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REDLINES |News|RRC’S new Heavy Equipment Training CentreUnion Bank Towerenvironmental technologies,we can help Manitoba reachits climate change goals, helplocal companies respond tochanging market conditions,and hopefully generate newgreen jobs in our province,”says Ray Hoemsen, RRC’sDirector of Applied Researchand Commercialization.CAMPUS EXPANSIONPROJECTS MOVING AHEADWork is underway on thetransformation of the UnionBank Tower into the PatersonGlobalFoods Institute, a newhome for RRC’s culinary andhospitality programs, as wellas the College’s first studentresidence.When completed in 2011, thenewest component of RRC’sExchange District Campus willinclude 49,500 square feetof new instructional space,state-of-the-art culinary andbaking labs, three restaurants,a green roof with herb garden,100 residence rooms, and anumber of sustainable buildingfeatures.The $27 million project is beingsupported by the Governmentof Canada, Province ofManitoba, City of Winnipeg/Centreventure, PatersonGlobalFoods/The PatersonFoundation and The WinnipegFoundation.The College has also received$4.5 million from the federaland provincial governmentstoward four projects that willadd capacity at the NotreDame campus, including: anew Energy Centre/PowerEngineering Building; a newgreenhouse; renovations toBuilding M to allow for theexpansion of the Automotiveprogram; and a new landscapeconstruction shop.RRC GAINS DEGREEGRANTING STATUSThanks to recent changes tothe Manitoba Colleges Act,Red River College will launchits first ever degree programsin Nursing and ConstructionManagement later this year.“Degree programs allow usto provide students with anenhanced level of appliededucation and specialization,beyond what’s feasible overthe course of a certificate ordiploma program,” explainsKen Webb, RRC’s Vice-President of Academic andResearch.The 32-month NursingBaccalaureate program wasdeveloped in response toenhanced requirements forentry into the profession.It replaces the previousAccelerated Diploma and JointRRC-University of ManitobaBaccalaureate programs.The program has proven sopopular with prospectivestudents that by the endof the January applicationwindow the College hadenough applicants to fill all theavailable spots for the 2010,2011 and 2012 academic years.The local construction industrywas the driving force behindthe new degree program inConstruction Management.Companies have expressed ademand for employees witha higher level of training, andRRC has worked closely withindustry representatives onthe design of the curriculum.Industry has also pledged toraise an endowment fund tosupport future students inthe program. The WinnipegConstruction Associationand the Manitoba HeavyConstruction Associationwill be contributing to theendowment, and RRC alumnusPaul Charette — Chairmanof Bird Construction — hasalready made a $50,000donation.SHOCKNIFE WINS MANNINGINNOVATION AWARDThe Shocknife, a Winnipegbasedinvention that waspartly developed at RRC, wonthe prestigious 2009 ManningInnovation Award.Developed by veteranpolice officer Jeff Quail, theShocknife is a tool used totrain law enforcement officialsto deal with edged weaponattacks.The Shocknife was one of thefirst products to emerge fromRRC’s Applied Research andCommercialization program,which links industry with theCollege’s research expertise tocreate innovative, marketabletechnologies.RRC’s Alex McIlraith workedwith product designers tominiaturize the device’selectronics to fit inside atypical size knife casing. Healso re-engineered the productso it could be powered by asingle nine-volt battery.| RED | A Red River College Publication | 03