Congratulations to Red River College’s Chef Luc Jean, who took top honours at this week’s Gold Medal Plates competition, an exclusive culinary contest in which the city’s best chefs go head to head in support of Olympic athletes.

An instructor with RRC’s Culinary Arts program, Jean represented Jane’s — the College’s exclusive restaurant and training kitchen — at the event, which also drew competitors from some of Winnipeg’s most popular kitchens.

Held last night at the RBC Convention Centre, the event celebrated the best in local cuisine, pitting the city’s premiere chefs against each other in a bid for a spot at the championships, which take place next February in Kelowna.

Jean won the top spot on the podium thanks to his mouthwatering entry — a sous-vide of Manitoba pork tenderloin served with butternut squash, carrot and ginger puree, candied oranges, pork crackling and lime honey sauce.

He was joined at the event by 25 students from RRC’s Hospitality and Culinary Arts programs — seven of whom helped him prepare and serve his dish (plus 570 appetizers), and 13 of whom assisted the other competing chefs. Read More →

Best of luck to Red River College instructor Luc Jean, who’ll square off against some of the city’s best chefs at an exclusive culinary competition benefiting Canada’s Olympic athletes this week.

Jean, an instructor with RRC’s Culinary Arts program, has been selected as one of the top chefs in Winnipeg, and as such will compete in the 2014 Gold Medal Plates competition, a precursor to the Canadian Culinary Championships.

Jean will represent Jane’s — RRC’s exclusive restaurant and training kitchen — at the event, which takes place Thu., Oct. 2 at the RBC Convention Centre. As it does every year, the event celebrates the best in local cuisine, pitting the city’s premiere chefs against each other in a bid for a spot at the championships, which take place next February in Kelowna.

Jean will face some formidable competition at the event, including a number of RRC grads, among them Adam Donnelly (Segovia), Michael Dacquisto (Food Evolution), and Norm Pastorin (The Grove).

Other competitors include Michael Schafer (Sydney’s at The Forks). Barry Saunders (Inn at The Forks), Edward Lam (Yujio) and Eric Lee (Pizzeria Gusto).

Net proceeds from the Gold Medal Plates go to the Canadian Olympic Foundation, which supports Canada’s Own the Podium program. To date, over $8.2 million has been raised.

Mark those calendars! RRC’s Diversity and Intercultural Services department is busy making plans for the College’s annual Welcome Party for Immigrant and International Students, taking place Friday, Oct. 24.

This year’s event runs from 6–9 p.m., in the Voyageur Dining Room at the Notre Dame Campus. Guests can celebrate diversity at RRC while extending a warm College welcome to students from around the globe.

As always, guests are encouraged to share their own traditions by coming dressed in cultural clothing. The party is a College-wide and family-friendly event; as such, everyone’s invited to bring family members, children and friends.

This year’s event features live music and entertainment, including performances by Caribbean band Rockalypso, African drummer Evans Coffie, and Cuban dance group Yoslai de la Rosa.

Guests can also take part in fun activities for children — including arts and crafts, face painting and balloons — or participate in educational games and cultural teachings brought to you by RRC’s Aboriginal Student Support and Community Liaison Department.

As always, expect lots of dancing and sampling of global cuisine! (Don’t forget to bring a donation of non-perishable food items for the RRC Students’ Association Food Bank.)

Please register by Friday, Oct. 17, at http://blogs.rrc.ca/diversity/welcomeparty/

Read More →

From left: Nancy Alexander with BRAVO Award winners Rebecca Girard, Alex Hay, Michael Watson and Hal Hokanson.

In the day-to-day work here at Red River College, there is evidence everywhere of dedication to our values of learning, respect, inclusiveness, integrity, healthy environment and community contribution.

Our staff members make these values come alive – through our programs, and their services and actions every day. We have many great leaders in our midst – irrespective of role or position – who are models to those around them, who motivate us all, and who make each day a great day to come to work!

One of the ways we celebrate and acknowledge these individuals is through the College’s annual BRAVO Awards. This summer, we celebrated our BRAVO winners with a three-course meal at Jane’s Restaurant and a short presentation from Nancy Alexander, Vice President Human Resources and Sustainability, after which they were presented with their awards and a $75 RED card each.

When you next see these outstanding RRC staff members, give them a pat on the back! Scroll down for award info including winner photos and full biographies; in the meantime, our sincere congratulations go out to:

• Hal Hokanson, Instructor, Piping Trades (Hidden Hero Award, Faculty)
• Alex Hay, Automotive Store Keeper (Hidden Hero Award, Non-Faculty)
• Michael Watson, Chair, Construction Trades (Leadership at all Levels, Faculty)
• Joanne Gonda, Office Manager, Winkler Campus (Leadership at all Levels, Non-Faculty)
• Rebecca Girard, Night Supervisor, Building Services (Safety Champion Award)

Read More →

A big thank-you to our partners at Sandvik Coromant Canada, who visited RRC’s Notre Dame Campus this week to conduct applied training workshops on lathes and mills.

Sandvik reps — highly visible in their trademark yellow shop coats — conducted two workshops with RRC staff and students: one on Vibration Reduction Metal Cutting Operations (Sept. 9), the other on Drilling Applications for CNC Milling Operations (Sept 10).

The workshops were hosted by RRC’s Technology Access Centre (TAC), and were offered at no charge through a sponsorship agreement with Sandvik.

