Electrical vehicle charging stations will soon be made commonplace throughout the southeast. As a part of their commitment to achieve net-zero emissions by the year 2050, the federal government is investing in 31 such stations across the province.

La Broquerie Councillor Ivan Normandeau is the President of the Association of Manitoba Bilingual Municipalities and by extension the head of Eco-West Canada, the company commissioned to build the charging stations. Aware that electric vehicles will only become a feasible mode of transportation when charging stations are easily accessible across the province, Normandeau believes this move is a step in the right direction.

“Going forward is going green,” he says. “I know they are popular in other areas, but electric vehicles have just started out in Manitoba and I think they are going to grow in popularity. Eventually, this is going to be essential to all municipalities.”

As Normandeau explains, a few years ago, a federal entity called Natural Resources Canada offered up $155,000 in 50/50 funding to all municipalities in Manitoba. Any city, town, or RM that so desired was able to apply for a charging station where half of the upfront cost would be absorbed by the feds.

Included in the recent funding announcement are stations in the following areas:
-4 in Niverville
-2 in Pinawa
-1 in Tache
-1 in Grand Pointe
-1 in Ste. Agathe
-1 in St. Adolphe
-1 in St. Pierre
-1 in De Salaberry

“Back in 2019 we sent a notice out to see who would be interested, and these are the regions that were actually interested,” states Normandeau.

He says other higher density regions like Steinbach, Hanover, and his own RM of La Broquerie are not beneficiaries this time around simply because they did not apply to be. Normandeau adds Eco-West has received dozens more requests since publicizing its list of successful applications and expects the initiative will be opened to other entrants in the future.