Winnipeg, MB – Today Frontiers North Adventures (Frontiers North) and Red River College (RRC) unveiled a new zero-emission vehicle technology initiative. The Electric Vehicle Tundra Buggy® (EV Tundra Buggy) is a collaborative, proof-of-concept project that oversaw the conversion of a Tundra Buggy in Frontier North’s touring fleet from diesel-powered to battery electric.

The EV Tundra Buggy was made possible through the province’s new Conservation and Climate Fund, and the Vehicle Technology Centre (VTCI) – a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting Manitoba’s heavy vehicle manufacturing sector – and in-kind support and technical services from RRC’s Vehicle Technology & Energy Centre (VTEC).

“The Manitoba government is committed to supporting environmental projects like the EV Tundra Buggy that beautifully blends our commitment to environmental sustainability, green energy and the entrepreneurial spirit of our province,” said Conservation and Climate Minister, Sarah Guillemard.

“We remain committed to making Manitoba the cleanest, greenest, most climate-resilient province in the country and projects like this can help make that happen.”

The project’s goal of reducing environmental impact and protecting Manitoba’s Sub-Arctic landscape will help to create a culture of sustainable tourism in one of the province’s top year-round destinations, Churchill, Manitoba.

“Our company’s purpose is all about stewardship, and positively contributing to our communities and environments,” said John Gunter, President and CEO of Frontiers North.

“By starting the conversion of our fleet with this first EV Tundra Buggy, Frontiers North is taking meaningful steps towards reducing our GHG emissions and creating new clean tech jobs. We are also excited to provide our touring guests a silent EV Tundra Buggy experience amongst wild polar bears and beneath the northern lights. For their support of this project we thank Manitoba, Vehicle Technology Centre Inc.and Red River College.”

The EV Tundra Buggy project builds upon research, testing, and demonstration VTEC has undertaken for the shift of transit buses to electric. The battery used in the buggy is repurposed (re-used) from an e-bus. By tapping into VTEC’s in-house technical expertise and using a repurposed e-bus battery, Frontiers North was able to confirm their vision of shifting from diesel to electric was feasible.

“The EV Tundra Buggy project is a quintessential made-in-Manitoba story – it has links to conservation, tourism, and environmental stewardship, highlighting the ability of industry partnerships to create positive impact in Manitoba, for Manitobans, through reducing environmental impact and benefitting our local economy,” said Fred Meier, President and CEO, Red River College.

“The opportunity to assist Frontiers North and project partners with testing and validating the Tundra Buggy conversion to battery electric, meant leveraging the expertise of our VTEC researchers, engineers and technicians. While working on an applied research project, it’s as much as an opportunity for us to help provide knowledge and training to our industry partners, as it’s an opportunity for our researchers and students to learn and grow our in-house capabilities to further support innovation in Manitoba.”

Frontiers North, one of Canada’s top three sustainable tourism operators, plans to move forward with their vision of shifting their Tundra Buggy fleet to electric vehicles, furthering their commitment to sustainability within the province.

In addition to the primary goal of reducing environmental impact, another key objective of the conversion to electric, is to reduce sound pollution. While polar bears are easily habituated to the presence and sounds of the diesel-powered buggies, they generate sound that can carry far distances over the otherwise quiet tundra.

Moreover, the EV Tundra Buggy project aligns with Red River College’s commitment to supporting the transition to a low-carbon economy, as a member of the Canadian Colleges for a Resilient Recovery (C2R2).

A recording of today’s announcement will be made available on RRC’s YouTube channel.

