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 →

A Red River College student is encouraging Winnipeggers to go for a walk next weekend —to help fund a rainwater-harvesting project at a school in Tanzania.

Bronwyn Fenn, a second-year Creative Communications student at RRC, is the leading force behind the Winnipeg for Water 6K, a walk and fun-run taking place Sun., Feb. 15, at 1 p.m. at the North Kildonan Community Centre.

“I chose six kilometres because that’s the average distance women and children who live in areas with low access to water [have to] walk every day,” says Fenn, a Kildonan East Collegiate alum who first began raising funds for drought-stricken communities while in high school.

“All money raised is being combined with funds from Kildonan-East Collegiate, and will help build a rainwater harvesting project at Kiwasi Primary School in the Bunda district of Tanzania. The school is about four kilometres from a water source, which is shared with animals — so it’s not safe to drink.”

It’s Fenn’s hope that at least 100 participants will sign up for the walk, and that the event will raise enough money to build the same sort of rainwater harvesting system as the one provided to schools she visited in 2010, while fundraising on behalf of Canadian Physicians for Aid and Relief (CPAR). Read More →

Current students and soon-to-be-grads can get a head start on their job searches this week, at the Red River College Students’ Association’s annual Career Fair.

Taking place Wednesday and Thursday (Jan. 28-29) at the Notre Dame Campus, the event gives RRC students a valuable opportunity to meet and network with leading employers from across Canada — and to learn more about the positions that await them after they graduate and enter the workforce.

More than 100 employers representing a wide range of industries will have a presence in the North Gym and nearby Library hallway during the event.

Shuttle service is available from RRC’s Roblin Centre and Paterson GlobalFoods Institute, and free job-seeking strategies are available from the College’s Student Employment Services office.

Click here for more information on Career Fair 2015.

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 →

Looking for a way to stay active, relieve stress and make new friends?

Sign up for one of the following intramural events hosted by Rebels Athletics and Recreation Services, in conjunction with the Red River College Students’ Association.

Each event costs just $10, and is open to all RRC staff and students.

To participate, print and fill out the 2015 Winter Intramurals Registration Form, then take it to either The Ox (Notre Dame Campus) or The Mercantile (Exchange Campus). Deadline for registration is the Wednesday prior to each event.

Rebels Badminton Classic
When: Sat., Jan. 24, 8am-4pm
Where: North Gym, Notre Dame Campus
Categories: Men’s and Women’s Singles and Doubles; Mixed Doubles
Cost: $10 per person, enter as many categories as you wish

Rebels Floor Hockey
When: Sat., Feb. 7, 8am-4pm
Where: North and South Gyms
, Notre Dame Campus
Categories: Register as a team or a free agent. Five players to a team, including goalie.
Cost: $10 per person

March Madness 3-vs-3 Basketball
When: Sat., March 21, 8am-4pm
Where: North
 Gym, Notre Dame Campus
Categories: Register as a team or a free agent. Men’s and Women’s divisions. Maximum of five players per team, three on the court at one time.
Cost: $10 per person

For additional info, contact Cole Skinner, Athletics and Recreation Coordinator, at 204.632.2397 or coskinner@rrc.ca.

They like her — they really like her!

Former journalist Joanne Kelly needn’t worry about her Q-rating having slipped since she traded her on-camera gig for the classroom a few years back.

The Red River College instructor was recently named “Favourite Prof” in the 2015 edition of The Uniter 30, an annual issue of the University of Winnipeg’s student newspaper determined entirely by reader votes.

Kelly — who actually beat a pair of UWinnipeg profs for the survey’s top spot — has a reputation for encouraging students to work outside of their comfort zones, one she first earned while serving as a frequent industry mentor at Shaw TV, and later cemented after joining RRC’s Creative Communications staff in 2011.

Kelly spent 15 years — at Shaw, CTV Winnipeg, and BCTV — showcasing everyday people and their stories, an approach she continues to adopt with first-year journalism students and those taking second-year broadcast and live TV courses.

Most notably, she’s been able to transform one of her passion projects at Shaw — a live telethon benefitting the Winnipeg Humane Society — into a successful enterprise for CreComm students, who now host, produce, script and shoot the entire event. (Last year, the telethon raised $72,000 and was named Best Remote – Special by the Broadcast Educators Association of Canada.)

In addition, the Live at Five broadcast led by Kelly and her teaching partner Forde Oliver has twice been named Best Student Broadcast by the BEAC, once in 2013 and again 2014.

A Red River College student has organized Winnipeg’s first-ever city-wide bake sale — bringing together 15 local schools to support educational efforts for young women in Kenya.

