Hevyn-Lee Martens, an Honours graduate from RRC Polytech’s Foundations in Social Innovation and Community Development program, is the latest recipient of the Lieutenant Governors’ medal.

Hevyn-Lee will be awarded the Medal – the highest award that may be obtained upon graduation from RRC Polytech – at the Fall Convocation ceremony this afternoon.

Recipients of these medals are selected by a standing committee comprised of representatives from Polytech management, students and instructors. This outstanding graduate has been selected in recognition of their academic and technical achievement, involvement in Polytech and/or community activities, and overall good character.

Hevyn-Lee Martens is a proud Anishinaabe woman from Brokenhead Ojibway Nation. Hevyn-Lee is currently pursuing an Indigenous Studies degree at the University of Winnipeg and is a member of the President’s Student Leadership Program at the University of Manitoba. At RRC Polytech, she distinguished herself as a student leader, serving on the Student Association Board, supporting the School of Indigenous Education, contributing to program advisory work, and volunteering at numerous institutional and community events. Hevyn-Lee is also the recipient of the IG Empower Your Tomorrow Scholarship.

Hevyn-Lee is a dedicated advocate for Indigenous youth and community wellness. She has served on Treaty One’s Youth Council, held leadership roles within Brokenhead Ojibway Nation, and sat on The Forks’ inaugural Indigenous Advisory Council. She is passionate about creating opportunities, amplifying Indigenous voices, and building spaces where Indigenous youth feel safe, supported, and empowered to succeed.

Each year, RRC Polytech presents an Honorary Diploma or Degree to an individual or individuals who demonstrate high standards of excellence in their personal and professional achievements, and whose involvement in the community is widely recognized.

RRC Polytech is pleased to present the 2026 Honorary Diploma in Child and Youth Care to Ron Brown, and the Honorary Degree, Bachelor of Technology in Advanced Manufacturing to Dr. Gerry Price.

Ron Brown recently retired as President and CEO of BGC Winnipeg (formerly Boys and Girls Club of Winnipeg), concluding a remarkable 16-year tenure dedicated to empowering children, youth, and families across the community. Prior to joining BGC Winnipeg, he built an extensive career in sport administration and high-performance coaching, earning a reputation as a respected leader both on and off the field.

“Throughout my career I have seen many young people who have changed their life’s trajectory by way of a post-secondary education. RRC Polytech has been a leader in this area in Manitoba, and it is both an honour and a privilege to have this honour bestowed on me by an institution I respect deeply,” said Brown.

A lifelong community builder, Ron remains deeply engaged in civic and volunteer leadership. He currently serves as Chair of the Board of Governors at MITT, is a board member of Sport Manitoba, and serves as Vice-President of the Aboriginal Council of Winnipeg. He has also been named the incoming Campaign Chair for the United Way Winnipeg 2027 fundraising campaign.

In recognition of his outstanding contributions to sport, leadership, and community service, Ron has been inducted into four Sports Halls of Fame, including the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame and the North American Indigenous Athletics Hall of Fame. Earlier this year, he received the prestigious BGC Canada Visionary Award for his lasting impact and leadership.

A proud Winnipegger since 1974, Ron is also a proud member of the Annapolis Valley Mi’kmaq First Nation in Nova Scotia. When he’s not volunteering or serving the community, he enjoys spending time with family at the cottage in Ponemah, reading, travelling, and cheering on the Winnipeg Jets, Winnipeg Blue Bombers, and Denver Broncos.

Born and raised in Winnipeg, Dr. Gerry Price holds B.Sc., M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics. In 1977, Gerry joined E.H. Price Limited (now Price Industries Limited) and became President in 1986.

“I am deeply honoured to receive this recognition. We are happy to support students to partially relieve their financial pressures, so that they can concentrate on their studies and be the best they can be. In addition, since world class manufacturing today requires automation, process control and robotics skills that were not commonplace many years ago, we are happy to support Red River College Polytech in its efforts to impart these new skills to manufacturing engineers of the future, so that they can build rewarding careers and make meaningful contributions to their industries and communities across Manitoba,” said Dr. Price.

