When you think of Winnipeg-based luxury candle brand Coal and Canary you likely think of great scented candles with cheeky names and beautiful branding. What you might not know is that founder and CEO, Amanda Buhse, is still the one designing the packaging of each product.  

“Nowadays, my job and primary role is more the visionary and the leader to an amazing team that works so hard,” said Amanda. “But I do still do the graphic design work for Coal and Canary,” she said with a chuckle.

“It’s really fun because I save a lot of my money by not hiring someone else to do it and save time, but it’s also my passion and what I love doing, so to be able to do it for my own company is pretty special and very cool,” she added.

As a graduate of RRC Polytech’s Advanced Graphic Design program (now, Communication Design) in 2006, Amanda knows her way around Adobe Illustrator and has had numerous roles in the industry.

“RRC Polytech definitely provided me with an environment where ideas weren’t just encouraged, they were also celebrated. It was a safe space that encouraged technical mastery, but also the ability to navigate through those uncharted territories of innovation and entrepreneurship,” said Amanda

Right out of college Amanda found herself employed at a print house as a production designer, where she learned the basic skills you need to succeed as a graphic designer in the industry. She went on to work for an ad agency and as a freelancer until she worked for national fashion agency as their lead designer and eventual art director.

“I had a career I was really happy with and really loved and I was never thinking about opening up my own company that hires people – that was never on the radar for me,” said Amanda.

In 2014, Amanda and her best friend, who was in nursing school at the time, were looking for a distraction and got into making candles as a hobby. They began posting their passion project on Instagram as a way to connect over creating something as friends. It wasn’t long before stores began to reach out asking to sell their products in stores.

“We had no idea what a wholesale catalog was, but luckily Google was a thing, so we googled it and being a graphic designer, I could fake it till I made it. I stayed up all night making this beautiful wholesale catalog and made it look like we were this really established, well-known company that knew what they were doing. But we had no idea, you know, so having a graphic design background really helped in those moments,” said Amanda.

Amanda wasn’t always considering a career in graphic design; she had looked into going into performing arts schools or school for interior design. It was through Vincent Massey’s high school guidance counselor that Amanda found herself enrolling at RRC Polytech.

“I couldn’t really decide, I’ve always been very artistic and he asked if I had ever thought about graphic design and I didn’t really know what graphic design was, because it wasn’t talked about a lot back then.  After he explained what a graphic designer does, I thought, oh my gosh, that’s perfect,” said Amanda

“I say it all the time that my experience at RRC Polytech really was a catalyst for my success today in so many ways. It was honestly one of the best times of my life – both fun and challenging and prepared me for where I am today.”

Last fall, we reached out to our alumni community, industry partners, and the public to nominate RRC Polytech graduates that work with and for them to be part of a co-operative advertising opportunity: the Polytechnic Proud campaign.

Now, 41 RRC Polytech grads are being highlighted in billboards across the province. Over the next two months, you will see dozens of proud RRC Polytech alumni featured in billboards in Winnipeg, Portage La Prairie, and Selkirk, and in print and online versions across Manitoba. We look forward to share their success stories with you in the coming weeks and months.

The campaign aims to represent diversity across programs, industries, and generations. From recent to seasoned graduates, the alumni featured are CEOs, directors, entrepreneurs, engineers, account managers, nurses, horticulturists, teachers, chefs, and many more from a variety of industries.

“The partnerships we have with industry are so valuable to the work we do here at RRC Polytech, and we are thrilled that so many nominated their talented employees – our proud alumni – for this campaign,” says Fred Meier, President and CEO, RRC Polytech. “The diversity represented in Polytechnic Proud is a testament to the quality of work that our grads are doing and the wide variety of career paths that a polytechnic education prepares them for.” 

The first feature story being released as part of the campaign is Amanda Buhse of Coal and Canary Candle Company, who started her business in 2014 and has since had products sold across the world and featured at The Oscars and The Grammys. 

“RRC Polytech provided me with an environment where ideas weren’t just encouraged, they were also celebrated,” says Amanda Buhse, Founder of Coal and Canary Candle Company and a 2006 graduate of RRC Polytech’s Advanced Graphic Design Program (now the Communication Design program). “My experience at RRC Polytech really was a catalyst for my success today in so many ways. It was honestly one of the best times of my life – both fun and challenging and prepared me for where I am today.”  

