Red River College is pleased to see infrastructure and skills training identified as top priorities in the Federal Budget 2014.

“We welcome a collaborative approach with government, industry and community partners in expanding our ability to train Manitoba’s workforce,” said Stephanie Forsyth, President & CEO, Red River College. “This approach will ensure we meet the needs of education in the 21^st century and prepare students for the demands of the modern workforce.”

With the creation of the Canada Apprentice Loan, additional funding by the federal government will reduce waiting lists for access to education and meet employer demands for skilled workers. This can help address youth unemployment at the same time.

The government’s pledge of $305 million over five years to extend and enhance broadband high-speed Internet access for rural and Northern communities is welcomed. This aligns with RRC’s strategic plan in ensuring access to education for all Manitobans. RRC is equipped to provide distance education via Internet training but we are hampered in rural areas, particularly in the north for Aboriginal students. Expanding broadband networks and making the Internet more available is a way to open the door to post-secondary education for many, while also providing another solution to the anticipated skills gap.

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Red River College’s (RRC’s) Hospitality and Culinary Arts program is partnering with Granny’s Poultry Farmers Cooperative to develop products in a commercial kitchen to be taken to market.

Chefs and Students are developing recipes and testing Granny’s new chicken that is fed flax, alfalfa and ginseng through the Sungrown Feeding Program, labeled as Granny’s Finest. They are assisting in getting the product ready for market through applied research in a state-of-the-art kitchen at RRC’s Paterson GlobalFoods Institute. Throughout development, the products will be featured in Jane’s Restaurant, an urban upscale restaurant located in the culinary school, as well as in many other College kitchens.

“Partnering with an industry-leader like Granny’s Poultry benefits Red River College culinary students and researchers through the opportunity to conduct food technology research in the state-of-the-art institute,” said Stan Chung, vice-president, academic and research, Red River College. “RRC’s new Paterson GlobalFoods Institute offers the expertise and resources to industry partners who see an opportunity to apply their product in a commercial/education setting for market consumption.”

Showing off a featured dish at Jane’s Restaurant using Granny’s Finest Poultry Products. (Pictured L-R: Stan Chung, VP Academic & Research, Craig Evans, CEO, Granny’s Poultry and Chef Jeffrey Brandt, Janes Restaurant.)

“Having the ability to test, develop and then consume Granny’s product in our local market is advantageous to many stakeholders,” said Craig Evans, CEO of Granny’s Poultry Farmers Cooperative. “We are proud to collaborate with farmers, students, education, government and distributors to provide a product that is truly the finest for consumers”.

“Having the ability to test, develop and then consume Granny’s product in our local market is advantageous to many stakeholders,” said Craig Evans, CEO of Granny’s Poultry Farmers Cooperative. “We are proud to collaborate with farmers, students, education, government and distributors to provide a product that is truly the finest for consumers”.

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Ray Hoemsen, P.Eng, FEC, Director, Applied Research & Commercialization

At the 2013 Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists (APEGM) Awards Gala Dinner held October 25, Ray Hoemsen, Director, Applied Research and Commercialization, Red River College (RRC) proudly received the Honorary Life Membership.

“It’s truly an honour,” said Hoemsen. “Even though this type of recognition is individual in nature, it would not be possible without the support of the academic/applied research team and the College.”

“Ray has had an incredible career spanning over 35 years, and we are pleased to be able to grant him an Honorary Life Membership,” said Dawn Nedohin-Macek, P.Eng, President, APEGM. “He is an inspiration to his students, faculty and fellow Professional Engineers.”

“On behalf of the College I wish to personally congratulate Ray,” said Stephanie Forsyth, President and CEO, Red River College. “He’s instrumental in positioning our College on the map through research initiatives and has made RRC become a place where industry comes to explore applied research needs.”

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Solar Trough located at Red River College’s Notre Dame Campus

Red River College has been ranked seventh out of 50 Canadian research colleges and polytechnics, having posted $4.37 million in research income during the 2012 fiscal year. The ranking is based on the inaugural Canada’s Top 50 Research Colleges List, released Oct. 23 by Research Infosource Inc.

“This is excellent validation for the College,” said Stephanie Forsyth, President and CEO of RRC. “Colleges and polytechnics play a key role in research and innovation in our country. Today’s announcement demonstrates our growth and ever-increasing engagement with industry, while further establishing us as a top-performing Canadian college and polytechnic and a strategic research partner for businesses.”

Major areas and initiatives supported by the research funding included improvements to the energy performance of commercial and industrial buildings, technology and training for Manitoba’s aerospace and manufacturing industries, and testing and demonstration of electric vehicles.

