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 in response to the attack on Charlie Kirk, a prominent political activist and conservative commentator in the United States:

We are deeply shocked by the heinous attack that claimed Mr. Kirk’s life. As elected officials of Manitoba’s bilingual municipalities, we are profoundly troubled by this act of violence, which we condemn in the strongest possible terms.

We join our voice with that of Manitoba Premier, the Honourable Wab Kinew, who rightly reminded us that there is no place for violence in a democracy. Disagreements, no matter how deep, must always be resolved in the public sphere—through free, open, and civil debate—in peace.

As municipal leaders and representatives of local governments, we understand in very concrete terms the importance of protecting and strengthening our democratic processes. This is how we build stronger, united, and resilient communities.

We take this opportunity to salute the courage and commitment of all those who choose to participate actively in democratic life across all three orders of government.

The AMBM reiterates its deep conviction that everyone must be able to express their ideas and vision for society freely and safely, with respect for the diversity of opinions and in pursuit of the common good. Now more than ever, we must protect and strengthen our democracy.

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, bcdd-oceo@ambm.ca.