The Commuter Challenge is around the corner, and we thought some of you might be looking for inspiration to take the leap and try a more sustainable commute, like cycling! Well, look no further than your fellow RRC colleagues who are a wealth of experience and inspiration and happy to share it!

Part 2 can be found here. If you would like to share your own sustainable commuting experience, please send us a note.

Also, don’t forget to register for the Commuter Challenge.

Cassidy Dzama

What is your name? Cassidy Dzama
Which campus do you work out of? Notre Dame Campus
How do you typically commute to work? Bike
How far is your commute one way? 5km
What do you like about your commute?
Exercise, scenery, fresh air, freedom.
What tips/suggestions do you have for someone thinking about changing to a more sustainable commute?
It’s not just commuting to work like you would in a vehicle. You have to pack a bag with work clothes and a tool kit (spare tube, patch kit etc.). Wear slightly less clothing than you would if you were walking outside as you build up heat pretty fast. Start with a few commutes a week, and build up from it. Scout new ways to get to work and plan it out. I use Strava (mobile app) to keep track of my commutes. Find out which routes are faster. Buy some good road tires if you feel biking is something for you. Bike lights are a must for spring and fall as it gets hard to be seen during those times. Don’t let the poor conditions stop you is probably the most important tip. You rarely get the tail wind that pushes you to your destination, always plan to bike against it! Read More →

Time to dust off the old bike, lace up those walking shoes, or download all of S Town for bus binge listening and join 20,000 people across Canada taking on the Commuter Challenge. For one week in June, reduce your carbon footprint and walk, run, cycle, bus, carpool, and telecommute.

The Commuter Challenge is also a friendly competition, and it is a point of pride that Red River College has won GOLD in our workplace category for the last two years – let’s make it three! Read More →

Click to learn about our awards

A big congratulations goes out to Nora Sobel and Bradley West from the Diversity and Intercultural Services department who accepted the inaugural Sustainability Leadership Award at Red River College’s RED Forum last week. They received this award for developing an online course to raise awareness about gender and sexual diversity issues among Red River College students, staff and faculty. Read More →

The RRC Sustainability Office is sponsoring a table at Reel Green 2017 on March 16 and we want to bring you! Enter to win pair of tickets to this popular event by:

1. Subscribing to the Red Goes Green Sustainability Blog
2. Liking Sustainability @ RRC on Facebook*
3. Following RRCGoesGreen on Twitter*
4. Following RRCGoesGreen on Instagram*

You will receive one entry for each of the above actions completed before midnight on Monday, March 13, 2017 (so you can enter up to 4 times). Prize draw will occur and winners will be notified on Tuesday, March 14, 2017. Read More →

The dust has settled from RRC Waste Reduction Week which was held October 24-28 and once again, we had a very successful event thanks to all of you! Below is a summary of the week.

Special Waste Depots/E-Waste Drive

We were very excited to partner with MMSM and Winnipeg Harvest this year as part of their Bag it Forward program. Over the week, we collected 286 plastic bags which will be used to deliver Winnipeg Harvest’s emergency food kits. Due to a great deal of interest, we are working on creating a permanent collection for the Bag it Forward program at RRC.

In the meantime, drop off gently-used plastic bags at our office (C519, NDC) from now until December 1. We will drop off all the collected bags to Winnipeg Harvest on December 2. If you have plastic bags but can’t make it to our office, contact Whitney to arrange something.

We also collected 180 used writing instruments (pens, markers, highlighters, and mechanical pencils) which will be dropped off at Staples for recycling as part of their partnership with Terracycle. Many of you expressed an interest in making this a permanent program. We heard you loud and clear and are working on it. Stay tuned!

Finally, about 2,262 kg of e-waste was collected for recycling, including 200 kg of used batteries. Many of your asked what happens to these items. Read More →

Sara and Whitney — waiting to catch the LRT to the airport. For all you baseball fans, that’s Camden Yards in the background.

Last week, Sara and Whitney (RRC’s Sustainability Office) left family and pumpkin pie meals at home and spent four days in Charm City to attend North America’s largest sustainability conference for higher education. More than 1800 of our post-secondary counterparts, faculty, students, administrators (and even a few College Presidents) descended onto Baltimore to gain lessons and tools, be inspired to advance sustainability initiatives at their own institutions, and form important relationships in a rapidly growing post-secondary sustainability network. Read More →

Fair Trade Campus Week is September 26-30

Fair Trade Week will soon be upon us, and there are a lot of fun activities planned (did someone say “free ice cream”?) to help raise awareness about Fair Trade, to learn about Fair Trade options on campus, and to provide updates on our efforts to become Manitoba’s first Fair Trade Campus.

When you purchase a Fair Trade product, you are ensuring that farmers and workers in developing countries that helped bring that product to market are receiving adequate compensation for their hard work, that they have safe working conditions, and that environmental standards were met in its production.

Fair trade is a true embodiment of sustainability – working to address economic, social and environmental issues of our globalized economy.  This is why Red River College is working to become the first Fair Trade Campus in Manitoba. Some of our efforts can be readily seen when you enjoy De Luca’s Fair Trade coffee from Food Service locations; purchase a Dairy Milk Fair Trade chocolate bar from the Ox, the Mercantile or a vending machine; or participate in Fair Trade Campus Week. Read More →

Label prototype of “Bijou Urban Honey”. Get yours at the market!

The idea to hold a Farmers Market has been buzzing in our minds since Chris and Lindsay from Bee Project Apiaries installed three hives on our Paterson GlobalFoods Institute in early July. They told us that at the end of the season we could expect to receive about 75 kilograms of honey.

“75 kilos of honey?!” we thought to ourselves. “What are we going to do with all of that golden goodness?” And just like that, our Farmers Market idea was born.

Students, staff and members of the community are invited to attend the Farmers Market on Friday, September 9th from 11-2pm on the Plaza level in between buildings DEF.

Our local line-up is growing everyday and includes vendors such as:

• Hearts & Roots
• Bramans Greens
• De Luca’s
• Nosh on This – gluten-free baked goods
• Red River College Bijou Urban Honey

We hope to see you there!

Hi, my name is Whitney Crooks and I am thrilled to be Red River College’s new Sustainability Coordinator. I’m really looking forward to getting to know and working with all of you. I bring with me a fair amount of experience and a lot of enthusiasm! Here is a little bit about me and how I came to be here.

Environmentalism has always been a part of me and my life, however until about 10 years ago, I had no idea that you could turn that passion into a career! In University, I originally studied sciences, earning a BSc in Mathematics and Physics and an MSc in Applied Meteorology and Climatology.

I enjoyed my studies, but quickly learned that I didn’t want to be a meteorologist. I began looking into my options and found the Masters in Environmental Studies program at York University. In this program, I found my place and I earned my MES with a focus on community engagement around environmental issues.

Read More →