From “best startup” to “best medium-sized business” in less than a year? Apparently it pays to be bold.

Congratulations go out to Red River College grads (and brothers) Yvan and Eric Boisjoli, two of the founding partners of local software suppliers Bold Innovation Group.

Earlier this year, the company was named Startup of the Year at the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce’s annual Spirit of Winnipeg Awards. This year, they’ve been nominated for a Manitoba Chambers of Commerce MBiz Awards, in the Outstanding Medium Business category.

The Boisjoli brothers, both graduates of RRC’s Computer Analyst/Programmer program (now called Business Information Technology) launched Bold in March 2012, along with co-founders Stefan Maynard and Jason Myers.

They’ve quickly become one of the leading third-party suppliers of apps for e-commerce giant Shopify, with almost 50,000 clients served, including Wikipedia, Subway, Time-Life and Cirque du Solieil. They’ve also branched out with experimental new projects unrelated to e-commerce, including Kickbooster, Fishbowl Prizes and Inviid.

In addition to the above accolades, they also won in the Young Enterprise category of the St. Boniface Chamber of Commerce’s Entrepreneur Prizes, and earned a national award for economic development and employability from Réseau de dévelopment économique et d’émployabilité (RDEE) Canada, the nation’s Francophone economic and employability network.

The MBiz Awards take place Wed., Oct. 28, at the Victoria Inn Hotel and Convention Centre in Winnipeg.

Congratulations to recent Continuing Education grad Fay Hartwick, this year’s winner of the Red River College and Project Management Institute (PMI) Top Student Award.

Hartwick, who graduated from RRC’s Project Management program in Fall 2014, picked up her award — and associated $1,000 cash prize — at PMI Manitoba’s annual Professional Development Days Spring Conference on April 15.

Each year, program instructors nominate one deserving graduate for the award, basing their decision on a mix of criteria that includes academic achievement, attitude, drive, determination, initiative and teamwork skills.

Hartwick currently works for the Life Science Association of Manitoba (LSAM), where she’s been the office manager since March — working closely with a program manager on event planning and general operations. Before that, she was the Program Director responsible for large conferences at NDG Financial Corporation, parent company to E-Care Contact Centers.

Hartwick, who also has her Management Development credentials from RRC, says she chose the College because of the convenience and comprehensiveness of Continuing Education’s delivery model. Read More →

Red River College is extending the VIP treatment to its graduates this spring, through a newly-launched promotional campaign that celebrates the achievements of not just our alumni, but also the diverse organizations where they find employment after graduating.

As part of the new campaign, RRC invited employer organizations to partner with them on a creative, co-operative advertising blitz. The cost-sharing model provided an opportunity for industry partners to promote their brands, while also showcasing a VIP (and RRC grad) within their ranks.

“RRC alumni are known throughout Manitoba and the world for possessing the necessary skills to be VIPs in their chosen fields,” says David Rew, interim president at RRC.

“It’s just one of the many reasons RRC Grads Get Hired. This spring, we’re celebrating the role our alumni play in driving Manitoba’s economy, and how they are leaders in their careers and their workplaces.”

Appearing this spring throughout Winnipeg and rural Manitoba, the new billboards, bus benches and digital ads feature more then 40 members of RRC’s accomplished alumni community.

“This is an excellent opportunity to partner with RRC and recognize a valued member of our executive team,” says Paul Soubry, president and CEO of New Flyer Industries, whose vice-president of human resources, Janice Harper, is featured on one of this year’s billboards. (See above.)

“Red River College develops skilled grads who are driving Manitoba’s economy, and New Flyer is pleased to provide meaningful employment in our community.”

Visit RRC’s Marketing and Web Presence site for a sneak peek of the full campaign.

Congratulations to the most recent recipients of Red River College’s Lieutenant-Governor’s Medals for Proficiency, awarded as part of our 2015 Winter Convocation ceremonies on Feb. 9 and 10.

