Luke Kandia’s work as president and CEO of Seerx Technologies involves a lot of trouble shooting; when you’re building a client’s network infrastructure or recovering data from a fried laptop, it helps to have a mind geared toward problem solving.

So it’s fitting the 51 year old’s own search to find his calling was problematic.

“As a kid, you don’t really know what you want to do,” Kandia says. “When it came time to leave St. John’s High School, I went to the job fair and a university had a display up about Forestry and I thought, ‘Hey, I like the outdoors.’”

Kandia registered and headed east, only to find the course work heavy on measuring tree growth and light on communing with nature. After dropping out, he headed to Toronto for testing to enter fighter pilot training – a challenge that appealed to the adventurous young man.

Unlike the other entrants, he’d never flown a plane.

“All the other guys, they had been cadets, they had their private pilot’s license. When I got into the simulator, I bombed. They offered me a job in the army,” Kandia laughs.

Chastened, Kandia returned to Winnipeg to join a different force: the Winnipeg Police Service. As a cadet, Kandia peered inside the force’s operations, admiring the fast-paced, intense lives led by the officers around him. But the longer he served, the more the glamour wore off. A high-profile corruption case involving prominent officers soured his view of the force’s lifestyle. His plans to start a family faced off against his fears of meeting a known criminal while out shopping with his children.

“There was the glamour and the rush, but you’ve got to live with the rest of the stuff day to day,” Kandia says. “A lot of people on the station duty gave me the impression I could do better for myself outside.” Read More →

Red River College grad Tannis Rentz (Animal Health Technology, 2002) has been providing aid to people’s pets for more than 10 years now — ever since she began volunteering at the Transcona Veterinary Hospital as a teen.

But in April 2013, Rentz and fellow AHT grad Mary Robinson (2011) will travel a little further afield to help the tens of thousands of sick or malnourished dogs crowding the streets of Kathmandu, Nepal.

Rentz and Robinson are headed to Nepal’s KAT Centre, a not-for-profit treatment centre for sick and injured street dogs. As Rentz explains, there are currently more than 20,000 dogs living on the streets of Kathmandu — many of them infected with rabies and other communicable diseases that pose a threat to their human counterparts.

“And of course they’re constantly reproducing, because none of them are spayed or neutered,” says Rentz, who over the last 10 years has worked her way from a clinical position at the Winnipeg Animal Emergency Clinic to an administrative role with the Petsecure arm of the Western Financial Insurance Company.

“Initially, the government there thought it would be a good idea to terminate these dogs by throwing poisoned meat into the streets. But then they’d dispose of the poisoned bodies by throwing them into their water supply, which just made things even worse.”

While in Kathmandu, Rentz and Robinson will assist KAT Centre staff in treating captured dogs for their existing medical conditions (malnourishment, skin diseases, lesions, etc.), then rehabilitating them to the point they can be safely spayed or neutered. Read More →

Congratulations to Red River College alumna Jamie Isfeld (Digital Media Design, 2007), on being named Broadcaster of Tomorrow by the Broadcasters Association of Manitoba.

Isfeld, who currently works as a web producer for CTV Winnipeg, picked up the award during a reception that followed the Association’s annual fall meeting last weekend.

The award honours “future stars” who have been employed in the broadcasting industry for between two to five years. In addition to her work with CTV Winnipeg, Isfeld also does freelance work in web development and new media designs, and maintains blogs on new media topics and her artwork.

Click here to see Isfeld’s website, and here for more information on RRC’s Digital Media Design program.

Congratulations to Red River College grad Paul Samyn (Creative Communications, 1988), who was recently named the new editor of the Winnipeg Free Press.

Samyn has been acting as interim editor since Margo Goodhand resigned from the position in late July. His first job for the Free Press was as a paper boy, but his journalism career began when he was hired as a reporter in 1988.

Since then, he’s covered provincial and federal elections, conflicts overseas, and the funerals of Princess Diana and former prime minister Pierre Trudeau. He also helped lead the paper’s political coverage as its Ottawa bureau chief for a decade before being named city editor in 2007.

“It’s an honour and a privilege for someone who used to deliver the Free Press … to now be leading our newsroom as we serve our readers in both print and on our website,” Samyn said in today’s Free Press announcement.

