Local author Ron Blicq, a member of Red River College’s Heritage Group, has an early Christmas present for local audiences.

While the rest of the country will have to wait until 2013 to read his latest release, The Spirit of Giving: Seven Contemporary Christmas Tales, local fans can get their hands on the book in time for the holidays, thanks to an advance agreement with an Altona printer.

The book will launch on Tuesday, Nov. 20, at McNally Robinson Booksellers Grant Park. Targeting readers of all ages, The Spirit of Giving tells of those who have given of themselves to ensure that others have a meaningful Christmas.

A former RRC instructor, Blicq has written three novels, six books on writing, and a number of plays that have been presented at the Winnipeg Fringe Festival and in the U.K. His 2008 play Closure took top honours in the Samuel French Canadian Playwrights Competition.

Blicq’s book launch gets underway at 7 p.m. Click here for more information.

RRC President Stephanie Forsyth (far right), with Grade 7 to 9 students from Lake St. Martin First Nation.

When overland flooding forced them to be evacuated from their homes, residents of Lake St. Martin First Nation figured it would be a few months at most before they were allowed to return.

But after spending a year and a half living in temporary housing in Winnipeg — and with much of their community still under water — those same residents are wondering if they’ll ever return to their community again.

The 18-month ordeal has been particularly tough on the teens and children who were displaced when Lake St. Martin flooded in May 2011. That’s why Red River College stepped forward to send 12 of those students and two teachers to We Day — a global “youth empowerment” event that has since inspired the teens to become agents of social change for their own community.

“Too frequently we hear of children and individuals losing hope, or who feel powerless, and we have seen this with some of the evacuees of Lake St. Martin,” says RRC President Stephanie Forsyth.

“I wanted to reach out to the youth of this community — to afford them the opportunity to hear We Day’s very powerful message of hope, and the role they might play in bringing about change.” Read More →

Applications are now being accepted for single and double dorm rooms in Red River College’s new student residence at the Paterson GlobalFoods Institute.

Located at the corner of Main Street and William Avenue (just blocks from the Roblin Centre), the new Exchange District Campus Residence offers convenient meal plans and rental contracts that align with academic schedules. The residences will open in January 2013, but applications are being accepted as of Nov. 1, 2012.

Dorm rates for the Winter 2013 term (Jan. 2, 2013 – Apr. 26, 2013) are $3,660.

For more information and instructions on how to apply, visit http://www.rrc.ca/campusliving.

Over the past eight years, nearly 2,000 students have learned about ethics and sustainability from Red River College instructor Peter Denton.

But when his nickname became “Dr. Doom,” he decided it was time to write something that put our need to make choices for sustainability in a more positive light.

Denton, who also teaches technical communications at the college, launched Gift Ecology: Reimagining a Sustainable World (published by Rocky Mountain Books) on October 15th at McNally Robinson in Winnipeg.

Years of thinking about the subject and teaching all those students clearly had a positive impact on Denton, as Gift Ecology has already received glowing reviews.

Bill McKibben, American environmental activist and founder of 350.org, calls it “a very powerful book.” Warchild Canada founder and author Dr. Samantha Nutt, CM, found it “both inspiring and enlightening.” Dr. Vandana Shiva, an agricultural activist and author from India, calls it “a gift.”

And when Mardi Tindal, 40th Moderator of the United Church of Canada, described it “a profoundly hope-filled book,” it became clear that “Dr. Doom” was not a name Denton was likely to hear again.

Gift Ecology is available in hardcover and as an e-book in all formats.

The RRC Bookstore is hosting a reading and book-signing event at the Notre Dame Campus on Tuesday, November 6th from 3-5 p.m.

Photo credit: May Wady

Staff, students and their family members are invited to attend Red River College’s annual Welcome Party for Immigrant and International Students.

This year’s celebration takes place Friday, Nov. 23, from 6 to 9 p.m., in the Voyageur Dining Room at the Notre Dame Campus. As always, the Welcome event is hosted by RRC’s Diversity and Immigrant Student Support Department, with support from International Education and the RRC Students’ Association.

The College-wide event will feature live music and entertainment, including performances by Punjab Dancers, Paradize Band, Evan Coffie and Yoslai. There will also be fun activities for kids, lots of dancing, and sample foods from around the world.

Those wishing to attend are asked to RSVP by Nov. 16, 2012. To register online, visit this link. To sign up in person, visit the Diversity and Immigrant Student Support offices: Room D206 on the Notre Dame Campus, or Room 103 at the Exchange District Campus.

For more information, contact Lauren Konrad, Student Integration Coordinator, at 204-631-3345 or lkonrad@rrc.ca.

As an instructor at Red River College’s Winkler Campus, she advocates for balanced health in heart, spirit, mind and body.

And as a counselor in the community of Roseau River First Nation, Violet Caibaiosai prescribes an increased awareness of culture and history as the treatment for deficiencies in both mental and physical health.

“One of the most important things would be recognizing what our history is, and then taking an honest look at that history,” says Caibaiosai, who’s taught Applied Counselling courses at Winkler Campus since 2009.