As Chairman and CEO of Price Industries, Dr. Price has grown the company from 250 employees to more than 4,400 employees with 18 sales offices and 25 manufacturing sites across North America, Australia and New Zealand. Despite branching out to sites across the globe, Dr. Price has kept his headquarters in Winnipeg, Canada.

Price Industries is now a leader in air distribution equipment and technology. Manufactured products range from HVAC mechanical products to transit windows, aluminum extrusions and other industrial products. Each Price business is a market leader in its category as a result of operating in the “Price Way” – a focus on customer service, operating in a principled way, and investing in new technologies to better serve their customers.

In 2023, the Price Family Foundation provided a $10-million gift to RRC Polytech, supporting the establishment of the Price Institute of Advanced Manufacturing and Mechatronics. The Price Institute empowers RRC Polytech to bridge critical skills and labour gaps, spur applied research activities within small-to-medium enterprise (SME) employers, and foster an innovation ecosystem where industry-education partnerships shift the technologies disrupting the sector from threats to opportunities.

In addition to this gift, the Price Family Foundation continues to provide financial support to hundreds of manufacturing and engineering students at RRC Polytech through Price Scholarships.

As a key employer in the community, Gerry and his wife Barb give back in a substantial way to a variety of charitable organizations through the Price Family Foundation.

A 2026 RRC Polytech Creative Communications (CreComm) graduate is the most recent recipient of the J-Schools Canada Student Journalist of the Year award.

Toni De Guzman was honoured for her work in television, radio and print with two notable pieces that address bail literacy and Canada’s aging water bombers.

“It means a lot to be recognized for the work I love doing and have been striving for since I was young. It’s also a reflection of the instructors and editors who shaped and believed in me,” says De Guzman.

The J-Schools Canada Student Journalism Award honourees represent the best journalism produced by students nationwide and reflects the breadth and diversity of Canadian journalism education.

De Guzman credits the CreComm journalism specialization with not only preparing her to be a journalist but also finding employment.

“I chose CreComm at RRC Polytech because I knew there were work placements and I would have the opportunity to leave a lasting impression and make meaningful connections in the industry. It was so valuable I got to learn from instructors who worked in journalism,” says De Guzman.

During her time in the program De Guzman worked on stories for the Winnipeg Free Press, The Globe and Mail and CBC.  Her instructors saw her potential from the start.

“Toni’s desire to be a journalist was evident from our first journalism class together in 2025,” says James Turner, a Journalism Instructor for CreComm at RRC Polytech. “If you recommended she go and talk to people she didn’t know to get story ideas and new connections, she immediately went and did it and found value from it.”

CreComm provides each student with the fundamentals in writing, critical thinking and digital media design and introductions to journalism, public relations, advertising and marketing, and media production. Students choose which specialization to follow in their second year of studies. To have a student receive the Student Journalist of the Year award from J-Schools Canada is deeply meaningful to the faculty as a whole and affirms how the program teaches journalism.

“The RRC Polytech Creative Communications program helps students learn how to dig deep for the story through sound research and legwork,” says Turner. “We offer guidance, support and feedback all along the way.”

Currently working as a Digital Broadcast Journalist for Global News Winnipeg, De Guzman is the second consecutive RRC Polytech student to win the Student Journalist of the Year award. Matthew Frank (CreComm 2025) received the honour last year.

The J-Schools Canada Student Journalism Awards recognize excellence, innovation and leadership among emerging journalist across Canada. Seasoned media professionals and teachers from across the country serve as volunteer judges and evaluate the submissions for their originality, impact, technical execution, and contribution to public understanding.

Awardees come from across Canada and represent the best journalism produced by students nationwide.

Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping education and the workforce. In 2025–26, RRC Polytech moved from AI exploration to intentional adoption across the institution, advancing governance, curriculum integration, AI use case pilots, digital resources and AI literacy initiatives.

