Our 45th anniversary in 2016 will be commemorated in many different

ways, some large, some small. One small way we chose to celebrate is

to provide all program participants with a blue lunch bag with our 45th

anniversary logo as a present this December.

Our Board of Directors thought of another way to make our 45th

memorable by making a significant change to a legacy of our 40th

anniversary. In 2011, Cosmo commissioned the Howard Stensrud

Spirit of Cosmo Award. It is presented to ‘an individual, or

organization, which has made a significant contribution to enhancing

the quality of life for those citizens in our community with an

intellectual disability.’ Nominations for this award have always been

internally generated. Beginning in 2016, the Board has announced that

the public will be invited to make nominations for the award.

The Howard Stensrud Spirit of Cosmo Award is an enduring legacy of

the vision and spirit of those who founded Cosmo. It embodies the

character of caring citizens who saw a need, conceived of a plan and

took action to bring that plan to reality. Past recipients include:

2011, Mayor Cliff Wright; 2012, Grant Habicht and Eric Antonini;

2013, Riverside Country Club; 2014, Maunders McNeil Foundation;

2015, Ruth Robinson.

The nomination guide is available from

Cosmopolitan Industries at 1302 Alberta Ave,

on our web site at cosmoindustries.com or by

calling 306-664-3158 and requesting a copy.

Nominations are to be submitted to:

Howard Stensrud Spirit of Cosmo

c/o Cosmopolitan Industries

1302 Alberta Ave,

Saskatoon, SK

S7K 1R5

Nominations close on Feb 26th 2016 and

the award is presented at a banquet on

June 23rd, 2016.

Lunch bag with 45th Anniversary logo

Christmas Greetings from the President of the Board

Greetings one and all.

It’s fitting that I'm writing this letter to you with a little touch of

snow on the ground and cooler mornings, yes, winter is here. Come on, no

one wants a brown Christmas.

This is a great time of year. We get together with family and

friends and, if you’re one of the lucky ones, it's more about the quality of

life than the quantity. I am truly thankful that as my children got

older they cared way less about gifts and more about the traditions and the

need to help others throughout the year.

In light of what's going on in this world, I think we are

very fortunate to live here. No matter your circumstances, be thankful,

enjoy the little things that make you happy.

If you get a chance to do something nice for another person to-

day or any day of the year, do it! It will have an impact.

On behalf of my family and the Board of Directors, may

you find peace and joy in your lives. May you be blessed

with health and prosperity this year and years to come.

Brent Rempel

Board Chair

Merry Christmas from our Executive Director On behalf of the entire management team, it is my pleasure to extend warmest wishes to all of you and your

loved ones for a very Merry Christmas.

To each and every program participant, THANK YOU for enriching our lives as you do! Your visits, the ideas

you share, your big smiles, along with an amazing abundance of enthusiasm for life that you bring to Cosmo each and

every day is inspiring! You truly are the beating Heart of Cosmo and YOU make it the best place to work!

It goes without saying that people generate energy, and the excitement and desire that is shown daily by the par-

ticipants is, in large part, due to the caring, supportive and dedicated staff who have chosen this place – Our Place – as

their vocation. The exceptional programs delivered, the never ending list of possible choices and options to choose from

every day is truly amazing and why some participants exclaim “Yes, It’s Monday!” or in a conversation with a partici-

pant a suggestion to work 6 days rather than 5 is made. Cosmo’s staff are the prime motivators and boosters which, with

their participant co-workers, form the primary reason for the positive synergy found here. Staff truly are the primary

asset of Cosmo - THANK YOU!

A lot of what we do, and are able to do, is enhanced and made possible because of the many dedicated volunteer

hours that our Board of Directors continue to donate to make

Cosmo what it is. We continue to build on the legacy of the found-

ing Board Members. We are excited for what 2016 is going to

bring as we celebrate our 45th Anniversary! We have and always

will strive to be the best that we can, enriching the lives of all

adults with intellectual disabilities that choose our program.

Have a healthy, safe and happy Christmas

and best of wishes for all good things in

2016.

Sharlene Duquette

Our Horticulture Club helped to

prepare beautiful decorations to use

for our annual Christmas Dinner.

Please enjoy pictures from this special

day, spread through the newsletter.

