Photo: Canstar Community News

It’s got a longstanding reputation as a haven for hippies. But there’s a lot more to Wolseley than Birkenstocks and love beads.

That’s what Red River College student Laina Hughes has learned while researching a book about the storied neighbourhood — which she’s writing as part of her Creative Communications course work. She hopes to paint a picture of the neighbourhood that goes beyond the usual stereotypes (granola, cyclists, mosquito buffer zones, etc.), while positioning it within the larger context of Winnipeg’s cultural mosaic.

A longtime Wolseley resident herself, Hughes has always wanted to write a book, so when the opportunity to research her favourite neighbourhood arose, she knew the subject matter would prove a perfect fit.

“I thought this would be a great way to learn more about Wolseley’s history while celebrating the beauty and unique culture of the neighbourhood,” says Hughes.

“I think Wolseley residents are passionate about their neighbourhood, and I’ve gotten a lot of interest and support from the community so far.”

If you’ve got a story about Wolseley to share, Hughes would love to hear from you. She can be reached via her Twitter account, @WolseleyStories, or by email, wolseleystories@gmail.com.

Staff, students and their family members are invited to attend Red River College’s annual Welcome Party for Immigrant and International Students.

This year’s celebration takes place Friday, Nov. 23, from 6 to 9 p.m., in the Voyageur Dining Room at the Notre Dame Campus. As always, the Welcome event is hosted by RRC’s Diversity and Immigrant Student Support Department, with support from International Education and the RRC Students’ Association.

The College-wide event will feature live music and entertainment, including performances by Punjab Dancers, Paradize Band, Evan Coffie and Yoslai. There will also be fun activities for kids, lots of dancing, and sample foods from around the world.

Those wishing to attend are asked to RSVP by Nov. 16, 2012. To register online, visit this link. To sign up in person, visit the Diversity and Immigrant Student Support offices: Room D206 on the Notre Dame Campus, or Room 103 at the Exchange District Campus.

For more information, contact Lauren Konrad, Student Integration Coordinator, at 204-631-3345 or lkonrad@rrc.ca.

Oye como va! Members of the Red River College Rebels Men’s Volleyball team will take their training sessions south of the border this holiday season — when they head to Cuba for an eight-day winter escape.

The team will spend Dec. 26 – Jan. 2, at the sunny Hotel Tropicoco near Havana, where they’ll train and compete against local athletes while learning about Cuban culture. The trip is being organized with help from the Cuban Ministry of Sport, meaning RRC’s Rebels will likely be squaring off against athletes from the Cuban National Team.

“It’s a great opportunity to go and train and compete against some very high-level players,” says Men’s Volleyball Coach Dan Gilbert. “It will also give us an opportunity to learn more about Cuban history … knowing they have a very strong culture in men’s volleyball, it’s a great way for us to combine our training with those lessons.”

Gilbert says the trip comes at a great time for the team — which currently boasts a number of players with previous Canadian Interuniversity Sport-level experience. To help raise funds, team members are raffling off a chance to accompany the team on their trip.

The lucky winner will receive an all-inclusive trip for two to the same resort — including all travel, meals, beverages, and many daily activities — and will have the option of following the team during their training, or simply soaking up the sights and sounds of Cuba.

Tickets are $20 each, or $50 for a three-pack. The latter option also includes a Rebels Athletics Season Pass, good for admission to all Rebels volleyball, basketball and soccer home matches, as well as the 2013 MCAC Volleyball Championships.

Raffle tickets are available at the front counter of RRC’s North Gym, or by contacting Gilbert at (204) 632-2397 or dagilbert@rrc.ca.

Red River College will play host to the 2012 Manitoba Colleges Athletics Conference (MCAC) Soccer Championships, running Oct. 20 and 21 at the Notre Dame Campus.

The RRC Rebels Men’s team will kick off the tournament at their semi-final match against Providence University College at noon on Saturday. The Rebels Women’s team will follow with their own semi-final game against Canadian Mennonite University at 2 p.m.

Ryan Ratushniak, Manager of Athletics and Recreation at RRC, says athletes on both teams are looking forward to the weekend, noting the College has made great strides with its soccer program since fielding teams for the first time in 2011. During last year’s MCAC Championships, RRC’s men’s team finished second, while the women’s team finished third.

“This is only our second year with soccer teams in the MCAC, so it is more challenging for us to compete with fully established programs,” says Ratushniak.

“That said, our athletes are very skilled, and with the training they have undergone since the beginning of September, they’re in a great position to compete for the MCAC Championship.”

Click here for a full schedule of this weekend’s matches, and here for more information about RRC’s soccer program.

Congratulations to Dwayne Forsman, Coordinator of Red River College’s Paramedicine – Primary Care Paramedic program, on being awarded a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal.

Forsman will receive the honour in Ottawa on Nov. 19, at a special ceremony arranged by the Paramedic Association of Canada. He’s the second member of RRC’s extended family to have received the prestigious honour — former RRC Dean Dave Williamson also picked up a medal at last month’s Thin Air Winnipeg International Writers Festival.

Click here to read a profile of Forsman that ran earlier this year on the Canadian Paramedicine website. Click here to learn more about RRC’s Paramedicine – Primary Care Paramedic program.

(From left): RRC President Stephanie Forsyth; Don Boitson, VP & GM of Magellan Aerospace; Western Economic Diversification Minister Lynne Yelich; and Public Safety Minister Vic Toews.