The AI Strategy Annual Report highlights the progress made by AI Working Groups and supporting departments across the Polytech, including 72 staff and faculty participating in the AI Strategy, 19 courses updated across five programs for Fall 2026, expanded AI training and literacy opportunities, and more than 50 potential AI use cases identified.

View the 2025–26 AI Strategy Annual Report to learn more about this year’s progress and what’s ahead for 2026–27.

For immediate release: October 19, 2026

Winnipeg, Manitoba on Treaty No. 1 Territory and the National Homeland of the Red River Métis – RRC Polytech’s Nursing Pinning Ceremony is a celebration of nursing graduates’ academic journeys, including the challenges they have overcome, the knowledge and experience they have gained, and the confidence they will take into their future careers. This year, 166 graduates of RRC Polytech’s Bachelor of Nursing (BN) program will receive their pins on Wednesday, October 21.

Senior practicum nursing students completed placements in Winnipeg and communities across rural and northern Manitoba, including Churchill, Brandon, Selkirk, Steinbach, Winkler and Ste. Anne, gaining experience in settings and practice areas such as community and public health, mental health, medicine, surgery, emergency, the operating room, labour and delivery, pediatrics and home care.

The act of pinning reflects each graduate’s commitment to make a positive impact in Manitoba’s healthcare system. Choosing a career in healthcare is a noble choice, often rooted in a deep intrinsic motivation to provide high-quality care, compassion and support for others.

Media are invited to attend the 2026 Nursing Pinning Ceremony.

Event Details: 

• Date: Wednesday, October 21, 2026
• Time: 7:00 p.m.
• Location: Victoria Inn,1808 Wellington Ave, Winnipeg MB

Media Availability: 

• Dr. Tamara Chambers-Richards, Dean of the School of Health Sciences and Community Services
• Lesley McGuirk, Associate Dean of Nursing
• Nursing graduates will be available for interviews upon advance request

RRC Polytech hosted manufacturers, exporters, educators and partners from across Canada last week when the Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME) held its Advanced Manufacturing Summit at the Notre Dame Campus.

The one-day summit offered businesses the chance to connect with one another, explore growth opportunities and problem solve in the ever-changing technology world all while highlighting RRC Polytech’s nimble response to industry needs.  

“RRC Polytech is constantly tailoring curriculum to ensure that new hires have the skills they need to contribute immediately and that the current workforce has pathways to embrace emerging processes and technologies, along with shifting societal demands,” says Dr. Vikram Banthia, Director of the Price Institute of Advanced Manufacturing and Mechatronics at RRC Polytech, who was an event panelist.

The two recently announced degrees in the Price Institute of Advanced Manufacturing and Mechatronics are perfect examples of how RRC Polytech is adapting to meet industry needs and prepare students. Both new Bachelor of Technology degrees include research methods, Indigenous perspectives and Industry 4.0 technologies allowing learners to meet the growing workforce demands, fast-track their education and advance their careers.

RRC Polytech is uniquely positioned to bring together training, research and industry partners to help build a stronger manufacturing workforce. Summits like CME’s Advanced Manufacturing Summit create opportunities for those partnerships.

Manitoba manufacturing was also recognized as a steady economic driver.

“Manitoba’s manufacturing sector is one of the most diverse and resilient in the country. From food and beverage processing to aerospace transportation equipment and advanced machinery, Manitoba produces things that matter here and across the country. Things that move people, feed communities and support national security. While the sector is spread widely across the province, Winnipeg clearly sits at the heart of the sector,” says Mathew Wilson, Executive Vice President & COO, Canadian Manufacturing & Exporters

Attendees heard keynote presentations from Joel Semeniuk, President and CEO of Primal speak on What We Build Next: Canada’s Manufacturing Moment. From a builder perspective and historical lens, Sememiuk explored how advantages can come from expertise, infrastructure and the partnerships we build around technology.

Garry Roehr, President of AMT Robotics presented Why a Learning Organization is the Key to Successful Adoption of Technology offered the second keynote. He emphasized that the people that know the work best should be empowered to try better ways of doing things, seek solutions and work towards results that create long lasting results.

