Top Priority

Across the region, municipalities have demonstrated a strong commitment to investing in the critical infrastructure required to build dynamic and attractive communities.

In the Rural Municipality of De Salaberry, the arena project remains a regional priority. However, rising construction costs since the original funding announcement now threaten the completion of certain components of the project. In the Rural Municipality of Sainte-Anne, discussions focused in part on future needs related to a potential fire hall and a multifunctional community complex capable of supporting the region’s continued growth.

In the Rural Municipality of Montcalm, elected officials are also taking a proactive approach to ensuring the long-term development of the municipality. Recognizing challenges related to water supply and the gradual decline of Red River flows, the municipality, a member of the Pembina Valley Water Cooperative, is already exploring alternative solutions. A study is currently underway to evaluate sustainable options.

These projects demonstrate municipalities’ willingness to invest, provided government programs are adapted to current cost realities. In this regard, the AMBM is encouraged by the key themes identified by the Government of Canada following consultations on the Rural Development Action Plan. Among those themes is the need for program design that reflects rural realities. This direction aligns directly with the Prosperity Framework for Manitoba’s Bilingual Municipalities and the concerns consistently raised by member municipalities throughout the tour.

Strong Economic Development Potential

The municipalities visited are committed to welcoming new families, attracting workers, and supporting the growth of local businesses. However, several communities continue to see their development potential constrained by the capacity of their water and wastewater infrastructure.

In the Rural Municipality of De Salaberry, residential projects must currently be declined because of a moratorium linked to wastewater treatment capacity. Meanwhile, the residential development project in Saint-Jean-Baptiste, located in the Rural Municipality of Montcalm, is intended to respond to a growing demand for housing. Municipalities are ready to contribute to Manitoba’s growth, but they require the infrastructure necessary to support that expansion.

Municipal leaders also recognize the importance of immigration and attracting new families to support economic growth and demographic sustainability. However, successful immigration must be built on strong foundations. It is essential that communities are able to welcome newcomers with dignity and adequately meet the needs of both current and future residents before intensifying efforts to promote growth and attraction. Access to housing, recreational infrastructure, libraries, local services, transportation, and community life depends largely on municipalities. Ensuring that these foundational elements are in place is critical to creating welcoming, inclusive, and sustainable communities where newcomers and existing residents alike can thrive.

In the Rural Municipality of Taché, elected officials highlighted the need for stronger supports for newcomers in areas such as housing, employment, and community integration, particularly in rural areas where service delivery differs from that in major urban centres. In the Rural Municipality of Sainte-Anne, growing demand for childcare, housing, and healthcare services provides clear evidence of the region’s ongoing growth.

Beyond the challenges identified, the strategic tour primarily demonstrated that Manitoba’s rural bilingual municipalities are ready to act. Whether it is building housing, welcoming newcomers, growing local economies, or investing in strategic infrastructure, the projects are there and local leaders are mobilized.

Municipalities want to be full partners with the provincial and federal governments in achieving shared objectives for growth, prosperity, and vibrant communities.

As this municipal election cycle comes to a close, the conclusion is clear: municipalities have strengthened their capacity and increased their autonomy. The adoption of the Municipal Maturity Model (3M), along with progress made on several transformative initiatives, reflects a collective commitment to modernization and continuous improvement. The foundations are now in place. The focus must now be on maintaining this momentum, strengthening partnerships, and continuing to build strong, resilient, and future-focused 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.