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 passing of Mrs. Paulette Duguay:

It is with deep sadness that we learned of the passing of Paulette Duguay, who served as President of the Union nationale métisse Saint-Joseph du Manitoba (UNMSJM) from 2014 to 2024. Her sudden departure has sent shockwaves through the Métis Francophone community and the bilingual municipalities of Manitoba.

A respected Métis leader, unifier, and builder, Paulette Duguay left an enduring mark on Manitoba through her unwavering commitment to the recognition and enrichment of the Métis Francophone community. An inspiring figure, she worked passionately for reconciliation, the preservation of Métis and Francophone heritage, and the strengthening of cultural connections.

On behalf of Manitoba’s bilingual municipalities, I wish to pay tribute to a woman who helped build a bilingual and inclusive Manitoba. The Francophone Métis community is a strong and inseparable part of our bilingual municipalities, and it is in this spirit that we honour her legacy.

We extend our heartfelt condolences to her family, friends, and the entire Francophone Métis people of Manitoba.

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, [email protected].