Exclusive facility tours and a panel discussion further allowed RRC Polytech to demonstrate the work being done to prepare students for what is ahead, along with practitioner-to-practitioner breakout sessions and a vendor exhibition hall.

To learn more about Price Institute programs and partnerships, visit rrc.ca/priceinstitute

Flags have been lowered to half-mast across Canada following the tragedy at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright in Alberta over the weekend.

We mourn the lives lost and extend our condolences to their families and loved ones. Our thoughts are also with those who were injured and everyone affected by this tragedy.

Members of the Canadian Armed Forces dedicate themselves to serving our country, helping to protect the safety and freedoms we value as Canadians. RRC Polytech stands with the Canadian Armed Forces and the Wainwright community during this incredibly difficult time.

Pictured above (L-R): Stephanie Fulford, Manager of Sustainability and Climate Strategy, RRC Polytech and Derek Earl, Founder, BizforClimate.

RRC Polytech has joined more than 270 Manitoba organizations in signing BizforClimate’s Climate Action Pledge. The pledge reflects RRC Polytech’s commitment to climate action across the institution, from operations and facilities to teaching and learning.

“The BizforClimate network brings together organizations that share common values and a vision for a more sustainable future. It means a lot to have RRC Polytech — a leader, an innovator and such a respected institution — endorse the Climate Action Pledge campaign,” said Derek Earl, Founder, BizforClimate.

Across industries and sectors, climate change is creating new challenges and redefining opportunities. A sustainability mindset and sustainable practices are no longer “nice to have,” they are essential. Consumers and partners increasingly want to support businesses and organizations that align with their values, including those taking action to mitigate the impacts of climate change.

“Signing the pledge reaffirms RRC Polytech’s commitment to advancing its sustainability goals. It also reinforces the institution’s responsibility to equip students with the knowledge, skills and mindset they need to address climate-related challenges in their future careers,” said Stephanie Fulford, Manager of Sustainability and Climate Strategy, RRC Polytech.

The signing took place at the “Made to Work Here: Sustainability in Manitoba’s Creative Industries” event at the Exchange District Campus. The event was hosted by RRC Polytech’s Shroeder Institute of Media Arts and Entertainment in collaboration with BizforClimate.

The two-part event invited students from Shroeder Institute programs to learn about key sustainability concepts in the creative sector. A panel discussion followed, featuring three industry leaders who shared real-world examples of sustainable practices.

“The event was a key opportunity to raise awareness of the environmental and climate impacts of the creative industries and highlight the importance of sustainability to business success and career development,” said Kirk Johnson, Dean, Business, IT, Creative Arts, Hospitality and Culinary Arts. “Through the knowledge shared and the act of signing the pledge, our hope is that students take tangible actions to bring sustainable practices into the workforce.”

Climate action is more than an environmental issue. It’s also an economic, workforce and innovation issue. It matters to RRC Polytech, its industry and community partners, employers, and government stakeholders. By reaffirming our shared commitment to sustainability, RRC Polytech and other BizforClimate signatories are demonstrating leadership in Manitoba and helping to advance awareness, conversation and action across sectors.

Artificial intelligence is already reshaping how work is performed, decisions are made, and services are delivered across the economy. In all sectors, employers are looking for graduates who can work with AI while applying sound judgment, critical thinking, and ethical decision-making. 

This reality raises an important question for polytechnic institutions: How do we ensure graduates are prepared for an AI-enabled workforce when technology, workplace expectations, and required skills continue to evolve? 

At RRC Polytech, that question became a key focus of the Academic Programming Working Group, one of several working groups established through the institution’s 2025-26 AI Strategy. Through research and engagement with faculty, students, and industry partners, the group developed the AI Readiness in Academic Programs Initiative, a structured process that helps academic programs understand how AI is transforming their industries and identify opportunities to update curriculum accordingly. 

