News

Starting this year, Red River College students living with schizophrenia will have the chance to apply for a new scholarship available to Manitobans pursuing post-secondary educations.

It’s hoped the new Yes2Me Scholarships — worth $1,000 and sponsored by the Manitoba Schizophrenia Society (MSS) and the Otsuka-Lundbeck Alliance — will help bridge the gap between the 70 per cent of people living with schizophrenia who wish to pursue post-secondary studies, and the 30 per cent currently in the workforce.

The relatively low workforce figure is attributed to both social stigma and a lack of opportunities for those living with schizophrenia and other mental health issues. Research suggests creating pathways to post-secondary education can result in positive outcomes and help address disparities.

“A large part of the recovery process for a person living with schizophrenia — or any illness — is being able to access post-secondary education,” says Chris Summerville, executive director of the MSS. “There are barriers that can stand in the way. This can include stigma, financial burden, lack of accommodation and other issues. The importance of post-secondary education is perhaps even greater for students with a mental illness.” Read More →

More than 30 international students attending Red River College’s Language Training Centre Summer Institute put their language training into practice — and got a taste of Manitoba’s passion for sport — at this week’s 2017 Canada Summer Games women’s volleyball match between Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

The students and instructors are in Winnipeg until Aug. 11, visiting from both the Shenyang Institute of Engineering in Liaoning, China, and the Shaanxi Polytechnic Institute in Shaanxi, China to enhance their English language skills.

“We are pleased to once again welcome international students and instructors to Red River College’s Summer Institute for the fifth year – most of whom are visiting Canada for the first time,” says RRC president Paul Vogt, himself a member of the 2017 Canada Summer Games Board of Directors.

“This program is essential to our continued work building relationships with educational institutions overseas and showcasing the bright future Red River College and the province of Manitoba can offer future international students.”

The focus of the Summer Institute is to balance fun and interactive classroom sessions at RRC with outings to some of the city’s most popular attractions, while helping students build confidence by using English in the classroom and in everyday situations. Since arriving in Winnipeg, students have visited RRC’s three campuses in Winnipeg, and enjoyed learning excursions to CF Polo Park, Assiniboine Park, the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, the Canada Summer Games, and Folklorama. Read More →

Red River College will be home to a new Smart Factory and will expand its Centre for Aerospace Technology and Training (CATT), as part of a $10-million investment over the next five years by Western Economic Diversification Canada.

The Smart Factory will be located at RRC’s new Skilled Trades Technology Centre – currently under construction and slated to open in 2018 – and will be an applied research space, experiential learning facility, and technology demonstration site. It will combine emerging technology, including robotics, automation, additive manufacturing, high-speed robotic inspection and industrial networking.

The Smart Factory will also enhance learning at RRC by allowing students to experience and work in factory settings, while providing Manitoba companies with access to state-of-the-art equipment, instructors, researchers and students, in order to test and prepare their technologies for incorporation into their own operations.

The CATT enhancements mark the centre’s third expansion, and will include cold spray technology, non-contact inspection and high-speed laser scanning systems, robotic welding seam tracking, a compressor blade profiling system and upgrades of existing digital X-ray, lasers systems and induction heating.

“These new facilities will ensure our students and industry partners in aerospace and manufacturing remain at the forefront of research and training,” says RRC President Paul Vogt.

“This expansion is going to have far-reaching impacts across the province and will be able to serve both the aerospace and non-aerospace industries through direct access to the College’s equipment, facilities and expertise.” Read More →

As thousands of athletes and spectators descend on Winnipeg for the 2017 Canada Summer Games, a group of Red River College students will be on hand to show them some of our trademark hospitality.

The five students — all of whom are completing the final stages of RRC’s Hospitality and Tourism Management program — are volunteering as team leads overseeing the set-up and operations of the Athletes’ Village at the University of Manitoba.

Their work at the Village will help them fulfill the final co-op term required to complete the second year of their program, in which all five are majoring in Hotel and Restaurant Management.

They first became involved with the Summer Games back in February, when instructor Krista Mask invited Jordon Lanthier, chair of accommodations for the event, to speak to her Rooms Management class about volunteer opportunities.

Mask says the students were immediately enthused, noting the Summer Games experience is perfect for those making their first forays into the industry.

