The President of the AMBM and Reeve of the Rural Municipality of La Broquerie, Mr. Ivan Normandeau, issued the following statement following the announcement of major funding to support tourism development in Manitoba’s bilingual municipalities by the Honourable Daniel Vandal, Minister of Prairies Economic Development Canada (PrairiesCan), accompanied by Ms. Marie-France Lalonde, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship (IRCC):

We applaud this major federal contribution of $1 million to the Association of Manitoba Bilingual Municipalities (AMBM) and its subsidiary, the Economic Development Council for Manitoba Bilingual Municipalities (Conseil de développement des municipalités bilingues du Manitoba, or CDEM), through Prairies Economic Development Canada’s (PrairiesCan) Tourism Relief Fund (TRF).

We would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Minister Vandal, who is responsible for the PrairiesCan agency, for his far-reaching leadership and forward-looking vision for the tourism development of our bilingual communities. It is imperative that a collaborative intergovernmental partnership and proactive coordination of bilingual government service delivery between the three orders of government be maintained if our municipalities and their tourism businesses are to reach their full tourism potential.

The funding allocated independently to the two organizations will be used to implement complementary tourism projects benefiting Manitoba’s bilingual municipalities and Francophone communities, both rural and urban. These projects will have a significant leveraging effect on local development, job creation and opportunities, as well as attracting tourists.

On the one hand, the $500,000 in funding granted to the AMBM will enable the implementation of multiple signage initiatives linked to the Bonjour Manitoba brand.

The CDEM’s $486,112 investment will strengthen Manitoba’s Francophone and Métis tourism strategy through three major projects that will have an impact on the economy of the targeted regions and promote provincial, national and international outreach: 1) Saint-Boniface: the gateway to Francophone and Métis tourism, 2) the Winnipeg River Corridor: a rural tourism destination, and 3) support for developing Métis tourism destinations.

This joint announcement comes at an opportune time, as the COVID-19 pandemic has had a serious impact on Canadian society as a whole. The tourism sector has experienced an unprecedented economic downturn, affecting Manitoba’s Francophone and bilingual communities.

The complementary projects approved by the CDEM and the AMBM will help the post-pandemic economic recovery of these regions, where special attention is now required.

Finally, we would like to thank Marie-France Lalonde, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship (IRCC) for her presence at the event. In addition to giving municipalities a prominent place in the new version of the Official Languages Act, her government has also made Francophone immigration an unequivocal priority in this same federal law, for which we are extremely grateful. This provision will have a very positive effect on the implementation of our Strategy to Support Economic Immigration to Manitoba’s Bilingual Municipalities, as well as on the efforts invested by our subsidiary, the Economic Development Council for Manitoba Bilingual Municipalities (Conseil de développement des municipalités bilingues du Manitoba, or CDEM), which plays a key role in implementing the Invitation to Manitoba stream of the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP).

The AMBM is the voice of bilingual municipal leadership in the province of Manitoba. It represents 15 local governments committed to offering 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 head of the AMBM Group, a consortium of three organizations with complementary mandates: the AMBM, the Economic Development Council for Manitoba Bilingual Municipalities (Conseil de développement 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 (OLMCs).

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