Research Points to a Growing Need for AI Readiness

Signal49’s report, Preparing an AI-Ready Workforce found that few institutions offer coordinated approaches to AI-related learning. Slow curriculum approval processes, inconsistent AI literacy, and challenges in scaling training create uneven student experiences and limit institutions’ ability to respond to workforce demands. 

At the same time, Canada’s federal government is calling for increased AI literacy and workforce preparedness. Canada’s National Artificial Intelligence Strategy, emphasizes the need for Canadians to gain meaningful, career-relevant experience with AI and identifies post-secondary institutions as critical partners in preparing learners for changing workplaces. 

This research mirrors what RRC Polytech is hearing from its own community. In a 2025 RRC Polytech AI survey: 

• 72% of staff and faculty indicated that providing AI-related skills through coursework was important or very important 

• 70% of faculty reported that students were receiving only basic AI instruction or no AI instruction at all. 

• 78% of students indicated rarely or never doing instructor-directed AI related coursework. 

This incongruency illustrates a gap: staff and faculty recognize the importance of teaching students industry specific AI skills, but few have made the shift to adjusting curriculum. 

These findings reveal a clear opportunity. Employers increasingly expect AI-related knowledge and skills. Governments are prioritizing AI readiness. Faculty recognize the importance of preparing students for an AI-enabled workforce, and students have indicated a gap in AI skills. The response is to create a practical approach that allows academic programs to respond effectively as workforce needs continue to evolve. 

Addressing the AI Readiness Gap 

RRC Polytech is uniquely positioned to connect education and industry, so graduates achieve practical, field-specific knowledge that reflects the realities and opportunities of their chosen careers. 

The AI Readiness initiative provides a structured, evidence-informed process that helps academic programs examine how AI is affecting their specific discipline, engage industry partners in identifying emerging workforce expectations, and integrate relevant AI-related competencies into curriculum. These changes ensure that students develop both the technical and human skills to thrive in an AI-enabled rapidly changing world. 

AI Readiness in Academic Programs Initiative: How it Works 

The initiative follows a structured process that helps programs explore the impact of AI while maintaining academic governance requirements. Participating programs follow this framework:  

1. Explore an AI Impact Report to assess how AI is affecting the profession. 

2. Document current AI-related activities and identify additional opportunities for learning. 

3. Validate findings with industry and other interest holders such as credentialling bodies. 

4. Work through curriculum approval processes to formally update program information. 

The goals of the initiative are twofold: to improve visibility of existing and planned AI-related learning within programs and to develop sustainable approaches for ongoing industry-informed curriculum updates as AI continues to evolve. 

AI Impact Report: A Starting Point for Industry Discussion 

The AI Impact Report is a unique element of the initiative that involves prompting a large language model with a pre-designed prompt to generate an industry-specific scan of how AI is already affecting a profession and where it may create new opportunities to enhance work.  

Designed as a brainstorming tool, the report gives program chairs and instructors a starting point for discussion on the impact of AI on a given profession. Its findings are then validated through consultation with academic teams and industry partners, to ensure curriculum updates are grounded in both emerging AI trends and real workplace expectations. 

Phase 1: Pilot Programs 

The initiative launched as a pilot in Winter 2026 with five programs representing diverse industry contexts: 

• Nursing 

• Early Childhood Education 

• Teaching for Learning in Applied Education 

• Professional Sales and Strategic Marketing 

• Digital Media Design – Interaction Design and Development 

The pilot programs updated 19 courses, including changes to course descriptions and learning outcomes. Examples include Digital Media Design students using AI to support coding projects and evaluate its limitations; Early Childhood Education students examining responsible AI use in research and early learning environments; and Nursing students considering ethical AI use in scholarly writing and research. 