“It’s not always a pretty one, but it’s a difficult one, and it’s important that it be looked at. There’s always an understanding that comes from knowledge and that’s what my goal is, whether it’s in larger society or our own communities. Because people have become so fearful — not only of society, but of themselves.”

A former Ontario native who grew up on the north shore of Lake Huron, Caibaiosai was raised by her parents and grandparents — the latter having imparted the importance of spiritual strength by teaching her about the holistic, healing qualities of traditional medicine.

She incorporates a similar respect for tradition among her students at RRC, noting many who go on to be counsellors may need to draw on that cultural knowledge while working with — and alongside — First Nation residents throughout Manitoba and Canada.

“It’s important for others to understand that history that we have together as a nation,” says Caibaiosai. “There’s a bridge that has to be built, and part of what I do in the classroom is to build those bridges of understanding.” Read More →

Congratulations to Dwayne Forsman, Coordinator of Red River College’s Paramedicine – Primary Care Paramedic program, on being awarded a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal.

Forsman will receive the honour in Ottawa on Nov. 19, at a special ceremony arranged by the Paramedic Association of Canada. He’s the second member of RRC’s extended family to have received the prestigious honour — former RRC Dean Dave Williamson also picked up a medal at last month’s Thin Air Winnipeg International Writers Festival.

Click here to read a profile of Forsman that ran earlier this year on the Canadian Paramedicine website. Click here to learn more about RRC’s Paramedicine – Primary Care Paramedic program.

Former Red River College Dean Dave Williamson got a surprise out of thin air last week — when he was honoured with a prestigious Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal.

The medal was presented to Williamson by Winnipeg South Centre MP Joyce Bateman, at last week’s Thin Air Winnipeg International Festival.

The letter that Williamson received along with the medal reads: “You were nominated for this award for your outstanding contributions to the cultural and arts community of Winnipeg. Your passion and dedication to your craft is truly inspiring. In addition to your literary contributions as author and teacher, your work as the founder of the Creative Communications program and the Dean of Business & Applied Arts at Red River College must be recognized and commended.”

Williamson, who recently released a book detailing the history of RRC, was one of the featured writers on the Festival mainstage. He says Bateman had arranged with the Festival’s executive director to surprise him with the presentation.

“I was sitting there on the Festival stage after giving my reading and, as they announced the award presentation, I was wondering who was going to be the recipient,” says Williamson. “I was in total shock when they called my name. Once it more or less sank in, I was grateful that they presented the medal on that particular night, with many members of the writing community in attendance.”

Click here for more information on Changing People’s Lives: An Illustrated History of Red River College.

Red River College’s winning streak continued at the North American Occupational Safety and Health (NAOSH) Awards this month, where its safety and prevention efforts won Best Overall honours at both the national and provincial level.

The national award was handed out on Sept. 11, 2012, at the annual Canadian Society of Safety Engineering (CSSE) Conference in Niagara Falls, Ont. The provincial award was received on Sept. 17, at the Workers Compensation Board in Winnipeg.

“NAOSH Week provides us with a valuable opportunity to celebrate our ongoing commitment to maintaining and improving a safe and healthy workplace,” said Daryl Nielsen (above, right), Manager, Environmental Health and Safety Services at RRC. “Our safety culture is promoted through senior management commitment, strong safety leadership and effective engagement with our employees, with a goal to instill the same commitment in our students to carry high standards and values into other workplaces.”

This marks the second year in a row RRC has won a double-dose of honours, having picked up a national award in 2011 for “Best Representation of a Theme,” and a provincial nod in the “Most Innovative” category.

Plans are already underway for next year’s NAOSH Week, which will be celebrated across Canada May 5-11, 2013. Next year’s theme is “Safety & Health: A Commitment for Life! Are You As Safe As You Think?”

RRC’s Joint Workplace Safety and Health Committee, NAOSH Planning Committee and Environmental Health and Safety Services department wish to thank everyone who participated in NAOSH Week events, and who continue to demonstrate their commitment to safety in the workplace and at home.

Click here for more information about this year’s awards, and here for more information about NAOSH Week.

Red River College Dean Graham Thomson will be among the 50-plus business leaders, celebs and community-minded decision makers taking part in this week’s CEO Sleepout, in support of Downtown Winnipeg BIZ’s Change for the Better campaign.

Thomson, Dean of the School of Business & Applied Arts at RRC, will spend this Thursday night camped out at the corner of Portage and Main, as a means of raising funds for homeless employment programs and raising awareness of issues related to homelessness and poverty in Winnipeg.

“Obviously this is just a gesture — since it’s entirely unlike what people face out in the streets every night,” says Thomson. “But any little thing we can do to help draw awareness to the issue is good.”

Last year’s inaugural CEO Sleepout raised over $100,000 for the Change for the Better initiative, which helps to support homeless people as they transition from the streets to positions of paid employment.

Proceeds from this year’s event will also support Siloam Mission’s Mission Off the Streets (MOST) team, which employs individuals in keeping the downtown clean while building the life skills, work experience and confidence to help them in finding a full-time job. Read More →