Leaders from government, education and aerospace gathered to celebrate the opening of Red River College’s new Centre for Non-Destructive Inspection (CNDI) on September 29th. The facility is housed within a new RRC “industrial campus” located at Magellan Aerospace‘s production plant in Winnipeg.

Featuring some of Canada’s most advanced inspection equipment — including one of only two laser ultrasonic testing (Laser UT) systems in the country — CNDI provides a competitive advantage for the manufacturing sector in Manitoba while addressing the industry demand for skilled inspection staff.

“The productivity enhancements, when compared to other traditional methods of inspection are significant,” explained Don Boitson, Vice President and General Manager of Magellan Aerospace. “A component that would take eight hours to inspect using conventional methods can take as little as one hour to inspect utilizing Laser UT. The benefits provided through this technology are considerable in terms of efficiencies to both cost and schedule.”

In addition to the direct benefits for industry, Red River College students are in the unique position of being trained to use this leading edge technology.

“One of the key themes of Red River College’s strategic plan is to fuel Manitoba’s economic growth and community development,” said Stephanie Forsyth, President of Red River College. “By partnering with the federal government and Magellan Aerospace on the creation of CNDI, we’re helping spark innovation within the aerospace sector and giving researchers and students access to state-of-the-art inspection equipment.” Read More →

Former Red River College Dean Dave Williamson got a surprise out of thin air last week — when he was honoured with a prestigious Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal.

The medal was presented to Williamson by Winnipeg South Centre MP Joyce Bateman, at last week’s Thin Air Winnipeg International Festival.

The letter that Williamson received along with the medal reads: “You were nominated for this award for your outstanding contributions to the cultural and arts community of Winnipeg. Your passion and dedication to your craft is truly inspiring. In addition to your literary contributions as author and teacher, your work as the founder of the Creative Communications program and the Dean of Business & Applied Arts at Red River College must be recognized and commended.”

Williamson, who recently released a book detailing the history of RRC, was one of the featured writers on the Festival mainstage. He says Bateman had arranged with the Festival’s executive director to surprise him with the presentation.

“I was sitting there on the Festival stage after giving my reading and, as they announced the award presentation, I was wondering who was going to be the recipient,” says Williamson. “I was in total shock when they called my name. Once it more or less sank in, I was grateful that they presented the medal on that particular night, with many members of the writing community in attendance.”

Click here for more information on Changing People’s Lives: An Illustrated History of Red River College.

Red River College continues to expand the scope of its international reach, through recently-signed partnership agreements with a trio of post-secondary institutions in China.

In September 2012, RRC President Stephanie Forsyth took part in a Canada Trade Mission with the Province of Manitoba and other Premiers and delegates from across the country. During the trip, she took time to further relationships with existing partner schools, and to sign new Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) with three new institutions — Xi’an University, Bangde College, and Shanghai Medical Instrumentation College (shown above).

The MOUs outline the College’s intent to work towards the development of program partnerships and students and staff exchanges.

“As more interest in the College is generated through our international endeavors, the work of the International Project Team gains in importance,” says Forsyth. “This Team will ensure we have the necessary supports and infrastructure in place to receive students and faculty from other countries, as well as open the door for increased opportunities for RRC students and staff.”

Students from RRC’s Nursing program were recognized for their academic and clinical accomplishments last week.

The following students picked up awards at the Nursing program’s Celebrating Excellence luncheon, held Fri., Sept. 21 at the Prairie Lights restaurant:

Bachelor of Nursing

• Amber Anderson
• Jocelyn Beaumont
• Rae-Ann Buydens
• Andrea Chapman
• Heather Day
• Diane De Groot
• Jennifer Romanoff
• Chantal Roziere
• Melissa Walker

Diploma Nursing (Accelerated)

• Kari Gagne
• Lillibeth Garachico
• Navdeep Thind

Joint Baccalaureate Nursing

• Sherry Haderer
• Caroline Kuzminski

Click here for more information about RRC’s Nursing program.

Red River College’s winning streak continued at the North American Occupational Safety and Health (NAOSH) Awards this month, where its safety and prevention efforts won Best Overall honours at both the national and provincial level.

The national award was handed out on Sept. 11, 2012, at the annual Canadian Society of Safety Engineering (CSSE) Conference in Niagara Falls, Ont. The provincial award was received on Sept. 17, at the Workers Compensation Board in Winnipeg.

“NAOSH Week provides us with a valuable opportunity to celebrate our ongoing commitment to maintaining and improving a safe and healthy workplace,” said Daryl Nielsen (above, right), Manager, Environmental Health and Safety Services at RRC. “Our safety culture is promoted through senior management commitment, strong safety leadership and effective engagement with our employees, with a goal to instill the same commitment in our students to carry high standards and values into other workplaces.”

This marks the second year in a row RRC has won a double-dose of honours, having picked up a national award in 2011 for “Best Representation of a Theme,” and a provincial nod in the “Most Innovative” category.

Plans are already underway for next year’s NAOSH Week, which will be celebrated across Canada May 5-11, 2013. Next year’s theme is “Safety & Health: A Commitment for Life! Are You As Safe As You Think?”

RRC’s Joint Workplace Safety and Health Committee, NAOSH Planning Committee and Environmental Health and Safety Services department wish to thank everyone who participated in NAOSH Week events, and who continue to demonstrate their commitment to safety in the workplace and at home.

Click here for more information about this year’s awards, and here for more information about NAOSH Week.