Frontiers North Adventures hosts guests primarily in Churchill, Manitoba to dine beneath the northern lights, sing alongside beluga whales and lock eyes with wild polar bears. A certified B Corporation® and leader in sustainable travel since 1987, they are stewards of the resources made available to them and passionately share their values with their guests. They are the official Conservation Journey® and Tundra Buggy® people. Learn more at frontiersnorth.com

Red River College’s Vehicle Technology & Energy Center (VTEC) drives innovation through supporting Manitoba’s heavy vehicle industry sector, helping the province grow as a major transportation hub. Home to two facilities unique to Western Canada: MotiveLab™ and the Vehicle Technology & Research Centre (VTRC), VTEC provides applied research, technical, and training services. VTEC is a leader in sustainable vehicle technologies, focusing on the electrification of vehicles and alternative fuel sources. Learn more at rrc.ca/vtec

Winnipeg, MB – From the onset of the pandemic, Red River College has made the health and safety of our students, staff and community our priority. That’s why today, we are announcing that the College will make vaccinations a condition for students and employees to come on Campus for the fall term, starting Friday, September 10, 2021. The vaccine requirement on Campus will be a staged approach, with first doses required by September 10, 2021 and the second by October 17, 2021.

This policy will include students living in RRC’s residence and employees working at all campuses in Winnipeg and at our Regional Campuses. All other existing health and safety protocols we currently have in place will remain.

This has included limiting capacity to essential activities, implementing a mandatory mask mandate in advance of public health orders, and distributing level three masks to address wide-spread issues surrounding variants of concern, along with a robust internal contact tracing protocol to relieve pressure on public health and notify our community sooner to keep them safe.

Over the past year, we have been on the leading edge of implementing public health restrictions that have met or exceeded all recommendations from Manitoba Public Health. That approach has allowed the College to create a safe working and learning environment while delivering the hands-on training our workforce depends on.

Red River College is Manitoba’s largest College, and applied learning is integral to our program delivery. With the plan for increased support and services being offered on Campus this fall, we have a duty to ensure the health and safety of our students and employees within our institution. We are taking another proactive measure to help stop the spread of COVID-19 and variants of concern in our community.

To be clear, we are not mandating anyone to get a vaccine. We will continue to respect medical and religious/creed-based exemptions upon presentation of appropriate documentation, and a process for this is in development.

COVID-19 vaccines are free and widely available to everyone over the age of 12 in Manitoba, and they are the most effective tool we have to protect one another and end this pandemic.  This vaccine requirement is an additional measure we are taking as a College to protect the health and safety of our community.

Since the very beginning of the pandemic, we have been leaders, and we stepped up to respond to the needs of our health care system and community when they needed it the most. This included developing micro-credential training courses like the Nasopharyngeal Sample Collection, Laboratory Essentials for COVID-19 Testing, Health Care Support Worker, and COVID-19 Vaccine Administration.

We must continue to lead by example.

We are making this decision today with support from Manitoba Public Health encouraging all eligible Manitobans to get vaccinated, and with the overwhelming support from our community to take action and do their part to get vaccinated as soon as possible – to date exceeding vaccination milestone targets weeks in advance with, 81.0% of Manitobans receiving with their first dose and 74.6% fully immunized.

We will continue to support students and staff who need to access vaccines before the beginning of our fall semester. Our Health Centre is planning to have the COVID-19 vaccine available for anyone at our campuses this fall to help remove barriers to access, and to date, we have offered two vaccine clinics on Campus. The College also supports up to three hours of paid leave for staff and faculty to receive a vaccination or to support those who are taking a dependent to their vaccine appointment.

Over the next week, we will be working on the details of the vaccination policy and procedures, but we wanted to provide as much notice as possible as we prepare for the start of the fall 2021 term.

We are proud of the work that has been done and the commitment from this community to continue to go above and beyond to protect one another, and we are confident that this is one more thing we can all do reduce the risks of COVID-19 and to get back to the things we love.

If you have any questions about this announcement or for more information about where you can go for more information about vaccines, please contact safety@rrc.ca or click here to visit our FAQ page.

Thank you for continuing to do your part to keep each other safe.
 
Fred Meier
RRC President and CEO

Melanie Gudmundson
RRC Chief Human Resource Officer

Winnipeg, MB – In honour of the 150^th anniversary of Treaty 1, the Indigenous Chamber of Commerce, Red River College (RRC), and The Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce are coming together to make truth and reconciliation training more accessible for business owners by offering one free month of the 4 Seasons of Reconciliation Education (4 Seasons) e-modular training program to Chamber members.

This initiative is focused on helping businesses learn their role in Call to Action #92 from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada and will create a foundation of knowledge for businesses and their teams to build on. The 4 Seasons of Reconciliation Education has been offered at RRC for staff and faculty for nearly a year and is part of the College’s truth and reconciliation training, which is complemented by engagement and events.