“Many of my students have no work experience when they come to [RRC],” she explains. “And how do you build a resume without having had any paid positions?”

“This is a great opportunity, for them and their resumes — not only do they get to network with different people from all over, it’s also a huge boon in terms of tourism. And without volunteers, these types of events just don’t happen.” Read More →

A set of hockey sticks used by members of the Winnipeg Jets and Manitoba Moose have been given new life at the Winnipeg Aboriginal Sport Achievement Centre (WASAC), where they’ll be used by local youths dreaming of becoming the next Mark Scheifele or Jocelyne Larocque.

The sticks, which were damaged or broken during game play last season, were donated to Red River College by True North Sports and Entertainment, and repaired to nearly-new quality by students in RRC’s Aerospace Manufacturing program.

As part of the program’s curriculum, the students fixed the sticks using a variety of composite materials, then delivered them to WASAC, which since 1999 has been providing Indigenous and inner-city youth with access to sport and leisure activities.

“The kids and staff at WASAC really represent the spirit of community, and we are thrilled to provide them with this new equipment,” says RRC President Paul Vogt. “This project is a fantastic training opportunity for our students, who are learning to work with different composite materials, and as a bonus we are able to provide the younger generation of Winnipeg’s youth with opportunities to grow through sport.”

Vogt was joined at WASAC by RRC instructor Terry Morris (who led the project along with Chris Marek), to present the 18 sticks to WASAC participants, and join them in a game of hockey.

“We are humbled and excited to be recipients of NHL hockey sticks,” says WASAC Kids Camp coordinator Kate Doer. “These sticks were given to our children at summer camp and I know they’ll create many special road hockey memories as the kids imagine themselves as their hockey heroes.” Read More →

A pair of Red River College’s Honorary Diploma recipients are among the distinguished dozen inducted into the Order of Manitoba this week.

Lisa Meeches, who received an honorary RRC diploma in Creative Communications in 2014, and Dave Angus, who received an honorary diploma in Business Administration in 2015, were among those recognized with the province’s highest honour during a ceremony at the Legislative Building on Thursday.

A highly respected TV and film producer, Meeches is the president of Eagle Vision Inc., as well as a four-time Canadian Screen Awards nominee, and a two-time winner for the docu-drama, praised by residential school survivors for its power to heal the wounds of the past.

She has received critical acclaim for a number of past projects, including The Sharing Circle, Canada’s longest-running Indigenous TV series; Tipi Tales, a Parent’s Choice Award-winning children’s series; the Gemini Award-winning TV movie Elijah; and the CSA-winning Jack, among many others. She’s also been integral to the success of the Manito Ahbee Festival since its inception, first acting as board chair, and later as executive director.

Angus, meanwhile, is a long-standing fixture of the city’s business community, having served as president and CEO of the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce until last summer. Under his leadership, the Chamber increased its membership to the highest level in its history.

Angus also played an instrumental role in bringing a World Trade Centre to Winnipeg, and in establishing Leadership Winnipeg, Yes! Winnipeg, and the BOLD initiative — a grassroots public policy campaign designed to mobilize community support for forward-thinking ideas.

Previous RRC honorary degree/diploma recipients who’ve been inducted into the Order of Manitoba include former Manitoba Hydro president and CEO Bob Brennan, Asper Foundation president Gail Asper, medical trailblazer Dr. June James, humanitarian (and former Palliser Furniture CEO) Art DeFehr, Western Glove Works president Bob Silver, and former premier Duff Roblin.

A TV spot promoting Red River College as a post-secondary option that stands apart from its peers has been named the best commercial of 2016 by the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE).

Produced and released in spring of 2016, RRC’s “The Difference Is Here” spot received a recent Circle of Excellence Gold Award from CASE, beating out submissions from 41 participating higher education institutions around the world.

A panel of judges described the spot — which first appeared as a 30-second trailer in Manitoba movie theatres — as “entertaining, thought-provoking and even disruptive.”

“This commercial spot stands out from the pack … for two really important reasons: RRC knows who they are talking to, and knows their mission,” the judges said.

“Everything in this spot — from the hypnotic drumming of the soundtrack to the style of the images — is selected for a purpose, and the purpose always connects with the target audience and the important take-away message.”

