Looking forward to being able to greet you at one of our Commuter Welcome Stations again one day!

The Commuter Challenge is over for another year and while we didn’t get to greet you all with cinnamon buns and coffee as you arrived at campus like we’d hoped, we still enjoyed connecting with you all virtually! This year the challenge ran from May 30 to June 5 and celebrated not just sustainable work commutes, but all of the active and sustainable ways we get around.

RRC has a history of high participation in this event and we’re excited to announce that the tradition continues with us being awarded GOLD in Workplace Category this year! Thank you to everyone who participated and helped make that happen!

Tune up that bike and get ready for the 2021 Commuter Challenge!

The Commuter Challenge is an annual event that encourages Canadians to green their commute by choosing (or continuing to choose) sustainable transportation. This year the challenge runs from May 30 to June 5 and we’re celebrating not just sustainable commuting but all of the sustainable and active ways we get around. So, on top of logging your sustainable commute to work (yes, telecommuting counts!), you can count your walk at lunch, your family bike ride around the neighbourhood, walking your dog (or cat), taking transit to get groceries – any and all ways you travel sustainably during the week.

The Commuter Challenge at RRC last year encouraged you to reconnect with your commute, this year we’re encouraging you to reconnect with each other. It’s been a long 14+ months for many of us away from the office, away from colleagues, away from students, and away from our friends and family. While we still can’t get together in person let’s challenge ourselves to find new ways to connect, to stay active and to have fun. See below for some ideas on how to reconnect during this year’s Commuter Challenge.

To participate REGISTER HERE, log your sustainable trips over the week, and be entered to win great prizes (more on that later).

Join as a team

One thing we learned from the Jack Frost Challenge this year is that teaming up makes things more fun and helps create connection. So, this year we are encouraging you to form a team with your RRC colleagues for the Commuter Challenge. You and your team can check in on each other, support each other, challenge each other, even have a friendly competition – and of course win prizes together!

Here’s How it Works:

• Form a team: A team can consist of 2 to 5 RRC Staff and Faculty Members (you do not have to be in the same department or even based at the same campus)
• Register as individuals: Each person on the team should register as an individual on the Commuter Challenge site (as part of the Red River College team)
• Send your team info to the RRC Sustainability Team: Fill in this form to send us your team name and the names of your team members
• Participate in the Commuter Challenge May 30-June 5: Challenge each other, inspire each other, cheer each other on all week
• Log your trips: Each team member should log their own sustainable trips throughout the week on the Commuter Challenge website. You don’t need to log your team’s kms, our Sustainability team will do that for you.
• Celebrate and Win: Celebrate all of your wins over the week and be entered to win a lot of great prizes – including one for the best RRC team (see below)!

Don’t feel like joining a team? No problem, you can still join the Commuter Challenge as an individual.

Inspire Others and Get Inspired by Others

Inspire Others: Do you have a favourite place to walk, roll or ride? Has your team found a fun way to get everyone moving? Are you an expert cyclist, runner, kayaker, etc? Have you recently tried something new? Do you have tips, tricks or just a great story to share with others about a sustainable way you get around? We want to share stories and tips from our College community on Instagram and in this blog to help inspire our College community to have a fun and successful week traveling sustainably. If you want to share your experience, please fill out this form.

Get Inspired: Are you tired of walking the same path everyday? Do you want to try something new but aren’t sure where to start? Follow us on Instagram and check back on this blog to read stories, tips and tricks from your colleagues to help get you going.

Prizes

As always, the Green Action Centre has lined up a lot of amazing prizes for Commuter Challenge participants this year. But to add a little more incentive, we are offering three great prizes to Red River College participants only:

• Top Traveler: The RRC participant who logs the most kms over the week
  • $50 Gift Certificate to Jardins St-Léon Gardens
• Lucky Winner: One RRC participant selected by random draw
  • $50 Gift Certificate to Le Marché Saint-Norbert Farmers’ Market
• Most Traveled Team: The RRC Team with the most average kms per participant
  • 2 x $25 Gift Certificate to Black Market Provisions
  • 2 x $25 Gift Certificates to Le Marché Saint-Norbert Farmers’ Market 
  • 1 x $25 Gift Certificates to Jardins St-Léon Gardens

Participants have to log at least one sustainable trip for the week to be eligible for prizes. The last day to enter KMs after the challenge is June 10th.

