Being a community partner means different things for different organizations – and for Portage Mutual Insurance, it means that when they see challenges in the community, they want to be a part of the solution.

Portage Mutual Insurance is generously supporting Indigenous nursing students at RRC Polytech’s Portage la Prairie campus through a new endowment fund. The Portage Mutual Insurance Award for Indigenous Nursing Students was recently established with a $31,000 gift to RRC Polytech and will award one student with $1,000 every year.

“We care deeply about our community and want to give back in a way that encourages education and supports the needs of Portage la Prairie,” says John Mitchell, President and CEO of Portage Mutual Insurance. “This award supports our long-term commitment to provide access to post-secondary education for Indigenous learners, while supporting the community need for nursing students.”

A supporter of RRC Polytech since 2021, Portage Mutual Insurance strives to make a difference in the community of Portage la Prairie. The award is available to Indigenous students who reside in the city and surrounding community and are enrolled in the Nursing program at RRC Polytech. To qualify, students need to have a good academic standing and demonstrate financial need. Preference will be given to students who attend RRC Polytech’s Portage Campus.

“This partnership truly showcases the difference Portage Mutual Insurance wants to make in the community and how RRC Polytech can play a role in that goal,” says Isabel Bright, Dean, School of Indigenous Education. “Our Nursing program at the Portage Campus is growing and we are thrilled to be able to offer an opportunity for Indigenous students to excel in the program by removing some financial burden.”

RRC Polytech’s 32-month Nursing degree program at the Portage Campus begins a new cohort every three years, with seats open to residents of Manitoba’s Southern Health Region. Graduates are qualified to apply to become Registered Nurses (RN) and are eligible to work in all areas where the expertise of a professional RN is required.

“We really appreciate the relationship with RRC Polytech and what the College offers across the province,” said John Mitchell “We are thrilled to be a part of the future of nursing in Manitoba.”

Learn more about Awards, Scholarships and Bursaries, including how to apply.

Help Support Students Through Terry’s Legacy

Not every leader wants to turn a working partnership into something more, but that can’t be said about Terry Gifford – he wanted more, not just for his company, but for students and all others involved. After his first retirement from The Appraisal Institute of Canada, he worked as the Executive Director of The Certified Technicians & Technologists Association of Manitoba (CTTAM) from 2006 to 2016. Under his watch, CTTAM supported students, competition, and incentives at Red River College Polytechnic (RRC Polytech) more than ever before.

Gifford passed away in May 2022 and is truly missed. His colleague Dale Watts, former Dean of Industrial Technologies at RRC Polytech, says Gifford was always a huge benefactor in the relationship between CTTAM and RRC Polytech.

Gifford, a graduate of RRC Polytech’s Business Administration program, enjoyed volunteering on behalf of CTTAM at RRC Polytech’s model wind turbine building contest, an event co-sponsored by CTTAM, Skills Manitoba and RRC Polytech noted Watts. High school students were given materials and tools to build a model wind turbine, but the construction plan was up to them as a part of this event. The goal was to generate the highest voltage based on a fan blowing at it at varying speeds.

“Terry was a pleasure to work with and open to ideas like these to help foster interest in the engineering technologies. Over time, it did a lot for both CTTAM and RRC [Polytech],” says Watts.

A longtime supporter of RRC Polytech, CTTAM has donated over $156,340 to annual alumni initiatives and special projects like the Princess Street Campus Capital Campaign, the Global Emergency Student Support Award, the Electrical Engineering Program, the Shell Eco-Marathon Challenge, the CTTAM Instrumentation Student Games Project, the COVID-19 Emergency Student Support Fund and more.

Historically, CTTAM has also given out four $1,000 scholarships to students entering the second year of Civil Engineering Technology, Electronic Engineering Technology, Instrumentation and Control Engineering Technology and Mechanical Engineering Technology, based on academic standing.

In memory of Terry, CTTAM is establishing The Terry Gifford CTTAM Leadership Award, which will beavailable to a student entering the second year of any of the following Engineering Technology programs: Civil, Electrical or Mechanical, including all related specializations. The recipient will be selected by faculty based on interpersonal skills, ability to lead teams with compassion, willingness to go the extra mile to help other students and excellent academic standing.