Profiles for more than half of these grads, including Amanda, will also be published on our Alumni News page and shared with the wider RRC Polytech community throughout the year – including the more than 80,000 RRC Polytech graduates in Manitoba and around the world. Subscribe to our blog to follow along with these incredible stories.

On Friday, March 22, RRC Polytech graduate Joseph Pilapil will be the guest speaker at CreativeMornings Winnipeg’s free event taking place at Launch Co-working Space. All RRC Polytech alumni and community members are warmly invited to attend.

More than a decade ago, CreativeMornings was launched out of a desire for ongoing, accessible events for creative communities to connect. Today, these communities gather in 223 cities across 67 countries — including right here in Winnipeg.

The Winnipeg chapter of CreativeMornings not only celebrates our city’s creative talent, but also promotes an open space to connect with like-minded individuals. From marketing legends to hometown heroes, speakers are selected by each chapter based on a global theme. This month’s theme is PERSPECTIVE: what you see — and how you see it — shapes your beliefs. And seeing someone else’s point of view is uniquely human. Considering another perspective fosters empathy. And we all desperately need more empathy. Join CreativeMornings Winnipeg to change your perspective – and change your world.

Guest speaker Joseph Pilapil is a sign painter, designer, and artist. He’s a graduate of RRC Polytech’s Digital Multimedia Technology (now Digital Media Design) program. Owner of The Travelling Sign Painters, he creates hand painted signs for all situations in Winnipeg. He is part-owner of an artist collective and small shop called Bear Face General Store and is also a part-owner of a dance company called River City Swing. Joseph aims to make a living of all aspects of his creative life.

This Friday, Pilapil will share his unique perspective as an artist and creative, and help you change your perspective, too!

An exclusive offer for RRC Polytech alumni — enter now for your chance to win a ticket to this year’s sold-out Winnipeg Women’s Conference!

Taking place in-person at the Winnipeg Art Gallery on Monday, March 11, the Winnipeg Women’s Conference promises a full day of networking and learning opportunities, including keynotes from inspiring leaders and breakout sessions with powerhouse women from Manitoba and beyond.

Whether you want to connect with like-minded business owners, grow your network, or take your career to the next level, you will find the resources and community you’re looking for – and get a chance to connect with fellow RRC Polytech grads while you’re there.

Enter now for your chance to win a ticket to this incredible full-day conference in downtown Winnipeg. We’re giving away three tickets to lucky RRC Polytech alumni.

An exclusive opportunity for RRC Polytech alumni: enter for your chance to win a pair of tickets to see 90s cultural icon Bill Nye the Science Guy live in Winnipeg!

The countdown is on to save the world from catastrophic climate disaster, but is it too late? Bill Nye doesn’t think so! An icon who made science accessible and “cool” for kids in the ‘90’s, Bill Nye is back, and this time with a new mission: to help rescue Earth’s inhabitants from climate change…with science!

Taking place at the Centennial Concert Hall on Sunday, March 3 at 7:30 p.m., The End is Nye: An Evening with Bill Nye the Science Guy will take the audience back through Bill’s history as “the Science Guy” and jump forward to today, showcasing the latest climate-related scientific advancements he’s passionate about, and tell us how we, as individuals, can do a small part to make a huge difference. Because after all this time, science still rules.

Engineer, comedian, author, and inventor, audiences revere this good-natured Renaissance man’s infectious blend of humor, intellectual curiosity, and devotion to solving some of the world’s most complex challenges through science. Best known for his 18-time Emmy-winning run as “Bill Nye the Science Guy,” he brings his love of science and flair for comedy to every appearance – deftly translating complex issues to help inspire audiences of all ages to engage with and improve our world.

Enter now for your chance to win a pair of tickets to this incredible evening in downtown Winnipeg. We’re giving away two tickets to one lucky RRC Polytech alumni member.

You’re invited! In partnership with Ten Thousand Coffees, we’re excited to offer a special panel discussion with experts from across the country to RRC Polytech alumni and current students. This free virtual event will take place on Tuesday, November 28th at 4:00 p.m. CT.