A YEAR OF GROWTH AND CHANGE IN LIFE SKILLS

2015 brought about many wonderful opportunities for our

division. This year, one of our participants had the goal of

growing a plant. She decided she would like to grow a to-

mato plant and so this began our greenhouse endeavor. As

the group began planting their tomato plants, we noticed

many other individuals who showed a keen interest in gar-

dening as well. We then expanded our project to a small

greenhouse and then another greenhouse and to date we

have 3 walk-in greenhouses and 2 smaller greenhouses. We

planted approximately 200 tomato plants, 75 pepper plants

and a large variety of herbs and other vegetables. We sold

the plants here at Cosmo throughout the spring and sold out

our remaining stock on Open House. We didn’t stop there.

This summer, with the assistance of volunteers, we built 4

raised garden beds and grew a variety of vegetables includ-

ing lettuce for our birds.

We also adopted approximately 35 finches, some of which

went to Pathways. The participants love to care for the

birds and they enjoy their sweet singing voices. We now

have 2 budgies, 25 finches and an aquarium filled with a

variety of tropical fish. This has created many jobs and

responsibilities for the participants.

This fall we were asked to assist with a job in the commu-

nity which involved placing decals on our recycling bins in

the community as well as painting over graffiti on the bins.

The participants involved in this job anxiously awaited go-

ing out daily to assist with these tasks.

We look forward to another action packed year in 2016 that

is filled with many new endeavors. All the best to you dur-

ing the holiday season and in the New Year!

Life Skills Training

Division Manager

Happy Holidays from the Pathways Division

Wow, we can’t believe we are almost at the end of 2015.

This year in Pathways has been a busy one. Participants be-

gan to work on new jobs and have increased their numbers of

completed work from 29,526 pieces in 2014 to 35, 135 pieces

in 2015; this does not include the number of cages and bins of

dismantled books. We continued to develop skills by offer-

ing some non-traditional jobs in the area, such as the Path-

ways Store, organizing the building movie cabinet and the

collection of winter clothing for our Giving Back Program.

A few new jobs we tried this year were delivering flyers for

the MURR program, sorting recycling materials and helping

out in the Shred Department. Between working, though we

find time to have some fun especially in the summer months

when we had nice warm weather. Some of the events we

celebrated were Mardi Gras, Hawaiian Day and Western Day.

We look forward to what the future holds for us next year.

Greetings from Recycling Happy holidays from those of us in the Recycling Division. With our

first full year of the MURR program over, we want to give thanks to everyone

for an amazing year and look forward to the joy and challenges the New Year

will bring. With this festive season upon us the tip floor starts to turn beautiful

bright colors as wrapping paper, ribbons and other holiday recyclables make

their way to us. From all of us in the Recycling Division we wish you a safe and

joyous holiday season.

Nicole Dowd

Arentxa Lemus - Full Time - CES

Amandeep Sandhu

Janice George

Jenness Fox

Terry Boulding

“A little smile, a

word of cheer, A

bit of love from

someone near, A

little gift from

one held dear,

Best wishes for

the coming

year… These

make a Merry

Christmas!”

- John Greenleaf

Whittier

Season’s Greetings From Life Enrichment Seniors

2015 has come and gone. As we, in Seniors reflect, highlights of our year include the Buckaroos, use of the art room,

baking, community partnerships with St. Michael’s school kids, horticulture club and numerous recreation outings. We

have enjoyed our pen pal partnership with Kin Enterprise in Prince Albert, top class entertainment such as the Saskatoon

Symphony, many laughs and so much more. We have embarked on a new experience of building beautiful

succulent terrariums which the participants have taken great pride in creating for many to enjoy. May 2016

be everything that you hope, wish and dream for.

Therapies

The Therapy Program at Cosmo has had another great year. Participants have

been taking part in fitness room training, specialized fitness programming, as-

sisted walking, and wax therapy and swim therapy programs. A highlight of the

week for many participants is our Zumba Dance Group and Yoga Group, which

always bring out a large group of excited and energetic participants. It has been amazing to

see so many participants excited to be active and choose to make fitness a priority in their

day. Awesome work everyone and here’s to another great year in 2016!

Cosmo at Elmwood Day Program

This past year, the Cosmo at Elmwood Day Program has been full of fun times enjoyed by all. We have been busy play-

ing games, baking, making crafts, playing bingo, reminiscing, bowling and enjoying many wonderful outings. We wel-

comed new friends and were sad to say good – bye to others. We celebrated many birthdays and special events with fun

parties. We adopted 3 zebra finches and named them Arrow, Angel, and Axel. They provide us with en-

tertainment and beautiful singing. Richard has been taking good care of them. We have had wonderful

volunteers, baby visits, cat visits and dog visits. We appreciate our partnerships with many schools; we

always enjoy spending time with the students. Our tea parties are a way of relaxing and enjoying each

others company. The year was busy and fun and we hope the New Year is just as fun and exciting.