The sustainability team rode together for the last prize delivery to our final participant winner Jackie!

This year, 296 workplaces and 2,868 people registered for the Commuter Challenge across Manitoba. At RRC, 80 staff and faculty participated to collectively reduce 1661 kgs of CO2 emissions into the atmosphere. All told, this earned us a Silver medal finish in our workplace category!

While reflecting on the College’s strong participation in the Commuter Challenge throughout the years, we found this year’s results to be particularly interesting. Compared to last year, our percentage of participants decreased by 15%, yet the emissions avoided per person increased by 30%. So while the 15-step commute from your bedroom to your home office might have been a little less stressful and a lot less time consuming, it also brought a per-person reduction in CO2 emissions.

Because of COVID-19, staff, faculty and students have transitioned to online working and learning and remarkable speed. We’ve all experienced many adjustments to our routine, including replacing our regular commute with telecommuting. Since March 16th, we’ve tracked and calculated the impact of emissions from kilometers not traveled for student and staff parking pass holders at NDC, Stevenson, Bannister and LTC. Collectively, we haven’t travelled 3,939,637km. This amounts to greenhouse gas emissions avoidance of 797,382kg of CO2. That’s like (not) driving around the world 94 times!

In a 2017 College survey, 15% of staff and faculty cited telecommuting as their preferred commute mode. Now that we’ve settled into our work-from-home routines for the last 3+ months, we can’t help but wonder if attitudes and beliefs around telecommuting have shifted and wonder what (and where) the future of College work will look like.

Thanks to everyone who took on the challenge! We hope to greet you with warm cinnamon buns and Fairtrade coffee at the kickoff of Commuter Challenge 2021!

The benefits of growing your own food goes far beyond “I grew that!” pride. Growing, cultivating, and preserving your own food is a healthy hobby with many advantages for you, your family and the community. You can introduce little ones to a garden classroom, your grocery list decreases, and you have access to food right in your own backyard. This is what the Grow-A-Row initiative is all about. Dating back to 1986, when Ron and Eunice O’Donovan produced more potatoes in their backyard garden than they could consume, they donated to Winnipeg Harvest and encouraged friends and neighbours to do the same. Since then, Grow-A-Row has yielded millions of pounds of fresh fruit and vegetables supporting the food security initiatives within our greater community.

Our Zero Waste Coordinator, Amanda, ready to begin her planting.

This year our Grounds team will be planting beets, onions, potatoes, pumpkins, and various herbs and we invite all of you to grow- a-row and add your bounty to the College’s donation. Sign-up to tell us what you’re planting and we’ll connect at harvest time!

To make the most out of this planting season Groundskeeper, Brady Barron has some quick tips to make your home garden a success!

When Planting in Apartments

Most herbs are easy to grow inside. Position your plants on a south-facing windowsill and watch them take off! Easy to grow herbs include basil, chervil, chives, rosemary, oregano, parsley, sage, and thyme. These herbs will surprise you in how quickly they flourish and how flavorful they are in countless recipes.

When Planting a Garden

Location is key. Overhead structures like buildings or large trees can drastically reduce needed light for your plants. Avoid areas near tree roots as they will be a large consumer of the water you apply. Choose an area with good drainage so plants don’t sit in water and develop diseases.

Spacing is essential. Look for plant spacing information on seed packages and plant labels… and follow it! Crowded plants compete for light, water and nutrients. Ample spacing between rows or groupings makes gardening easier by giving you room to weed and harvest.

Remember that you can have fun and be unique with creating your garden! Make your garden any shape to take advantage of light and space you have.

When Sourcing Seeds

A lot of people purchase greenhouse started plants and pay a premium for them. Purchasing seed can be very cost-effective and produce quite well. You can get seeds pretty much everywhere – your local greenhouse is a great place to start. RRC Grounds purchases seeds at T&T seeds. “We find that they have pretty much everything you could ask for!”, says Brady.

Now that you have our notes it’s time to turnip the beet, get your garden gloves on and sign-up to be a part of this year’s Grow-A-Row!