Phase 2: Expanding Across the Polytech 

Building on the success of the pilot, the initiative expanded during spring/summer 2026 to include an additional nine programs: 

• Business Administration 

• 3^rd & 4^th Class Power Engineering 

• Culinary Arts 

• Baking and Pastry Arts 

• Legal Assistant 

• Architectural Technology 

• Construction Management 

• Engineering and Construction Technologies 

AI Readiness means more than Technical Skills 

One of the key insights from the initiative is that AI readiness is more than learning to use AI tools. Industry partners consistently emphasize the importance of human skills such as critical thinking, communication, collaboration, problem-solving, and professional judgment. As AI becomes more integrated into the workplace, the ability to evaluate AI-generated content, manage risk, protect sensitive information, and make informed decisions aligned with regulations, ethics and standards becomes increasingly important. 

As a result, curriculum updates focus not only on how to use AI, but also on when to use it, and how to use it responsibly, considering privacy, academic integrity, bias, transparency, disclosure, and risk management. The initiative recognizes that the most valuable skill in a rapidly changing environment may be adaptability itself. 

Looking Ahead 

The long-term vision for the AI Readiness in Academic Programs Initiative is to create a sustainable, scalable process that supports continuous curriculum renewal as technology and workforce needs evolve. Future plans include expanding participation across additional program areas, strengthening industry partnerships, and developing toolkits so academic programs can regularly assess and update their own AI readiness. 

By helping students develop both AI-related competencies and adaptability to navigate continuous change, RRC Polytech is positioning graduates to succeed in an AI-enabled future while supporting Manitoba’s industries and economy. 

RRC Polytech’s AI Strategy is led by Rebecca Molly Hiebert. For more information visit rrc.ca/artificial-intelligence.

RRC Polytech is introducing two new degree programs in Advanced Manufacturing and Mechatronics. These broadened learning experiences include a foundation in research methods and Indigenous worldviews, as well as Industry 4.0 technologies, to equip graduates with skills and confidence to take on increasing responsibility in the workplace.  

The move creates even more options for learners to meet growing workforce demands in key Manitoba industries, accelerate their education, and advance their careers. The Bachelor of Technology degrees are hosted by the Price Institute of Advanced Manufacturing and Mechatronics.  

Through a flexible 2+1 year degree-completion model, learners can build on their existing technical training, such as an engineering technology diploma, and earn a bachelor’s degree in as little as one additional year.  Full- and part-time completion options support the scheduling demands of working professionals looking to obtain a degree relevant to their field.  

“RRC Polytech has a long history of delivering high-quality applied education that responds directly to labour market needs,” said Fred Meier, President and CEO. “Diversifying our program offerings with these new degrees provides options for existing students, graduates, and mid-career professionals to access the applied and experiential learning that are sought after by industry and hallmarks of a polytechnic education. This is another important step on the path of responsive workforce development we’re building at RRC Polytech.” 

The flexible structure of RRC Polytech’s bachelor’s degree model allows learners to earn while they learn, upskill during their career by building on prior education and experience, and progress seamlessly from technical training to degree-level study. 

This new model responds to growing demand for post-secondary qualifications in Manitoba’s labour market: nearly 70 per cent of all job openings in the five years between 2025 and 2029 will require some form of post-secondary education. And it provides learners with another option along the continuum of engineering technology and engineering education provided by RRC Polytech and partners like the University of Manitoba.  

“Manufacturing is changing quickly,” says Jarvis Penner, Vice-President, Technology Services, Price Industries, and Chair of the Price Institute Advisory Board. “The people who will lead that change need to understand automation, data and digital technology, but also how to apply them to real manufacturing problems. The Bachelor of Technology degrees at RRC Polytech help build that combination of technical knowledge and practical thinking that industry needs.” 

Like all RRC Polytech graduates, Bachelor of Technology grads will bring a mix of practical, industry-ready skills and experiential learning to the workforce from day one. In addition, they will have the skills to develop intelligent solutions to optimize processes, understand customer needs, then translate them into the technical requirements for complex systems, and both foundational skills and experience in applied research. This will equip them to lead in the workplace with impactful decision-making.  

As demand for these graduates grows, demand for bachelor’s degree programs that align with industry needs, learner demands, and societal changes will grow in tandem. This will help RRC Polytech continue to meet learners and industry where they are at and keep Manitoba in front of what’s ahead.