It’s a busy time of year where exams and work deadlines dominate our daily lives – not to mention all the festivities taking place over the next month – meaning many of us may be feeling overwhelmed, under pressure, or significantly stressed. This webinar is tailored to provide you with valuable strategies for prioritizing your mental wellbeing while shaping your career path, whether you’re a student, a new graduate just starting out, or a working professional.

Why you should join:

• Practical insights: Discover actionable strategies to prioritize mental wellbeing, while paving the way for a successful career.
• Expert panel: Learn from experts at Jack.org and Kids Help Phone, who will share their experiences and insights.
• Free resources: Gain access to free mental wellbeing resources, courtesy of RBC FutureLaunch.

Win coffee on 10KC!

Ten Thousand Coffees has an exciting offer for you! Every Office Hour registrant has a chance to win one of seven $20 coffee gift cards. These cards can support your networking coffee chats, making your experience even more enjoyable. They’ll randomly select the winners and notify them via email within two business days of the event. Don’t let this fantastic opportunity pass you by!

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to grow your network and learn essential skills – click here to register for this free webinar on Tuesday, November 28th at 4 p.m. CT.

Get to know Carly Edmundson and you will soon see that she is a natural-born leader. She just gets things done.

Having finished her coffee and a business meeting, Edmundson leans over her table in the Hargrave St. Market food hall to tell you about herself.

“I grew up in the community of Pierson, in the southwestern corner of Manitoba. The population there is about 175,” she explains. “I came from a place where, if you wanted something done, you had to act. I wasn’t going to have other people do something for me. That wasn’t a button I could press. It made me self-sufficient.”

Edmundson has taken herself from humble beginnings to become one of Manitoba’s most dynamic business leaders. As President and CEO of CentrePort Canada Inc. since May of 2023, she oversees North America’s largest trimodal inland port and Foreign Trade Zone.

The path to her corner office went through Red River College Polytechnic, where she earned her diploma in Creative Communications (commonly known as CreComm) in 2006, specializing in Advertising.

Established in 2008, CentrePort is a hub for transportation and distribution businesses. It covers 20,000 acres located west of Brookside Boulevard in Winnipeg and the municipality of Rosser. “That’s an area larger than Manhattan (14,600 acres),” Edmundson points out. Currently, more than 2,300 acres are in active development at CentrePort.

She worked at CentrePort for six years, climbing to Executive Director of Marketing and Communications by the time she left in 2019. After that, Edmundson was Senior Vice-President for four years at Cushman & Wakefield Stevenson, a real estate firm with dealings at CentrePort, before returning to the inland port corporation last spring.

In a high-flying career that took off thanks to the Apprentice Aircraft Maintenance Journeyperson program at RRC Polytech, Joey Petrisor feels like he’s landed the plane with his new job title: President and CEO of Perimeter Aviation.

“It’s always been a goal of mine since starting,” said Petrisor. “My hope was to eventually lead an airline and this is kind of getting to that pinnacle of my career.”

Joining Perimeter last fall, Petrisor brings a wide range of aviation experience to the leading role. After graduating from Aircraft Maintenance in 2003, he built extensive maintenance cargo experience before taking on different leadership roles, including Vice-President of Maintenance and Cargo at Calm Air and Director of Maintenance at Transwest Air.

In Petrisor’s most recent role as President of Alliance Maintenance, he helped merge Keewatin Air, Calm Air, and Perimeter Aviation’s maintenance departments under a new Approved Maintenance Organization (AMO) in Thompson, Manitoba. The reorganization helped streamline air travel in the north, which is work that continues for Petrisor at Perimeter and something he’s quick to highlight.

“The one thing from the last three or four companies I’ve worked at is that they’ve all served the north, and I’m proud of that. We’re working to ensure Indigenous people in the north have access to reliable, on-time air transportation in a safe and efficient manner. All four companies that I’ve been in a leadership role with, that’s a lot of their mission.”

Petrisor’s passion for aviation began in high school, but he’s the first to admit he “came into it a little by fluke.”

While exploring a high school program centered on youth internship, where hours spent working within a co-op program would count toward a future apprenticeship, Petrisor was asked what he wanted to do specifically.

“I wanted to be a mechanic,” he said. “They responded with ‘Okay, but which kind? Heavy duty, automotive?’ I said ‘airplanes?’ and the instructor just happened to have a student who recently joined the flying club in Regina as an instructor. So, they put me into this program for 240 hours.”

