Latest news with #RedRiverCollegePolytechnic
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Manitoba cabinet minister harassed college employee in past job, external investigation concluded
Recently appointed federal cabinet minister Rebecca Chartrand harassed a former employee at Winnipeg's Red River College Polytechnic over a period of several months in 2019, according to an external investigation commissioned by the college and conducted by a Winnipeg law firm. Chartrand, elected in April as the Liberal member of Parliament for the northern Manitoba riding of Churchill-Keewatinook Aski, was appointed by Prime Minister Mark Carney in May as the minister of northern and Arctic affairs and the minister responsible for the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency. According to documentation provided to CBC News in April — but first reported this week by Canadaland — Chartrand was the subject of a harassment investigation during the final months of her two-year stint as executive director of Indigenous strategy for RRC Polytech, a Winnipeg post-secondary institution with annual enrolment of approximately 21,000 students. In a complaint filed with RRC Polytech under its discrimination and harassment policy in September 2019, a former college employee claimed she was "targeted, undermined, bullied and harassed" by Chartrand over a period of eight months. The harassment took the form of threatening the employee's position, undermining her work and her management of other staff, interfering with her career, negatively impacting her reputation, increasing her workload and imposing unreasonable deadlines, according to the complaint. In a letter dated Dec. 19, 2019, RRC Polytech human resources director Curtis Craven informed the former employee that investigators with the Winnipeg law firm Rachlis Neville LLP substantiated the harassment complaint. The law firm found Chartrand's conduct "amounted to personal harassment in that over a period of time, the manner in which she engaged with you and the approach used to assign work and manage your performance constituted conduct which was severe," Craven said in the letter. "Such conduct could reasonably cause an individual to be humiliated or intimidated and was repeated, and had a lasting, harmful effect on you," he wrote. However, "given that Ms. Chartrand is no longer with the college, the college will not be taking any further corrective actions arising from this investigation," Craven's letter said. Chartrand was employed by RRC Polytech from June 2017 until December 2019, when she resigned, college spokesperson Emily Doer said in a statement. Chartrand was not available to speak about her time at the college, spokesperson Kyle Allen said this week. "Minister Chartrand is committed to fostering a healthy work environment for all persons in the workplace, characterized by collegiality and mutual respect," Allen said in a statement. RRC Polytech also declined to address Chartrand's time at the post-secondary institution. "In keeping with privacy legislation and college policy, we do not discuss personnel matters regarding current or former employees," Doer said in a statement. 'Months of psychological warfare': former employee The former college employee who filed the harassment complaint left RRC Polytech in 2020. In an interview, she said she had no intention of disclosing the investigation until Chartrand was nominated by the Liberal Party as its candidate for Churchill-Keewatinook Aski. The employee, whom CBC News is not identifying out of concerns about the potential impact on her employment, said she first attempted to contact Liberal Party officials about her experience but was unsuccessful. "I really did just want to forget about this and move on," said the former employee, who describes herself as a Liberal supporter. "I was voting for Mark Carney. I did not want what happened to me to happen to anybody in Ottawa. I didn't want Mark Carney to be hurt by any further actions, whether something of this nature ever happened again." Liberal Party spokesperson Jenna Ghassabeh said the party does not comment on the specifics of the candidate vetting process. "Canadians expect all political parties to do their due diligence on all prospective candidates, and the Liberal Party of Canada has a rigorous process to appropriately conduct such reviews," Ghassabeh said in a statement. The former RRC Polytech employee said she ultimately contacted several media outlets about her experience after Chartrand made social media comments relating to her own time at the college. The former employee said she came to know Chartrand in 2015, when the now-MP made an earlier run for office in Churchill-Keewatinook Aski. She came in second in that race to the NDP's Niki Ashton, who Chartrand then defeated in April's federal election. The former employee said she left another job to work under Chartrand at the college and had a good working relationship until 2019, when a nine-page survey was prepared to determine the needs of incoming students in the Indigenous studies program. The former employee said the survey was amended to include questions about drug and alcohol use, against the recommendations of an external consultant. The college did not disclose that the responses to these questions might determine whether respondents would receive financial assistance, the former employee said. The survey was withdrawn following complaints from prospective students and prompted an apology from Chartrand, according to a Global News story in 2019. The former employee said after she advised against including the questions in the survey, what had been a positive working relationship with Chartrand deteriorated into harassment. "It was like months of psychological warfare," the former employee said. "I've just tried to move on from all of my own personal grief and trauma around this because it has impacted me personally and professionally, and I wanted to just forget about it and move on. But it hasn't gone away." In a Facebook post on election night, a former resident of Churchill-Keewatinook Aski named Kyle Ross drew attention to the RRC Polytech survey issued during Chartrand's time at the college. In a since-deleted post of her own, Chartrand accused Ross of engaging in "lateral violence" and sought information about his whereabouts. "If anyone has any information on where this individual works or resides, please reach out publicly," she wrote. Chartrand spokesperson Allen said the minister regrets the post. "Regarding the social media post referenced, Minister Chartrand deeply regrets the language and tone she expressed. She unreservedly offers her apologies for the language of the post," Allen said in a statement. Ross said in an interview he would have preferred a direct apology for trying to discern where he lives and works. "I feel like a direct message would be nice," he said.