CTTAM will match the first $10,000 to support this initiative. To keep Gifford’s legacy alive, and support students in these programs, you can donate to this initiative here.

On the form, please select “Student Awards” enter “CTTAM” in the text box. Please then select that this is an “in memory” donation and enter “Terry Gifford” in the text box.

RRC Polytech’s latest Reaction by Collision event treated visitors to a vibrant celebration that brought together Indigenous artists and artisans while highlighting the importance of entrepreneurship in Indigenous culture.

The June 20 event was sponsored by RBC Future Launch. A longstanding partner of RRC Polytech, the RBC Foundation added to the festivities by announcing a $450,000 investment in a new information technology Pathway program that will equip Indigenous Manitobans with skills and support to prepare for careers in the growing IT field. With this new gift to RRC Polytech, we proudly celebrated RBC Foundation’s overall giving, which now totals $1 million to support a variety of College programs.

“Inclusion is the cornerstone of innovation,” shares Herb ZoBell, RBC Vice President, Indigenous Markets. “When we create bridges between diverse voices and opportunity, we create an ecosystem where potential may flourish and where we as a nation can rise to meet the challenges of tomorrow. This celebration of Indigenous ingenuity, culture, and entrepreneurship demonstrates RRC Polytech’s shared values with RBC in action as together we shine a light on the power of diversity and the road to prosperity.”

The celebration was open to the public and filled Manitou a bi Bii daziigae, RRC Polytech’s newest building at its downtown campus, with dancers, fiddlers, throat singers, entrepreneurs and storytellers.

“We are so thankful for RBC’s generous financial support,” says Tracy Brant, Chair, Aboriginal Education and Access Programs. “Their partnership is helping to create pathways for our next seven generations in the IT sector.”

Jaime Richard, one of the event organizers and Manager, Indigenous Partnerships and Student Supports for the School of Indigenous Education, says she hopes Indigenous students thinking of pursuing studies at RRC Polytech see the college as a place they “can see themselves as a student and to know there is a team of wrap-around supports who are here to welcome them and walk alongside them throughout their educational journey.”

Isabel Bright, Dean of the School of Indigenous Education, says RRC Polytech is a place where Indigenous ideas and experiences in entrepreneurship are fostered and celebrated.

“Our strategic plan makes a huge commitment to incorporating Truth and Reconciliation into all its programs and operations. This event demonstrates how fervently the college is acting on that commitment.”

For alumni Sean Rayland, who graduated last year with a diploma in Indigenous Social Entrepreneurship, the celebration highlighted the importance of entrepreneurship in Indigenous culture, past and present.

“I can draw a direct line from the self-sufficiency of our ancestors living on the land and trading to the self-determination that comes with starting and running your own business.”

In 2018, Rayland made the choice to turn his back on a life of drugs, gangs and crime to earn a high school diploma and graduate from college. From there, he started his own line of Indigenous streetwear, Red Rebel Armour. During the event, he had the opportunity to meet First Nations leader Ovid Mercredi, one of his role models.

Rayland believes events like this, and venues like Manitou a bi Bii daziigae, are opportunities for all people to come together and exchange knowledge and ideas – from CEOs to people experiencing homelessness.

“It shows how we can live in the present with our cultures and our values, walking the Seven Teachings while building meaningful futures for ourselves. That’s Reconciliation at work.”

Enjoy highlights from the event below:

For those learning English as a second language during the pandemic, finding opportunities to practice skills with business professionals is tough. However, those opportunities are important to build confidence and advance communication skills. This is one of the many reasons why 13 volunteers from RBC stopped by Manitou a bi Bii daziigae on May 31 to spend a few hours with 26 Language Training Centre students from Levels 7 and 8.

For students like Yufei Huang, these casual conversations are significant because they offer a chance to ask questions and learn about workplace culture in Canada.

In these conversations, language learners can pick up expressions, practice small talk, active listening, turn-taking, interrupting and learn how to tell their stories and ask questions to others who share theirs. What made this opportunity unique is that the volunteers provided invaluable feedback to the students about pronunciation, clarity, accuracy. The RBC staff also shared tips and strategies about workplace communication with clients and colleagues.

Huang says spending time with the RBC volunteers taught him about workplace culture.

“We talked about my past career, my family, and further career plan, and he also wanted to know my opinions about Canada, Winnipeg and other topics,” says Huang.

