On March 5, 2025, the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour, the Honorable Steven MacKinnon, announced a significant modification to agreements for organizations receiving funding from the Enabling Fund for Official Language Minority Communities (EFOLMC), including the CDEM in Manitoba. The funding for these modifications is part of a $20.5 million indexing initiative, to be implemented gradually over five years (2023-2028). The announcement was made at the RD\u00c9E Canada offices in Ottawa.<\/p>\n
\u201cA strong economy in Canada depends on ensuring that all workers have access to the supports they need to help them find good jobs\u2014and that includes workers in official language minority communities across the country. This additional funding ensures that these 14 organizations can continue to help remove language barriers, so that Canadians in official language minority communities can find and keep good jobs.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2013 Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour, Steven MacKinnon<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
For Manitoba, the Conseil de d\u00e9veloppement \u00e9conomique des municipalit\u00e9s bilingues du Manitoba (CDEM) will receive more than $3.6 million over a five-year period, including an enhancement of $818,256.<\/strong> These funds will allow the CDEM to continue its mission of driving and supporting the economic development of bilingual municipalities in Manitoba, generating positive outcomes for the vitality and sustainability of the Franco-Manitoban community.<\/p>\n
In the current constantly evolving economic context, this important funding will allow the CDEM to continue its essential role as the only French-language economic development agency in Manitoba, created by the bilingual municipalities. It also ensures the continued prominence of Franco-Manitoban economic development both nationally and internationally, today and in the future.<\/p>\n