Each year, a maximum of four Lt-.Gov.’s Medals are awarded to RRC students who best combine good character, academic and technical achievement, and involvement in College and/or community activities. This year’s winners are:

DIEGO FERNANDO MENDOZA, Chemical and Biosciences Technology

A May 2014 graduate of the College’s Chemical and Biosciences Technology program, Diego Mendoza was born in El Salvador, and moved with his family to Canada in 1993, following years of civil unrest.

He graduated with an International Baccalaureate diploma from Miles MacDonnell Collegiate in 2003, and went on to earn a Bachelor of Sciences degree with a major in Microbiology from the University of Manitoba.

After working in quality assurance for a local food company, he enrolled at RRC, where he hoped to gain further experience in analytical and laboratory work. As part of his program’s co-op education component, he landed his current job as a laboratory technician with the City of Winnipeg’s Water and Waste Department, where he monitors local industries to ensure proper waste treatment processes and environmental protections are in place. Read More →

Don LaFrenais’ meals will soon be warming up Winnipeggers in the coolest of locations.

The 2007 Culinary Arts grad is one of 31 chefs taking part in this year’s RAW: almond, a pop-up restaurant situated on the frozen junction of the Red and Assiniboine rivers.

Now in its third year, RAW: almond has earned praise from architects and food critics alike for its nature-inspired design — complete with tree-stump seating — and gourmet dishes. The recognition has begun to spread internationally, even recently catching the attention of the New York Times.

“It’s all just been incredible reception,” says LaFrenais, the 30-year-old sous chef at the Exchange District’s Deer + Almond. “I definitely have met a lot of chefs from some crazy places — chefs that have been really interested in what we’re doing. It’s been an incredible journey.”

The journey has indeed been a long one from LaFrenais’ first kitchen job — washing dishes and flipping pancakes at Perkins. After working in several restaurants around Winnipeg, he decided to turn a lifelong passion into a career and apply to the Culinary Arts program at Red River College. Read More →

In recognition of a generous gift and ongoing support from TransX Group of Companies, Red River College unveiled a plaque today naming a classroom in the organization’s honour at the Heavy Equipment Transportation Centre (HETC).

The newly-named space symbolizes the long-standing partnership between TransX and RRC, which includes support of alumni and student success, and a $100,000 pledge.

TransX joins a host of other industry partners that have supported HETC by providing opportunities for students who graduate from a variety of RRC programs.

“Support from industry partners like TransX assists Red River College in creating opportunities for students that align with industry needs,” says RRC President David Rew. “TransX’s financial and advisory support allows the College to create a state-of-the-art learning facility designed with industry in mind. Our students are the ultimate beneficiaries of their support, and we are grateful for this ongoing partnership.”

Located at RRC’s Notre Dame Campus, HETC boasts 60,000 square feet of classroom and lab space in which students can work on large vehicles representing a variety of industry sectors. Offering modern transportation technology, the facility meets the LEED silver standard in energy efficiency, and is home to four RRC programs: Heavy Duty Equipment Mechanic, Outdoor Power Equipment Technician, Transport Trailer Mechanic Apprenticeship and Transport Truck/Bus Apprenticeship.

“We are proud to support a first-class training centre at Red River College that helps promote, attract and train heavy duty technicians for the transportation industry,” says Mike Jones, Vice-President of Operations at TransX. “Our industry relies on highly skilled graduates and we’re proud to partner with RRC to continue to provide these types of opportunities.” Read More →

Teacher Education students at Red River College are flipping the professional development experience by teaching teachers how to integrate technology into their classrooms.

It’s all part of Flipping PD, a program developed by RRC’s Eva Brown, an instructor with the Business/Technology Teacher Education program offered jointly through the College and the University of Winnipeg.

Brown knows it’s impossible to anticipate the future of technology. Instead, she focuses on developing the skills teachers need to effectively utilize technology in lessons.

“My student teachers need to learn how to use tools, but more than that [they need to know] which tool to go where and how to help their students figure things out, because things are changing so rapidly.”

Future teachers need the ability to constantly learn and adapt; Flipping PD facilitates this by putting them in situations where they’re forced to think on their toes.

“I take my student teachers out into the world. I take them to conferences and different schools and they deliver professional development to reach teachers that want to use these technologies to teach in their classrooms.”