The recognition for the commercial comes weeks after RRC’s 2017 billboard campaign was endorsed by CASE’s Opportunity and Inclusion Committee, for achievement in Best Practices in Communication and Marketing, and for efforts to foster and promote diversity.

As part of National Aboriginal Day celebrations across Canada, Red River College invited a group from its Early Childhood Education Centre to learn more about Indigenous culture through a unique morning experience.

The children were hosted by members of RRC’s Indigenous Student Support & Community Relations team, who read to them from David Courchene Jr.’s book, The Seven Teachings, and taught them about traditional drumming with help from wellness counsellor Sherry Gott.

“It was an honour and a privilege to share the Seven Scared Teachings with the children from our daycare centre here on campus as part of the ongoing process for reconciliation,” says Gott. “Reconciliation is about action and understanding, and this was a great opportunity to share that knowledge with our next seven generations, in a respectful, supportive environment.

Observed on June 21 (the summer solstice), National Aboriginal Day is a day for all Canadians to recognize and celebrate the unique heritage, diverse cultures and outstanding contributions of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. Although these groups share many similarities, they each have their own distinct heritage, language, cultural practices and spiritual beliefs.

For generations, many Indigenous Peoples and communities have celebrated their culture and heritage on or near this day due to the significance of the summer solstice as the longest day of the year.

A number of events and activities are taking place throughout Winnipeg to mark National Aboriginal Day, including:

• APTN’s Aboriginal Day Live at The Forks
• The Manito Ahbee Pow Wow at The Forks
• Celebrations at the Indigenous Family Centre (10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., at 470 Selkirk Ave.)

The above activities are free of charge, and open to all audiences.

Red River College, in partnership with the Peterbilt Motors Company, today welcomed its first group of students to the newly established Peterbilt Technician Institute (PTI) at the Notre Dame Campus.

A first for Peterbilt in Canada, the Institute is a manufacturer-paid training program offered to graduates of RRC’s Heavy Duty Equipment Mechanic program, and to those interested in advancing their skills and training so they can become certified Peterbilt technicians.

“[The] College’s strengths in delivering this program come from our faculty’s connection to industry and the expertise they bring along with it,” says Tom Grant, Chair of Transportation and Heavy Apprenticeship Trades at RRC.

“Having this program delivered here will help Peterbilt develop their next generation of technicians, and we’re excited to play an important role in supporting them.”

While the trucking and transportation industry plays a big part in driving Canada’s economy — with more than 25,000 people employed in Manitoba alone — RRC’s experience delivering industry-specific training programs made it an ideal choice when Peterbilt began exploring options for their Canadian dealerships and employees.

“Partnering with RRC will allow us to address the industry-wide shortage of qualified and certified Peterbilt service technicians,” says Kyle Quinn, General Manager at Peterbilt.

“Our partnership will attract the next generation of Peterbilt technicians, who will exceed expectations through exceptional service for our customers and their vehicles.”

The new training program will run for 12 weeks, with the first intake running from June to September. A spring intake is planned for March 2018.

Cypher Environmental and Red River College are marking the launch of a new product line developed by Cypher in collaboration with RRC students.

Cypher’s new Dust Stop Municipal Blend product is designed as a non-corrosive and environmentally friendly alternative to road salts such as magnesium chloride and calcium chloride, offering superior road dust control results.

“Cypher’s new product is a perfect example of how Red River College partners with industry to foster innovation right here in Manitoba,” says RRC President Paul Vogt. “It’s a real success story, as students and faculty worked on this project, our facilities were used, and both the Cypher president and company staff are College graduates.”

The product was launched today at an event attended by provincial Minister of Sustainable Development Cathy Cox, along with a delegation of political representatives from the Belarusian province of Mogilev, who’ve shown interest in the product.

Earlier in the day, RRC took the delegation on a tour of the campus facilities used to develop the Dust Stop Municipal Blend.

“We have been working hard on getting this new product up and running, and we’re very excited to be able to officially launch,” says Todd Burns, president of Cypher Environmental. “This product will create new jobs and revenue for the province of Manitoba and we have a growing international market to cater to.”

Cypher Environmental is a Winnipeg-based company that engineers environmentally friendly, high-quality dust control, soil stabilization, and water remediation solutions and now exports to over 30 countries.

Work on the new product was supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), and the National Research Council’s Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP).