The President of the AMBM and Reeve of the Rural Municipality of La Broquerie, Mr. Ivan Normandeau, issued the following statement in response to the 2024 Speech from the Throne, presented yesterday by the Honourable Anita Neville, Lieutenant Governor of the Province of Manitoba:
We welcome the 2024 Speech from the Throne, which focuses on improving public services, economic growth, and social justice. Notably, it announces major investments in health care, with increased hiring of personnel, the opening of new clinics, and the modernization of infrastructure.
The government also commits to reducing the cost of living, stimulating the economy through strategic projects, and strengthening public safety, notably by giving more control to municipalities and Indigenous communities. In terms of education, initiatives aim to modernize school programs and support French-language education. Finally, ambitious environmental measures, including clean energy and the protection of Lake Winnipeg, accompany an effort of reconciliation and support for multicultural and Indigenous communities. In short, this plan outlines an inclusive vision to improve the quality of life for Manitobans.
More specifically, we welcome the fact that the Manitoba government reiterates its commitment to improving its French-language services to support the diverse Francophone and bilingual communities, both urban and rural. The AMBM and its members are ready to participate in this continuum of public services in both official languages and to dedicate structural and concerted efforts in this regard. The Minister of Municipal and Northern Relations and the Minister responsible for Francophone Affairs, the Honourable Glen Simard, can count on the AMBM and its members in this endeavour.
Moreover, we are already hard at work. With the final adoption and gradual implementation of the Municipal Maturity Model (3M), the new regulatory framework adopted by Manitoba’s bilingual rural municipalities to improve their delivery of services in both official languages.
We are committed to continuing the progressive implementation of the 3M, in collaboration with the Manitoba government, thanks to its continued support. We are fully mobilized in this regard to, together, improve bilingual government services in the province. Moreover, the Canada-Manitoba Agreement on French-language Services (CMAFLS) 2023-2028 represents a key mechanism to recognize municipal investment and provide the necessary means to improve municipal services in both official languages, in addition to leading other related and complementary municipal initiatives. The ongoing efforts of our member municipalities will concretely contribute to valuing a Manitoba that aims to become officially bilingual, one of the key commitments of the current government.
Although the Speech from the Throne does not explicitly mention it, the AMBM confirms to the Manitoba government its full and complete collaboration in developing and making available a high-performance multi-year funding model for Manitoba municipalities, with an annual escalator. Predictable, sustainable, and flexible funding is necessary to deliver municipal programs and services efficiently, including their operations, infrastructure, and maintenance costs. Our municipalities face multiple challenges, including the renewal and modernization of aging infrastructure and the improvement of essential public services such as transportation, health care, and community, cultural, and recreation facilities, to name just a few. The AMBM also aims to explore how this new model can effectively impact the Francophone and bilingual communities served by our members.
Let us recall that in the 2024 Budget, the Manitoba government made two commitments to Manitoba municipalities, namely to end the freeze on their funding and to work with municipal stakeholders, such as the AMBM, the Association of Manitoba Municipalities (AMM), and the City of Winnipeg, to develop a reliable, predictable, and flexible multi-year funding model that addresses the issues and needs of local governments. The equation is simple: to better support the Manitoba population, we must better support their local governments.
In short, the municipal-provincial partnership is absolutely essential to build strong and prosperous Francophone and bilingual communities, capable of successfully and sustainably navigating the growth phase they have been experiencing for years now. We are going through a truly unique time, punctuated by challenges and opportunities. Together, let us meet these challenges to fully seize the opportunities they present.
The AMBM is the voice of bilingual municipal leadership in the province of Manitoba. It represents 16 local governments committed to providing services in both official languages to their citizens. Together, these municipalities represent the majority of Manitoba’s population. Manitoba’s bilingual municipal leadership is also at the helm of the AMBM Group, a consortium that brings together three organizations with complementary missions: 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. Complementary, these three organizations actively contribute to the development, vitality, and sustainability of the province’s Official Language Minority Communities (OLMCs).
Information: Office of the Chief Executive Officer (O-CEO), 204-289-4077, [email protected].