“Red River College has long worked with industry to anticipate the training needed next to advance our province. As a leader in preparing Manitoba’s workforce and as a partner to the business community, we are committed to building and offering learning opportunities that will advance reconciliation and respectful working relationships in our communities, and we will have more to offer in the coming year,” says Fred Meier, President & CEO at Red River College. “We are proud to play a part and contribute to educating our community on the history and truths of the past and present, and the landscape of reconciliation in Treaty 1, but we also acknowledge that reconciliation will not look like one action or initiative. It will be a fluid, on-going process that will need to adapt as we learn, and it will take time to heal relationships and make the necessary changes.”

“We know that the first step to enacting and embedding reconciliation is learning and understanding the truth of Canada’s history, and the legacy of colonization in all areas of our lives, including education and business,” says Loren Remillard, President & CEO at The Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce. “The Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce is dedicated to supporting businesses on their journey towards reconciliation. It is imperative that businesses embrace initiatives that advance inclusivity to attract and retain talent and to reflect its customers and our community. This opportunity will build on the resources we outline in our Truth and Reconciliation Roadmap.”

“The Indigenous Chamber of Commerce understands that we can create the partnerships and synergies important to the growth and development of all business in this province,” says Jamie Dumont, Chair of the Indigenous Chamber of Commerce. “Today is not only an important day to acknowledge the anniversary of Treaty 1, reflect on our collective history and learn more about where you live, but to also do a check in on your reconciliation progress and plans – whether that be personal or for your business. Treaty 1 is home, and now more than ever, it’s vital that we recommit to working in collaboration to honour respectful Treaty relationships that operate on mutual understanding and thriving.”

The initiative will start with a panel discussion, Reconciliation in Action: Understanding Call to Action 92, on Tuesday, August 31, so members will have an opportunity to learn more about the program and the responsibility of businesses in truth and reconciliation before gaining access to 4 Seasons in September. Members and RRC staff will also be invited to attend two debriefing sessions to discuss the training content, learning experiences, and next steps in a safe, supportive environment on Tuesday, September 14 and 28.

The 4 Seasons of Reconciliation is a new multimedia program that has been developed through collaboration and co-creation with the First Nations University of Canada, its Indigenous Advisory Circle, and Indigenous contributors. The training creates an understanding on the history of colonization in Canada and how it impacts current issues and Indigenous peoples today through engaging slideshows, short videos, documentary films, and mini quizzes. 4 Seasons provides the knowledge required for informed, respectful and effective engagement in the classroom and workplace.

Winnipeg, MB – Calling all rainbow gamers interested in learning game development and new skills with Red River College (RRC) and New Media Manitoba’s (NMM) Queer Coded youth summer camp – the first-of-its-kind to be offered by the two organizations. The camp will be taught by 2SLGBTQIA industry professionals and allies in a safe and supportive environment, with the goal to open more doors for interested youth and diversify this growing industry in Manitoba.

“With the expansion project of our Exchange District Campus opening this fall, and the exponential growth of the digital and tech sectors in Manitoba, we know the demand for diverse and skilled grads in areas like game development, interaction design and development, and film production will continue,” said Dr. Christine Watson, VP Academic and Research, Red River College. “Red River College is committed to fostering an environment where all individuals are and feel welcomed, respected, safe and supported in their ideas, perspectives and participation. We are proud to offer a series of camps and provide opportunities to open our doors – virtually – to invite future students on campus and expose them to these growing industries in a fun, safe and inclusive way.”

Youth with a passion or talent for drawing, writing, animation, music or programming are all welcome to this virtual youth camp that will give participants an opportunity to meet and work with peers, create art, and tell interactive stories in their own way.

The camp will be offered virtually over two weeks. The first week of the camp will focus on character design, what works and what doesn’t work (exploring favourite games and genres), storytelling, and creating sprites and backgrounds. In the second week participants will learn about implementing characters and backgrounds into a story with mechanics using a game engine, creating narrative games and/or visual novels, and using a visual game creator.

