“So you’re a drug dealer!”

Jennifer Wilkinson is used to hearing this joking response when she tries to explain just what she does for a living. But the easy-going Category Manager for Over the Counter Drugs at The North West Company (NWC), headquartered in downtown Winnipeg, doesn’t mind.

“It can be confusing – my job is pretty complex. It’s not like saying you’re a teacher, where people understand,” laughs Wilkinson, who graduated from Red River College’s Business Administration program with honours in 2004 and has been with NWC’s Procurement and Marketing department for the past six years. She’s responsible for all merchandising, pricing, shelving, marketing, promotions and sales of over-the-counter (OTC) drugs for the company’s Northern Stores and Giant Tiger stores across Canada.

“Before I started here, I had no idea this job even existed. I guess I had always just assumed that the food magically made its way onto store shelves,” Wilkinson says. She quickly learned there’s actually a lot that goes on behind the scenes, after starting as an assistant category manager for the bakery product segment, then becoming associate category manager for both bakery and dairy.

Being promoted to her latest role was exciting but daunting, because she’s the first person to fill it.

“Because of significant changes within the healthcare system, OTC drugs are becoming an increasingly important business segment for all pharmacy and retail banners. My role was created specifically so The North West Company could take advantage of the fast-paced growth this industry is experiencing,” Wilkinson explains. “I’m responsible for building this category from the ground up, and watching it flourish and grow over the next couple of years.” Read More →

There’s a sense of pride that comes with creating a piece of furniture from start to finish. For Vern Bergen, that feeling is what led him towards a career in cabinetry.

“When you build a house, generally you have 30, 40 people working on in. You can say, ‘I was a part of that house.’ But when you build a piece of furniture, you have all of it. You’ve done it all,” he says. “There’s a lot more detail involved.”

As an instructor in Red River College’s Cabinetry and Woodworking Technology program, Bergen helps students realize the satisfaction that comes with creating a piece of furniture, cabinetry or millwork, and teaches them the technological aspects of the trade. But he didn’t always think he’d end up working for the RRC.

Bergen, 45, first became interested in woodworking as a child; his earliest memory of working with wood is helping his dad, a carpenter, work on the family cabin at the age of eight.

Bergen attended a vocational high school where he took a dual diploma program in academics and carpentry. He then got a job in DeFehr Furniture’s Product Development department, which he loved.

“We’d be the first to build (a product) and we’d have to engineer it. We’d have to make sure it could go through the plants without a hiccup. We did the thinking so the plant didn’t have to.”

Many of his colleagues had their Red Seal in cabinetry, and their advanced level of expertise was obvious.

“When you’re working with all these journeymen [cabinetmakers], you notice the knowledge that they have. It goes beyond where we’re working,” he says. “For lack of a better word, it’s like they’re in the old boys’ club. I knew DeFehr, but they knew cabinetmaking. Big difference.” Read More →

Pablo Hidalgo doesn’t remember the first time he saw Star Wars.

The Lucasfilm writer and Creative Communications grad (1996) wasn’t old enough to catch the film when it first came out in 1977. Instead his childhood was soaked in the references, merchandise and culture of a galaxy far, far away.

“I had the storybook and the trading cards and a few toys before I ever saw it,” Hidalgo says. “Definitely the kids in the neighbourhood and schoolyard kept you immersed in it because it was all they talked about.”

The tale of lightsabre-wielding Jedi Knights, galactic rebels and planet-destroying spaceships stayed with Hidalgo through his adolescence as a hobby interest, setting a standard for storytelling and emotional investment. When it came time to turning those skills into a career, Hidalgo chose Red River College.

“It seemed a very practical alternative to university. The track record of people finding work after completing a course like Ad Art (now Graphic Design) or CreComm was very positive… A friend of mine had recently completed Ad Art, and I was impressed with the skills he had picked up. It was really a toss-up between CreComm and Ad Art for me, and CreComm won out.”

The coursework challenged Hidalgo’s time management skills, while building his talents in writing, technical production and, to his deep surprise, public speaking. He came out of the program and hit the ground running, landing a job at McKim, Manitoba’s largest advertising firm – officially as a copywriter, but also using his diverse skill set to assist with design and production work. At the same time he was freelancing online for Pennsylvania-based West End Games – the company that developed the first Star Wars roleplaying games – networking with others in the Star Wars universe.

