RRC Polytech is hosting its eighth annual Truth and Reconciliation and Community Engagement Week to mark the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation, also known as Orange Shirt Day, on Wed., Sept. 30.

While Truth and Reconciliation is a year-round commitment for RRC Polytech, this week is a focal point that aims to deepen understanding of Indigenous histories, cultures and perspectives while encouraging meaningful action toward reconciliation through a series of presentations, workshops, cultural teachings and immersive experiences.

“Truth and Reconciliation is an ongoing process of learning and integrating new information, disentangling ourselves from misinformation and unlearning what we think we know, and opening ourselves to truths that might surprise or challenge us,” says Carla Kematch, Director, Truth and Reconciliation and Community Engagement.

“Every session we host this week is something that each participant can take back to the classroom, to the workplace and to their personal lives, so they can continue the lifelong journey of learning today into the future as we work towards building a better future for all Canadians.”

Truth and Reconciliation and Community Engagement Week began yesterday with a special Author’s Talk with former Manitoba MLA and community leader Kevin Chief, who discussed his new memoir With a Name Like Chief: Reflections on Recovery and Identity Through the Seven Sacred Teachings at the Roundhouse Auditorium in Manitou a bi Bii daziigae.

RRC Polytech is also launching the immersive anti-racism experience How the Dog Learned to Dance, created in partnership with its Emerging Media Production and Truth and Reconciliation and Community Development departments, as well as Ininew artist Heather Endall and Swampy Cree author Michael Hutchinson.

Sessions scheduled throughout the week include Anishinaabemowin language workshops with instructor Corey Whitford, explorations of traditional cedar teachings for wellness and balance, hands-on cultural learning opportunities with Knowledge Keeper Richard — including buffalo hide tanning and scraping and buffalo skull cleaning — and a closing keynote address by former Assembly of First Nations National Chief Ovide Mercredi, focusing on leadership and the ongoing work of removing barriers to Indigenous student success in post-secondary education. Read More →

As part of its role in strengthening Manitoba’s contribution to Canada’s growing defence and industrial capacity, RRC Polytech has been tapped to lead a new initiative providing Manitoba businesses with practical support to prepare for work in the defence sector.

Through a new $3.2-million investment from Prairies Economic Development Canada through the Regional Defence Investment Initiative, RRC Polytech will establish the Manitoba Defence and Dual-Use Innovation Bridge, a two-year collaboration with Manitoba Aerospace Inc. and Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters.

The initiative aims to help local businesses harness their existing expertise and capacity in aerospace, advanced manufacturing and technology, by reducing barriers to entering defence supply chains, including complex procurement processes and demanding cybersecurity and certification requirements.

Supports include helping companies understand government purchasing requirements, strengthen cybersecurity, meet security rules for handling controlled goods and technology, and prepare to participate in defence contracts.

Businesses will also receive support to identify dual-use technology. The initiative will help connect companies with larger defence businesses, government buyers and other potential customers, giving them a clearer path to new contracts and supply-chain opportunities.

“We are thrilled by PrairiesCan’s investment in Manitoba’s innovation and defence ecosystem,” says Dr. Jolen Galaugher, RRC Polytech’s Associate Vice-President, Research Partnerships & Innovation (RPI).

“By combining our applied research capabilities with the expertise of our partners at Manitoba Aerospace and Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters, we are creating an accelerated pathway from innovation to commercialization and market growth. Read More →

Three outstanding Manitobans are the latest recipients of RRC Polytech’s Honorary Diploma: acclaimed creative leader and former politician Tina Keeper and respected automotive industry champions Don and Joyce Sobering.

Keeper and the Soberings were awarded their diplomas at the Spring 2026 Convocation ceremonies held last week at the RBC Convention Centre. The diplomas are awarded to individuals who demonstrate high standards of excellence in their personal and professional achievements, and whose involvement in the community is widely recognized.

“This year’s Honorary Diploma recipients represent very distinct fields, yet they are connected by a common drive to improve their communities through a deep passion and dedication to their work,” said RRC Polytech President Fred Meier.

“The values that Don and Joyce Sobering and Tina Keeper bring to their work align with those that drive our mission — learning, respect, integrity and collaboration. This makes them a natural fit.”

Keeper — whose multifaceted career spans film, television and theatre production, as well as acting, advocacy and public service — received the Honorary Diploma in Creative Communications.

“I am beyond honoured and delighted to be accepting this,” said Keeper (shown above). “While I have been actively involved in serving as an advisor on RRC Polytech’s Advisory Committee, this opportunity is truly a wonderfully unexpected surprise. For the institution to recognize my work and efforts through Kistikan Pictures and its impact on the local creative landscape is an extraordinary honour.” Read More →

Potential learners who self-declare as First Nations (Status and Non-Status), Métis or Inuit are now eligible for free application to any RRC Polytech program.

“We know improving access for Indigenous learners and for students from different backgrounds requires multiple forms of support,” says Dr. Christine Watson, Vice-President Academic.

