AMBM President, Mr. Ivan Normandeau, issued the following statement following the Canada Infrastructure Bank’s (CIB) announcement to improve broadband Internet access in rural communities in southern Manitoba, this Friday, March 26, 2021:

The AMBM fully applauds the Canada Infrastructure Bank’s (CIB) announcement to improve broadband Internet access in rural communities in southern Manitoba.

This is a major victory for the bilingual municipalities and Official Language Minority Communities (OLMCs) located in the area.

This $260 million investment, shared equally between CIB and DIF Capital Partners (DIF), will provide tangible support for the economic development of the territory through the local expertise of Valley Fiber.

COVID-19 demonstrated that adequate digital infrastructure is essential for full participation in society and the economy. High-speed Internet is also a key tool to counteract the linguistic assimilation that plagues the French-speaking minority in our province.

This project responds to the priorities of our members and corresponds to the vision behind the new Economic Recovery Strategy for Manitoba’s Bilingual Municipalities 2021-2024.

It also demonstrates how public-private partnerships are truly helping to build stronger, more resilient rural communities by creating jobs and opportunities for businesses and individuals.

There is a great need for high-speed Internet access throughout Manitoba. We look forward to continuing to partner with CIB, DIF and Valley Fiber to improve the infrastructure in many other Francophone and bilingual communities in the future.

Congratulations again to the partners involved.

Information: Justin Johnson, CEO, 204-289-4077, [email protected].