The President of the AMBM and Reeve of the Rural Municipality of La Broquerie, Mr. Ivan Normandeau, issued the following statement as part of the announcement of major funding to its subsidiary Eco-West Canada from the Department of the Environment and Climate for two projects supporting the province’s energy transition:
Today, Kevin Klein, Minister of the Environment and Climate, officially announced $500,000 in funding to our subsidiary Eco-West Canada (EWC) for the implementation of the Mobilizing Municipalities project. A not-for-profit organization dedicated to multiplying green infrastructure, EWC will support local governments in developing their capacity to advance their climate and green initiatives, including their ability to access federal funding and other national financial support (e.g., Federation of Canadian Municipalities). This support will take many forms: capacity building for municipalities to develop climate action plans, targeted communications to municipal governments and elected officials to inform them of available funding opportunities, and coordination of municipal and/or regional projects that will advance strategic climate-related priorities.
This funding is complemented by a $176,000 investment to install new electric vehicle (EV) chargers at three Winnipeg McDonald’s restaurants and to support Gardewine Transportation, a Winnipeg-based leader in the transportation and logistics industry, in the installation of new charging infrastructure.
We welcome this investment announced by Minister Kevin Klein and warmly thank him, his team and the entire Department of the Environment and Climate. Their continued hard work and leadership are positioning our province as a responsible and proactive player in the green economy and sustainable development in the Canadian context.
We are also very proud and grateful of what Dany Robidoux, Executive Director of EWC, and his team are accomplishing on the Manitoba and Canadian climate and energy transition scene. Manitoba’s bilingual municipal leadership gave its EWC subsidiary a national mandate in 2008, but our subsidiary is first and foremost a Made-in-Manitoba success story with deep roots. Over the years, EWC has become a trusted brand, earning a reputation for agility and innovation, both technically and in terms of creating leveraging effects between different orders of government to advance important green projects for the benefit of all the communities we serve. The many achievements of the past few years have made EWC a key player in supporting all Manitoba and Canadian municipalities in their energy transition.
Today’s announcement confirms once again the importance of a strong partnership between the Province and EWC. By awarding these innovative and ambitious projects, the Manitoba government is demonstrating that it is listening to the concerns of the population and the priorities of municipalities. That’s why it is counting on EWC’s expertise and catalytic effect to propel the achievement of the targets announced in its Climate and Green Plan and, together, build Manitoba’s communities and economy ever stronger and more resilient in the face of climate change.
The AMBM and its member municipal governments are enthusiastic about teaming up with the Department of the Environment and Climate, through our subsidiary EWC. This partnership is a perfect illustration of the strength of action-orientated leadership that brings people together. Leadership that serves a prosperous, sustainable economy throughout our province and our country.
The AMBM is the voice of bilingual municipal leadership in the province of Manitoba. It represents 15 local governments committed to providing 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 complementary organizations: the AMBM, the Economic Development Council for Manitoba Bilingual Municipalities (CDEM) and Eco-West Canada (EWC), which has specialized in the green economy since 2008. Complementary, 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].