Winnipeg Free Press
15-05-2025
- Business
- Winnipeg Free Press
Linking hands-on education at 2025 Polytechnic Showcase
Representatives from more than 10 Canadian polytechnics are in Winnipeg for an annual conference that allows them to share ideas and projects in progress. The 2025 Polytechnic Showcase kicked off Wednesday at Red River College Polytechnic's downtown campus. Under the theme, 'Propelling Canada forward,' the two-day event is exploring how polytechnics — post-secondary institutions that offer applied and hands-on learning — are propelling the country toward a more prosperous future. Organized by Polytechnics Canada, a non-profit association representing 13 schools, the conference is a great opportunity for members to compare notes, according to CEO Sarah Watts-Rynard. 'The network gets to learn from each other, which I think is an important part of having the kind of education that is supposed to be responsive. It means you're constantly evolving,' Watts-Rynard said. 'Big institutions can get blinders on and so this is the kind of event that is really designed to come and hear what others in your network are doing.' The conference comes on the heels of a new study the association released last month to illustrate the extent to which polytechnic education responds to labour market demand for talent in the five provinces — B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario — where its member institutions are located. The association worked with researchers at the Conference Board of Canada to create the report. Researchers assessed more than two million job postings in 2023, compared wages by credential and provided five-year job forecasts. Key findings included the most in-demand skilled occupations can be found in five clusters: health care; skilled trades; information and technology; tourism and hospitality; and care occupations including child care, social services and early education. All five clusters demonstrated robust hiring demand in 2023, despite cooling in the overall job market. Employment in these fields is projected to experience steady growth in the next five years, the report says. According to the report, employment and job postings data reveal significant labour shortages in the five high-demand occupation clusters, particularly for skilled workers with post-secondary education. Job postings requiring apprenticeships, diplomas or certificates offered substantial wage premiums and increases in 2023. Polytechnics Canada member institutions offer programming that prepares graduates to work in 86 per cent of in-demand skilled occupations within the five clusters, the report states. Polytechnics Canada initiated the report knowing there would be a change in the federal government and wanting to showcase the value of a polytechnic education 'from the point of being responsive,' Watts-Rynard said. 'I think part of what came out of that was we actually understand local labour market demand,' she said. 'That's what we're all about. It's really trying to give people the skills, the competencies, the confidence, the industry connections to be able to develop those skills and then go and actively use them in the workforce.' Growing Canada's hospitality sector, the ways post-secondary institutions are pursuing truth and reconciliation and artificial intelligence were some of the topics presenters explored during keynote speeches, panel discussions and breakout sessions. During one session, Myles Bartlett of Sheridan College addressed the rise of AI in the context of his teaching work in the Southern Ontario institution's faculty of animation, arts and design. He shared an observation from a member of a faculty working group Sheridan created to address AI: 'Our goal as educators shouldn't be to outpace the machine. That is a fool's errand. It's to elevate the uniquely human capacities our students bring: judgment, ethics, cultural awareness, emotional intelligence and the ability to solve novel problems.' To that end, Sheridan has been reworking its course offerings to focus on helping students develop these capacities. The conference started with a keynote presentation by University of Manitoba professor and Free Press columnist Niigaan Sinclair, who reflected on the truth and reconciliation journey of post-secondary institutions in Canada and suggested ways they can continue to deepen their relationships with Indigenous students and communities. Truth and reconciliation is key to building a sustainable economy, Sinclair said, and it's something people in all occupations — from front-line workers to people working at hotels and grocery stores — need to be knowledgeable about. 'Reconciliation is not the right thing to do, it's the only thing to do,' Sinclair concluded. RRC Polytech considers it a privilege to host the Polytechnic Showcase, said Fred Meier, president and CEO. 'We've never had that opportunity to host before and so we're excited about that, and excited to show people from across Canada what's happening here in Winnipeg at RRC Polytech as well.' Around 140 people are attending the conference, which continues today. Aaron EppReporter Aaron Epp reports on business for the Free Press. After freelancing for the paper for a decade, he joined the staff full-time in 2024. He was previously the associate editor at Canadian Mennonite. Read more about Aaron. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
CBC
11-04-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Return of on-campus early voting spurs hopes more ballots will be cast by young adults