“He shared his career story with RBC with me…and gave me really valuable suggestions.”

Tamanna Vijay Pawar, one of the RBC volunteers, says learning English helped her increase her confidence. She says she had a memorable interaction with someone from RBC who provided advice and answered her many questions.

“When I was a newcomer in Canada, I was studying, and I was completely clueless what to do. How to face an interview, how to approach people…since there was COVID, I couldn’t interact with people,” says Vijay Pawar.

When Vijay Pawar heard about the event, she said it brought back memories of the anxiety and stress that she had gone through and the gratitude she felt for someone helping her. She volunteered to pay the favour forward.

“I really wanted to be here to help one student. Then I’d feel my journey was successful.”

The event succeeded in helping one student for sure, as Huang says the conversations helped him feel more confident about his English.

“I always wonder if my English is good enough to handle a customer service job. Now I know I am close to being able to apply for a position that requires high lever oral communication skills.”

Most newcomer students at the Language Training Centre have education, skills, and experience in various fields. They want to use those skills and contribute to Canada. While language classes help newcomers learn about Canadian culture, it is opportunities like this that make a lasting impact: they help build connections, learn from experience and build confidence.

RRC Polytech alumnus Glenn Garbett has made the full circle journey from determined student to successful business owner to trusted partner and generous donor. As someone who received financial support during his studies, he knows what a difference it can make.

“I have never forgotten how big of an impact a few extra bucks from a small business owner had on my life when as a Civil Engineering Technology student I received an award for a paper I wrote,” says Garbett, President and CEO of Keystone Projects Limited. “After I graduated, I worked a number of jobs to gain experience, but when I set out on my own the business plan always included finding a way to return the favour – to me, it’s the right thing to do.”   

Garbett established Keystone Projects Ltd. in 2010 providing customized and sustainable services in construction and project management. His experience and expertise ensure required work is completed, the quality of that work is of the highest standard and costs are kept down by the early identification and elimination of potentially costly errors before they occur.   

His work as a Project Manager and Contract Administrator has been instrumental in the completion of many of the College’s recent building projects, including the Skilled Trades and Technology Centre, Paterson GlobalFoods Institute and Manitou a bi Bii daziigae.

This spring, he was able to extend his College relationship from trusted partner to proud donor.                                                                                                                                                                  

Keystone Projects Ltd. created a $5,000 award for applied research teams in their fourth-year of the Construction Management Degree program. The award is given to the team that completed a project that focuses on leading-edge technology and improves or benefits the construction industry.

“I believe the cooperative effort of motivated professionals will bring a solution to any project. Cutting-edge technology and innovation drive industries forward, but teamwork will always be essential in construction,” says Garbett. “The goal of this award is to motivate students to place value on both as they enter the workforce and for them to dream big, be ambitious, and learn to communicate.”

This year’s winners Jasraj Gill, Hyung Jin An, Julian Brontsch, and Matthew Paquette evaluated the status, potential, and challenges of drone use in construction inspections. After conducting a literature review, a case study comparing manual to drone aided stockpile surveying, a hands-on drone survey test, and opinion surveys with industry professionals, they concluded that drone technology has shown enormous potential but is better served in other construction site applications.

“A big take away was going through the steps to complete each task on deadline which helped us to value the importance of planning and managing our time. Working together as a team to come up with and execute our objectives required us to further develop less tangible skills like problem solving, organization, asking the right questions, and presenting ideas,” says Matthew Paquette.

Their cash reward is multiplied by the experience of sharing their findings with their mentor who has hired several RRC Polytech grads.

“The construction industry in Manitoba seems like a very small and tight knit community so his advice and this connection is invaluable to us. We cannot thank Mr. Garbett enough for this prestigious award and opportunity,” says Paquette.

Garbett was intrigued by their project and believes drone technology will eventually become a powerful tool in construction, as it has in other industries. He is pleased that instructors plan to take their investigation further with future applied research groups.

“Glenn is a valuable resource not only to the winners, but to every student in our class. He demonstrates the trust and belief that industry leaders place in the next generation and emphasizes the importance of teamwork,” says Dr. Bright Ng’andu, Instructor in RRC Polytech’s Construction Management Degree program. “His donation encourages students to be confident that a great idea can originate anywhere and that you should always be striving to find a better way.”