“I’m proud to be part of our 140-year-old tradition and excited about the job ahead, delivering the stories that our readers expect and deserve.”

Click here to read the full Free Press story, and here for more information about RRC’s Creative Communications program.

He’s built a local business into a national retailer, cultivated a passionate base of customers through a tireless focus on service, and devoted himself to revitalizing his community and helping dozens of young people pursue their own career dreams.

That’s why Red River College is proud to name entrepreneur and philanthropist Bob Tallman as the 2012 recipient of our Distinguished Alumni Award.

Bob Tallman joined the family business, Princess Auto Ltd, in the mid-seventies, shortly after graduating from RRC with a diploma in Business Administration.

“I was the first in my family to be attending a post-secondary school,” he says. ”Our life had been focused around the family business, and I wanted to know something about business in general before I began working there on a full time basis.”

The investment in education paid off, as Bob and his brother Larry grew the small Winnipeg-based firm into a nationwide retail operation through the late-seventies and the eighties. Bob Tallman became the sole owner and CEO of Princess Auto in 1989.

Today, he oversees a network of 34 retail stores with over 1,800 staff specializing in industrial, garage and surplus items. The company prides itself on its diverse product assortment, boasting its one of the few places in the world where you can purchase a gas powered air compressor and an HDMI cable in the same building.

But it’s Princess Auto’s commitment to providing exceptional customer service that has earned it a cult-like following among shoppers, which is something Bob says was inspired by his time at RRC.

“I learned through my experiences at Red River College that a business ultimately is about the people who work in the business, the roles they play and most importantly, how they interact as a team,” he says. “It is probably the greatest lesson I learned at RRC, and has driven much of my strategy in building Princess Auto.” Read More →

At Red River College, we pride ourselves on helping budding entrepreneurs turn their business ideas into realities. From simple start-ups to international success stories, our graduates have a knack for leaving their mark on the marketplace.

Just ask Sean Sylvestre, (Business Administration, 2003) a recent grad who’s currently combining the training he received at RRC with the optical insight he acquired while working at his parents’ dispensary in Garden City. As the brains behind Eyewear Evolution, a new company that employs  “virtual mirror” software to bridge the gap between traditional and online retailers, Sylvestre has come up with an innovative solution to an industry-wide challenge.

“What we’ve created is a virtual mirror so that we can actually showcase the product in 3D on (customers’) faces — on either a tablet, their mobile phone, or through their PC,” says Sylvestre, who also works as general manager at Joss Vision Care on Pembina Highway.

“Part of the issue when people come in to try on glasses is they take off their current glasses, put on the demo, look in the mirror and they can’t actually see what they look like — because there’s no prescription in the demo. We deal with that problem.”

The new software also has benefits for brick-and-mortar retailers, who can employ a virtual inventory that allows them to keep pace with online vendors. Since they no longer have to pre-pay for inventory, retailers can sell their product for less, and may be able to cut down on staffing and operational costs, as well.

It’s the type of creative, cutting-edge vision that’s typical of RRC grads, many of whom achieve success in everything from marketing to office management, finance to manufacturing. Whether they’re at the top of the chain of command, or just getting in on the ground floor, RRC alumni tend to be armed with the skills and determination to make a real impact on industry. Read More →

Think you had trouble planning your last dinner party? Try feeding 15,000 hungry hockey fans — more than 40 times a year.

That’s the challenge faced by Red River College grad Tod Trudeau pretty much every time he shows up for work. As executive sous chef for Centerplate — an event hospitality company that provides hospitality services to over 250 sports stadiums, entertainment venues, and convention centres across North America — Trudeau is no stranger to the concept of feeding a crowd.

And since the return of the Winnipeg Jets, there have been more mouths to feed than ever.

“The building is full of guests every single night,” says Trudeau, who graduated from RRC’s Chef Training program in 1998. “We don’t ever have to worry about how many people are coming; we want to provide each guest with an exceptional and memorable experience.”

A St. Vital native, Trudeau has been cooking since he was 14, and honed his skills working in the kitchens of a series of smaller restaurants as a teen. He enrolled at RRC because he wanted to learn how to “do things properly,” and says the smaller class size and stringent standards gave him a definite edge once he entered the workforce.