Much of the research leverages the province’s harsh climate to conduct practical research and testing to solve real-world problems faced by Manitoba industries and communities, while also producing innovative solutions that can have an impact on the lives of all Canadians. Read More →

From left: Kim Jasper, Red River College; Dale Friesen, Manitoba Hydro; Bert van den Berg, National Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC); Ray Hoemsen, Red River College; and Dr. James Blatz, University of Manitoba.

Red River College (RRC), Manitoba Hydro (MH), and the University of Manitoba (U of M) partnered to develop a solar thermal parabolic trough system (Solar Trough) to concentrate energy and test its effectiveness in cold climates.

“This world-class project will explore the feasibility of providing sustainable heating to the world’s cold-climate communities,” said Stephanie Forsyth, president of Red River College. “It also serves as a successful partnership model for applied learning and innovation, with the University of Manitoba and the College sharing resources and expertise.”

The system captures and concentrates solar energy into a fluid-filled tube where heat production is being measured. Phase One of the project will measure the amount of heat the troughs produce in a cold climate environment. This is the first time an application like this has been explored in a cold climate. While solar power systems have been effective in much warmer regions like California and New Mexico, there has never been a chance to determine their effectiveness in an extremely cold climate.

“This project will test the trough’s performance in Manitoba’s climate, and we intend to use the results to estimate Manitoba’s solar thermal resource,” said Dale Friesen, division manager, Industrial and Commercial Solutions for Manitoba Hydro. “These troughs could potentially be used to lower the province’s use of electricity and natural gas for heating purposes.”

The Solar Trough located at Red River College’s Notre Dame Campus

“This partnership between the University of Manitoba, Red River College, and Manitoba Hydro is an example of how we can pool our considerable research talents at the three institutions to deliver successful and meaningful research,” said James Blatz, associate vice-president (partnerships) and professor civil engineering, University of Manitoba. “It’s our collective goal to capitalize on many more successful research partnership opportunities such as this.”

The solar trough site is the latest in RRC facilities and equipment dedicated to research in sustainable energy and infrastructure. Along with funding from Manitoba Hydro and the U of M, this project is financially supported in part by the College’s Sustainable Infrastructure Technology Research Group, with funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).

Last week’s federal budget promises to reinforce the work Red River College is doing to provide more opportunities for future students and faculty, says RRC President Stephanie Forsyth.

Overall, RRC welcomes the collaborative approach outlined in the budget, which envisions two levels of government, post-secondary education institutions, labour and industry working together to help address the Canadian skills shortage. Both the Association of Community Colleges of Canada (ACCC) and Polytechnics Canada have also welcomed these announcements, particularly because they’ve been advocating for this type of investment and focus in skills development.

One of the highlights of the budget was a proposed Canada Job Grant, a $500-million investment in 2014-15 to connect employers with prospective employees and invest in their education. Early information suggests a potential student could be eligible for a $15,000 grant paid for with equal contributions from employers and the federal and provincial governments.

As Forsyth points out, many programs at RRC have a waiting list ratio of up to four students for every one currently attending. At first glimpse, the Canada Jobs Grant would help train more students, though collaboration from all parties would be required.

“This proposed grant is dependent upon all three parties bringing money to the table, so it is far from certainty,” she said last week. “Working closely with industry, the private sector and community organizations is a particular strength of RRC. If this collaborative model comes to pass, it will hopefully help us leverage this strength to engage more students and meet the needs of industry.” Read More →

Canada’s newest hospitality and culinary school opened its anchor restaurant today – Jane’s – the final piece in a 10-storey school where students learn, work and live in a facility modeled after the best European schools – all housed in a fully renovated historic building.

“From here we are going to attract people from around the world to Winnipeg,” said Red River College President Stephanie Forsyth as she opened the doors to Jane’s – the opulent 90-seat fine dining restaurant of the Paterson GlobalFoods Institute in the 1904 restored Union Bank Tower in downtown Winnipeg. “Learning and working in a space like this really inspires staff and students to do their best. The institute will attract and graduate the best hospitality people in Canada.”

“As the anchor restaurant, Jane’s provides the finishing touches to a school that the Canadian hospitality industry has been requesting for decades – a Canadian equivalent of the finest hotel and culinary schools in Europe. This is Canada’s answer. The Paterson GlobalFoods Institute combines culinary, baking and pastry arts, mixology and hospitality management with a student residence. At Jane’s, for example, the classroom is the restaurant. Students prepare and serve the meals in an open-concept kitchen, allowing guests to see the students and learn more about cooking while they dine,” Forsyth said.

