The President of the Association of Manitoba Bilingual Municipalities (AMBM), Mr. Ivan Normandeau, issued the following statement following the news of the passing of Queen Elizabeth II:

It is with great sadness that we learn of the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the great Sovereign of the United Kingdom and Head of State of Canada for 70 years.

Among other things, she placed great value on the Commonwealth, of which Canada is a part. Always in the service of others, the Queen devoted much of her life to defending the status of French and constitutional rights to minority language education through the ratification of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

On behalf of Manitoba’s bilingual municipal leadership, we honour Her Majesty’s memory and pay her a profound tribute commensurate with the courage, dedication and exemplary reign of this remarkable woman.

Information: Office of the Chief Executive Officer (O-CEO), 204-289-4077, [email protected].