All RRC Polytech students are invited to participate in our fourth annual Truth and Reconciliation Week, September 26-29, 2022.

Through a mix of in-person and virtual events offered by departments from across the College, immerse yourself in Indigenous teachings, story-telling and experiences to evolve your understanding of history and current issues impacting Indigenous people, reconciliation efforts and society as a whole. Help spark a conversation around Truth and Reconciliation and contribute to understanding, healing and stronger relationships.

Click here for more information and a full list of RRC Polytech events.

Below are some community events happening on September 30th to mark the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation:

• Survivors Walk & Pow Wow
• All-day programming and free admission to the Manitoba Museum

There have been several reports of attempts to scam students through fraudulent job postings/job offers. Avoid these scams by watching for these warning signs:

• You received a job offer without an application or interview
• You’re promised high pay for easy work or a limited amount of work hours
• You’re asked to use your own money or give up bank details to work for the company

Many scammers now have an elaborate website with a matching professional-looking email which makes it difficult to tell if they are legitimate or not. 

If you have any doubts or questions, please contact your Student Integration Coordinators, Jillian at jhoogland@rrc.ca (for Winnipeg students) and Christy cdepp@rrc.ca (for regional students).

For more information and/or to report a suspicious email message, visit Phishing FAQ : Red River College Polytechnic: Information Technology Solutions

Welcoming Week brings many smiles and welcomes

Language Training Centre students, faculty and staff take a little time to enjoy a sweet treat as part of Welcoming Week 2022 celebrations.

Dean Kerri Korabelnikov shares a warm welcome from Manitou a bi Bii daziigae as part of the Welcoming Week.

Anna shares a glimpse into her story of immigrating to Canada as part of the Welcoming Week Celebrations.

There are two ways to describe the events of September 25, 2007. The official version is that I landed as a Family Class immigrant and obtained my Permanent Resident status that day. The other version is much shorter: I moved to Winnipeg that day.

Before I moved here, I didn’t think much about life in Canada. I had visited before and life on the surface wasn’t that different to that at home. But visiting for fun is very different to immigrating and reorganizing your life: culturally some things just don’t make sense, yet that’s how they work (small talk, casual friendliness of strangers, cold milk for breakfast, planning meals for a week…). But then you discover that process-wise, this country is very well organized – don’t roll your eyes if you haven’t had to deal with bureaucracy in any country outside of the Commonwealth.

Before I left my country, I really didn’t think about any obstacles. I was ready: I had both official languages, a place to live, knew how to cook and how to drive, and knew how to dress in winter.

Then I arrived and was ready to find work and live the life in the greatest country in the world. And suddenly things weren’t that easy: I didn’t have childcare (4–12-month waitlist!!!) so no looking for a job; I didn’t know how to take a bus to the get to a store; and how the heck do you shop for a whole week (daily shopping where I come from)? And then winter came early and stayed for a really long time. And I absolutely hated my life. For about 2 years until I was really annoyed with the person I became. But I did get a job and started making new friends within the first year of living here.

So how am I still here? The first step to embracing life in Canada was to stop evaluating things as better or worse. Instead, I started telling myself things are different. The second step was to engage in an informal study of the habits and customs of Canadians. The third step was to start accepting the differences, understanding them, and adapting/adopting different ways. But also, not losing my own identity.

Welcoming Week 2022 has encouraged me to stop and reflect on my personal and professional journey of coming to Canada. As my 15th anniversary approaches, I reflect on all the achievements and losses. I have 3 amazing, smart, fun kids; a career that I immensely enjoy; a beautiful home and lots of places to explore and visit in and out of the province. I have learned to use public transit here and even though grocery shopping for a week is still a challenge, no one goes hungry. I also learned that coffee and eggs make a better breakfast than cold cereal. I no longer am nervous when strangers say ‘hi’ and smile at me on the street.

But, more importantly, I can be me. In my personal life, I can maintain the traditions I care about, make my own choices about my health and lifestyle, and spend my free time as I see fit. In my country, choices aren’t always free, so I value them and am so grateful for them. I also can raise my kids to be happy, independent, hard-working adults – the way I was raised by my parents and grandparents – and instill the values of curiosity, education, contribution, fun, and respect.