Proceeds from this Friday’s sale will go The Wasichana Fund, a local non-profit that provides sanitary napkins and health education to more than 500 young women in Nairobi, where on average, female students miss 20 per cent of their studies because they lack a safe and dignified means of managing menstruation.

In December, ambassadors from each of the local schools met at The Wasichana Workshop, a discussion organized by second-year Creative Communications student Alexandra Martin (shown above).

The workshop focused on barriers facing young women in developing countries and the economical, social and political importance of female education. After taking part, the local ambassadors returned to their own schools to spread the message, with this week’s bake sale serving as the final campaign push.

“It’s been rewarding to see these like-minded young women come together and practice skills they will use to be future leaders in our community,” Martin says. “The goal is for them to realize the significant impact they can have when working together.”

Since its inception, The Wasichana Fund has provided more than 50,000 sanitary pads and restored more than 256,000 hours of class time to young women in Kenya. A donation of just one dollar will provide a month’s supply of sanitary napkins for one student.

Click here to donate or for more information on The Wasichana Fund.

(Photo credit: Eva Wasney, Creative Communications)

Canadian Heritage Minister Shelly Glover visited Red River College today to launch the new Canada Apprentice Loan, which provides interest-free loans of up to $4,000 for apprentices in Red Seal trades.

Glover toured the College on behalf of Canada’s Employment Minister Jason Kenny. While here, she reiterated that enhanced support for apprentices and apprentice training are key to powering and growing the Canadian economy.

“Our government has recognized the important role that apprentices play in Canada’s economy and to this end has made significant investments to help apprentices and the employers that hire them,” Glover said. “Now, thanks to the Canada Apparentice Loan, more Canadians are able to complete their training and become skilled journeypeople and fill in-demand jobs.”

In addition to the Canada Apprentice Loan (a 2014 budget commitment that provides up to $4,000 per period of technical training), the government also supports apprentices through a number of other initiatives, including tax credits and nearly $700 million in grants since 2006.

It’s estimated at least 26,000 apprentices a year will apply for over $100 million in Canada Apprentice Loans. According to Statistics Canada, almost 360,000 people are currently enrolled in apprenticeship training; as RRC Interim President David Rew points out, the College is in a unique position to help meet the growing demand. Read More →

Red River College helped to showcase the latest in culinary research and innovation today, incorporating bean flours and purées into delicious and healthy dishes.

The ‘Plating Pulses’ showcase, held at Paterson GlobalFoods Institute, was the product of a research partnership between RRC and the Manitoba Pulse Growers Association (MPGA), a not-for-profit organization representing 3,000 farmers of edible pulses such as soybeans, dry beans and peas.

“We are thrilled with the work the College has been doing to develop nutritional and delicious recipes that demonstrate to consumers how locally-produced pulses can be incorporated into their everyday diets,” says Kyle Friesen, MPGA president.

Research has shown that only a half-cup of beans per day can reduce bad cholesterol, help manage hunger, and provide a sustainable source of protein.

“That is why we partnered with College,” says Friesen. “We know about the amazing health benefits of pulses, but we wanted to create more awareness among consumers and the Manitoba food industry by modifying traditional dishes that feature pulses, without affecting the taste or texture of the food.”

The dishes showcased include perogies made from bean flour dough, chicken potpie with a bean flour crust, and crème brulée with half of the fat cut using navy bean puree.

“This showcase is an excellent example of the role that our culinary institute plays in supporting the growth of Manitoba’s food producers,” says Ray Hoemsen, Director of Applied Research and Commercialization at RRC. “Along with training the culinary innovators of tomorrow, RRC provides a wealth of applied research resources for local businesses, including recipe development, test marketing and demonstrations.” Read More →

Now that the winter break is behind us (but not winter itself, clearly), Red River College’s Students’ Association has some suggestions for warming up the first few months of the new year.

On Thu., Jan. 8, head to The Cave at the Notre Dame Campus, for a fundraising beer bash in support of the College’s Great Northern Concrete Toboggan Race team.

And next month, make plans to join your SA reps on their annual Reading Week trip to Revelstoke, where you can hit the slopes, take part in climbing wall and water park excursions, or just blow off some steam with your fellow students!

Additional info on both events is below. (Stay tuned to the RED Blog for more on upcoming SA initiatives!)

Great Northern Concrete Toboggan Race Back 2 School Beer Bash
Thursday, January 8
3-9pm, The Cave (Notre Dame Campus)
Tickets $10 at the door (18+ event)
Enter the auction to win great prices like a snowboard and a signed Winnipeg Jets jersey.

Reading Week Trip to Revelstoke
February 13-21
Six nights accommodation at Powder Springs Hotel
Four days of lift tickets included
Round-trip bus transportation
$670, taxes included
For more information, email uwsnowboard@gmail.com