Standing With Northern Communities — NACC Annual General Meeting

I attended the Northern Association of Community Councils Annual General Meeting this summer — and it was exactly the kind of gathering that reminds me why this work matters.

NACC is one of the most important advocacy organisations in northern Manitoba. It represents community councils across remote and northern Manitoba — up to 48 communities — advocating for their physical, social, and economic development. These are communities that do not always have a loud voice at the provincial or federal level. NACC gives them one.

The work NACC does is close to the heart of everything this office is fighting for. Food access in remote communities. Local self-government. Economic development rooted in traditional skills and natural resources. Community services that actually reach the people who need them.

The NACC Community Service Awards — which celebrate individuals whose dedication makes northern communities healthier, more resilient, and more vibrant — were a highlight of the gathering. These are the quiet heroes of the North. The volunteers and community builders who show up year after year without recognition or fanfare. They deserve to be celebrated loudly.

To the NACC team and to every community council member across northern Manitoba — your work is seen, it is valued, and this office stands behind you.