Province funding francophone projects under Manitoba-New Brunswick bilateral agreement

The Manitoba government has approved five joint projects with the New Brunswick government for the 2026-27 fiscal year under the Manitoba-New Brunswick Co-operation and Exchange Agreement, supporting francophone organizations in both provinces.

“Manitoba is proud to continue strengthening our partnership with New Brunswick through these jointly approved projects,” said Municipal and Northern Relations Minister Glen Simard, minister responsible for francophone affairs. “Each initiative reflects our shared commitment to supporting francophone communities, advancing French‑language education and fostering meaningful collaboration between our provinces. By investing in these exchanges, we are helping organizations build capacity, deepen expertise and create lasting benefits for the Canadian Francophonie. I look forward to seeing the positive impact these projects will have in the year ahead.”

The agreement, grounded in a long‑standing memorandum of understanding on interprovincial co‑operation signed in 2002, supports sustained collaboration between the two provinces. In June, Manitoba and New Brunswick strengthened this partnership by signing a four‑year francophone co-operation protocol focused on joint initiatives, knowledge exchange and enhancing Manitoba’s engagement within the Canadian Francophonie.

Co-ordinated by Manitoba Municipal and Northern Relations’ Francophone Affairs Secretariat, the protocol promotes co-operation in priority sectors including French‑language education, arts and culture, and community development. It also encourages partnerships between community organizations through exchanges, mentoring, training and shared expertise.

Each province allocates up to $20,000 annually, totalling a combined $40,000, to support jointly approved projects. For 2026-27, five applications were received, reviewed and approved by both governments. Because the requested funding totalled $42,570, exceeding the available envelope, the minister noted that some project amounts were adjusted to remain within the program’s fiscal limit.