In 2023-2024, the Arts, Culture and Sport in Community Fund (ACSC) will support the implementation of 85 new initiatives in Manitoba’s bilingual municipalities, directly contributing to the development and vitality of our Francophone and bilingual communities, with significant financial support totalling $4,847,940.

These numerous projects were approved under two rounds of calls for proposals issued by the ACSC. Among them are phase 2 of the renovation of the arena in the Rural Municipality of De Salaberry ($700,000), the renovation of the arena in the Rural Municipality of La Broquerie ($650,000), the refurbishment of Somerset’s Dr. Letain Memorial Arena and its curling rink ($589,000), the development of Histoires de la charrette (Stories of the Cart) by the Société de la francophonie manitobaine ($228,127), the Partage des savoirs pour le futur (Sharing Knowledge for the Future) initiative by the Union nationale métisse Saint-Joseph du Manitoba ($22,050), as well as numerous other projects for Manitoba’s Francophone and bilingual communities.

Launched in 2022-2023, ACSC is committed to investing $100 million in three distinct programs:

• Large Capital Projects (requests over $300,000 and up to $5M)
  Will improve the quality, accessibility and availability of facilities and spaces needed for Manitobans to engage with the arts, culture and amateur sport in their community.
• Small Capital Projects and Special Initiative Projects (requests up to $300,000)
  Will support the arts, culture and amateur sport sectors: enhance their contributions to Manitobans; and increase opportunities for participation and engagement in programming and activities.
• Community Celebrations (requests up to $5,000)
  Will create opportunities to bring Manitobans together in celebration of their unique culture, heritage and/or community.

According to Obby Khan, Minister of Sport, Culture and Heritage, “this historic investment of $100 million into the arts, cultural and sport organizations across Manitoba communities, including many bilingual municipalities, will have a direct impact on the lives, families and spaces of proud bilingual Manitobans. Organizations and programs will benefit from the ACSC grant to work on projects and events such as: renovating La Maison des artistes visuels francophones; upgrading accessibility at Le Musée de Saint-Boniface Museum; and replacing the ice plant at the Ste. Agathe arena. Together we will build stronger more inclusive communities for everyone.”

The President of the AMBM and Reeve of the Rural Municipality of La Broquerie, Ivan Normandeau, added: “From capital projects to community celebrations, the benefits of these projects for our communities are significant. What’s more, these initiatives are directly in line with our Municipal Economic Recovery Strategy and our Strategy to Support Economic Immigration to Manitoba’s Bilingual Municipalities, as they will contribute to quality of life and prosperity, both locally and regionally.”

Thanks to the services of its subsidiary, the Economic Development Council for Manitoba Bilingual Municipalities (Conseil de développement économique des municipalités bilingues du Manitoba, or CDEM), the AMBM is proud to have directly supported several community groups in the development of winning proposals to the ACSC.

Municipal governments own nearly 60% of the public infrastructure that supports the national economy and Canadians’ quality of life. Thus, Manitoba’s bilingual municipalities have a direct impact on the quality of life of hundreds of thousands of people. They play an essential role in increasing the capacity, sustainability, prosperity and resilience of Official Language Minority Communities (OLMCs), thereby generating a constructive and positive effect on all our communities.

The AMBM supports the Manitoba government in its desire to create a province where the arts, culture and sport are a priority. To achieve this, infrastructure investments in OLMCs are necessary to ensure a strong social and economic fabric.

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 helm 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 has specialized 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].