We can’t wait to see your garden grow. For questions and to share your gardening accomplishments, contact sustainability@rrc.ca

Since coming to Red River College, Daniel has made a significant positive impact on the culture of sustainability at the College and is an ambassador for showcasing the College to the wider community. In 2017, not long after attending a New Employee Orientation session where Daniel learned about the Sustainability Department, he visited our office and asked whether we would be interested in participating in the city-wide Bike Week event. Bike Week is a week-long celebration that encourages cycling as a way to get to work, school and more. One way community organizations can participate in Bike Week is to host a Pit Stop. Located along main cycling commuter routes, Pit Stops greet cyclists passing by with encouragement, food, prizes, bike tune-ups and more.

Because of Daniel’s gentle encouragement, the College held our first-ever Bike to Work Day Pit Stop in 2017 at the north end of the Omand’s Creek footbridge. This turned out to be a prime location as our team of College volunteers greeted approximately 115 cyclists, including Mayor Brian Bowman. Over the next two years, our Pit Stop greeted hundreds of more cyclists.

Since meeting Daniel in 2017, he’s hosted six events with our office to remove barriers and instill confidence in students, staff and faculty in promoting cycling as a viable commute mode. In 2017, he hosted a “Bike Repair Workshop” demonstrating how to use the College’s newly installed air and repair stations. In 2018, he co-hosted a “Cyclist Meet-up” where experienced cyclists shared tips and answered questions with novice cyclists. That year, he also hosted an “Ask the Expert” drop-in session to answer any cycling-related questions. This year, he hosted a “Bike Repair 101” workshop, a workshop on the “A-B-C’s of Cycling” and most recently a “Winter Cycling 101” event where he made a video demonstrating some aspects of winter cycling and answered questions about winter cycling. In addition to all of this, Daniel has become our “resident cycling expert” and is always ready and willing to support cycling at RRC any way he can.

Daniel’s work at the College in Civil Engineering Technology and the Building Envelope Technology Access Centre (BETAC) is directly related to advancing sustainability in the building sector. While his professional work is hugely important to sustainability, he’s awarded this year’s Sustainability Leadership Award because of what he does outside of his day job. It’s a gift to find a volunteer like Daniel who not only comes up with innovative and engaging ideas, but rolls up his sleeves to help see the ideas to fruition.

As an avid cyclist himself, Daniel leads by example by participating in the Commuter Challenge every year, signing up as a cycling mentor on GoManitoba in order to be matched up with those interested in cycling to campus and riding with them, and is one of the few “winter warriors” at NDC who cycles to work year-round. But his approachability and dedication to making cycling accessible is what makes him a leader. When he is hosting events his quiet leadership makes him approachable and his honesty and genuine care for people make him trustworthy. Anyone who has a conversation with Daniel leaves with a little more knowledge and a little more confidence about cycling.

While cycling is Daniel’s key area of interest, he also shows leadership by supporting sustainability in general at the College. Daniel attends and participates in many sustainability events at RRC including Earth Hour, the annual State of Sustainability, the climate strike and more. Daniel is always willing to pitch in and support any sustainability initiative and thanks to his leadership, he has made cycling to RRC accessible for many people.

Congrats Daniel on this well-deserved award!

Did you know that if you stacked up all the paper used for printing and photocopying by RRC staff and students in one year, the pile would be the 4th tallest tower in the world?

You can check out how we’re doing at this paper display in the NDC Library Hallway.

Over the past couple of years our office, in collaboration with the Print Optimization Working Group, has been working on initiatives to optimize our print environment on campus and reduce paper consumption. With PaperCut, we have the ability to track all printing and its related impacts across the Campus. This allows us to see our progress in terms of how much we’ve reduced printing and the associated financial and environmental impacts.

If you’ve been in the NDC Library Hallway lately, you may have noticed the large RRC Printing by the Numbers display which tracks our paper consumption progress year-over-year by term for staff and student printing and photocopying. With each year, we continue to reduce our paper consumption at the College. Click on the graph below to see how the numbers have stacked up so far!

Let’s keep the ball rolling and make a bigger commitment to reducing our printing in 2020! Come by the Library Hallway Thursday, January 9th between 11 am and 1 pm to pledge a new year’s paper reduction resolution and enter a prize draw. All pledges will be written on recycled paper airplanes and hung up beside our paper display.

Can’t make it on Thursday? Send us your own 2020 paper reduction pledge by email to sustainability@rrc.ca by Friday, January 10th  at noon. We’ll add your pledge to our airplane wall and enter you in the draw.