Garbett is driven by personal development and guided by the philosophy that you can create happiness by surrounding yourself with good people, treating them fairly, building and maintaining relationships, and sharing in their successes.

He views his partnership with RRC Polytech as a win-win and is eager to find new ways to collaborate in the future.  

“The industry needs creative thinkers and good communicators who can work together and adapt when there are setbacks. I’ve learned that integrity, details, and positive language matter as much as knowledge and experience and have a feeling of accomplishment that these students now know there are good people out there, helping good people – provided you put in an honest day’s work.”

Derksen Manitoba donates $75,000 to RRC Polytech for Skilled Trades

As graduates of the Plumbing program, having a plaque with the family name in one of RRC Polytech’s skilled trades learning spaces (‘J’ building) is meaningful to Chris Derksen and his business partner and cousin, Zach Derksen.

“It was a great opportunity to give back to the place that helped pave the way for our current success,” says Chris, General Manager of Derksen Manitoba.

When he was in school, Chris says he met many people who now work alongside him. He says the biggest reason he is where he is today is because of his education and firsthand experience in the industry. Learning through trial and error in the shop helped him understand how to do things from the ground up.

“I don’t think I would’ve learned things the same way if I had read it in a book or written it down on a piece of paper 1000 times,” explains Chris.

“I think knowing what our workers go through on a day-to-day basis and understanding the services we’re supplying, rather than just knowing the business end of it, is huge.”

Along with Zach’s brother Kurtis Derksen, the three took classes in the J building and graduated together in 2007. After graduation, they all started working for the family business and eventually took over in leadership roles. Kurtis passed away in 2016, leaving Chris and Zach Derksen to manage without their family member, business partner and friend.

When he heard RRC Polytech was looking to add a new Skilled Trades and Technology Centre (STTC) to the Notre Dame Campus and the project came up for tender, Chris says they all got very excited.

Derksen Manitoba was one of the subcontractors that worked with Akman Construction Ltd. to provide plumbing, HVAC and other services, helping build the STTC from the ground up. Chris says working on the STTC generated a sense of pride that he felt and the entire crew shared in.

“Everybody pulled up their socks and really made sure that everything they did was borderline perfection.”

Derksen Manitoba also worked on Manitou a bi Bii daziigae (formerly known as the Innovation Centre). After these two successful projects, Chris says he wanted to help improve the College’s facilities and training for the student who would eventually come work for their company.

In January 2022, Derksen Manitoba made a $75,000 donation, and RRC Polytech recognized the support by naming the Piping Trades room the Derksen Manitoba Lab. Chris says it’s special because it’s where he and his partners took classes.

“RRC Polytech gave me the freedom and ability to understand the ‘why’ and create a company that’s always striving to be different and better than we were before.”

A total of 15 RRC Polytech students medaled in Vancouver last week at the Skills Canada National Competition (SCNC) where more than 300 post-secondary competitors from across Canada participated in over 35 skilled trade and technology competitions from May 25-28.

“We’re all so proud of the students from RRC Polytech who were able to compete, truly highlighting the talent that comes from our province” said Derek Kochenash, Dean, Skilled Trades and Technologies. “These students have worked so hard to show off their talents to peers and industry professionals across the country. This event also showcases how prepared our students are for careers in the trades.”

The SCNC is the only national, multi-trade and technology competition for students and apprentices in the country. 21 students from RRC Polytech qualified to represent Team Manitoba in 20 different contests at the two-day competition.

“It was a good thing for me to be a part of and I was able to push myself and see how I stack up and kind of gauge where my skills are at for my own personal development,” said Derrick Penner, current RRC Polytech Cabinetmaking student and Cabinet Making gold medalist at Skills Canada National Competition. “Cabinetry and woodworking are definitely passions of mine. So that’s what I want to keep on doing. Whether I work for myself, or continue to work for an employer – that’s just what I want to keep doing.”

The four-day event is open to the public, where guests were invited to Try-a-Trade and Technology activity, participate in interactive demonstrations by industry celebrities, visit the “career zone” that highlight the importance of the trades, and participants were invited to exclusive networking events.

