THE AMBM GROUP’S STRENGTH IN ACTION
These three organizations are dedicated to the development of Manitoba’s bilingual municipalities, and have chosen to work hand in hand and combine their complementary knowledge, expertise and experience, to strike even harder and further for the benefit of the bilingual communities they represent.
The AMBM is the political representative organization for Manitoba’s bilingual municipalities.
It is the governing body. Together with its members, it defines priorities and develops strategies, including the 20222025 Strategy to Support Economic Immigration in Manitoba’s Bilingual Municipalities. Above all, it works in collaboration with elected representatives and chief administrative officers.
Although the majority of the AMBM’S 16 member municipalities have a predominantly Englishspeaking population, they have voluntarily committed to offering services in both official languages to recognize and honour the added value of the Frenchspeaking community present on their territory.
Thanks to its varied expertise, the CDEM puts these strategies into practice on the ground by developing various programs and services to support and promote the economic development of Manitoba’s bilingual municipalities through its five sectors, applying a rural lens wherever possible.
It works primarily with municipal economic teams, including Economic Development Officers (EDOS) and Community Development Corporations (CDCS).
The CDEM plays an important role in the practical aspects of economic immigration. It is actively involved in the deployment of the 2022-2025 Strategy to Support Economic Immigration in Manitoba’s Bilingual Municipalities, notably as a preferred partner of the Manitoba government in the recruitment of French-speaking immigrants under the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program. It also works to measure labour needs across the AMBM territory, and to connect employers and prospective immigrants. On the municipal side, the CDEM helps prepare municipalities to welcome newcomers, for instance by carrying out studies for the construction of affordable housing in rural areas.
As for EWC, it helps municipalities find green and sustainable solutions to their identified needs, in line with provincial and federal objectives, particularly in terms of housing construction, transportation and basic infrastructure.
It supports municipalities in developing plans, carrying out feasibility studies, and finding funding to implement these vital projects. EWC’S expertise addresses many of the determining factors for successful economic immigration within municipal jurisdictions, in terms of infrastructure development to ensure that Manitoba’s bilingual municipalities are ready to welcome newcomers and offer them a quality living environment.
The AMBM Group is a unique model in Canada, particularly for Official Language Minority Communities (OLMCS). And it’s a model that, thanks to the partners of each of its three members, is connected at municipal, national and international levels, adding undeniable power to its operational influence. ■