Need some inspiration? Here are some examples of pledges you could make to reduce your paper consumption in 2020:

1. Print double-sided.
2. Format documents to use less paper – for example use slightly smaller fonts or margins.
3. Reuse one-sided paper for notes, sketches, rough work, etc.
4. Print only the sections you need from long documents.
5. When printing a webpage, copy and paste the text into a word processor so that it is formatted correctly for printing and you only print what you want. Better yet – bookmark the webpage instead of printing it!
6. Print to PDF. If you want to keep a document that isn’t easily saved (i.e. a webpage) select print to PDF and save the document digitally.
7. Use digital resources like LEARN, Dropbox, One Drive and Microsoft Track Changes to share and collaboratively edit documents.
8. Host paperless meetings – share necessary documents for meetings electronically ahead of time and let everyone know that you won’t be providing printed copies. Then people can choose to print only what they really need.
9. Think twice, print once. Before you print, take a moment to consider whether you need to print or if there is another option.
10. Challenge others! Already a proficient paper saver? Challenge your friends and colleagues to make a pledge and reduce their paper consumption.

The Portage Campus was one of the winning offices in 2018.

The December break is fast approaching but before you flip the switch to holiday mode, don’t forget to flip the off switches at the office and give our College’s electronic equipment and appliances a much-needed break too.

Red River College will be closed from December 24 at noon to January 2. During this time our buildings will go into “Un-Occupied Mode” which means lower temperatures, and less energy consumption. But we need your help! By participating in the Seasonal Shutdown Office Challenge your actions will help reduce the environmental and financial impacts of our energy use this break. Plus… by participating you could win a catered coffee break for your office (find out how to enter below).

Help us make sure that Rudolph’s nose is the only thing shining over RRC this holiday season with these three simple steps:

1. DISPOSE OF PERISHABLES

Remove perishables and clean fridges by December 24, 2019

Note: Offices at NDC will not be cleaned during the break. Please place all garbage in the hallways by 11 am on Dec 24th to make sure it is picked up before the the campus is closed.

2. TURN OFF ELECTRONICS & UNPLUG APPLIANCES NOT IN USE

Where it is safe and possible to do so. Please leave printers ON, they’ll go into energy saving mode on their own.

3. TURN OFF LIGHTS

Take the Seasonal Shutdown Office Challenge and Win!

The Library was one of the winning offices in 2018.

Before you dash away into the night this holiday, recruit your colleagues to participate in the Seasonal Shutdown Office Challenge. We’ve made a list and checked it twice, all you have to do is fill it out and shutdown unnecessary lights and equipment before you leave for the break and you will be entered to win 1 of 3 catered coffee breaks for your office!

Complete the Checklist Here

• What is an office? An office can be one person or multiple people in one office space, or across many offices, as long as you are in the same department. You can even challenge other offices within your department to participate as well. Please have just one person per office complete the checklist.
• When can I fill in the form? You can submit the form before December 24 as a pledge to do these actions. Anyone who submits a form before December 23 will receive a reminder email on December 24. You can also fill out the form anytime between December 24 and noon on January 3, 2019.
• Having trouble with the form? Contact Whitney for help.
• The more, the merrier! Recruit participants and help conserve energy at the College by printing and posting Seasonal Shutdown downloadable poster in an office common area.

SMALL ACTIONS CAN HAVE BIG IMPACTS

Institutional Analysis and Planning was one of the winning offices in 2018.

You might think that the few items in your office aren’t going to make much of a difference if they’re shutdown or unplugged for 11 days, but consider this: in the 2018 College-wide plug load inventory of more than 500 staff offices and common areas,  we counted nearly 3,000 personal electronic items (i.e. computers, monitors, speakers, etc.), almost 600 personal appliances (refrigerators, microwaves, etc.), and over 450 lightswitches. That’s a lot of potential for unnecessary energy consumption, either through leaving items and lights on, or through standby (phantom) power that many electronic items draw even when turned off.

