Students, staff and film buffs of all stripes are invited to discover the pulse of Canadian cinema at an upcoming event presented by the Schroeder Institute of Entertainment and Media Arts.

The free event — Telefilm Canada: A Reel Conversation — takes place Thursday, March 20, from noon to 1:00 p.m. in the Round Room at Manitou a bi Bii daziigae, 319 Elgin Avenue.

There, the College will host Julie Roy, Executive Director and CEO of Telefilm Canada, for an engaging fireside chat. With nearly three decades dedicated to the film industry, Roy brings a wealth of experience, having served in pivotal roles at the National Film Board (NFB) and leading positions in programming, distribution and innovation.

The event presents a unique opportunity for students, faculty and industry professionals alike to delve into the insights and trends shaping Canadian media today. Whether attendees are passionate about film production and storytelling, or simply curious about the future of Canada’s cinematic landscape, the discussion promises valuable takeaways and networking opportunities. Read More →

PrairiesCan is investing $899,500 into the Prairie Polytechnic Innovation Network Accelerating Commercialization for Local Ecosystems (P2INACLE).

A network of leading Prairie polytechnic institutions — including Red River College Polytechnic (RRC Polytech), Northern Alberta Institute of Technology, Northwestern Polytechnic, Red Deer Polytechnic, Saskatchewan Polytechnic and Southern Alberta Institute of Technology — P2INACLE will drive social, economic and technological innovation across Western Canada by providing businesses with access to facilities, equipment and research expertise.

Led by Saskatchewan Polytechnic, P2INACLE will launch its first pilot with the International Minerals Innovation Institute (IMII) this spring. The pilot will bring together polytechnics and industry partners from across the Prairies to develop a collaborative network that will fund and work on applied research projects.

The goal is to identify challenges and develop innovative solutions for the mining and minerals sector in Western Canada.

“Success on the Prairies has always been built on cooperation. That’s why our government is supporting P2INACLE — a partnership bringing Prairie polytechnics together to turn research into practical solutions,” said the Hon. Terry Duguid, Minister for PrairiesCan.

“By working together to tackle challenges in the mining sector and beyond, P2INACLE is driving economic growth, creating quality jobs, and setting a new standard for how applied research can empower communities far beyond the Prairies.” Read More →

RRC Polytech will more than double the child-care spaces at its Notre Dame Campus daycare, thanks to funding from the federal and provincial governments announced this week.

Through the Canada-Manitoba Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement, the College will receive support to add 74 new child-care spaces to the R.R.C. Early Childhood Centre Inc.

“Child care continues to be one of the barriers that prevents Manitobans from accessing post-secondary education and training,” says Fred Meier, the College’s President and CEO. “RRC Polytech is committed to creating more pathways to education and enhancing the student experience, and we’re thrilled to have the support of the federal and provincial governments to create these new spaces and help us achieve this.

“These new spaces represent an opportunity for potential learners who would otherwise be unable to attend full-time programs, and for staff and community members who have been unable to find convenient, quality child-care solutions.”

RRC Polytech’s Early Childhood Centre currently has 53 spaces, serving current students, staff and community members.

“R.R.C. Early Childhood Centre Inc. has been serving staff and students of RRC Polytech for the past 50 years. We are excited to see our program grow to serve more people,” says Executive Director Samantha Henry.

“We look forward to our continued partnership with RRC Polytech to ensure that we can continue to provide high quality child care and support families, as they pursue their post-secondary education and training or pursue their careers and grow their families.” Read More →

RRC Polytech has been chosen to lead a national network of post-secondary institutions and collaborative partners to bring more academic research ideas to reality, support Indigenous business and drive economic growth.

As part of a national innovation strategy to increase entrepreneurship and research commercialization across Canada, the College has been awarded $24.1 million in federal funding over five years through a Lab to Market grant — becoming one of four network leaders to share in a total investment of $95.3 million.

Administered by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), in collaboration with the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), this is the largest tri-council grant ever awarded to or led by a college in Canada.

“For over 20 years, RRC Polytech has been solving industry problems and training tomorrow’s future leaders through applied research, and today we are honoured to continue to build on our strengths as a polytechnic and lead this collaborative, nation-wide network through the largest ever tri-council investment in a college,” said Fred Meier, RRC Polytech’s President and CEO.

“Our shared goal is to find solutions for the challenges that all Canadians are facing. This network combines the unique abilities of researchers at colleges and universities and connects them directly with industry and community to accelerate innovation.”

The College-University Lab to Market Network for Entrepreneurship and Research Commercialization spans eight regional hubs from B.C. to Nova Scotia and brings together 38 post-secondary institutions, along with other collaborators — including RRC Polytech’s Mittohnee Pogo’ohtah, one of three Indigenous hubs. Read More →

RRC Polytech will operate on holiday hours from noon on Tuesday, Dec. 24, 2024, through Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025.

During the break, the Notre Dame and Exchange District campuses will be closed and there will be no access. Regular hours of operation will resume at 6am on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025.

We wish everyone a safe and healthy holiday season!

RRC Polytech welcomed Manitobans to the Notre Dame Campus today, as part of the 20th anniversary celebration of its Research Partnerships & Innovation (RPI) enterprise.

A gateway to applied research since its establishment in 2004, RPI connects industry and community partners with RRC Polytech’s comprehensive array of facilities, technology and expertise in collaborative projects that bring innovative ideas to life.