Cosmo at Sherbrooke Day Program

2015 is drawing to a close at Cosmo at Sherbrooke. As we look back,

it was another year of rewarding recycling work. Our work was balanced with oppor-

tunity to attend numerous global events at Sherbrooke. On a daily basis we enjoyed

the time spent with the cats and dogs that live at Sherbrooke and those that visit on a

daily basis. Working from home is an honor and privilege; the relaxed environment,

the flexibility, and the opportunities to contribute make it “one of a kind” with people

being the focus of all that happens. As we say good bye to 2015 we are also saying

good bye to Janice George; supervisor, coworker, and friend who has been at Cosmo at Sherbrooke since day one. We

thank her for all she has done, she will be missed. The year ending is neither an end nor a

beginning. It is a process of moving on as we at Cosmo at Sherbrooke move on we wish you

the Happiest of New Years!

Recreation

The past year has been a great one in the Recreation department, as many community part-

nerships have been created and maintained. Community involvement is present everyday as

the rec team goes out into the community with participants to participate in ongoing pro-

grams such as the SCYAP art program, Galon Insurance and Hunters bowling. Participants look forward to their outing

each month and often ask when their next outing is before the current one is completed! Some of the activities the par-

ticipants enjoyed were attending Rider Training camp (and getting photos and autographs), the Arabian Horse trotting

show, a Powwow, the Saskatoon Exhibition, fishing and tour of the zoo at the Forestry Farm, a tour to Aberdeen and

Pike Lake. Several special events and concerts were also held at Cosmo which many participants were able to enjoy.

Some of these events included the Alpha Kids (break dancers), Sassy Sisters, It’s Too Late Baby, The Saskatoon Sym-

phony, Fred Sasakamoose (the first First Nations NHL player), Scott Duffee (fiddler), Corey Morgan (Steel Drummer)

and Cash Back. We were fortunate to receive funding from a Community Grant through the City of Saskatoon and Sask

Lotteries which provided some financial support towards many of the exciting activities.

From all of us we would like to wish everyone a safe and happy holiday Season!

Happy Holidays from the Programs Division!

This quote rings true for what all divisions strive to do each day of the year for so many of the participants at

Cosmo and this has been evident within the Programs Division too. The Programs Division contributes valuable sup-

port to many participants each day through the efforts of the staff working in Transportation, Volunteers, Participant

Services and Community and Enriched Support.

Our Transportation Coordinator, Helen, had another busy year ensuring that all

participants’ transportation needs were organized for the day. There were regular

changes and necessary communication to provide the best support services to the partici-

pants and the drivers. Transportation services offered to the participants through the year

were provided by Access Transit, City Transit, our own Cosmo bus drivers and the ser-

vices offered by First Bus. There are a total of 21 runs throughout the day for arrivals

and departures to and from Cosmo which made each day a busy one.

As we know, Saskatchewan weather can bring extreme cold and hot weather. Cosmo has exceptional drivers

who are the ones who find a way each day to bring the participants into Cosmo. A BIG “thank you” for the services

all the drivers provided this past year; the Cosmo driving team includes: Freigon, Nan

and Ashley, Bhett, Maegan, Don and Nicole as they have filled in for Garry ensuring

safety and support to all participants.

The Volunteer program continues to grow and offer some wonderful opportunities to

the participants in the building. We said good-bye to Chantal Gosselin who moved to

other opportunities and welcomed Tracey Janzen in November. With her creative ideas

and energy we know 2016 will be a wonderful year ahead.

The Community and Enriched Support staff Ashley,

Nicole, Queenie, Arentxa, Teri, Brianna, Chantelle, Breanne, Chris, Jayla, Dynel and Sheena

have come together to offer opportunities through group activity at Cosmo, volunteering at the

Saskatchewan Teachers Federation and Bishop Pocock School, as well as work placements

within the community. Community and Enriched Support have become active supporters of

recycling by helping with the Cans 4 Cosmo program (picking up glass and cans from multiunit

buildings), a profit share program with the 3 hospitals for pickup and sorting and an independ-

ent cardboard pickup at staffs’ homes. Don’t be mistaken, there was still time for fun with the

3rd Annual BBQ at the Forestry Farm in June, accessing as many community opportunities on a

daily basis and the Noon Christmas Carol’s at TCU to end the year. Many participants had a

busy year with much support from Adrienne and Shauna to ensure everyone’s day ran

smoothly.

