Just a few of our sustainable commuters from Roblin Centre.

Red River College has a long history of success in the Commuter Challenge competition. For the 4th year in a row, the College has earned a 2nd place finish for our workplace category. This impressive result comes from the enthusiasm and participation from staff across all of our campuses.  A total of 186 staff actively commuted  during the week and we had great attendance at our many Commuter Challenge events. You can review Winnipeg’s workplace results here. Read More →

For years the dedicated staff in the Pavement & Grounds department have worked tirelessly to make the Notre Dame Campus grounds a beautiful space for students and staff to enjoy.

Over the years, as health and environmental concerns around the use of conventional pesticides have increased, the College has taken steps to dramatically reduce the use of conventional pesticides on campus. Now, just in time for the 2014 growing season, we are happy to let students and staff know that the Notre Dame Campus is entirely eliminating the use of conventional pesticides! Read More →

Red River College is pleased to be holding our 4th annual State of Sustainability. Read More →

In this month’s Sustainability Speaker Series we learned about why water matters, and that there are complex social, economic and environmental issues that surround water and its use. Read More →

Bottled Water Free Day is a nation-wide event that raises awareness about the issues and impacts of bottled water. March 19, 2014 marks the 4th year that Red River College is participating in the event.

Over the past two years, we’ve spent more than $70,000 to retrofit campus water fountains to chilled, re-usable bottle fill stations. We encourage students and staff to “ditch the Dasani” and say “no to Nestle” and quench their thirst at one of the fountains scattered throughout our campuses. Sales of bottled water on campus have declined by 7% since we undertook these retrofits. But after Coke, bottled water is still the second most consumed cold beverage on campus.

Effecting behavior change starts with information. So here are some reasons for you to consider going “back to the tap”. Read More →

You may have noticed some new posters around campus reminding us that only 7% of staff and students use a reusable mug, and we continue to create a mountain of disposable cup waste at Red River College. You may have also noticed that the Sustainability Office has been busy trying to turn that around and increase the use of EcoMugs on campus. For example, last October we sold more than 700 EcoMugs to staff and students! We also started a “Mug Shot” campaign that caught over 600 staff and students lugging mugs and we rewarded them with a chance to win FREE coffee! Read More →

In our first Sustainability Speaker Series of 2014, we were joined by 2 fantastic speakers telling us about the many merits of Fairtrade.

“I think that we need to change how we “do business” rather than keep people impoverished and hand them aid – I’m excited about fair trade as it is a positive, practical response to sustainability issues – it’s fun, it’s growing and being accepted,” Zack Gross. Read More →

The Students’ Association is throwing the question out there – Should Red River College students adopt a U-Pass program?

A U-Pass is a Universal Bus Pass that would give RRC students unlimited access to transit throughout the school year at a deeply discounted rate. U-Pass programs involve mandatory participation, making it similar to the Students’ Association Health and Dental benefits program. While some individuals may benefit more directly than others, U-Passes work by benefitting the student group as a whole.

Why would I want a Red River College U-Pass?

Here are 8 reasons why the U-Pass program might work for you. Read More →

Thanks to our extraordinary respondents who completed our online survey and had their say in designing the 2014 Sustainability Speaker Series! Now in its second year, the series continues the dialogue on campus sustainability and educates Red River College students and staff on topics of interest.

This survey told us that you were interested or very interested in our proposed topics. You also gave us a few new ones to consider. Read More →

For two years Red River College has offered the EcoPass — a 60% subsidized monthly transit pass — to employees who work at one of our downtown buildings. Negotiated as part of the Collective Agreement, the purpose of the program is to provide a benefit to our downtown employees in light of higher parking rates and more frequent and accessible bus service in Winnipeg’s downtown.

We’ve crunched the numbers on the Ins and Outs of this program and discovered some interesting tidbits to share with you, our sustainably-minded readers. 🙂 Read More →