As part of the event, guests toured RRC Polytech’s research labs and areas, saw demonstrations of its leading-edge technology and engaged with faculty, professional research staff and students to learn how applied research projects connect all areas of the College and are driving our province into the future.

“As Manitoba’s polytechnic, RRC Polytech is committed to creating change through innovation and using the knowledge and tools that we offer to benefit our communities and the industries that our graduates will soon be leading,” says Fred Meier, RRC Polytech’s President and CEO.

“Applied research projects drive progress while providing students with invaluable experience through work-integrated learning. We’re eager to build on the incredible success stories we’ve shared with our partners over the last 20 years and to explore new opportunities to find solutions for real-world challenges.”

With 135 researchers and more than 600 students directly involved annually, along with applied research training enabled by research infrastructure in more than 60 courses, RRC Polytech is consistently named a top research college in Canada.

The College’s three NSERC-funded Technology Access Centres (TACs) and other various research facilities and resources are focal points for advancing knowledge, fostering collaboration and accelerating commercialization — with thousands of square feet of space to develop, test and create solutions to support small, medium and large enterprises and communities. Read More →

Health-care education at RRC Polytech enters a new chapter today with the opening of its new Interdisciplinary Health and Community Services Simulation Centre. This facility, the first of its kind in Manitoba, will begin training the province’s future health leaders in January.

The Simulation Centre is a groundbreaking interdisciplinary facility that will revolutionize health-care training in Manitoba. It’s the first centre in Manitoba to focus on nursing, allied health professions and community services, with 16,630 square feet of state-of-the-art learning space at RRC Polytech’s Notre Dame Campus.

“The Simulation Centre will maximize education opportunities and provide immersive and collaborative training for our health and community care programs,” says Fred Meier, the College’s President and CEO. “As one of the largest trainers of health-care professionals in the province, this is an exciting new frontier in how we can better train and prepare students to be confident in their careers and make an impact in our communities throughout the province.

“Simulation is critical, as it ensures students in all programs have access to immediate experiential training opportunities vital to graduation, gaining experience that helps better prepare them for the clinical environment and being job ready on day one.”

Using state-of-the art, high-fidelity simulation equipment and live actors to create small- and large-scale activities and mock scenarios, the Simulation Centre will provide students from 13 programs with real-world experiences that mirror the realities they will face in the workplace. These training opportunities will equip them to fill vital and in-demand career roles in Manitoba’s health-care system from their first day on the job. Read More →

Transformational gift — the largest in RRC Polytech’s history — positions the College to produce the talent and expertise vital to the continued success and growth of Manitoba’s creative industries.

For more than 70 years, creative thinkers have explored ideas and sharpened their skills at RRC Polytech. Today, a $15-million gift from the Schroeder Foundation paves the way for continued growth and opportunity in the creative arts for the College, its students and the province of Manitoba.

Creative industries are at the core of RRC Polytech, and they are growing in Manitoba thanks to a local talent pool that continues to thrive.

The Schroeder Institute of Entertainment and Media Arts has been created to support those industries — and the province — in reaching the next level in this period of growth by ensuring that a pipeline of newly skilled local talent continues to flow and fill crucial industry roles, while engaging more deeply with industry partners and undertaking exciting opportunities to foster innovation through applied research.

Manitoba is increasingly becoming more competitive in creative areas across the prairies, the country and beyond. More productions are being filmed in Winnipeg and throughout the province, and more creative businesses are opening their doors while local companies are making their mark beyond our borders. Local training and talent are crucial to the success of the businesses that choose to operate here, and that is where RRC Polytech — and the Schroeder Institute — come in.

“RRC Polytech and the Schroeder Foundation have a shared vision for the future and what we can make possible through education, collaboration and research,” says Fred Meier, the College’s President and CEO.

“The Schroeder Foundation’s decision to make this tremendous investment in RRC Polytech reflects that there are visionaries invested in our community who recognize the value of what we are doing here to support students on their way into careers in creative industries. This gift today will enable us to create so many more opportunities for Manitobans and our creative industries together.” Read More →

Earlier this summer, the federal and provincial government announced over $12 million in combined funding towards community initiatives and organizations working to end gender-based violence.

RRC Polytech’s Shelter Support Worker micro-credential will receive $350,000 to continue to offer this important tuition-free program – one of 19 organizations in Manitoba to receive such support.

At the July announcement, the Hon. Marci Ien, federal Women and Gender Equality and Youth Minister, joined the Hon. Nahanni Fontaine, provincial Minister Responsible for Women and Gender Equity, to announce the combined funding — $6.2 million in federal support, and $6.35 million from the province through Year Two of the National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence.

“We are honoured to be a part of this announcement and receive support for our tuition-free Shelter Support Worker micro-credential,” said Christine Watson, RRC Polytech’s Vice-President, Academic. “This training prepares current and future shelter workers to support those in need of refuge from difficult and sometimes dangerous situations. RRC Polytech is proud to be a partner in creating a safer Manitoba for all.”

The micro-credential program is the first of its kind in Manitoba and was designed with industry partners to address skill gaps, meet community needs and improve staffing levels and delivery service in homeless and family violence shelters across the province.

Last year, RRC Polytech celebrated its first cohort of 23 students successfully completing the program and next month will host a ceremony for an additional 19 who will complete the second cohort. Read More →

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