MORE SHUTDOWN TIPS

• Lab equipment: Together with your colleagues identify equipment that can be safely turned off, unplugged, or placed in standby mode over the break.
• Don’t forget to turn off lights and shutdown projectors and AV equipment in any meeting rooms or classrooms that you use.
• Do a department walk-through to ensure valuables are secured and cabinets are locked.
• Activate alarms if applicable before you leave.
• Set yourself a reminder in your calendar or on your phone (or even on a sticky note on the door) to remember to do your seasonal shutdown checklist before you leave.
• Set yourself a reminder for when you return from holidays to plug needed items in or turn them on.
• Don’t forget to water plants and feed and water vermicomposting worms!

HAVE A HAPPY AND SAFE HOLIDAY!

Just hear those RRC bells jingling, ring-ting-tingling, too. Come on it’s lovely weather for a Winter Market with you!

It’s time for our 2nd Annual Made by RRC Winter Market! We’re always so impressed by the talent and creativity by our staff, students and alumni, and are excited to announce another winter market of amazing local vendors that all have connections to the College (by being current students and staff, or College alumni). Come on by, get some of your holiday shopping done, and support RRC talent!

When: Thursday, November 28th 10:00 am – 1:30 pm
Where: Library Hallway – Notre Dame Campus (2055 Notre Dame Avenue)
RSVP

This winter market will deck the library hallway with our very own, showcasing these incredible talents!

COAL & CANARY CANDLE COMPANY:
RRC Graphic Design grad Amanda Buhse will be showcasing her hand-poured Coal and Canary candles. Made with only the most velvety blend of soy and vegetable wax, true-to-scent fragrance, and brought together with a crackling wood wick these candles will have your home feeling cozy as ever.

THE SERGIN MARY:
Both festive and sustainable, RRC staff member Mary Northover-Ramey will have all the festive reusable gift bags you could imagine to wrap your Winter Market finds for that special someone!

Coal and Canary Candles

SMALL JANE KIDS:
And for the little ones, RRC Graphic Design grad Jessie Thiessen will be joining us with her children’s book, along with posters, tote bags, holiday cards, and wrapping paper.

QUEENSTON CRAFTS:
Staff member and Alumni, Lynn Gibson has proudly worked at RRC for over 30 years. Lynn’s, Queenston Crafts specializes in handcrafted, upcycled-wool sweater mittens, cashmere scarves and cowls, catnip-stuffed cat toys, and decorative wool gnomes and more!

RRC GRAPHIC DESIGN STUDENTS:
Our very own RRC Graphic Design Students will offering a collection of illustrated posters.

CREE INDIGENUITY:
RRC Staff, Heather Steppler will be here with beautifully made cards her original paintings, mini leather drums, original art, poster prints, drumbeaters and smudge fans.

JULIE PEDERSEN DESIGN:
Business Administration grad, Julie Pedersen has the gift that gives back this season. Created from upcycled samples her StufF bags have many uses and give back to Children, Youth & Families through the Treehouse Project at the Winnipeg Foundation.

DA-ZIRED KEEPSAKES:
Custom jewelry specializing in lampwork beads, seaglass, leather, natural stones and much more. RRC Staff Donna Grieve has just the piece you’re looking for.

Manitoba Home Pillow Cover from Toban Folk

TOBAN FOLK CRAFTS:
Early Childhood Education grad, Kari Cook brings Manitoba prairies wherever home is this holiday season. With hand painted wood signs, ornaments and hand-made pillows, this family run business includes not just one but four RRC graduates!

BLISSFULMINDS:
A familiar market face and Business Administration grad, Lindsay Uvery will be back with hand made products making great stocking stuffers, including bathbombs, soaps, shower steamers and more.

MODERNO THE CULINARY SUPPLY:
Graduating from our Culinary Arts program, Anthony has created his very own line of chef’s bow ties and aprons, having you looking sharp in the kitchen this winter.

IHOOKED:
Courtney Edworthy, a Health Information Management grad will have you staying warm this season with crocheted one of a kind toques and scarves.

DOODLE DOTS HONEY POTS:
Current Staff, Karlene Cifuentes and her son (potentially future RRC student!) will be showing you what the buzz about beeswax wraps are all about. This crafty duo also creates huldufolk icelandic gnomes, the most adorable winter decor.

DANG GOOD TEA:
Just in time to refill the jar of Honey Tumeric Tea you tried at RRC’s Fall Farmers Market, RRC Staff member Vadsana Phommainh is back for her second market!

Dreaming Tree Paper Company journal made from “how to kill a mockingbird” book cover

DREAMING TREE PAPER COMPANY:
Digital A/V Production Alumni, Julie Epp has your old favorite book in a new unique journal. By upcycling, vintage hardcover books Julie gives the covers a new purpose.

URBAN EMBER:
Animal health technology Alumni, Michelle Mckendry hand- pours vegan, sustainable and eco-friendly wood wick, coconut wax candles that make a wonderful gift (maybe even for you!).

BUTTER & LARD BAKING COMPANY:
Professional baking and patisserie grad, Chantal Sutherland creates classic recipes just like our grandmas make. Unapologetically old-fashioned, Chantal uses simple and good local ingredients like butter, organic flour, and eggs.

FRASER AND FERN:

MRI and Spectroscopy Alumni, April Fernandez offers a combination of hand painted and digitally designed prints, even custom for those that wish!

ÖRRING JEWELRY:
Alyssa Reimer, Nursing Alumni creates trendy handmade clay earrings – great for any occasion.

TINY MAKER MIND:
For the extra little ones, Business Admin, Avery-Anne has intricate laser engraved alphabet blocks, made of solid hardwood, design to withstand generations of play.

LOTUS MOON JEWELS:
RRC staff member (and former Business Administration student) Tara Luchuck creates handcrafted jewelry with genuine, natural gemstones. Each type of gemstone exhibits different metaphysical and healing properties.

MELANIE DE TREMAUDAN ART:
RRC double alumni grad (Computer-Aided Architectural Drafting and Computerized Accounting Technician), Melanie is a self-taught artist utilizing upcycled ceramic tiles using alcohol inks with a rustic touch.

ART SOAP LIFE:
Rebecca Haverluck, a local artist, maker and Graphic Communications grad makes all natural soap and skin care. Her original artwork is featured on the labels and birch boxes, cards and prints and often mirrors the botanical theme of her skincare line.

Winnipeg Jets Cookies made by Kookie Construct

ELECTRIC IMPRESSION:
Warren Alejandro-Yarema, a proud RRC Art Grad and Instructor, will electrify your home decor with abstract art and furniture.

KOOKIE CONSTRUCT:
No RRC market is complete without Staff member Katrina Florendo-Estigoy. To satisfy our cravings, Katrina will be on hand with her beautifully decorated sugar cookies!

GROWL PET TREATS:
We didn’t forget about the pups! Give a warm welcome back to Adam Milne, Alumni of the Transforming Futures Project and treat your furry friends this holiday too.

SWEETS & SPRINKLES:

For delicious winter themed cookies, cupcakes, macarons and more, Gerardo Rodriguez our very own Business Administration grad will have treats for all occasions. If you can’t wait for this vendor take a look at their page and make your order ready for pickup on Nov. 28th!

MYA PAPAYA:

Weaving yarn into wearable creations, Business Administration grad, Angie Tucker has unique gifts for the holiday season. From soft snuggle buddies to beaded rainbow necklaces and keychains.

DANIELLE CANERS ART:

For the art lovers, RRC Business Administration grad Shaun Scrymgeour and his partner Danielle Caners will be showcasing mystical artwork to nourish your eyes, mind and soul. Come say hello and explore the endless details featured on eco-friendly yoga mats, fine art prints, and more!

J’EM BISTRO:

Professional baking and patisserie grad, Josee Cure, has the home cooked finish for all your seasonal recipes. Made from scratch, J’em Bistro has everything from mustards and vinaigrettes, to soups and bread, pickles and jams, pastries and more.

BRIE’S BOTANICALS:

Brie’s Botanicals yoga mat cleaners

RRC alumni Brie Henderson is back with her all natural, handcrafted aromatherapy products including air fresheners, yoga mat cleaners, multipurpose cleaners and more.

ASSINIBOINE COMMUNITY COLLEGE BAKING PROGRAM:
Chef Barbara O’Hara and her students are back to fill the College with the most wonderful holiday baking you cannot resist!

SNAPFOX PHOTOBOOTH:
Here to capture all the fun and festivities, RRC Aboriginal Self-Government alumni Brittany McKay, will provide a unique and memorable photo booth experience.

RRC SUSTAINABILITY OFFICE:

Take a little piece of RRC home with you. The bees have been working hard on our rooftop all summer, and now is your chance to buy our 2019 Creekside honey!