“The students who participate in these competitions today will be the workforce of tomorrow and it is important that we support them in this journey,” said David Shnider, Director, The Princess Auto Foundation. “We’re proud to sponsor the students at RRC Polytech as they showcase their talents in the trades for their peers and industry professionals across the country.”

Travel costs were generously supported by Princess Auto Foundation, Gene Haas Foundation, Manitoba Aerospace, and Pepsi Student Travel Award Fund, along with a donation from Skills Manitoba in honour of Andrew Ormiston.

“The competition was always friendly and cooperative. So even though you were competing against each other, you could still be friends, which was awesome,” added Penner, who spends his spare time building guitars and other woodworking projects and is looking forward to building on his skills through the Cabinetmaking program at RRC Polytech.

“As the coaches of two winners in the culinary and baking competition, we feel quite proud of our students and their accomplishments,” said Kristen Chemerika-Lew and Chantalle Noschese. “There is quite a bit of time and effort put into preparing students for competitions and it truly feels like a team effort when they achieve podium results. We’re so proud of all RRC Polytech winners, we can’t wait to see what you do next!”

Chemerika-Lew and Noschese noted that the students dedication and investment in their education along with the countless hours spent training made their job so much more rewarding.

The secondary competition remained virtual this year, where 200 competitors from regions across Canada competed in 45 skilled trade and technology competitions and were highlighted onsite at the venue and through the livestream.

Manitoba will be hosting the Skills Canada National Competition in May 2023 at the RBC Convention Centre, with RRC Polytech as one of the event’s partners. RRC Polytech has hosted the provincial competition on its campuses since 1998, minus the recent years the event was presented virtually.

As Manitoba’s only polytechnic, RRC Polytech has a proven track record of success in training an innovative skilled trades workforce. The College’s Skilled Trades and Technology Centre is a state-of-the-art, 104,000 square foot complex that houses laboratory, shop space and classrooms for up to 1000 students per year in high-demand trades and technologies.

The STTC also supports technology and innovation in robotics and automation, hydraulics and pneumatics, materials, electronics, computer aided design, and the Innovation Lab for applied research initiatives, and industry and student projects.

Red River College Polytechnic (RRC Polytech) is excited to announce a $110,000 donation from M.D. Steele, a Winnipeg based construction company, in support of students in skilled trades programs. As part of this gift, M.D Steele established two new scholarships; one to support students in Civil Engineering Technology and the other in the Carpentry program.

“Without RRC Polytech, I don’t think I’d be where I am today,” said Richard Wilson, President of M.D. Steele, and graduate of RRC Polytech’s Civil Engineering Technology program. “I’m always thinking about things I was taught 20 years ago — I draw on a lot of knowledge from back then.”

To recognize this generosity, a classroom in the Skilled Trades and Technology Centre has been named for the company. The classroom, located on the second floor of the building, is primarily used by level three apprenticeship carpentry students. The company has a long history of partnerships with RRC Polytech, from presentations to students about the construction industry, to advising how to keep the curriculum current, to taking on apprentices and hiring graduates.

“I’ve been with M.D. Steele since 2005 and there hasn’t been one year we haven’t had an apprentice out in the field,” says Wilson. “The college has been very good for us to find quality employees — and we’re always hiring people.”

The company has many RRC Polytech graduates among its ranks — project managers, estimators, surveyors, safety professionals, and an ever-growing number of carpenters — and this donation will help attract new students and ensure M.D. Steele and RRC Polytech stay in front of what’s ahead. Since many industries are facing a skilled labour shortage, donations, partnerships, and collaborations with RRC Polytech ensure graduates continue to be job-ready on day one.

“It’s donations like these, and stories like this one, that give our students a competitive advantage,” says Derek Kochenash, Dean, Skilled Trades and Technologies. “They leave the college so well prepared — with real-world skills, college credentials and certifications — that they want to pay it forward to the next generation of students. We’ve always been happy to work with M.D. Steele and we’re extremely grateful for what they’ve done, and will do, for our students.”

The appreciation is mutual. Aside from shared benefits to donating and collaborating with the College, Wilson said he also appreciates the effort it must take to train students.

