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 after the tabling of the 2025 federal budget. Investing in Manitoba’s bilingual municipalities means investing in a strong, united, and productive Canada—while fully leveraging the country’s bilingual advantage:
The AMBM welcomes the 2025 federal budget with great interest, particularly its significant investments in municipal infrastructure.
This budget underscores the critical role of municipal infrastructure in supporting housing, trade, and economic growth nationwide. However, without a bold and sustainable long-term strategy to strengthen these infrastructures, government objectives may fall short of addressing the scale and urgency of the challenges facing the country.
A Strategic Investment in Our Communities
We applaud the creation of the new Building Strong Communities Fund, to be administered by Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada. This commitment of $51 billion over 10 years, starting in 2026–2027, represents an unprecedented opportunity for our municipalities.
The provincial and territorial component, allocating $17.2 billion over 10 years beginning in 2026–2027, will support essential infrastructure projects at those levels. Investments in housing-related infrastructure (roads, water systems, wastewater), health infrastructure (hospitals), and post-secondary educational facilities directly address the pressing needs of our communities.
We note that access to these funds requires matching investments from provinces and territories, as well as a commitment to significantly reduce development charges and eliminate other fees that hinder housing supply.
The direct delivery stream of $6 billion over 10 years, starting in 2026–2027, to support regionally significant projects, major renovations, climate adaptation, and community infrastructure is also highly promising. We look forward to seeing the practical implementation of this new fund and collaborating with Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada.
The Importance of a Rural and Linguistic Development Lens
It is essential that these programs apply a dual lens to foster rural development and strengthen our Official Language Minority Communities (OLMCs). Our rural Francophone and bilingual communities have unique needs and untapped potential. These programs must be designed to enable the full development of our municipalities, which are pillars of la Francophonie and bilingualism in Manitoba and across Canada.
A prime example of infrastructure driving growth for Manitoba bilingual municipalities is the Red-Seine-Rat (RSR) Wastewater Cooperative project. This regional initiative brings together seven rural municipalities in Manitoba, including four bilingual municipalities, and will enable significant regional growth with up to 20,000 new homes, 3,400 jobs, and $1.9 billion in economic impact. This collaborative effort demonstrates how our municipalities unite to find effective, sustainable solutions. The new Building Strong Communities Fund could be pivotal in making projects like this a reality.
Modern Infrastructure: The Key to Attractiveness and Prosperity
To remain attractive, our municipalities need modern, high-quality infrastructure. We also require strong foundational infrastructure to develop businesses and attract production facilities that strengthen Canada’s industrial base and productivity. Our communities want to fully contribute to the country’s economic prosperity, but this demands structural investments that allow our regions to grow and directly enhance their economic potential. Achieving sustainable and responsible growth depends on municipalities having the necessary resources.
Internal Trade and Bilingual Leadership
We strongly support the government’s commitment to tackling barriers to internal trade. This aligns with actions we have already taken. The AMBM Group and Manitoba’s bilingual municipal leadership have implemented concrete measures to accelerate productivity and unify our national economy, notably through a strategic project linking the Beauce region (Québec) with AMBM member municipalities.
These regional projects are forward-looking. They activate our bilingual advantage—a defining feature of Canada’s identity. By creating economic bridges between Francophone and bilingual communities from coast to coast, we show that bilingualism is not merely a cultural heritage to preserve, but an economic asset to maximize.
The AMBM stands ready to work closely with the federal government to ensure these investments materialize and meet the real needs of our rural Francophone and bilingual communities. Together, let’s build strong, resilient, and prosperous 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.