In my professional life, I am so lucky to work in alignment with my values. This makes me feel appreciated, valued. And this is what makes me feel genuinely included. I think that for any person coming to Canada, they need to know that there is place and space for them to achieve success on their own terms and that there are people and organizations who will help them. The process is not easy, it takes time, grit, adjusting, and learning, but it is not impossible. Your heart feels like it has two homes through this, you learn to focus on being grateful for what you had, what you have and what lays ahead. For me, this is an extremely rewarding journey and, I hope, it’s mutual for Canada.

The Language Training Centre will host an in-person English Conversation Club (ECC) kickoff on Thursday, Sept. 15^th between 1pm – 3pm (in room E235 Manitou a bi Bii daziigae).

​Students are invited to stop in anytime between 1pm-3pm to say hello to the volunteers, enjoy a snack and enter to win some great prizes.

The Government of Manitoba announced yesterday, that it will be recognizing Sept 19 as a day of mourning for the funeral of Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

RRC Polytech will observe this day of mourning and all campuses will be closed on Monday, September 19. All in-person and remote learning classes are cancelled.

Nuit Blanche Winnipeg is a free evening exploration and celebration of contemporary art that takes place on the opening Saturday of Culture Days. Held annually since 2010, the events and exhibits attract thousands of people to Downtown, The Forks, and the Exchange District. Nuit Blanche Winnipeg 2022 will take place on Saturday, September 24.

Nuit Blanche is looking for volunteers for Saturday Sep 24th, from 9:00 pm to 12:30 am. Volunteers will be required to monitor art installations, engage with attendees, answer any questions, hand out maps, direct attendees to the app, loosely track attendance, and potentially assist artists with set up or tear down.                     

There will be an orientation (in-person or online options available) the week leading up to the event. Volunteers will also be required to sign our code of conduct form.

Sign up to show your support, meet new friends and artists, and become part of the the biggest contemporary arts and culture celebration in Manitoba.

Click here to register.

My name is Carmen and as part of the Welcoming Week celebrations I would like to share a little bit about my story. 

9 years ago, on September 17, 2013, we arrived in Winnipeg after almost a year of preparation and planning. However, this was quite an adventure and a surprise in many ways since we arrived. 

We arrived with a family of three (my husband, my 1-year-old son, and myself), with only three suitcases and with numerous dreams, goals, fears, and the desire to live in peace and freedom. Now we are five, three children, my husband and I.  

Although you tried to prepare yourself for something like this, you always find things that you did not imagine or that you simply did not know like a blank canvas that you must shape and paint to the extent that life allows you. Yes, you do have to start from scratch in every way, starting with the language, professional path and even learning how to function in a total new world. 

We arrived in a town outside of Winnipeg. My husband got a survival job where he worked nights and rested during the day. Meanwhile I traveled an hour and a half in the mornings to study in Winnipeg and made the same journey back in the afternoons. It wasn’t easy, but it wasn’t impossible, because migrating is a decision that entails many sacrifices and a great desire to move on in life. The first years can be difficult and even almost impossible, but many newcomers have achieved it. You ask yourself: If others have achieved it before us, how can we not do it as well? That was the question that kept us fighting and searching for opportunities. 

And that is what we wanted when we arrived in this country, to find OPPORTUNITIES… and after a short time we began to see these opportunities and achieve them. Throughout these nine years I have discovered a country with its defects and virtues, but where dreams can come true, a country where you can materialize your goals if you work hard and commit to achieving them. 

I started as a student at the Language Training Center (RRC Polytech) and my level of English was literally zero. Now I am part of the RRC Polytech staff, and that has been a great opportunity to grow professionally and personally. I discover new things and meet many people every day. Every single day I wake up with the attitude of learning something new about my work environment, my city, my new culture, and my life. I feel that there is still much to discover and that keeps me attentive to the opportunities that will undoubtedly lead me to achieve the goals and successes that I have on my to-do list. 

Without a doubt, coming to Canada is one of the best decisions I have made in my life, it does not mean that I do not miss Venezuela, my people, my culture and everything that goes with it, it is simply that at this time I now understand that Canada is the place where I belong and although I love and miss Venezuela, Canada is the place where I live my present and where my future dreams are. 

Migrating is not easy, but it teaches us many things. We have to be attentive to these teachable moments and open our minds and our hearts to understand that at some point little by little you start to love and value the country where you are now and that this will become your country on a regular basis and your heart will always be divided because on one side you keep the treasures of the past and on the other side you will treasure the moments that have shaped you into a new and better human being.