The Association of Manitoba Bilingual Municipalities (AMBM) warmly welcomes the joint announcement by the Governments of Canada and Manitoba of an investment of more than $1.6 million over three years to support a special project aimed at strengthening the delivery of municipal services in both official languages.
This project, funded under the 2023–2028 Canada–Manitoba Agreement on French Language Services (CMAFLS), will anchor the implementation of the Municipal Maturity Model (3M) regulatory framework through two key components:
- A bilingual signage program that will equip municipal buildings, infrastructure, and public spaces with standardized bilingual signage, enhancing the visibility of both official languages and making it easier to identify available municipal services; and
- A dedicated municipal engagement team, comprising a coordinator and advisors, who will support Manitoba’s bilingual rural municipalities in developing and implementing their 3M-aligned action plans, providing language training, translation services, and resident satisfaction assessments related to bilingual service delivery.
“This strategic investment allows us to fully activate our bilingual advantage on the ground, in our communities. It is a critical step toward normalizing the use of both official languages in our rural municipalities, supporting our municipal action plans, and building sustainable growth for our bilingual communities. With the 3M, we have a powerful tool—and through this project, we will deploy it in a concrete, consistent, and measurable way,” said Mr. Ivan Normandeau, AMBM President and Reeve of the Rural Municipality of La Broquerie.
The AMBM extends its gratitude to the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Minister responsible for Official Languages, and the Honourable Glen Simard, Minister of Municipal Relations and Minister responsible for Francophone Affairs, for their decisive support.
“Manitoba’s bilingual municipalities are key partners in building a truly bilingual province. I am delighted with this investment, which recognizes the strength of the municipal-provincial partnership and the robustness of the 3M as a local sustainable development strategy. By working hand in hand with the AMBM and its members, we are strengthening the delivery of bilingual services close to home and laying the foundation for a more inclusive, competitive, and forward-looking province,” said Minister Glen Simard.
Through this project, the presence of both official languages in public spaces will be enhanced, and the capacity of Manitoba’s bilingual rural municipalities to provide services in French will be strengthened. This is a tangible lever to boost Manitoba’s attractiveness, foster entrepreneurship, and attract new investments by leveraging bilingualism as a competitive advantage.
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].
