Don Streuber, President Bison Transport and RRC President & CEO, Stephanie Forsyth

A plaque was unveiled at RRC’s Heavy Equipment Transportation Centre student lounge to recognize the partnership between the College and Bison Transport.

“The Bison Transport Student Lounge naming reflects the tremendous support of Bison Founder, Mr. Duncan Jessiman and President, Mr. Don Streuber,”said Stephanie Forsyth, President & CEO, Red River College. “Staff and students not only benefit from the generous gift of $100,000 but we are extremely grateful for the gift of service Don Streuber has afforded. He is an incredible ambassador for the College and a volunteer who champions for continued industry growth and development at HETC.”

“Bison Transport is known as North America’s Safest Fleet and our maintenance department plays a vital role in ensuring the safety of our equipment on the road,” said Bison President Don Streuber. “We are happy to play a role in the development of the next generation of technicians graduating from Red River College.”
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Today Red River College recognizes the work and contributions of volunteers and volunteer-involving organizations on International Volunteer Day.

“On this day, we take the opportunity to recognize volunteerism and the impact staff, students and faculty make,” said Stephanie Forsyth, President & CEO, Red River College. “Volunteer Management is not only programming offered at RRC but through College led initiatives, our team makes a difference by contributing to community through social and educational initiatives.”

RRC’s Volunteer Management Certificate program is the only one like it in Canada and follows the Canadian Administrators of Volunteer Resources (CAVR) guidelines.  The program trains students to manage and motivate groups of volunteers.  Core courses include; Recruitment and Marketing, Risk Management, Program Planning and Evaluation, Interpersonal Communication, and Working with Volunteers.  The Volunteer Management Certificate is available through distance learning, so students may enrol from anywhere in Canada to earn their certificate. It is offered through partnership with Volunteer Manitoba, Manitoba Association of Volunteer Administration (MAVA) and can be used towards a CAVR designation.  Graduates find rewarding and exciting careers in health-care, arts and culture, sports, tourism and much more

“The Volunteer Management program at Red River helped me focus on my management style and how I could apply it to organizing and maintaining a volunteer database of 250 participants,” said Kelly Seifert, Volunteer Coordinator & Facility Administration, Winnipeg Football Club. “Growing up, my parents taught me the value in helping others and I developed a passion early on for volunteering. RRC’s program allowed me to earn my certificate while working and now I enjoy a rewarding career committed to volunteerism.”

Red River College staff, students, and faculty regularly volunteer. From growing crops for the Students’ Association food bank and Winnipeg Harvest to leading the All Charities Campaign to special events for staff, students, faculty and their families, volunteers make a difference.

International Volunteer Day was established in 1985 by the UN General Assembly to be commemorated on December 5^th every year.  It is a day dedicated to celebrate volunteers and volunteer-involving organizations and what they achieve for peace and sustainable development.

By Stacy Cardigan Smith (Creative Communications, 2006)

One of Red River College’s newest counsellors is a long-standing pillar in the local LGBT* community – and now his involvement and support has been recognized with an award from Manitoba’s LGBT* Chamber of Commerce.

Chad Smith, who joined Red River College in late August, was given the Community Leader Award during the LGBT* Chamber’s Annual Business Awards in late October. The award recognizes an individual, business or organization that has made a significant, long-term contribution to Manitoba’s LGBT* communities.

“It was amazing,” Smith says of the award. “It’s very nice to be recognized for the work and the contributions you do because that’s not why we do it. We don’t do it to be awarded, so to have something like that happen is very flattering and honouring and humbling.”

Prior to joining RRC, Smith spent four years as executive director with Rainbow Resource Centre, a not-for-profit providing support, education, programming and resources to the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and two-spirit communities of Manitoba and North Western Ontario.

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For the first time ever, the students of Red River College’s Disability and Community Support program, together with the Diversity and Immigrant Student Support department, have joined forces to create awareness about the United Nations’ International Day of Persons with Disabilities on Tuesday, Dec. 3.

In 2010, Canada became a signatory to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Dec. 3 is a day of celebration where we acknowledge the ever-increasing recognition of the human rights of persons with disabilities.

The government of Manitoba is about to pass accessibility legislation (Bill 26), which is a significant step toward eliminating barriers, in terms of both physical access and economic opportunity. These decisions show real progress toward greater inclusion for people with disabilities.

This day, however, also reminds us there are still many barriers that need to be broken in terms of education, employment, healthcare, transportation, housing and social support systems. At present, many persons with disabilities in Manitoba still experience marginalization or exclusion from the activities of daily life. Read More →

Please join us on Friday, November 22 from 6:00pm to 9:00pm in the Voyageur Restaurant at the Notre Dame Campus to celebrate the annual Welcome Party for Immigrant and International Students. Take part in celebrating diversity and extending a warm College welcome to our immigrant and international students.

As we are celebrating diversity, we welcome you to share your traditions and come dressed in cultural clothing, and dressed for a party! Please bring a donation of non-perishable food items (canned food) for the RRC Student Food Bank. This is a College-wide and family-friendly event; everyone is welcome to bring family, children and friends.

This year’s party features live music and entertainment including performances by Punjab Dancers from India, South American band, Descarga Latina, African drummer, Evans Coffie and Cuban dance group, Yoslai de la Rosa. Take part in fun activities for children including arts and crafts, face painting and balloons. Participate in educational games and cultural teachings brought to you by RRC’s Aboriginal Student Support and Community Liaison Department. Enjoy lots of dancing and sample global cuisine.

Please register by Friday, November 15. To register, please find the attached invite and visit the on-line link: http://blogs.rrc.ca/diversity/welcomeparty/

If you have any questions please contact, Lauren Konrad, Student Integration Coordinator at 204.631.3345 or lkonrad@rrc.ca.