“It’d be a very difficult thing to do, if you think about it,” says Wilson. “To go and ask every single company what they want students to learn, take all that information, collaborate with it, and put it in a nice little package where you can sprinkle it on these students over the course of four years. To try and capture everything. I think that’s why I can sit here and say, ‘Hey, everything they taught me was relevant.’” Passionate donors like M.D Steele are crucial for RRC Polytech to continue to deliver and support trades programs. This support ensures students have the most up to date tools, materials & resources to learn effectively and best prepare them for work in industry.  

Beau Carino, Marine and Powersports Technician graduate and winner of the Canadian Vintage Motorcycle Group scholarship.

The iconic 1969 movie Easy Rider conjures a passion for motorcycles and a love of the open road. The Canadian Vintage Motorcycle Group (CVMG) wants to ignite that same passion with younger motorcycle enthusiasts by offering scholarships and sparking interest in the CVMG.

“None of us are getting any younger and it’s important to attract younger members to the group,” said CVMG’s Vice President John Tankard. In 2021, CVMG launched its CVMG Education Fund to three educational institutions in Canada, including RRC Polytechnic.

Through the Fund, a $1,000 award will be available annually to two eligible students in RRC Polytech’s Marine and Powersports Technician Program. To qualify, students in the Marine and Powersports Technician Program must demonstrate an interest in motorcycles, satisfactory academic standing and leadership and teamwork qualities. Recipients are selected by department faculty.

“I want to get into a profession of working on motorcycles – motorcycles are my passion,” said Beau Carino, a Marine and Powersports Technician graduate who is currently re-building a 1983 Suzuki GS450. “I actually got it last year, it was my wife’s cousin’s bike. It was just sitting in their barn for 10 plus years, or so.”

 “While the Education Fund is part of our ongoing work to introduce the CVMG to a younger audience and build enthusiasm in the sport or hobby, we also see our Education Fund as an investment in the future of the students,” said Tankard, who joined CVMG in the 90s and has enjoyed travelling many miles on his vintage Suzuki 750 with his wife, and has since had to pass his beloved bikes on to another enthusiasts due to challenges with his eyesight.

Carino has been repairing the bike in the garage at RRC Polytech with the help of an instructor, when asked if the bike ran, he quickly responded with, “It didn’t run, no. But it’s running now. The only thing left to do is the seat and clean up a little bit of things here and there.”

“At first, I was going to do the whole Café Racer thing, but now that I’m nearing completion, I think I’m going to ride it the way it is,” shared Carino enthusiastically as he noted that he and a couple of friends all ride vintage bikes.

CVMG, a not-for-profit organization, started in 1968 with a dozen members, promotes the use, restoration, and interest in older motorcycles and those of historic interest. With more than 50 years since its inception, the organization now boasts 2,500 within 34 sections, nationally and internationally. Members own more than 7, 000 motorcycles covering 200 different makes.

“Now, working on the older stuff. It’s made it pretty fun. There’s a lot of different things – like, you don’t have to deal with computers or anything. It’s nice, back to the basics,” noted Carino who hopes to join the CVMG in the future.

The various sections of CVMG host rallies, shows, displays and sporting events as well as lending support to many other various community affairs. They also encourage the preservation of records, data, objects pertaining to the history of motorcycles and motorcycling which CVMG hopes will benefit all enthusiasts.

The first scholarships were awarded to Beau Carino and Hunter Barker in the 2021/22 academic year.

How one Ukrainian student is coping with war in his home country

Distraction can be a good thing.

“There is a famous Ukrainian poet who said, I laughed in order not to cry,” says Vladyslav Terzi. “That explains the whole situation here in Canada.”

Terzi was born in Ukraine and recently reunited with family in Manitoba. His parents and brother moved to Morden in 2016 — Terzi was too old to qualify as a dependent and stayed behind. He finished university, moved to China for three years, then came back to Ukraine. By then it was unsafe.

“It was like you live on a powder barrel,” says Terzi. “You don’t know when it’s going to explode. So, we decided it’s better for me to move to Canada.”

When he arrived in the province, he studied human resources at a different college. The institution didn’t suit him, so after a few months, he moved to RRC Polytech. Terzi says Human Resources in the Business Administration program has been much better, academically and as a distraction.

Terzi likes to keep his mind distracted and focused away from the world around him. “In my case, it’s studying,” said Terzi. 

It’s a busy schedule, but Terzi still contacts friends and family back home when he can, sending asynchronous messages like they’re letters.