Networking also helped him land his next job, the springboard for his move to California. Frantic Films was an up-and-coming visual effects studio at the time, attracting the interest of Hollywood studios as well as local client McKim. Hidalgo made the switch when an opening presented itself, landing a diverse portfolio that stretched from 3D animation and storyboarding to press releases.

Then one day he saw an invitation to an epic adventure. Read More →

Less than a year after graduating from Red River College’s Creative Communications program, 23-year old Kyle Jahns has landed a dream job – covering the 2014 Olympic Games from Sochi.

“Covering curling at the Olympics has been an experience I’ll always remember,” Jahns says (via email). “I was here for a few weeks before the Games started and was able to watch the entire buildup. The Main Press Centre and venues went from being nearly empty to absolutely full. Watching all of this happen built up anticipation for the event.”

Jahns is covering curling for the Olympic News Service. It’s a busy job – with three draws a day, he works up to 14 hours in a 24-hour period.

“Before the competition started I was responsible for researching and writing stories about curling. There were small features on the players and articles on the basics of curling for the media who might not be as familiar with the sport.”

Now that the event is underway, he watches the Games, conducts interviews, writes, and sends content through the wire.

“Our job is to focus on all of the teams, players, and coaches at the Games. We’re here for every single game and aim to get all of their reactions at some point or another.” Read More →

Red River College grad Kevin Castro is in the business of transformation.

The 21-year-old sous chef (who completed RRC’s Culinary Arts program in 2012) is slowly getting fired up for his day, cleaning odd corners of the Fitzroy kitchen and waiting for his team to show up to prep the day’s ingredients. The space he’s standing in is the first layer of transformation.

Once a showroom that modelled condo designs to urban professionals, the Fitzroy space was bought, gutted and renovated by Jon Hochman and Dustin Pajak over the first half of 2013. The shining, top-of-the-line equipment, sleek red walls and solid wood countertop pull off both a minimalist lack of pretension and a detail-oriented precision.

Castro hauls out a menu that’s all about transforming simple ingredients into the best “blue collar” eats.

“We do sophisticated presentation for food that’s normally dismissed as comfort food,” he says, pointing to the BBQ pork under corns and crackling, the caramel corn and hot nuts, and the salt beef sandwich on City rye bead. “It’s food that I like to eat – specialty dirty dishes.”

It’s food that’s grabbing the attention of media and foodies, too. Where this stretch of Sherbrook Street was once infamous for its broken motels and rooming houses, the influx of young homeowners, new entrepreneurs and chef-owned restaurants has turned the area into a reliable hotspot, a place the cool kids suggest hitting up to see what’s happening. The evidence of steady traffic is on the door Castro just unlocked: “Fitzroy – open 4pm till late.” Read More →

Red River College is known for its cutting edge curriculum, state-of-the-art equipment and industry-ready grads driving Manitoba’s economy. So it makes sense the school was an early supporter of WindCity, a brand-new Winnipeg-based web series.

“Red River has shown itself to be really innovative and forward thinking,” says Jean du Toit, the show’s production manager and an RRC grad. “It’s taken over old buildings, it’s renovated, it’s made itself felt as a presence in the downtown. The fact that it was an early supporter of WindCity is just another example of that forward-thinking mentality of the College.”

WindCity is the first locally produced digital sitcom to be situated in Winnipeg. It’s branded content, meaning local businesses and organizations pay to have their products or services featured in the plot. (Think product placement on steroids.)

The College is involved in the project in a few ways. For starters, three RRC grads play prominent roles in the series: There’s production manager du Toit, as well as Ali Tataryn (shown above) and Karl Thordarson (at right), both of whom have prominent roles in front of the camera.

Tataryn plays Morgan, a financial advisor with RBC, and Thordarson plays Duke, the show’s de facto villain. Tataryn, who runs Frame Arts Warehouse when she isn’t acting, graduated from RRC’s Applied Counselling program in 2006.

Thordarson graduated from the Greenspace Management program in 2008, and now works as a Technician for the City of Winnipeg’s Parks and Open Space Division. Du Toit, who works for Frank Digital, the production company that produces WindCity, completed the part-time Professional Photography program in 2011.

Another way RRC is involved is through its sponsorship of the web series, which in its first season follows Dylan, a man embarking on a mission to reclaim his business and the love of his life. The sponsorship led to one of the show’s supporting characters, Sam Fortier, being written as an RRC student. Read More →

Robert Lowdon was always drawn to photography, but translating that passion into a career was another story.

