We wish you a wonderful season, filled with warmth, laughter, and fond memories!

From all of us at RRC, happy holidays and all the best in 2017!

Chantale Lavack knows how to fix your lawnmower. In fact, she knows how to fix a lot of the tools in your garage – from chainsaws to pressure washers, tillers and leaf blowers.

Even more importantly, the Red River College grad (Outdoor Power Equipment Technician, 2009) knows her gender has no impact on her success in the small engine repair business – and she wants other women to know that, as well.

“I hope my experience encourages more women to get into [the field],” says Lavack, who operates her own repair shop, La petite machine, out of her St. Boniface garage.

“The door’s not going to be closed on you right away, and if it is, then good riddance — you don’t really need those people, anyhow.”

Lavack recently talked to us about how her RRC education is “like gold,” how she sees her business evolving, and why other women shouldn’t hesitate to join a male-dominated industry.

RRC: Were you interested in fixing things as a kid?

Lavack: I wasn’t. It’s kind of strange. I only learned later in life that I had a liking for repairing things and wanting to get my hands dirty. It’s not like I was 10 years old with my head under a hood with my dad or anything like that. My dad was a funeral director.

What drew you to small engine repair?

It was those Orange County Chopper shows! I just thought it was really neat to see these guys in a garage, creating all of this cool stuff and putting it together and seeing it work. I had been working in an office at CN Rail and didn’t find it to be all that satisfactory. You just don’t get to see the results of your work. But when you have something that’s broken, you fix it, and away you go. Read More →

Red River College grad Chad Labbe just wanted to earn a little green when he went to work at Shelmerdine Garden Centre for the first time. It was the spring of 1990, and he was 14 years old when his mom suggested it would be a cool after-school job.

“You’ll like it,” he recalls her saying. “And I remember the first year I absolutely hated it. I was never coming back after the first year. They always made me water and sweep; I hated watering because you’d just get soaked and then you had to bike home after a long day of watering and you’re cold.”

When the job ended that June, Labbe thought he’d hung up his hose for the last time. But when spring rolled around again, he couldn’t resist the lure of a payday. Twenty-six years later, the 2000 Landscape Technician grad has taken root as Shelmerdine’s vice-president and co-owner.

“This business grows on you,” he says, no pun intended. “When you plant a crop and look back one week, two weeks, a month, six months later … the rewards are just right in front of you; the fruits of your labour, if you will.” (Pun intended that time.)

It took a while for Labbe to recognize that he has a green thumb, but he’s since come to realize he’s a natural-born gardener. His knack for greenhouse work came to light five years into his budding career, after he entered RRC’s four-year Landscape Technician apprenticeship program.

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Rising with the sun and working until dusk isn’t for everyone, but it’s right up Jillene Rodgers’ alley.

Since graduating from Red River College’s three-year Municipal Engineering Technology program last May, Rodgers, 23, has been spending quality time on a highway construction site in Portage la Prairie.

Putting in 14- and 16-hour days at her new job with Manitoba Infrastructure and Transportation, Rodgers inspects asphalt and grades, and generally ensures contractors adhere to the highway department’s project plans, regulations, and guidelines.

“We do not actually do any of the physical labour, we just make sure the contractor does what we ask,” she says. “We want to make sure the contractor is following our rules and regulations, while staying within the budget.”

The best part of the job? Getting her fill of fresh air in the great outdoors and spending her days around big machinery.  Read More →

RRC Indigenous graduates got together for an evening of networking and reminiscing on November 17, 2016 at the College’s School of Indigenous Education alumni reception. Guests were treated to a concert by William Prince, prayers by RRC elder Mae Louise Campbell, and a welcome song by Aki Ikwe drum group. It was a beautiful evening filled with friends, family, and community members. Thanks to everyone who was able to come out – see you at next year’s reception or at another alumni event in the near future.

If you’re enrolled in a full-time program at Red River College and the dependent of an RRC graduate/apprentice, you are eligible to apply for the Rebel Generation Alumni Award. Two $1000 awards (one in the fall and one in the spring) are available each year.

All you have to do is provide two letters of reference, write a personal essay, and supply proof of your guardian’s graduation from RRC to be considered.

Deadline to apply is November 30, 2016. Click here for more information on eligibility and requirements.

Entertainment at next week’s Indigenous Alumni Reception will be provided by Peguis First Nation songwriter William Prince, who just took home the Western Canadian Music Award for Aboriginal Artist of the Year.

William’s mother, Anna Marie Prince, is a Red River College graduate (Dental Assisting, 2009). While completing her studies, Anna served as an organ donor for her husband Edward Prince, after he was hospitalized with a life-threatening kidney disease just before the program’s start date.

Click here to read a profile of Anna Maria from 2010 and click here to register for next week’s reception. The deadline to register is tomorrow, November 11, so don’t delay!

Unfortunately, due to low attendance, the trades alumni reception scheduled for November 9, 2016 at the Notre Dame Campus has been postponed until next year. However, in the New Year, we hope to offer you a sneak peek tour of the new Skilled Trades and Technology Centre and show you many of the building’s exciting features.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. If you would like to know more about the College, our new build, or any of our trades programs, please let us know. We will gladly take you on a campus tour, grab a coffee, or arrange a meet-up with your past instructors.

Should you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact the Alumni Engagement department at alumni@rrc.ca or 204-632-2359.

We appreciate your understanding and truly look forward to reconnecting with you again soon.

The drum is a powerful instrument. Indigenous people throughout Turtle Island refer to it as the heartbeat of Mother Earth. It is used in many spiritual and sacred ceremonial practices. Some say the beat of the drum has the power to change natural elements, including the weather. It is believed to have the power to heal sickness, and some believe it has the power to send messages both to the animal world and to the spirit world.

Stop by RRC’s Notre Dame Campus for an incredible evening that includes a concert by William Prince, a singer/songwriter from Peguis First Nation, and an opening ceremony featuring traditional drumming and prayers by an RRC elder.

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Graduates of RRC business and applied arts programs got together for an evening of networking and reminiscing on November 3, 2016 at the College’s School of Business and Applied Arts alumni reception. Guests wined and dined in the Roblin Centre’s beautiful atrium. Thanks to everyone who was able to come out – see you at next year’s reception or at another alumni event in the near future.