“I have friends who live in Kharkiv and it’s being attacked every day,” says Terzi. “Sometimes they wake up because of the rockets flying by. I have friends in Mariupol, but it’s hard to get in touch with them because of the problems with internet connections there. I’m worried they will never be the same people they used to be. When you see the place you grew up being demolished in one night, it’s… it changes people.”

Many of Terzi’s friends are at or approaching new stages in life: new careers, in serious relationships, recently married, or with small children. These friends value stability — something they’re unlikely to get any time soon.

“The scariest part is they’re getting used to this life,” he says. “They’re getting used to hearing sirens for air attacks, going somewhere to hide, then when it’s all over, going outside to hope and pray their house is intact.”

Despite the barrage of bad news from Ukraine, Terzi believes the best way he can cope is by focusing on school, staying positive, and doing what he can to help from Canada. He sends any money he doesn’t spend on school back home, choosing not to go out with friends in Winnipeg to save as much as possible. Whenever he has free time, he browses Ukrainian-Manitoban Facebook groups looking for ways to help — there are people asking for rides for new immigrants, help moving in, or even babysitting.

“The Ukrainian community is quite strong in Canada — people help each other all the time,” says Terzi. “It’s just now we have even more reason to take care of each other.”

Even with a support network, ways to keep busy, and a positive outlook, no two people handle a crisis the same way. That’s why RRC Polytech launched an appeal to raise funds for Ukrainian students studying in Manitoba. For people like Terzi, this means Ukrainian students will be able to access additional support from RRC Polytech. The appeal began in March and raised $10,000.  

“One thing I love about Canada is that people actually care about each other,” says Terzi. “It’s not just the government saying, we will help Ukrainians, it’s each and every step of the social structure. People do what they can, they understand your situation.”

When he graduates, Terzi says he hopes to get a human resources job in Manitoba, and not just for the career opportunity.

“Right now, the society of Winnipeg and Manitoba is providing things to me,” says Terzi. “And at some point, I want to give it back, any way I can. Even if it’s working in HR and helping people to figure out their problems — as long as it’s helping them, I don’t care.”

—

RRC Polytech has recently launched an additional fund to support international students in distress due to humanitarian crises or war in their home country. We are asking our community to give today to help international students enduring financial hardship. With your gift students who are experiencing war and other humanitarian crises will be helped through additional funding, resources and supports.

Donating is simple, see options below:

Online (please designate your gift to International Student Relief)

By calling: 204-619-0139

By mail:

RRC Polytech Development Office

C306-2055 Notre Dame Ave.

Winnipeg, MB R3H 0J9

—

Spring, by Lesia Ukrainka — graciously translated by Vladyslav Terzi

I stood and listened to spring,

It told me so much — with pain,

She sang me song — loud and ring

And quietly whispered again.

She sang to me about love,

About youth, hopes and joy,

Then she sang me above and above

That’s what my dreams sang to me long time ago.

As a child I sometimes fell,

Hard enough for it to hurt.

Though my heart with pain would swell,

Yet I rose without a word.

They asked me: “Did you hurt yourself?”

“I’m all right”, I would reply.

My pride would then assert itself:

I laughed in order not to cry

But now the drama soon will end;

For me, a bitter cup to sip.

And a clever epigram

Is on the brink of tongue and lip.

But laughter may be merciless:

I fear the blade of open chaff.

And so, surrendering my pride,

I cry in order not to laugh.

Original version:

Стояла я, і слухала весну,

Весна мені багато говорила,

Співала пісню дзвінку, голосну

Та знов таємно-тихо шепотіла.

Вона мені співала про любов,

 Про молодощі, радощі, надії,

 Вона мені переспівала знов

Те, що давно співали мені мрії.

Упаду, собі на лихо,

Як дитиною бувало,

То хоч в серце біль доходив,

Я собі вставала тихо.

«Що болить?» — мене питали,

Але я не признавалась —

Я була малою горда.

 Щоб не плакать, я сміялась.

 A тепер, коли для мене

 Жартом злим кінчиться драма,

І от-от зірватись має

Гостра злобна епіграма,

Безпощадній зброї сміху

Я боюся піддаватись.

 І, забувши давню гордість,

Плачу я, щоб не сміятись.