_______________________________________________________
Our RRC community is so fortunate to have all these talented makers share their creations with us! We know reading this list may have felt as if you had your hands on Santa’s list. So get your sleigh ride ready to pack up with all these soon to be gifts and give a warm welcome back to our grads, and friendly hello to our current staff and students on November 28th!

 While the leaves are changing with every season so is sustainability. There are so many colours of sustainability and places to find where it may be. To share everything Red River College is growing, changing, and creating to be a sustainable campus, we have a map for you!

Every week from October 21^st – November 22^nd we will be posting a Sustainability Scavenger Hunt with a prize for participating drawn every Friday. Not only will there be prizes for every week, but additional entries for every week you participate for a GRAND PRIZE created from our upcoming Made by RRC Winter Market. Along with the hunt, these next few weeks will be filled with even more fun events including our Fair Trade Campus Week, Waste Reduction Week & E-Waste drive, so stay tuned.

To discover everything we’re doing check out more details below and forage through our page to find answers for the hunt. When you’re ready to begin, click here for this week’s scavenger hunt.  Happy scavenging!

 OCTOBER 21-25

Scavenger Hunt Week One

Get Caught in The Act – October 21st &  22nd | Mystery | NDC & EDC

OCTOBER 28- NOVEMBER 1 FAIRTRADE CAMPUS WEEK

Fairtrade Campus Week gives us a time to educate and promote Fair Trade, and celebrate the Fairtrade products on our Campus. As a consumer, supporting fair trade is a way for you to ensure that the people who created the product you are purchasing were paid a fair wage, had safe working conditions and that the product was created in a sustainable manner. This week dives into everything you need to know about Fairtrade and where you can support fair trade here at RRC!

Scavenger Hunt Week Two

This week’s Scavenger hunt is all about purchasing at Red River College. To discover the products we use on campus and where you can find Fairtrade at RRC go to our page and complete the scavenger hunt to win our weekly prize pack.

 Win FairTrade Coffee for a Month | Draw open all week | NDC Voyager

On October 28 – November 1 you can find our prize draw box in the Voyageur cafeteria at NDC and enter to win. Have a busy week, and brewing Fairtrade coffee at home? Tag us in a photo demonstrating your Fair Trade commitment on social media channel ( Twitter, Instagram) using the hashtag #RRCFTCampus to enter to win too!

FairTrade Film Screening| October 28th 12-1 | NDC Library

Short films will be running throughout the hour so bring your lunch and stay to see them all or stop by for a just one or two! What’s a film without a treat? We have you and your sweet tooth covered with Fairtrade chocolates while you watch!

FairTrade Trick or Treat | October 31st  11-1 | NDC Library Hallway

Come trick or treat for Fairtrade and check out Ten Thousand Villages here with Fairtrade merchandise alongside our table full of Fairtrade treats giveaways and your chance to enter to win a great prize pack.

Compost Your Pumpkin| November 1st 7-1 | NDC Bus Loop Doors

November 1^st is on its way. That time where your pumpkin is looking a little less spooky and not quite jolly enough to stick around with the rest of your  porch décor. Even if you don’t have your own compost pile at home, you can compost your pumpkin at the Notre Dame Campus where there will be a drop off site immediately after Halloween.

NOVEMBER 4-8

Scavenger Hunt Week Three – Play to win all week!

Winter Cycling 101  | November 5th | NDC Library Hallway

It’s beginning to look a lot like.. Winnipeg! Winter is here and there’s so much to look forward to from Jets games, skating on the Red River Mutual Trail, Festival du Voyageur and getting your bike winter ready! With a little preparation, winter cycling can be a lot of fun and an active way to commute. Join us this to get answers to all of your questions about winter cycling. We’ve got you covered with tips including: How to stay warm, bike maintenance, Winnipeg’s best winter cycling routes, and any extra gear that is necessary (or not). Already a winter cycling pro? Come share your own tips and tricks! To usher us into the winter cycling season, we’ll have the bike blender on hand blending up frozen hot chocolate.

Compost Your Pumpkin| November 4th 7-1 | NDC Bus Loop Doors

 NOVEMBER 12-15  WASTE REDUCTION WEEK & E-WASTE DRIVE

Scavenger Hunt Week Four – Play to win all week!