Social Sharing On-campus early voting, cancelled during the last federal election, is returning to Manitoba next week, and after a dip in the number of young people who cast their ballots in 2021, it's hoped more Canadians between 18 and 24 will go to the polls this time. Polling stations at Red River College Polytechnic, the University College of the North, the University of Manitoba and the University of Winnipeg will be open from April 13 to 16. Elections Canada says anyone can vote on one of the participating campuses, including students, who can cast their ballots using the address they consider home or where they regularly live, as long as they show an ID with that address. Dule Vicovac, a 19-year-old student at the University of Winnipeg, is planning to vote for the first time in a Canadian federal election. "I am not satisfied with the current state of Canada and how it's progressing," he said. "If I don't vote I am not contributing to any change." Soban Faiz, another student at the U of W, said he is doing his homework, reviewing the different party platforms ahead of casting his ballot, "I went to the Pierre Poilievre rally, went to the Mark Carney rally, met a bunch of candidates, asked them what they were going to do," he said. "They are very accessible in the election." WATCH | Students ready to cast ballots as on-campus voting returns: Students ready to cast ballots as on-campus voting returns 12 hours ago Duration 2:24 Advance voting is returning to campuses next week. It wasn't offered during the last federal election, in 2021, due to the pandemic. Now, some young voters in Manitoba are determined to make an impact, with many casting ballots for the first time. Young voter turnout peaked during the 2015 federal election, with Canadians between 18 and 24 accounting for the largest increase in any age group. According to Elections Canada, over half a million more young Canadians cast their ballots during that election compared to 2011. But in the last two elections, the voter turnout slipped and the number of young voters fell at a rate greater than the overall turnout both times. Data from Election Canada shows 46 per cent of voters between 18 and 24 went to the polls in 2021 —down from 53 per cent in 2019. "It is my hope, ambition and complete focus that we will see youth voters turnout to go up in this election," said Amanda Munday, the executive director of New Majority, a nonpartisan group addressing youth voter turnout. While the decline started after 2015, Munday said the COVID-19 pandemic played a role in bringing the number of youth voters down in the last election, including with the suspension of on-campus voting. Munday expects the youth turnout to increase this year, in part because polling stations are back at post-secondary institutions, but also due to other factors. "There's lots of reasons why young people would know more about a federal election," she said. For instance, on social media, the election is tied to other topics that already have a strong presence in the feed of young voters. "Canadian sovereignty, the 51st state and annexation conversation is coming up a lot," she said. "Once you start engaging with that, it makes sense to me that the algorithm might serve federal election content." One of the issues raised with social media is information voids, where the scarcity of reliable content opens up the space for poor-quality information to flow in, said Heidi Tworek, a Canada Research Chair and professor of public policy at the University of British Columbia. Tworek said researchers have found misinformation isn't only lurking in public feeds but in the more private side of social media, including popular messaging apps. "WeChats, Telegrams, WhatsApps … that's actually a huge space," she said. However, while online misinformation content exists, Tworek said researchers "don't always see evidence that it's really changing the election results." "People don't ultimately make their decision on who they vote for based on one or two pieces of information," she added. Political ads and other content related to the election featured on social media, Tworek said, are also either cementing voters' choices about how to cast their ballots, or swaying their likelihood to go out and vote.
CBC
20-03-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
International Day of Happiness sparks fundamental question: What makes you happy?
Winnipeggers answer: What makes you happy? 55 years ago Social Sharing We could all use a little more happiness, right? With global uncertainty, market upheavals and a trade war between Canada and the United States, it's enough to cause even the most affable and joyful person to take pause. Today is International Day of Happiness. Held every March 20, the day was instituted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2012 to recognize "happiness as a fundamental human goal." To that end, the UN called for "a more inclusive, equitable and balanced approach to economic growth that promotes the happiness and well-being of all peoples." With that in mind, Sisler Create filmmaking students, assisted by Red River College Polytechnic student Sean Monfero, hit the downtown campus of Red River College Polytechnic to ask students, staff and passersby: What makes you happy? From great grades, to trips away, to their art and favourite cookies, Winnipeggers shared their simple joys. The result? A new short three-minute documentary by students in the Create program at Sisler High School, which they made in collaboration with CBC Manitoba. CREATE students Joseph Huntington, Raiden Dumaran, Ewan Webster and Semira Abolore, along with Sean Monfero, produced the new short video. Meet the filmmakers More about Project POV: Sisler Create CBC Manitoba's Project POV: Sisler Create is a storytelling collaboration that partners filmmaking students with CBC Manitoba journalists to produce short docs. You can see past projects here. The Winnipeg School Division's Create program is hosted at Sisler High School and trains post-high students in the creative digital arts. During fall 2024, CBC journalists taught storytelling to filmmaking students and led producing workshops at Sisler. Create focuses on education and career pathways into the creative industries. Students can take courses in animation, film, game design, visual effects, graphic design and interactive digital media.
