Funding boosted for francophone services in Manitoba

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This article was published 20/03/2025 (211 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Manitoba government wants to enhance francophone services across the province through the creation of a micro-grant program.

The province has signed a multi-year funding agreement with the Association of Bilingual Municipalities of Manitoba to give them funding to develop and enhance French-language services, said Glen Simard, minister responsible for francophone affairs, in a release Thursday.

Using a combination of provincial funding and federal contributions under the Canada–Manitoba Agreement on French-Language Services, the agreement includes $885,000 over four years. It builds on provincial funding of $165,000 in 2023-24.

“We want to ensure all francophones can interact with our public service in their language of choice, regardless of where they live,” Simard said in the release.

The minister announced proposed enhancements to municipal, justice and immigration services in French, a new operating model that will have staff from Bilingual Service Centres provide outreach activities in underserved areas of the province and the creation of a micro-grant program to support francophone community initiatives.

The province intends to submit a request to join the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie.

“This unprecedented investment by the Manitoba government represents a significant advancement in the delivery of municipal services in both official languages,” Ivan Normandeau, president of the association, said in the release.

nicole.buffie@freepress.mb.ca