Red River College has been named as a finalist for the 2017 AASHE Sustainability Awards. Our Pitch In redesign project – Branding our Waste: Creating College-Specific Recycling Signage through Collaboration – earned us this honour in the Campus Sustainability Achievement Award category for outstanding achievements in sustainability.

Environmental Engineering Technology Students performed waste audits to test the effectiveness of the initial redesign

“We are excited to recognize Red River College for their high-impact sustainability projects and pioneering research,” said AASHE Executive Director Meghan Fay Zahniser. “The innovation and leadership demonstrated by these finalists is inspirational.”

The College launched Pitch In, our comprehensive hallway waste and recycling program, in 2011. The concept behind “Pitch In” is two-pronged: it shows students and staff where to “pitch” their waste and recyclables and also reminds us that the program can only be successful if we all “pitch in” and do our part. Read More →

Here’s the deal… we know that 60% of staff and 50% of students are concerned about the environmental impacts of commuting. We also know that many staff want flexibility in their commuting options throughout the year and that 25% of students prefer to carpool to campus. For these reasons, and many more, Red River College is excited to introduce GoManitoba to students, staff and faculty. Read More →

Red River College’s 2nd annual Farmers’ Market is being held on Friday, September 15th from 11am – 1:30pm in the Library Hallway… and we hope to see you there!

Our local line-up includes: Read More →

We’ve got some exciting news to share. Sustainability is growing from two… to three. This Fall a Resource Reduction Specialist will join the Sustainability Office to bring a focused and dedicated effort to campus paper reduction and plug load energy reduction. Staff and students consistently rank these topics as top sustainability priorities. In the most recent staff survey (Feb-Mar, 2017) staff cited paper reduction and energy reduction as their top two sustainability priorities. Read More →

Our bees (and our Leslie) on Building A.

We received a whopping 98 submissions in our contest to name the Notre Dame Campus honey. Read More →

It is Bike Week – a week to celebrate all cycling in Winnipeg no matter how or why you ride.  To cap it off, everyone is encouraged to ride to work on Friday for Bike to Work Day.

Pit Stops will be set up around the City to offer repairs, treats and activities to cyclists on their way to work. For the first time, Red River College is participating in Bike to Work Day by hosting a Pit Stop and offering escorted group bike rides to campus. Read More →

Sara MacArthur gets to know the NDC bees.

They’re back! And there are more!! Due to the overwhelming success of last year’s partnership with Beeproject Apiaries, we’re pleased to announce that our honeybee friends are once again spending their summer working away on Red River College rooftops. Just like last year, three hives have been installed on the 4^th floor patio at the Paterson GlobalFoods Institute (PGI). We’ve also added three hives on the roof of Building A at the Notre Dame Campus. Read More →

Whether you walk, bike, drive, bus, or even scooter, commuting to campus is something thousands of Red River College staff, faculty and students do every day. For this reason we’re excited to launch the first phase of Red River College’s Transportation Plan. This is the first time the College has taken an integrated and long-range approach to how transportation programs and services are delivered.

The Transportation Plan, Phase 1 is rooted in the College’s strategic goal of Fostering Sustainable Growth as the plan addresses the social, economic and the environmental pillars of sustainability. Read More →

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 →