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 following the tabling of the 2026 federal budget. Being masters of our own destiny means recognizing that Manitoba’s bilingual municipalities are best positioned to identify their needs, plan their development and leverage their bilingual advantage to support businesses, attract new talent and build prosperous communities. In this regard, the AMBM particularly highlights the following elements of the budget:

The Association of Manitoba Bilingual Municipalities (AMBM) welcomes several measures contained in this budget and recognizes their potential to support the development of Manitoba’s bilingual communities.

Infrastructure to Support the Growth of Our Communities

The AMBM is encouraged by the federal government’s commitment to accelerating housing construction across the country. The budget rightly recognizes that all orders of government have a role to play in addressing the housing crisis and improving affordability for Canadian families.

However, before new housing can be built, we must ensure that the essential infrastructure needed to support it is in place. In several of Manitoba’s rural bilingual municipalities, wastewater treatment, lagoons, water systems and other core infrastructure needs are now among the most significant barriers to residential growth. The projects currently identified by Manitoba’s rural bilingual municipalities alone represent more than $70 million in required investments.

This reality directly reflects the recommendations of the Prosperity Framework for Manitoba’s Bilingual Municipalities, which identifies municipal infrastructure as the number one priority for ensuring the sustainable growth of our communities. Without strategic investments in housing-enabling infrastructure, ambitious housing targets risk running up against very real constraints on the ground.

The AMBM therefore hopes that the Build Communities Strong Fund (BCSF), particularly through its direct delivery stream, will provide greater support for identified local and regional transformational projects in rural bilingual municipalities. These investments are essential not only to expand residential capacity, but also to support the industrial, commercial and economic development of our communities.

Infrastructure needs are well documented, and several projects are already ready to move forward. The timely and effective implementation of federal programs will help maximize the impact of this important commitment. At the same time, measures aimed at improving connectivity across the country are also welcome. Access to high-speed Internet is now essential infrastructure for economic growth, attracting new residents and maintaining business competitiveness. This priority is also recognized in the Prosperity Framework for Manitoba’s Bilingual Municipalities, which identifies digital connectivity as a key driver of rural development.

Community Investments That Strengthen the Places We Call Home

Alongside these investments, the AMBM is encouraged by the announcement of $1.5 billion over nine years for the construction, expansion, modernization and rehabilitation of recreational facilities across Canada, including $750 million dedicated to community arenas.

In Manitoba’s rural bilingual municipalities, arenas are much more than sports infrastructure. They are often at the heart of community life, serving as gathering places that foster resident engagement, strengthen a sense of belonging and contribute to the well-being of families. For Francophone and bilingual residents, these spaces also play an important role in linguistic and cultural vitality by providing places where they can live and celebrate their identity in both official languages.

To maximize the impact of these investments, the AMBM would like to see a meaningful rural development and official languages lens applied to the design and implementation of federal programs. Official Language Minority Communities (OLMCs) within Manitoba’s bilingual municipalities have distinct realities that deserve to be recognized and supported through targeted measures, as highlighted in the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ (FCM) report, The Future of Rural Canada.

A Proven Model for Measuring Results

Manitoba’s bilingual municipalities already have a practical tool to support this collaboration with the federal government. The Municipal Maturity Model (3M) is a unique framework in Canada for measuring and evaluating the delivery of municipal services in both official languages.

As the federal government seeks to maximize the impact of its investments in communities, the 3M regulatory framework provides a structured mechanism that supports planning, accountability and the continuous improvement of bilingual municipal services. It represents a unique opportunity to demonstrate, in measurable terms, the impact of federal investments in Official Language Minority Communities (OLMCs).

Supporting the Energy Transition Through Local Partners 

The AMBM notes the renewal of the Zero-Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Program (ZEVIP) and the investment of $587 million over five years, starting in 2027-28, to support the installation of over 55,000 additional EV chargers in areas where infrastructure is needed most.

For Manitoba’s rural bilingual municipalities, the development of charging infrastructure represents an important opportunity to make communities more attractive, support regional tourism and encourage the adoption of electric vehicles in areas where travel distances are often greater than in urban centres.

The AMBM is particularly encouraged by this announcement, which builds on the expertise developed by its subsidiary, Eco-West Canada (EWC), in supporting rural communities across the Prairies with sustainable mobility and greenhouse gas emissions reduction. Through initiatives such as the Southeast Regional Transportation Initiative (SERTi), EWC has demonstrated its ability to translate the mobility needs of rural communities into practical solutions tailored to local realities.

Achieving Canada’s climate objectives will require strategic investments, but also partners capable of turning them into tangible results on the ground. With its recognized expertise in sustainable mobility and transportation electrification across the Prairies, Eco-West Canada (EWC) has the tools, networks and experience required to support rural communities through this transition and maximize the impact of federal investments.

Making Municipalities Partners in Economic Immigration

The AMBM fully shares the federal government’s goal of better aligning immigration with regional economic needs while maintaining viable and sustainable immigration levels. Communities need a balanced approach that addresses both immediate labour shortages and the labour market’s longer-term structural needs.

Municipalities must be recognized as full partners in this effort. As governments closest to residents, they have direct knowledge of labour market needs, housing availability, infrastructure and their communities’ capacity to welcome newcomers. Taking greater account of this expertise would help ensure stronger alignment between immigration objectives and realities on the ground.

In this regard, the Economic Development Council for Manitoba Bilingual Municipalities (Conseil de développement économique des muncipalités bilingues du Manitoba, or CDEM) is a strategic partner in advancing this work. Through its expertise in community economic development and its in-depth understanding of the realities of rural bilingual communities, CDEM is well positioned to support municipalities in identifying their workforce needs, developing attraction and retention strategies, and welcoming and integrating newcomers.

From National Ambitions to Local Results

Overall, Budget 2026 includes several measures with the potential to support the growth of Manitoba’s bilingual communities. The AMBM will remain an engaged partner of the federal government to ensure that the realities of rural municipalities are fully taken into account as these initiatives are implemented.

For Manitoba’s bilingual municipalities, being masters of our own destiny also means being recognized as trusted partners in advancing national priorities. By building on intergovernmental collaboration, local development and the expertise of organizations working on the ground, we can turn the commitments in Budget 2026 into lasting results for our communities and for Canada as a whole.

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.