“I’ve just never looked back from there. My first few bosses and my experience at RRC Polytech made me feel at home – they really helped a young kid try to get his ticket to the industry.”

Three-time RRC Polytech graduate Colin Szewaga, C.E.T. (Shuh-vah-gah) will tell you that learning never stops.

And with that mindset, neither do the career opportunities.

“To look at where I was 36 months ago, compared to where I’m headed, my career-growth potential has skyrocketed,” said Szewaga, who completed the Project Management certificate program in 2021.

Szewaga grew up in Winnipeg’s Garden Grove neighbourhood and graduated from the automotive discipline at Technical Vocational (Tec Voc) High School in the city’s West End.

Having a strong mechanical aptitude, he entered RRC Polytech’s Aircraft Maintenance Engineer program in the early 2000s. With a downturn in the aviation industry limiting job prospects during the program, a second Red River stream drew Szewaga’s interest.

“I had a dream to design homes in 3D and virtually walk clients through them,” he said, describing his decision to enroll in Civil Engineering Technology. Choosing Architectural/Engineering Technology as his specialization, he gained practical skills integrating knowledge of architecture, engineering, and building construction.

The program included an applied technical project during his final year.

“I did a cost-benefit analysis of three distinct levels of insulation of an identical home by upgrading the insulation levels, and then looking at the energy savings and greenhouse gas emission reductions. Later I designed my own home in St. Vital with upgraded insulation levels, which quantified my thesis.”

The program—and that final project—opened doors for Szewaga. There was contract work for the provincial government, looking at energy- and water-usage efficiency in the building and plumbing codes. Later he worked for a glazing contractor on the first two towers at True North Square, having a chance to help transform Winnipeg’s skyline and learn critical project management skills.

“There’s a sense of satisfaction seeing these two buildings come out of the ground and knowing you had a small part in it.”

As he was finishing his involvement with this development, Szewaga felt the need to upgrade his skills once more.

“I wanted to stay competitive with my peers and with younger workers coming up. My driver was to become more marketable. I was investing in myself.”

The part-time Project Management certificate program—round three for Szewaga at RRC Polytech—proved ideal.

On Friday, August 25, RRC Polytech graduate Barry Karlenzig will be the guest speaker at CreativeMornings Winnipeg’s free event taking place at The Cube in Old Market Square. All RRC Polytech alumni and community members are warmly invited to attend.

More than a decade ago, CreativeMornings was launched out of a desire for ongoing, accessible events for creative communities to connect. Today, these communities gather in 223 cities across 67 countries — including right here in Winnipeg.

The Winnipeg chapter of CreativeMornings not only celebrates our city’s creative talent, but also promotes an open space to connect with like-minded individuals. From marketing legends to hometown heroes, speakers are selected by each chapter based on a global theme. This month’s theme is PRIDE: a celebration of our truest, radiant selves and a defiance against those who expect us to dim our own light. Together, we’ll discover how we can fully unfurl ourselves and ask how we can extend safety and solidarity so that we all may be unapologetically ourselves.

Guest speaker Barry Karlenzig (he/him) graduated from RRC Polytech’s Business Administration program in 2008 and works as a Technical Sales Manager for New Flyer. When he isn’t busy with his day job, Karlenzig works tirelessly to serve Winnipeg’s 2SLGBTQIA+ community as a board member with the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce, president of the Snowy Owl Monarchist Society, co-chair of the Conference Structure & Integrity Committee with InterPride, and volunteering for more than a decade (and in many capacities) with Pride Winnipeg.

Karlenzig is the current president of Pride Winnipeg and has been in the role since 2019, including during the height of the pandemic when the organization switched to a virtual Pride celebration. He also led the team through hosting the national Fierté Canada Pride festival here in Winnipeg in 2022.

Since 1987, Pride Winnipeg has been celebrating the fights and victories of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, as well as showcasing reasons to be proud. This year’s parade and festival marked record-breaking attendance, with more than 90,000 people taking part in activities between May 26-June 4.

Next Friday, Karlenzig will touch on how he has personally used creativity in his leadership role with Pride Winnipeg. He’ll also share his personal journey in the ‘why’ behind his work.