This event is organized by the Diversity and Immigrant Student Support department, with additional sponsorship from the International Education office and the RRC Students’ Association.

Red River College’s Heavy Equipment Transportation Centre (HETC).

Red River College wishes to recognize the Manitoba Trucking Association and its members during National Trucking Week in Canada.

“Red River College works closely with the trucking industry in Manitoba to ensure we provide training opportunities to drive the economy and provide a qualified workforce,” said Stephanie Forsyth, president of RRC. “We want to recognize National Trucking Week and applaud the Manitoba Trucking Association and its members during this celebratory week.”

In 2009, RRC opened its innovative Heavy Equipment Transportation Centre (HETC), which offers training in the areas of Heavy Duty Equipment Mechanics, Truck and Transport Mechanics, and Transport Trailer Technician. The facility has provided the College with increased enrolment opportunities in the heavy duty and transport trade programs.

HETC also supports Manitoba’s growing green-energy economy by affording opportunities for conducting applied research and advanced training in leading-edge technologies such as biodiesel, ethanol, hydrogen and electric hybrids, hydrogen fuel cells, and emissions and cold-weather testing. Read More →

Photo courtesy the Boys & Girls Clubs of Winnipeg.

Alumni and staff from RRC’s Culinary Arts program will take part in next month’s 100-Mile Dinner in support of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Winnipeg.

The fall charity bash, taking place Sept. 8 at the Caboto Centre on Wilkes Avenue, features an impressive lineup of local chefs, including RRC staffers Luc Jean and Jonny Royal, and culinary grads Adam Donnelly (head chef and co-owner of Segovia Tapas Bar & Restaurant) and Mark Teague (head chef at Sydney’s at The Forks).

The chefs will join other culinary stars  — including reps from Peasant Cookery, Deer + Almond, and Bistro 7 and 1/4 — to serve up a mouthwatering meal made of fresh, seasonal and locally-grown ingredients found within 100 miles of Winnipeg.

RRC Hospitality instructor Janet Townsend and current students from that program will also lend their support, providing front-of-house service at the event.

Now in its third year, the 100-Mile Dinner raises funds for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Winnipeg, which provide after-school, athletic, educational and leadership opportunities for more than 4,100 disadvantaged children and youth in Winnipeg.

Individual tickets are $125 each; to order, email marcial@wbgc.mb.ca, or call 204.982.4940.

Red River College is pleased to be participating for the first time in Winnipeg Harvest’s Grow-A-Row Project.

The initiative’s roots date back to 1986, when Winnipeggers Ron and Eunice O’Donovan produced more potatoes in their backyard garden than they could consume. Their vegetables were so well received by Winnipeg Harvest, the O’Donovans encouraged friends and neighbours to donate their surplus produce, too. Since then, Grow-A-Row has yielded millions of pounds of fresh fruit and veggies.

At RRC, the project is being led by Gord McLeod (shown, at left) and his Pavement & Grounds team. In between weed-whacking, mowing and other regular duties, staff and student employees take time from their schedules to tend to the garden and its bounty.

The 30′ x 60′ plot is located between the West Parking Lot and the old Greenhouse.

“Six weeks ago this was just a grassy area,” says McLeod of the space. “We tilled it and added 12 cubic yards of compost from our on-site compost pile to get the soil nice and healthy.”

The team then planted russet potatoes and carrot seeds, and in a matter of weeks, the garden had sprouted. Harvest is expected to take place in late September; during that time, staff and students will be invited to participate in a harvest-picking party.

“This is a great project for many reasons,” says Nancy Alexander, Vice-President of Human Resource Services and Sustainability at RRC. “It supports the College’s values of sustainability and wellness and strengthens our connection to the community. I want to thank Gord and his team for their work on ‘grow-a-row’ and look forward to expanding the project in years to come.”

Students and staff who’ve spent the summer months tending to their own gardens can participate in Grow-A-Row by dropping off fruit and veggies at Winnipeg Harvest from Monday to Saturday.

Graduates of RRC’s Youth Recreation Activity Worker program gathered to celebrate their achievements last Friday, at a special event held to showcase their contributions to the community.

On Friday, June 7, the program’s graduating class met at RRC’s Roblin Centre to pay tribute to each others’ achievements, and to mark the College’s 12th year of making a difference in the lives of inner city youth.

“Congratulations to all of the Youth Recreation Activity Worker program graduates,” said lead instructor Kerry Coulter. “You have already affected the lives of so many youth in a positive way and I know you will continue to have a huge impact in our community and with each individual child you are yet to meet.”

The program, which trains participants to work with inner city youth, was launched in response to increased demand for drop-in programming at the Boys and Girls Clubs of Winnipeg. Building on existing materials from RRC’s Child and Youth Care program, the College developed a 10-month certificate program to train a new generation of young adults to serve as recreational leaders.

Graduates of the program, many of whom face socio-economic barriers themselves, often go on to find jobs with Boys and Girls Clubs and other inner city youth agencies, or as childhood educators and teachers’ aides.

Last week’s event was attended by a number of politicians and community leaders, including Mayor Sam Katz, Premier Greg Selinger, and Boys and Girls Clubs President Ron Brown.

Click here to learn more about the program, which is open to students aged 18 to 29.

A heartfelt thank-you — and an equally heartfelt congratulations — to everyone who took part in Red River College’s entry in the 2013 Pride Winnipeg Parade on June 2.

Approximately 60 students and staff members, together with friends and family, donned bright red RRC t-shirts while walking the parade route in support of Manitoba’s LGBTT community.

As a result of their enthusiasm (and possibly all the free frisbees they handed out!), Red River College won the “Best Walking Group” award from Pride Parade organizers.

Click here to see a gallery of photos from the event.