“Waiving the application fee and working directly with Indigenous students and the communities that support them allows us to remove a financial barrier that is faced when individuals begin to think about joining RRC Polytech as a student. This is one step in alleviating additional barriers they may face in their journey from applying to attending.”

The initiative reduces a financial barrier for Indigenous learners and follows two month-long pilot campaigns in 2024 and 2025 that drew more than 400 and 700 applications, respectively.

These results demonstrated the demand for more accessible application pathways, contributing to the decision to make the initiative permanent. Laureen Janzen, Director of Student Support Services, said many Indigenous applicants shared that the initiative helped them feel welcome at RRC Polytech.

“One person said they felt like they won the lottery,” says Janzen. “By making this a year-round initiative, Indigenous applicants can now also take their time to consider program fit, meet with some of our support services on campus and really understand the programs and the admission requirements.”

RRC Polytech recognizes that financial barriers are only one of several challenges some Indigenous learners may face when considering post-secondary. Potential learners can connect with an Indigenous Academic Advisor to help navigate the transition to post-secondary.

Current students can also access support at RRC Polytech’s Indigenous Student Support Centres, where they can participate in events, cultural teachings and ceremonies, or spend time with friends. Read More →

Even more Manitobans will have the opportunity to earn an engineering degree without leaving the province, thanks to an expanded partnership between RRC Polytech and the University of Manitoba (UM).

The two post-secondary institutions have finalized a new set of articulation agreements that significantly expand pathway options for Engineering Technology graduates seeking to pursue an engineering degree. The agreements build on a partnership announced last spring, and further strengthen collaboration that supports learners on their academic journey and workforce development in Manitoba.

“When post secondary institutions build on each other’s strengths, we create pathways that are stronger, more flexible and more accessible than any of us could offer alone,” says Fred Meier, President and CEO, RRC Polytech. “These partnerships allow us to provide the complementary learning opportunities our province needs — ensuring students, communities and industry all benefit from a more connected and collaborative education ecosystem.

“RRC Polytech is committed to working with our partners to strengthen and grow Manitoba’s workforce — bringing together our shared expertise to ensure learners can thrive.”

Under the new agreements, graduates of several RRC Polytech Engineering Technology programs are now eligible for entry into all undergraduate programs within UM’s Price Faculty of Engineering. This expansion opens additional career and academic opportunities for recent graduates — and those who have graduated within the past 10 years — who are currently in the early stages of their career and looking to advance their credentials.

The newly completed agreements extend pathways to Biosystems, Electrical and Computer Engineering, joining Mechanical and Civil Engineering, which were announced in May 2025. Read More →

Today, RRC Polytech and the Manitoba Government and General Employees’ Union (MGEU) Local 73 celebrated the signing of an agreement that puts change into action to decolonize and enhance equity and inclusion within the Polytech’s Collective Agreement.

This collaboration — the first of its kind — represents a new and transformative approach to advancing the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Calls to Action within labour relations and the collective bargaining process. What sets it apart is the intentional approach rooted in Indigenous knowledge and ways of being, guided by a Knowledge Keeper and supported by both RRC Polytech and MGEU.

“The signing reflects the collaborative work of RRC Polytech and MGEU to live our shared values, advancing Truth and Reconciliation organizationally and within Manitoba,” says Fred Meier, President and CEO, RRC Polytech.

“This process stands out across Canada, setting a precedent for other post-secondary institutions by aligning with Truth and Reconciliation and Community Engagement (TRCE) and Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility (EDIA), honouring Indigenous Knowledge Protocols, and fostering leadership, mentorship and systemic change at the Polytech.”

To review RRC Polytech’s collective agreement, a joint Truth and Reconciliation Working Group was established through an expression of interest, comprised of eight staff and faculty representing both parties.

Guided by Kookum Barbara Bruce’s teachings, ceremony and wisdom, the group ensured the process moved forward in a good way, grounded in Indigenous Knowledge Protocols. Using priority-setting and Design Thinking — a non-linear, iterative process that reflects true Indigenous engagement — the working group developed recommendations under key themes for the collective agreement. Read More →

Today, Prairies Economic Development Canada (PrairiesCan) announced a $3.3-million investment that will expand applied research capacity at RRC Polytech’s Vehicle Technology & Energy Centre (VTEC), helping local manufacturers and businesses in sectors vital to Manitoba’s economy to address gaps in their ability to innovate on the path toward zero emissions.

“Building a stronger, more competitive Canadian economy means investing in the Prairies’ unique strengths,” said the Hon. Eleanor Olszewski, Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience and Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada, in a news release.

“Our new government is helping Manitoba’s heavy equipment and vehicle sector innovate, adopt new technologies and create good jobs for workers and opportunities for local business. Together we are strengthening Canada’s clean industrial economy and ensuring we build Canada strong.”

The federal investment will help establish the Innovation Garage at RRC Polytech, in partnership with the Vehicle Technology Centre — a non-profit that works to accelerate Manitoba’s heavy equipment and vehicle (HEV) manufacturing cluster — the province, and private-sector partners. The funding is in addition to the $3.3-million investment made by the provincial government.