“New Media Manitoba has a long history of partnership and collaboration with Red River College, and we are happy to see that continue with Queer Coded – our first video game camp for 2SLGBTQIA youth,” said Jonathan Phu Son Lê, Training Manager, New Media Manitoba. “This camp came from a shared goal to create a safe and inclusive space for students to learn about game development. In addition, both organizations are committed to fostering a greater diversity of voices to create stories and experiences that better reflect who we are as a community. Our sincere hope is that this camp could be that important first step for students in discovering the exciting possibilities of this medium.”

The camp will be taught by professional Illustrator and Art Teacher, Alice RL, a non-binary, transgender, Ojibawe artist who draws inspiration from their experiences and cultural teachings. A graduate of the University of Manitoba’s Fine Arts Program and Red River College’s Digital Media Design program, Alice’s range of projects includes game and comic book art, digital and traditional illustration, and graphic design.

“As a member of the 2SLGBTQIA community I always share a variety of materials to capture a range of perspectives to ensure my students all feel safe and included in the content I am sharing,” said Alice RL, instructor for the camp. “It’s very important for people to see themselves in whatever information or medium is being presented – from kindergarten, right through to high-school and post-secondary, it’s imperative that people from diverse backgrounds are reflected in the success stories we are sharing, and this camp provides a unique and safe opportunity for youth to explore art, technology and their creativity.”

No previous game development experience is required. Participants are encouraged to come with an open mind and desire to learn, to see what a powerful creative medium video game development can be.

The camp will begin next week, Monday, July 19, 2021 – Friday, July 30, 2021 and the cost to participate is $49. With the goal to make this camp as accessible as possible, participants are encouraged to mention if cost is a barrier when registering so that the College can work with you to find a solution.

Learn more about this camp and the other camps Red River College has to offer, and to register, click here.

Winnipeg, MB – Red River College Library Services’ Warm Up Week is one of five projects to receive the 2021 American Library Association (ALA) Presidential Citation for Innovative International Library Projects.

Warm Up Week was developed by RRC Library Services, in partnership with the Academic Success Centre and College stakeholders, to provide support and mental health services for RRC students. The event was conceived to address the many challenges the pandemic has posed on post-secondary institutions, including students’ experiences adapting to changes in course delivery, staying connected with their peers and instructors, and obtaining mental health and academic supports from home.

For 500 RRC students, the winter semester was delayed by one week to hold the first-ever Warm Up Week, January 4 to 8, 2021. The week-long event gave faculty time to pivot to online program delivery and provided students with a supportive online environment to develop co-curricular and academic skills, helping ensure their success heading into the winter semester.

“To address challenges the pandemic has added to students’ academic experience, the College continues to develop innovative solutions to support our students,” says Arnold Boldt, Executive Director, Academic. “Warm Up Week is an important initiative that addresses mental health concerns while also boosting students’ confidence and preparedness in their educational journeys.”

The event consisted of seminars, workshops, help desks, and self-guided learning opportunities. Some of the Warm Up sessions included: Technology Skills for Online Success, Online Learning Strategies, and Intercultural Competence. Partnerships with the School of Indigenous Education, Mental Health & Wellness, Centre for International Education and Global Partnerships, Employment Services, and the RRC Student Association gave students access to additional supports such as Indigenous Elder drop-ins, resume writing workshops, mindfulness sessions, and more.

“Along with the pressures of starting a new semester, the pandemic can amplify feelings of anxiety and uncertainty for students, who have had to adapt to new ways of learning and connecting with their instructors and peers,” says Kerry Macdonald, Director, Academic and Library Services. “While this initiative was born out of a need during the pandemic, due to its immense success, we hope to make Warm Up Week an annual event engaging all incoming RRC students.”

Warm Up Week was targeted for the 500 students with a delayed semester start; However, all RRC students were encouraged to participate, and many attended in addition to their regular classes. Post-event, 95% of student survey participants said they “feel more confident they will be successful in their program” and “feel more prepared to meet the demands of their program.”

Award recipients will be acknowledged at the virtual ALA Annual Conference & Exhibition, June 23-29. Additionally, RRC’s Warm Up Week will be featured in the American Libraries magazine alongside other ALA Presidential Citations winners.