“It benefited me hugely, just working with real chefs and other students who were really eager to learn,” says Trudeau. “It was a great atmosphere for learning — everyone was always pushing everyone else to do better, and do more.”

After graduating, Trudeau spent five years at the Sheraton Downtown — first as banquet chef, then as restaurant chef — before being hired as a sous chef with Centerplate, which at the time had just taken over the contract at the soon-to-be-shuttered Winnipeg Arena.

These days, the company handles all hospitality requirements at the MTS Centre, servicing not just the concourse kiosks and 250-seat restaurant at ice level, but also catering for the private suites, press boxes and backstage dressing rooms. Read More →

If you’re going to spend a year fulfilling your work placement obligations, you might as well do so at the Most Magical Place on Earth.

Just ask RRC student Eileen McDonald (Hospitality and Tourism Management), who’ll spend 365 days working as a Canadian Cultural Representative at the Canadian Pavilion in Disney World’s Epcot theme park.

McDonald applied for the year-long contract position — offered as part of Disney’s Cultural Representative Program — to fill the last of her co-op placement requirements. Following a Disney-themed farewell party (planned as a surprise by her friends in Winnipeg), she arrived in Orlando, Florida, last month.

Since then, she’s met new friends, toured the parks, and learned what will be expected of her as a greeter, seater and restaurant stocker at Epcot’s Le Cellier Steakhouse.

McDonald is documenting her experiences — including the application process she underwent to land the position — via weekly updates on her blog. (Check the site in coming weeks to learn more about how she “earned her ears!”)

For more information on Disney’s Cultural Representative Program, contact RRC Hospitality and Tourism Management at 204-632-2572.

For much of the last decade, he’s sailed the high seas. But this summer, Red River College alum Cameron Dueck is hitting the highway in search of his latest adventure.

Earlier this month, Dueck embarked on a 25,000-km motorcycle tour from Manitoba to South America, during which he’ll explore the state of modern Mennonite culture. He’s already been commissioned to write a book on the topic; in the interim, he’s documenting his travels on Facebook.

A 1996 graduate of RRC’s Creative Communications program, Dueck got his first taste of the globetrotter’s life while working as a financial reporter stationed in Chicago, New York, Singapore and Hong Kong.

He’s since taken a series of extended hiatuses to indulge his passion for the sailor’s life, touring through Asia and the Middle East, dodging pirates off the coast of Yemen, and sailing through sand storms in the Red Sea before crossing the Atlantic Ocean via St Helena.

Dueck’s recently-released book and film, The New Northwest Passage, details his voyage through Canada’s Arctic — marrying a story of grand adventure with reportage on climate change, and on the political and economic challenges faced by members of the region’s Inuit communities.

Click here to learn more about Dueck, and here to learn more about his travels through the Northwest Passage.

Each year, Red River College awards a Red River College Honorary Diploma to an individual who demonstrates high standards of excellence in their personal and professional achievements, and whose involvement in the community is widely recognized.

Known and respected throughout Canada for her wisdom, gentle spirit and tireless dedication to the community, Stella Blackbird has a special ability to build trust and understanding across cultures and nations.

An Elder and Red Eagle Woman from the Turtle Clan, Stella has served as an Elder, Traditional Healer, Medicine Teacher and facilitator for healing programs and teachings across Canada and the U.S. She has devoted years to the women of Keeseekoowenin First Nation (where she resides), and to women and men in neighbouring First Nations communities, providing counselling and healing and leading traditional ceremonies. Stella also provides teachings at Medicine Eagle Camp, which she helped establish on the sacred ceremonial grounds of the ancestors near Riding Mountain National Park.

Stella has a vast knowledge of traditional medicines, which she shares with those from all nations and backgrounds. Earlier in her career, she served as Resident Elder for the Ontario Native Education Counselor Association in Sudbury, and provided health services for the Ojibway Tribal Family Services Sacred Circle in Kenora. She also served for years in the Third Canada Rangers of the Canadian Armed Forces, providing traditional teachings and survival skills to youth and adults at Camp Borden.

Since 1995, Stella has served as Elder for Urban Circle Training Centre in Winnipeg’s North End — one of the most successful Aboriginal training centres in Canada. She provides traditional teachings that transform the lives of students and their families, and has mentored many young leaders to ensure sacred teachings and the traditional way of life are not lost. Read More →