Under the terms of their partnership with RRC, Sandvik contributes a combined in-kind and cash pledge of $102,500 over five years, $5,000 of which supports students directly (through annual awards for those entering the second year of RRC’s Manufacturing Technician program).

Visit the TAC website for more information.

Congratulations to the team behind Red River College’s NAOSH (North American Occupational Safety and Health) Week activities, whose efforts at reminding us to make safety a habit earned them a trophy at this month’s provincial awards ceremony.

The NAOSH team — comprised of members of the College’s Joint Workplace Safety and Health committees and Environmental Health and Safety Services department — received the “Most Innovative” designation at the 2014 NAOSH Awards, handed out last week by the Manitoba chapter of the Canadian Society of Safety Engineering (CSSE).

This marks the fourth year in a row RRC has been recognized for their NAOSH Week activities (an improvement over their previous three-year winning streak, from 2006-2008).

As a means of promoting this year’s “Make Safety a Habit” theme, RRC staff and students were encouraged to submit their own “Safety Selfies” — photographs in which they’re depicted wearing proper safety equipment or following appropriate safety procedures. An online “Find the Closest AED” contest was also held in an effort to increase awareness of the College’s automated external defibrillators.

In addition, the team hosted a pair of safety-themed barbecues for RRC staff and students, and set up safety-themed displays and exhibits in the halls of the College during NAOSH Week.

CBC Radio One (89.3 FM/990 AM) is preparing to broadcast live at not one, but three Red River College campuses on Thursday, Sept. 4!

Marcy Markusa, host of Information Radio, Marilyn Maki, host of Radio Noon, and Ismaila Alfa, host of Up to Speed, will bring listeners live interviews and stories about how RRC students are making an impact on Manitoba’s workforce.

CBC Manitoba will have a station set up at specific times during the day at each campus; students are encouraged to be on the lookout. Those who stop by the station and show the CBC Radio App on their smartphone will have the opportunity to win an iPad mini!

Locations and Times

Notre Dame Campus
Information Radio, 6:00am – 8:30am with Marcy Markusa

Roblin Centre
Radio Noon, 12:00pm – 1:00pm with Marilyn Maki

Paterson GlobalFoods Institute
Up to Speed, 3:00pm – 6:00pm with Ismaila Alfa

More programming information is available at cbc.ca/manitoba, on Facebook at facebook.com/cbcmanitoba, and on Twitter at twitter.com/cbcmanitoba.

Follow CBC’s radio hosts on Twitter at @CBCMarcy, @CBCMarilyn and @CBCIsmaila.

Welcome back, all new and returning Red River College students!

As a way to celebrate your first few weeks of classes, and to help you get a feel for your new surroundings, the Red River College Students’ Association has a full slate of back-to-school events planned.

See below for details on welcome events and DisOrientation Week activities. And don’t forget our Aboriginal Student Support & Community Relations team is also hosting a Welcoming Celebration for students, this Thursday at the Notre Dame Campus!

Tuesday, Sept. 2
Maw’s Eatery and Red River College Students’ Association presents…
Back to School BBQ
Free food, drinks and Fanta floats for students
Where: Bijou Park (beside Paterson Global Foods Institute, 504 Main St.
When: 11am – 1:30pm
*Rainout backup at Maw’s Eatery and Beer Hall (291 Bannatyne Ave.)
Feat. Musicians Mark Mills & The Vikings

Back to School BBQ Afterparty
Live music; food and drink specials for students
Where: Maw’s Eatery and Beer Hall (291 Bannatyne Ave.)
When: Doors open at 1:30pm

Wednesday, Sept. 3
MTS and Red River College Students’ Association presents…
Welcome Back BBQ
Free food, drinks and Fanta floats for students
Where: Outdoor courtyard between buildings D,E,F at Notre Dame Campus
When: 11am – 1:30pm
*Rainout backup in The Cave Lounge at NDC
Feat. Musicians Mark Mills & The Vikings

DisOrientation Week 2014 (Sept. 8-12)

Monday, Sept. 8
Magic performance: Wonderist Chris Funk
Where: The Cave Lounge at Notre Dame Campus
When: 12pm – 1pm
Free show for students Read More →

Red River College’s Aboriginal Student Support & Community Relations team will host a Welcoming Celebration for students on Thursday, September 4, from 11:15am to 1pm, at the Notre Dame Campus.

Students have a lot on their minds when going back to school — like housing, buying textbooks, and just finding their way around campus. The Welcoming Celebration offers a break from it all — complete with a free lunch and the chance to meet other students while being entertained by comedian Don Burnstick.

Date: Thursday, September 4, 2014
Time: Doors open at 11:15am; Don Burnstick’s comedy show starts at noon
Place: F209, Aboriginal Support Centre (Notre Dame Campus)

For more information, please call 204.632.3773.

Red River College students brought home four medals from this year’s Skills Canada National Competition in Toronto.

Held June 4-7, the Olympic-style competition drew more than 500 participants from across Canada — all of them gold winners in their respective provincial contests.

A total of 15 RRC students represented Team Manitoba in a number of trades and technology-related fields. Congratulations to the following medalists:

• Dexter Bracken and Andrew Tutte (shown above): Silver, Landscaping Gardening
• Kyle Duguid: Silver, Aircraft Maintenance
• Clark Holmes: Gold, Auto Service
• Nina Widmer: Silver, Brick Masonry

Click here for a full list of winners.