Campbell’s contributions to College and community recognized with Indigenous Social Enterprise Diploma

Winnipeg, MB – Elder Mae Louise Campbell is a healer, teacher, grandmother and social advocate who has made it her life’s work to support and strengthen Indigenous women – both individually and collectively. Today, Red River College is proud to recognize her contributions to the community by awarding the Honorary Diploma in Indigenous Social Enterprise with a focus on Community Development and Social Innovation to Elder Mae Louise Campbell.

“In an organization as large as Red River College, it’s special to find someone who is known, respected, and beloved by an entire community, and Elder Mae Louise is all of those things to so many. During her 14 years with the College, she was invited by all 110 academic program areas to conduct and lead countless workshops, ceremonies and teachings.  She is known and celebrated for her stories that underscore the importance of harmony, respect, and resilience,” said Fred Meier, President and CEO of Red River College.

“Elder Mae Louise Campbell’s leadership has left an indelible mark on Red River College and the province of Manitoba, and we are pleased to award her with the Honorary Diploma in Indigenous Social Enterprise and recognize her important contributions.”

Elder Mae Louise Campbell’s knowledge and experience has been embraced by many. Her life lessons and unique ability to educate and share knowledge around Indigenous worldviews creating dialogue outside of textbooks has been imperative to both Indigenous and non-Indigenous members of the community.

She has been an instrumental figure supporting many initiatives and committees both nationally and across Manitoba including: Grandmother Moon Lodge, Clan Mothers Healing Village and Knowledge Centre, Mayor Bowman’s Indigenous Advisory Circle,  Wisdom Keeper on the Grandmother Council of Manitoba, First Nations Advisory Committee to Canada’s Prenatal Nutritional Program, the Canadian Women’s Foundation on matters concerning the sexual exploitation and human trafficking of women and girls, and was the recipient of the 2016 Indspire Award in the category of Culture, Heritage and Spirituality.

The College announced and presented Elder Mae Louise Campbell with the Honorary Diploma yesterday at the first ever Fall Virtual Convocation ceremony, where over 900 graduates from every campus across Manitoba celebrated this milestone achievement.

“I am very humbled to receive this gift presented to me by Red River College. My time at the College has been exciting and I am proud of the way we have moved ahead to advance Indigenous education, and stressed the importance of having Elders on board and part of the College community,” said Elder Mae Louise Campbell.

“I often think about those of us who are instructors, teachers and knowledge sharers, and I think it’s so important for us to learn from one another and from our students – this is how we gain wisdom. I respect and honour Red River College’s commitment to further Indigenize the College, and I encourage all of us educators to continue to keep our minds open to new ways of learning – especially in these challenging times.”

You can watch Virtual Convocation here.

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About the Honorary Diploma:

Red River College awards an Honorary Degree or Diploma to an individual who demonstrates high standards of excellence in their personal and professional achievements, and whose involvement in the community is widely recognized.

Winnipeg, MB – Today, the Red River College community will come together – virtually – to celebrate over 900 graduates from every school and campus across the province for the first ever fall Virtual Convocation ceremony.

“This has been a year like no other. It has forced the College to teach and learn differently, and it has pushed us to work harder, to try new things and embrace change in a way that we have never had to embrace it before,” said Fred Meier, RRC President and CEO.

“This is simply the RRC way. We’re agile, we’re adaptable and in unprecedented times, we turn to unprecedented solutions: to innovation, creativity and cutting-edge technology that allow us to keep going. We are proud to celebrate over 900 graduates who persevered to get here today, and who will enter the workforce with skills and training that industry needs now more than ever. This is an exciting time to begin your career and build on the momentum that Manitoba needs to move forward.”

