The Commuter Challenge is winding down but our commitment to helping you green your commute is ongoing. Whether you participated in the Commuter Challenge or not this year (you can still register until Friday, June 16) we are here to continue to support and inspire you to choose sustainable transportation whenever possible. One way we can do this is by sharing the stories of your fellow RRC colleagues who are a wealth of experience and inspiration and happy to share it! Below is part 2 of our RRC Commuter Profiles to help get you inspired – click here for Part 1.

If you would like to share your own sustainable commuting experience, please send us a note.

“The Debbie” with her dog.

What is your name? Debbie Donato (aka The Debbie)
Which campus do you work out of? Both NDC and EDC
How do you typically commute to work?
Carpool (2 people)
How far is your commute one way? 3.7 km/4.5 km
What do you like about your commute?
With proper attire and planning, it is short enough to walk.
What tips/suggestions do you have for someone thinking about changing to a more sustainable commute? Build it into your routine, instead of looking at it as an option. If sustainable commute = time consuming, pair your commute with another task if possible (like drafting your Cheers for Peers messages J). Read More →

Whether you walk, bike, drive, bus, or even scooter, commuting to campus is something thousands of Red River College staff, faculty and students do every day. For this reason we’re excited to launch the first phase of Red River College’s Transportation Plan. This is the first time the College has taken an integrated and long-range approach to how transportation programs and services are delivered.

The Transportation Plan, Phase 1 is rooted in the College’s strategic goal of Fostering Sustainable Growth as the plan addresses the social, economic and the environmental pillars of sustainability. Read More →

The Commuter Challenge is around the corner, and we thought some of you might be looking for inspiration to take the leap and try a more sustainable commute, like cycling! Well, look no further than your fellow RRC colleagues who are a wealth of experience and inspiration and happy to share it!

Part 2 can be found here. If you would like to share your own sustainable commuting experience, please send us a note.

Also, don’t forget to register for the Commuter Challenge.

Cassidy Dzama

What is your name? Cassidy Dzama
Which campus do you work out of? Notre Dame Campus
How do you typically commute to work? Bike
How far is your commute one way? 5km
What do you like about your commute?
Exercise, scenery, fresh air, freedom.
What tips/suggestions do you have for someone thinking about changing to a more sustainable commute?
It’s not just commuting to work like you would in a vehicle. You have to pack a bag with work clothes and a tool kit (spare tube, patch kit etc.). Wear slightly less clothing than you would if you were walking outside as you build up heat pretty fast. Start with a few commutes a week, and build up from it. Scout new ways to get to work and plan it out. I use Strava (mobile app) to keep track of my commutes. Find out which routes are faster. Buy some good road tires if you feel biking is something for you. Bike lights are a must for spring and fall as it gets hard to be seen during those times. Don’t let the poor conditions stop you is probably the most important tip. You rarely get the tail wind that pushes you to your destination, always plan to bike against it! Read More →

Time to dust off the old bike, lace up those walking shoes, or download all of S Town for bus binge listening and join 20,000 people across Canada taking on the Commuter Challenge. For one week in June, reduce your carbon footprint and walk, run, cycle, bus, carpool, and telecommute.

The Commuter Challenge is also a friendly competition, and it is a point of pride that Red River College has won GOLD in our workplace category for the last two years – let’s make it three! Read More →

Click to learn about our awards

A big congratulations goes out to Nora Sobel and Bradley West from the Diversity and Intercultural Services department who accepted the inaugural Sustainability Leadership Award at Red River College’s RED Forum last week. They received this award for developing an online course to raise awareness about gender and sexual diversity issues among Red River College students, staff and faculty. Read More →

Saturday, April 22^nd is Earth Day – a worldwide event to celebrate our planetary home and to show our support for a healthy, sustainable environment. At the RRC Sustainability Office, we think that this celebration is so momentous that we’re stretching our Earth Day Celebrations over an entire week! Join us! Read More →

Pledge to power down for Earth Hour and turn off one of these 250 lights. Progress will be updated daily (click on the image to pledge).

Earth Hour will occur this year on Saturday, March 25 from 8:30 – 9:30PM local time. Every year millions of people from around the world power down their lights and electronics for one hour and shine a light on climate change. This year, we plan to participate in a few ways and we hope you will join us. Read More →

The RRC Sustainability Office is sponsoring a table at Reel Green 2017 on March 16 and we want to bring you! Enter to win pair of tickets to this popular event by:

1. Subscribing to the Red Goes Green Sustainability Blog
2. Liking Sustainability @ RRC on Facebook*
3. Following RRCGoesGreen on Twitter*
4. Following RRCGoesGreen on Instagram*

You will receive one entry for each of the above actions completed before midnight on Monday, March 13, 2017 (so you can enter up to 4 times). Prize draw will occur and winners will be notified on Tuesday, March 14, 2017. Read More →

The RRC Ice Rebels had a great time getting outside for the Jack Frost Challenge February 12-18. The challenge was to get outside and skate, cross-country ski, run, snowshoe, cycle and walk a total of 130km. We’re proud to announce that RRC’s very first Jack Frost Challenge team – the RRC Ice Rebels – crushed that goal early in the week and went on to travel a combined total of 247 KMs over the week!! Out of the 114 teams registered across Manitoba, we finished in 19^th place, which we think is pretty amazing for our first try!

Here are our reflections on the week:

Dave at Global Fat Bike Day in 2016

Dave:
I enjoyed being a part of the Jack Frost Challenge!  It was a fun way to meet likeminded people.  Also, through social media, it helped motivate friends and family to get out and get active.

Chris:
The weather really presented a challenge for skiing [that] week.  With temperatures well above normal we lost significant amounts of snow during the week.  Needless to say this had an extremely detrimental effect on the trail conditions within the Winnipeg region.  Waxing for classic skiing when the weather is warm and the trails are icy and deteriorating is very difficult.  Each day brought slightly different conditions and different challenges.  On Saturday we switched over to skate skiing to make the best use of the remaining snow.  Hats off to the groomer at Windsor Park Nordic Centre for keeping the trails in good condition despite the soaring temperatures.

In previous years at the end of February I have gone down to Hayward, Wisconsin to compete in the American Birkebeiner 50 km ski race.  The “Birkie” is the largest ski race in North America with an attendance of roughly 10,000 skiers.  This year I am not attending…which is fortunate for me, but not for the organizers, since they are being forced to very likely cancel this year’s race at the last minute due to these unseasonably warm temperatures.  In fact, they received 25 mm of rain yesterday, which essentially destroyed the remainder of the 50 km of trail they have been trying so hard to protect these past few weeks.  Very sad.  Climate change and global warming are having a significant negative effect on the sport of cross country skiing and other winter sports throughout the world.  Go Green…so we can keep our winter wonderlands. Read More →