AMBM President and Reeve of the Rural Municipality of La Broquerie, Ivan Normandeau, issued the following statement following the official joining of four new bilingual municipalities as members of the AMBM:
Recently, four Manitoba municipalities passed their third and final reading of the municipal by-law framework for the provision of services in both official languages (Municipal Maturity Model or 3M). These are the rural municipalities of Grey, Lorne, Piney and Sainte-Anne.
In so doing, they have achieved official bilingual status and met the main criterion for full membership in the AMBM.
This evening, the AMBM held a reception celebrating and welcoming these four new members at the Sugar Shack in the Village of Saint-Pierre-Jolys. The event brought together some sixty people involved in Manitoba’s bilingual municipal leadership and other AMBM Group stakeholders.
Our warmest congratulations go to these four local governments for recognizing the added value of Manitoba’s two official languages, and for making a formal commitment to the development, sustainability and vitality of Francophone and bilingual communities within their boundaries.
The French language represents our collective will to celebrate, promote and protect our linguistic heritage, which makes us unique and underpins our prosperity. Promoting and protecting the French language is an immense responsibility, but also a source of incredible opportunities for the cultural, economic and social development of our French-speaking and bilingual communities. For our entire province.
Both our new and long-standing members recognize the AMBM’s unique role in Manitoba, which is to support local bilingual governments in implementing their commitment to official languages, as well as their economic priorities, through our two subsidiaries: the Economic Development Council of Manitoba Bilingual Municipalities (Conseil de développement économique des municipalités bilingues du Manitoba or CDEM) and Eco-West Canada (EWC). By joining the AMBM, the rural municipalities of Grey, Lorne, Piney and Sainte-Anne gain access to the collective muscle of the AMBM Group.
Together, the AMBM, the CDEM and EWC are enthusiastic about offering these municipalities a range of services that will support their growth, attractiveness and prosperity. Work is already well underway, with the CDEM already in contact with their municipal teams to identify their priority projects.
Of course, the arrival of four new members also means significant growth for the AMBM. Representing 16 strong, committed municipalities increases the impact of our association and enhances our ability to bring their voices, issues and priorities to our allies in the federal and provincial governments.
It’s important to recognize that the new Municipal Maturity Model (the 3M) created by the AMBM has been the key factor in motivating our new members to join our association.
The 3M is the perfect tool for AMBM member municipalities to self-assess, set concrete targets and measure their progress and investment in official languages. Ultimately, the 3M completes the continuum of government services in both official languages in Manitoba. It’s a fact: bilingual municipalities are investing in official languages because they want to see their communities thrive.
The 3M will be key to strengthening the partnership with other orders of government to gain recognition for this investment. With the 3M and the arrival of four new members, the AMBM’s approach becomes even more strategic, because we are operating based on a plan, on a solid framework.
When bilingual municipalities have the necessary tools for the benefit of their Francophone and bilingual communities, all of Manitoba honours its bilingual character.
Starting in the fall of 2024, the AMBM will begin supporting the first municipalities in assessing their positioning on the 3M and setting targets for themselves. This support is made possible by the exceptional collaboration of the Manitoba government, in particular its Department of Municipal and Northern Relations, which fully recognizes that the 3M will help strengthen the municipal-provincial partnership for the benefit of our Francophone and bilingual communities.
The AMBM is the voice of bilingual municipal leadership in the province of Manitoba. It represents 16 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 of 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) and the province as a whole.
Information: Office of the Chief Executive Officer (O-CEO), 204-289-4077, [email protected].