This is Red River College’s first-ever Convocation Ceremony to take place in the fall, and the virtual event will feature messages from speakers across the College and province, including:

• Fred Meier, RRC President and CEO;
• Christine Watson, VP Academic;
• Loren Cisyk, Chair of Red River College Board of Governors;
• The Honourable Ralph Eichler, Minister of Economic Development and Training;
• Yash Chopra, President, RRC Students’ Association;
• Deans, Chairs, Coordinators and Instructors from across the College;
• Elder Mae Louise Campbell, Honorary Diploma recipient; and
• Natalie Bell, Alumni, Class of 2004
• Michelle Queau, Alumni, Class of 2019

“Convocation is an important milestone for our students, and an exciting moment for the College community to come together and celebrate with friends, family and peers. It takes a lot of time and energy to acquire a credential, and while we can’t be together in person, we are thrilled channel this excitement and energy as we celebrate the hard work of our 900 graduates and award winners online for our first ever fall Convocation,” said Dr. Christine Watson, VP Academic.

Graduates are encouraged to take photos in your cap, tassel and wear your alumni pin proudly.  Please share photos on social media by tagging Red River College (@redrivercollege) and using the hashtag RRC Alumni (#rrcalumni).

RRC’s fall Virtual Convocation Ceremony will stream on Facebook Live today, Tuesday, November 17 at 1:00pm. For a full list of graduates, award winners, and to stream the ceremony please visit rrc.ca/convocation.

Red River College is now one of the fastest growing research colleges in Canada thanks to two new grants totaling $300,000 awarded by Mitacs earlier last month.

“Red River College is proud to be a leading Canadian institution in applied research,” said Fred Meier, RRC President and CEO. “We continue to expand our research efforts into new and emerging areas of technology – such as AI and machine learning – and through collaboration with businesses across Manitoba and our ACE Project Space.”

“These partnerships with Mitacs help support more opportunities for our students to use their hands on training and skills to think creatively for their clients, to problem solve and implement innovative solutions, and drive industry forward.”

Mitacs fosters growth and innovation opportunities for companies and communities, while supporting applied learning for students across all industry sectors and academic disciplines – making Canadian colleges and polytechnics a natural fit their support.

Red River College is now one of the fastest growing colleges for Mitacs in Canada, and these two initiatives alone will engage 17 RRC student interns in innovative industry research.

The first Mitacs grant – one of the largest – awarded to any college in Canada – is an $180,000 partnership with RRC and IT operations optimization startup, Optimiz. With the support of Mitacs, 12 students from the Business Information Technology (BIT) program will use Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning explore new approaches and technology applications to monitor the health of IT systems. This important work will allow for quicker and more effective implementations of AIOps systems, and will result in cost savings to Canadian businesses.

“In today’s ever-changing world, many businesses must quickly adapt to our new norm and over the last six months, digital accessibility has quickly become an essential need in order for them to effectively sustain their business offering,” said Tom McIlwham, Chief Strategy Officer, Optimiz.

“We identified Red River College as an excellent source of enthusiastic and highly qualified students to help us build out our solution for AIOps monitoring and management needs, and Mitacs has provided guidance and expertise to assist us through the funding process. We are very pleased to be collaborating with Mitacs and RRC on this exciting initiative, and we truly appreciate the opportunity to make this win-win-win scenario a reality.”

The second is a $120K joint partnership with RRC, the University of Manitoba (UM) and the Arctic Research Foundation (ARF). With support from the Mitacs Accelerate internship, five students from RRC’s Applied Computer Education (ACE) Department will use their skills to gather data from the Canadian Arctic to create a user-friendly, free, centralized database that will serve governments, universities, Indigenous communities and researchers from around the world, for the first time.

“RRC’s ACE Project space has established itself as a key player in Winnipeg’s start-up community, and with their cross institutional research relationships with the University of Manitoba and others, non-academic partners can receive end-to-end support for their product development with funding from Mitacs,” said Brent Wennekes, Director, Business Development, Mitacs Canada.

“Red River College has been a trailblazer for applied research at the college level and remains a national leader. Mitacs is so pleased to be able to support their researchers, students, and community partners with our Accelerate program.”

Manitoba has been the fastest growing province for Mitacs over the last two years, with over 420 internship units applied for last year alone, equaling over $6 million in research awards to Manitoba institutions.

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About RRC:

RRC is Manitoba’s largest institute of applied learning and research, with more than 200 full- and part-time degree, diploma and certificate options. Through hands-on and online learning opportunities and state-of-the-art instruction, we prepare our students to become leaders in their fields — while also ensuring they can meet changing industry demands, and contribute to the province’s economic growth. For more information visit rrc.ca.