This week’s Scavenger hunt is all about waste and resource reduction at Red River College. To discover the changes we have made, and the impacts we have in our everyday actions go to our page and complete the scavenger hunt to win our weekly prize pack.

E-Waste Drive| All Week| NDC & EDC

Make sure to set a reminder to collect all your old, broken and unwanted electronic waste and batteries from home and work to recycle at both our NDC and EDC campuses next week. Bring in all unwanted e-waste to the locations below, from Tuesday November 12^th to Friday November 15^th.Not sure what to bring? Click here for a list of acceptable items.

Notre Dame Campus:
Drop off at Shipping & Receiving (B183) Monday to Friday. Please note Shipping & Receiving closes daily from 12:00-12:45PM. Collection closes on Friday at noon.
Exchange District Campus:
Drop off e-waste at Shipping & Receiving (W101) Monday to Friday. Please note Shipping & Receiving closes daily from 12:00-12:45PM. Collection closes on Friday at noon.

*Please note: RRC equipment can be brought in, but must be accepted by someone at Shipping & Receiving to ensure they are disposed of properly. Please ensure that private data is removed prior to dropping off personal equipment which may contain confidential information. Red River College and Powerland do not accept liability for data or any other digital content left on your device.

Pop-the-Top| Nov 12th NDC |Nov 14th EDC | 9:30-11:30 in Tim Hortons

Small changes have big impacts. To cut down on our disposable cups (but never on coffee), we’re playing Pop-the-top where you can buy an RRC ecomug for only $5,  pop the top, and see what prize awaits inside. Each ecomug is a prize winner and every time you bring your mug you’ll receive a discount.

$1 Coffee All Week – Bring Your Own Mug!|Nov 12th-15th NDC | Voyager and Buffalo Cafeteria & STTC (Tuesday only)

Show your support for Waste Reduction Week at NDC by saving your cup from the landfill. All week by bringing your own mug you’ll be rewarded and receive $1 Coffee at the following locations listed.

 NOVEMBER 18-22

Scavenger Hunt Week Five – Play to win all week

We’re so grateful that you’ve fallen into sustainability with us these few weeks. Before you go, learn a little about us here too, in the final scavenger hunt!

Scavenger Hunt Grand Prize Draw| Nov 22

Now the hunt is almost through, we can’t wait to see all of you that participated. To give you some more time, all scavenger hunts will remain open until November 22nd. For each time you have participated, you have received a ballot into the grand prize draw! This prize will be gathered from wonderful vendors at our Made by RRC Winter Market. So if you missed a week now is the time to go back and complete all entries!

]]> Fall Into Sustainability /redgreen/2019/10/01/recap-of-the-climate-strike/ Tue, 01 Oct 2019 14:41:35 +0000 http://www.rrc.ca/redgreen/?p=6141 Read more →.]]>

Millions of youth and adult supporters around the world took to the streets last week to raise awareness about climate change and the need for urgent action through the Global Climate Strike. Locally, over 10,000 people attended a General Strike for Climate Action at the Manitoba Legislative Building on Friday, September 27.

We know that the College community cares deeply about climate issues and that we play an important role in our community to bring a climate lens to everything we do. During the week, the College provided opportunities for those wishing to show their solidarity with the Global Climate Strike movement while on campus. We spoke with many students, staff and faculty who shared their concerns with us last week.  Below is a brief summary of some of the ways our College community got involved.

Green felt circle pins show support for the climate strike. The red bead symbolized RRC.

Students, staff and faculty were invited to make and wear green circle pins to show their support for the Climate Strike. Pin-making events were scheduled at both NDC and EDC and staff and students were encouraged to request a pin-making kit for their areas if they were not able to attend one of the events. Requested kits made about 200 pins, while between EDC and NDC, approximately 175 people came out to make pins.

A special shout out to the Portage Campus where students, staff and faculty made and wore green ribbons to show their support for the climate strike. Students were also encouraged to write on the student lounge windows their thoughts on how they could support the action and what actions they could take to mitigate climate change.

In total, an estimated 400 pins and ribbons were made and worn by RRC students, staff and faculty.

On Friday, September 27th at noon, RRC students, staff and faculty gathered together at the Notre Dame Campus and the Roblin Centre to take a photo showing their solidarity with the climate strike.

See the photo gallery below for some photos from the week of Climate Strike activities at RRC.