“This investment builds on the strength of Manitoba’s heavy equipment and vehicle sector, which exports around the world and supports thousands of good jobs right here at home,” said the Hon. Jamie Moses, Minister of Business, Mining, Trade and Job Creation, in a news release.

“By partnering with industry and RRC Polytech, we’re helping companies adopt new technologies, scale up and bring more made-in-Manitoba innovations to the global market.”

The Innovation Garage is a flexible project space that will enable academic researchers and industry partners to work together to advance research and development of processes and products that support the HEV sector and accelerate the province’s transition to a low carbon economy.

It will feature leading-edge equipment, tools and technology, including a microgrid lab focused on energy innovation and HEV infrastructure, and a hydrogen and fuel cell lab to advance clean propulsion systems and other new technologies. Read More →

For the first time ever, RRC Polytech has earned a Gold rating in the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System known as STARS. Developed by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, STARS is the most widely recognized framework for measuring sustainability performance in post-secondary institutions, with over 1,200 participants across 52 countries.

An improvement of more than 20 points from its previous submission, RRC Polytech’s Gold status acknowledges its deep commitment to sustainability across academics, operations, engagement, planning and innovation. It’s a testament to the Polytech’s collaborative, campus-wide efforts to embed sustainability into every facet of its mission.

“This achievement represents much more than just a framed certificate to be proud of — it’s a reflection of the collective effort across our campuses to build a better tomorrow and the real, positive impact we’re making in our community,” says Giselle Martel, Vice-President, Finance and Administration.

“From tangible results, like our ongoing efforts to reduce water and energy use in our buildings to applied research partnerships in clean energy technologies to the long-term investment to embed equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility into our daily actions, the sustainability principles we champion today will shape the innovators and decision-makers of tomorrow.”

Awarded every three years, the STARS ratings motivate organizations to assess how they approach the environmental, social and economic dimensions of sustainability and develop methods and programs to address the global challenges that we’re all facing. Read More →

This evening, RRC Polytech will name Tessa Potter, an Emmy award-winning broadcast technician, the recipient of its 2025 Distinguished Graduate Award.

The award, which recognizes the remarkable personal and professional achievements of RRC Polytech alumni, will be formally presented at an event marking the 60th anniversary of the Electrical Engineering Technology program.

Potter graduated from the program’s Electronic Engineering specialization in 2000 and has since built a distinguished career in television, radio and live broadcasting, earning two Sports Emmy Awards for her work behind the camera at the 2022 Beijing and 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

“Tessa’s career shows how far a polytechnic education can take you, particularly in technical industries,” says Fred Meier, President and CEO, RRC Polytech.

“Tessa has built an incredible career through collaboration, hard work and continuous learning, which are all qualities that reflect her character and RRC Polytech’s values. We’re proud to count Tessa among our alumni and pleased to recognize her with this award.”

Potter works as a Senior Broadcast Technician at SBL Engineering and as a Broadcast Liaison with True North Sports + Entertainment, where she’s been supporting NHL and AHL broadcasts for over a decade. She balances these roles with broadcast contracts for major international sporting events, such as the UEFA EURO Finals, FIFA World Cup, Commonwealth Games and the Olympic Games.

“I’m surprised, but also proud to be acknowledged as a worker who has taken my education and turned it into a career that has been valuable, given me the ability to look after my family and filled my days with challenge, intrigue and some really great people,” says Potter.

“Working in a field like electronics, the range of places where your skills can be applied is really wide. I now understand the importance of that fundamental knowledge even more than I did at the time.” Read More →

RRC Polytech is hosting its seventh annual Truth and Reconciliation and Community Engagement (TRCE) Week to mark the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation, also known as Orange Shirt Day, on September 30.

This year, TRCE Week began on Monday, Sept. 22, with a virtual keynote from Phyllis Webstad, whose story of Residential Schools started the Orange Shirt movement in 2013.

RRC Polytech has also partnered with Nursing student Dasia Chatkana, whose original design is featured on the RRC Polytech Orange Shirt in support of the Mínwastánikéwin Truth and Reconciliation Award, which is awarded to Indigenous students every year in January.

“Every year for seven years, the RRC Polytech community has come together to learn about Truth and Reconciliation and Canada’s true history from Indigenous perspectives,” says Jamie Wilson, RRC Polytech’s Vice-President, Indigenous Strategy, Business Development and Research.

“It’s important for us as an educational institution to not only affirm these histories centring Indigenous Peoples, but also to raise awareness to non-Indigenous Canadians that what they were taught in school doesn’t necessarily reflect all realities.”

TRCE Week is five days filled with sessions to educate the RRC Polytech community about the many different responsibilities of Truth and Reconciliation.

While Truth and Reconciliation is a year-round commitment for RRC Polytech, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is a focal point that encourages employees and students to immerse themselves in Indigenous Teachings, storytelling and experiences.

Opportunities to cultivate understandings of the true history and current issues impacting Indigenous Peoples, and reconciliation efforts by society as a whole, contribute to a stronger, more unified community that benefits all members. Read More →