About Mitacs:

Mitacs is a not-for-profit organization that fosters growth and innovation in Canada by solving business challenges with research solutions from academic institutions. Mitacs is funded by the Government of Canada along with the Government of Alberta, the Government of British Columbia, Research Manitoba, the Government of New Brunswick, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, the Government of Nova Scotia, the Government of Ontario, Innovation PEI, the Government of Quebec, the Government of Saskatchewan, and the Government of Yukon.

To all Red River College students and staff,

June is a milestone month at the College. It is typically the end of the school year, the start of summer and graduation for many of our students. It is also a time when we celebrate Pride, where the world’s LGBTQ2+ communities come together in strength, struggle and accomplishment.

June is very different this year – for all of us at RRC and beyond. The immense upheaval caused by COVID-19 means Pride celebrations, like the Winnipeg Pride Parade, have been postponed until the fall.

But while we may not be able to march together, it is important we mark the occasion.

In these turbulent times, I’m going to take a moment to remember that Pride’s history is rooted in protest and the fight for fairness, change and social justice. I am forever grateful for this legacy, for the determination, courage and achievements of those who came before us and fought for our equality and human rights.

What is happening south of our border – and within our own country – is a different fight for equality. Against this backdrop, Pride reminds us how important it is to stand up for diversity, inclusion and equality – and in solidarity against prejudice, intolerance and injustice.

It isn’t about saying that each struggle for change is the same. They are not. The experiences of black people are their own. As such, this means we have a role to play in listening to and learning from black voices in our community. It is about recognizing that profound and lasting societal change is extremely difficult to achieve and often begins with the right to gather in protest.

Pride Month reminds us that we have much to learn from one another. It is an opportunity to express and value our diversity, and challenge the barriers that people of different sexual and gender identities, orientations, and expressions still face each and every day. This struggle is not over – it is a journey of a million steps along the road of progress.

I am proud of the work our faculty, staff and students have done to create a safe campus environment founded in respect, equity and support. I know we still have a lot of work to do – and I know we will do that work together.

When Winnipeg gathers to march this September, I hope you will join my wife and I in celebrating the many faces of Pride – both at Red River College and in our community.

Christine E. Watson Ph.D.  | Interim President and CEO
Red River College of Applied Arts, Science and Technology

Watch Christine’s video message here:

To all Red River College staff and students,

Like many of you, we watched this weekend as protests swept across our neighbours to the south and erupted in Montreal and Toronto.

Diversity, equity and inclusivity are Red River College’s heart and soul. They are values we celebrate, hold dear, and continually aspire to. It is important we acknowledge that we still have much work ahead of us to ensure all our faculty, staff and students truly feel safe, respected and equal.

As individuals and as members of our College community, we have a responsibility to support one another, stand up for our values, and work towards reconciliation. It is important we stand together in solidarity with those seeking equality, even when we are hurting the most.

In the midst of all the challenges we’ve faced over the past several months, this weekend’s horror, heartbreak, fear and anger feel especially overwhelming.

If you are feeling overwhelmed, know that you are not alone. Support is available if you need help coping with overwhelming feelings brought on by recent events.

Students can access counselling services by phone or video conference – you can also call the Mobile Crisis Service at 204.940.1781, or the 24/7 Klinic Crisis Line at 204.786.8686 for immediate support. To connect with our Indigenous Supports, visit Indigenous Education. To connect with International Student supports, visit International Education.

RRC staff can connect with mental health support via the Employee Family Assistance Program at 1-800-663-1142 or at https://homeweb.ca.

If you would like to share ideas or ask questions about our diversity programs and initiatives, please contact Priyanji Mediwake, Diversity and Inclusion Specialist at pmediwake@rrc.ca or 204-632-2004, or contact Carla Kematch, Truth and Reconciliation Manager, at cakematch@rrc.ca or 204-632-2148.

Take care of yourselves and each other,

Christine

Christine E. Watson. PhD  | Interim President and CEO
Red River College of Applied Arts, Science and Technology