Manitoba Premier Greg Selinger, who was among the first guests to walk through the facility, says Jane’s and Paterson GlobalFoods Institute will help meet the skilled labour shortage in Manitoba. The Manitoba government has contributed $5 million toward the school and restaurant.

“This new restaurant at Red River College is an innovative approach to helping meet the growing demand for skilled workers in Manitoba and we’re proud to support its creation,” said Selinger. “And for the 140 graduates every year who will have trained at Jane’s and the Paterson GlobalFoods Institute this means practical experience that will help them more quickly transition from school to a good job.” Read More →

Downhill runs keep leading to upward trends for members of Red River College’s Concrete Toboggan Race Team, who picked up a pair of awards and a top-quarter ranking at the annual competition in Vancouver last month.

The nine-member team took home a Spirit Award and Best Steering Design honours at the 39^th annual Great Northern Concrete Toboggan Race, where members finished fifth out of 21 teams representing some of the country’s top engineering schools.

The showing improves on the team’s ninth-place finish in 2012, and shows how far they’ve come since ranking last in their tournament debut the year prior.

The Toboggan Race, a showcase of innovation and engineering spirit, draws teams of post-secondary students from all over Canada, encouraging them to focus on materials and structure knowledge, innovative concrete and mechanical design, and teamwork. Entrants must design and construct a five-person toboggan with a roll bar (capable of withstanding an upset at 75-km/hour), and a running surface composed entirely of concrete, while maintaining a total weight of less than 300 pounds. Read More →

Brent Wennekes, Red River College

Accelerating innovation in Manitoba is Red River College’s motivation for appointing a technology- and research-focused business and communications specialist to the Innovate Manitoba team.

Brent Wennekes, Technology Transfer & Communications Manager with Applied Research & Commercialization at RRC will provide his skills three days per week to Innovate Manitoba as Research and Programs Manager.

“With its applied research program and reputation for graduating skilled individuals, Red River College is an important player in Manitoba’s innovation ecosystem,” said Jan Lederman, President of Innovate Manitoba. “Their provision of a highly-skilled programs manager to our team demonstrates a significant commitment towards accelerating innovation in Manitoba.”

Wennekes has experience in managing programs and research activities with a national not-for-profit advanced technology organization. With RRC, he has been supporting the growth of applied research programs in the areas of clean technology, advanced manufacturing, digital technology, and health sciences.

“Red River College plays a vital role in advancing innovation in Manitoba through its applied research endeavors,” said Stephanie Forsyth, President of Red River College. “And it’s no secret that Manitoba’s true strength is our ability to collaborate to get the job done. To that end, we are pleased to contribute a dynamic individual to support the growth and impact of Innovate Manitoba which will ultimately provide a net benefit to our Province.”

Along with contributing to Innovate Manitoba’s ongoing activities, Wennekes will be looking to help increase collaboration among existing community members, increase innovation funding and resources available to the community, and help execute a membership drive.

About Innovate Manitoba

Innovate Manitoba is a non-profit, province-wide organization with programs dedicated to linking researchers, inventors and entrepreneurs to the resources they need to succeed. It is an integrated hub for all innovation-related activities in Manitoba, focused on accelerating innovation and commercialization in the province. For more information, please contact: Jan Lederman at janlederman@innovatemanitoba.com, or call 204-934-2349.

About Red River College

Red River College is Manitoba’s second-largest post secondary institution with over 30,000 enrolments in full-time, part-time and apprenticeship programs each year. RRC is also one of Canada’s leading colleges in the area of applied research, with a particular focus on sustainable infrastructure, alternative energy vehicles, aerospace and manufacturing.

Originally posted on Red River College’s Applied Research blog.

While some buildings in Manitoba’s harsh climate perform well over time, others experience major problems ranging from high-energy bills to crumbling facades. Researchers with Red River College are aspiring to determine why.

With funding from Manitoba Hydro, RRC will test 20 commercial buildings throughout the Province over the next 16 months for air leakage, a critical factor in a building’s energy use, durability, air quality and comfort.

“It is a significant but essential step to better understand how air leakage affects Manitoba’s commercial buildings,” said Rob Spewak, RRC’s research manager. “Manitoba Hydro’s support and assistance reinforces the importance of this issue.”

The need for airtightness in buildings was initially seen only as an energy issue, since excessive air leakage can significantly increase heating and cooling costs, but other significant problems can occur.

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