“On my website it says ‘Images that inspire.’ That’s something that’s been [important] to me because going in to this career has been a major life change,” Lowdon says. “I’ve basically taken a chance, thrown myself off a cliff and just decided I wanted to live life the way I wanted to.”

Before deciding to go pro, Lowdon, 30, worked in a warehouse and spent a few years in sales. During that time he also worked as an amateur photographer, shooting all kinds of local music shows and frequently heading to notorious venues like The Albert.

“I can remember dodging beer bottles, getting stepped on [on] my head,” he says with a laugh.

Since then, Lowdon has photographed the likes of Rihanna and Selena Gomez at MTS Centre.

“Selena Gomez was such a brain trip. I couldn’t hear anything because I put the earplugs in and just go to work. But all those screaming girls…”

Lowdon made the leap from snapping pics in bawdy beer halls to photographing some of the biggest acts in the world after enrolling in Red River College’s Professional Photography program, delivered through the School of Continuing Education.

He graduated from RRC in 2011 and started his own business, Robert Lowdon Photography, in 2012. Since then he’s racked up an impressive client list including Bacardi, the United States Consulate, the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce, the Canadian Wildlife Federation and Credit Union Central. Read More →

There was a time when Audrey Sawatzky thought retirement homes were just places the elderly went to live out the end of their lives. Now she knows differently – and she’s out to teach everyone the truth.

“[We are all] going to age,” says Sawatzky (shown above, at right), a graduate of Red River College’s Recreation Facilitator for Older Adults program.

“One day you will be 65 and there will be a 20-something looking at you thinking, ‘You’re nothing but an old person.’ But you won’t think that. You’ll think: ‘Look at the life I’ve lived. I have so much more to give, I just need an outlet.’ And recreation coordinators can supply that outlet.”

Sawatzky works as the recreation coordinator at Riverwood Square, a retirement facility for residents 55 and older that offers independent living options for active seniors, as well as supportive housing for those who require additional attention.

She says facilities such as Riverwood — often mistakenly regarded as “old folks’ homes” — actually heighten residents’ physical and mental well-being, thanks in large part to recreational programming.

“The point of recreation is basically to bring life to the building,” she says. “Just because you’re older… doesn’t mean you’re not alive any more.”

As a recreation coordinator, Sawatzky helps plan and coordinate activities for the more than 180 residents, ensuring events are both holistic and relevant. Approximately 15 programs, ranging from morning exercises and team sports to trivia games and arts and crafts, are offered multiple times per week. Read More →

A Red River College grad who heads both a leading IT solutions provider and one of the province’s largest surveying firms was recognized recently with a pair of prestigious awards for his work with remote Manitoba communities.

Clear Concepts Inc., a local IT solutions provider owned by RRC alum Christian Korell (Survey Engineering Technology, 1992), picked up a gold medal for Best Small Business Solution and was named Solution Provider of the Year at this year’s IT World Canada CDN (Computer Dealer News) Channel Elite Awards in September.

The focus of this year’s awards was on remote clients, in particular how a stable foundation in IT services and support allows them to become more self-sustaining. Clear Concepts was recognized for partnering with the Cowichan Tribe of Southern B.C., developers of a community electronic medical records (cEMR) system for First Nation communities.

Clear Concepts provided cEMR-related installation and infrastructure support to many clients across Canada including the Opaskwayak Health Authority in northern Manitoba, allowing that organization to receive funding for a new health centre and dedicated physician. The company has also provided services that allowed a northern Manitoba tribal council to better manage its eight communities, and has partnered with a local airline to streamline internal logistics processes. Read More →

Without Joelle Foster there would be 87 fewer youth-led businesses operating locally – and that’s just in the last three years.

As the Manitoba, Nunavut and NWT director of the Canadian Youth Business Foundation (CYBF), Foster has financed and mentored 87 businesses. And many of these start-ups – like Shawarma Khan, EPH Apparel and Nest Family Centre – are having a big impact on small business in Manitoba.

“Small business is what drives our economy, especially here in Manitoba,” Foster says. “How do you think McDonald’s started? It started with an idea and an entrepreneur. A small business can become a large business.”

CYBF is a national organization that offers financial support and advice to entrepreneurs between the ages of 18 and 39. Without CYBF, many young entrepreneurs would not be able to secure the business loans or receive the expertise they need to start up.

“Our organization, we lend on character, not collateral.”  Read More →