For example, Brown’s students might demonstrate ways classrooms can use Google Drive or Skype to facilitate global learning. Rather than demonstrate how to use a specific tool for a specific lesson, however, they show the learning opportunities that can be facilitated through technology.

“It’s categories of tools that we try to teach, and the ones that will be the most bang for your buck.” Read More →

Congratulations to Red River College’s Chef Luc Jean, who took top honours at this week’s Gold Medal Plates competition, an exclusive culinary contest in which the city’s best chefs go head to head in support of Olympic athletes.

An instructor with RRC’s Culinary Arts program, Jean represented Jane’s — the College’s exclusive restaurant and training kitchen — at the event, which also drew competitors from some of Winnipeg’s most popular kitchens.

Held last night at the RBC Convention Centre, the event celebrated the best in local cuisine, pitting the city’s premiere chefs against each other in a bid for a spot at the championships, which take place next February in Kelowna.

Jean won the top spot on the podium thanks to his mouthwatering entry — a sous-vide of Manitoba pork tenderloin served with butternut squash, carrot and ginger puree, candied oranges, pork crackling and lime honey sauce.

He was joined at the event by 25 students from RRC’s Hospitality and Culinary Arts programs — seven of whom helped him prepare and serve his dish (plus 570 appetizers), and 13 of whom assisted the other competing chefs. Read More →

Interim RRC President David Rew and wife Joan, at the unveiling of the brick pathway outside the Roblin Centre downtown.

Friends and supporters of Red River College gathered to see their memories set in stone over the weekend, at the unveiling of two new pathways comprised of commemorative engraved bricks.

In celebration of the first phase of RRC’s Build Our Future — Buy a Brick campaign, College alumni, donors, dignitaries and friends turned out for twin unveiling ceremonies, one at the Notre Dame Campus, one at the Roblin Centre downtown.

The campaign encouraged supporters to leave a lasting mark at the College, by purchasing engraved bricks in support of friends and loved ones, or to celebrate special occasions or cherished memories of their time at RRC.

Among those in attendance at the ceremonies: current and retired RRC employees, corporate partners and College alumni. (RRC’s Alumni Relations board honoured all past recipients of the College’s Distinguished Alumni award with individualized bricks.)

The campaign’s first phase raised nearly $22,000; installation of the pathways was made possible by students and staff from RRC’s Greenspace Management program.

As part of Phase Two, RRC employees will have the opportunity to purchase bricks through the College’s annual All Charities Campaign. Proceeds raised go to RRC’s 75th Anniversary Endowment Fun, which provides funding for future institutional needs and priorities, including state-of-the-art equipment for learning applications and research, innovative learning techniques, and supports to ensure equal access to education.

Click here to learn more about RRC’s Build our Future — Buy a Brick campaign.

Best of luck to Red River College instructor Luc Jean, who’ll square off against some of the city’s best chefs at an exclusive culinary competition benefiting Canada’s Olympic athletes this week.

Jean, an instructor with RRC’s Culinary Arts program, has been selected as one of the top chefs in Winnipeg, and as such will compete in the 2014 Gold Medal Plates competition, a precursor to the Canadian Culinary Championships.

Jean will represent Jane’s — RRC’s exclusive restaurant and training kitchen — at the event, which takes place Thu., Oct. 2 at the RBC Convention Centre. As it does every year, the event celebrates the best in local cuisine, pitting the city’s premiere chefs against each other in a bid for a spot at the championships, which take place next February in Kelowna.

Jean will face some formidable competition at the event, including a number of RRC grads, among them Adam Donnelly (Segovia), Michael Dacquisto (Food Evolution), and Norm Pastorin (The Grove).

Other competitors include Michael Schafer (Sydney’s at The Forks). Barry Saunders (Inn at The Forks), Edward Lam (Yujio) and Eric Lee (Pizzeria Gusto).

Net proceeds from the Gold Medal Plates go to the Canadian Olympic Foundation, which supports Canada’s Own the Podium program. To date, over $8.2 million has been raised.