Last but not least the Participant Service Coordinators Christina, Brenda, Robin and Don have attended numer-

ous person centered planning meetings and provided support both formal and informal to participants throughout the

divisions. Shilo, provided many hours of staff training offering MANDT, 2-Day Orientation and Basic Training to

mention a few.

It has been a busy year with change and growth. We look forward to what the New

Year brings. From our team to your home, we wish everyone a wonderful holiday season

and all the best in the New

Year. Christmas Greetings 2015 2015 has seen Personal Supports stay with the same work

team and kept very busy keeping all comfortable during the

day.

We wish all peace, joy and all the best this wonderful holi-

day has to offer. May this time of giving and spending time

with family bring you joy that lasts all year long.

Seasons Greetings from the Contracts Division

The main Contracts area has been very busy as usual this year. There are six areas of individuals that com-

plete work for businesses in Saskatoon. Some of the jobs that have been completed and are ongoing include: dry-

brushing and washing plant pots, mail jobs that have the individuals in the areas collate, insert mail into envelopes,

bagging components, and labelling mail, drilling hinges for a cabinet company, cutting and boxing potash samples,

and heat-sealing and bagging plastic cutlery. The participants are also still making fleece-tied blankets that are for sale

in the Contracts division. These blankets (both adult and baby blankets) make beautiful gifts for that special someone.

Contracts also had a large contract for Sask Energy. There were approximately 200,000 lexon covers that had silicone

cleaned and peeled off by the participants. All of the participants enjoyed competing in the areas to see who could

complete the most covers in one day. We have had the addition of two cages of birds in the areas, an aquarium of fish,

and of course, our rabbit Finn. Some of the participants have been helping with the feeding and cleaning of the ani-

mals and walking and entertaining the rabbit. There has also been some time for a few fun activities in the division:

barbeques, Hawaiian Days, karaoke, Rider Day, painting and gardening. With all the activity happening in Contracts,

we also said good-bye to a long-time employee, who retired after twenty years at Cosmo which has brought about a

few new staff hires.

This past year the cafeteria has been hopping with preparing meals and snacks for over 400 people. They plan

on bringing some new and creative things in the coming year. Looking forward to a fabulous 2016.

The bottle depot is a continual supported employment job within the building of Cosmopolitan Industries.

Also, in the bottle depot area, participants have the ability to learn and sort different recyclable products.

As the year 2016 quickly approaches us, Community Based Employment Program reflects on the relationships

established, friendships built and goals accomplished in the year 2015. Community Based Employment Program cur-

rently provides support to over 80 participants who work throughout numerous businesses and agencies with full time

and/or part time positions. The Community Based Employment Program also currently holds over 20 employment

opportunities within Saskatoon and area. The participants within Community Based Employment Program have op-

portunities for growth and challenge through the enhancement of current skills, development new abilities with bud-

ding community interactions and the overall intensification for the quality of life in people with intellectual disabilities.

Community Based Employment Program would like to extend a huge thank you to everyone for your support. We

wish you all a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Holidays, and a fabulous New Year. We look forward to

accomplishing new goals and building new friendships in 2016!

Learning how to make blankets -Nancy Pool Playing my banjo in Rhythm Band -Colin Brisebois My art class -Janet Umpherville Learning new skills in Contracts, “I like working here”

-James Downs Working with Community Work Groups -Cindy Toews Dances, dances and more dancing! -Donald Fulton & Shaun Poncelet Happiest moment is when she found $20 on the street!

-Charlene Penner He was very happy because he made a cake for Lyn! -Lorne Lavallee

The artist of the month is

Dirk Iron from the Con-

tracts Division. Dirk has

been learning new ways

and techniques of draw-

ing. Dirk has been look-

ing into different art that

represents his culture.

He is able to draw and

paint some of his art by researching some Aboriginal

art and then drawing it in his own style. Dirk has been

surprising many people with his ability to create some

beautiful paintings and drawings. Some of Dirk’s

work is displayed throughout the building. Dirk

thinks that art is “really fun” and has developed an

“artist’s eye”. It is great to see Dirk expressing him-

self through his work and he has even started drawing

at home now. We hope to see more of his work.

Dirk Iron

Artist’s Corner

The following appointments have

been named to Board Committee for

2015—2016. Brent Rempel is the

Board President and Ex Officio.

Kirk Anderson

Loye Anderson

Roger Birtles

Sandra Downes

Greg Kuse

Ken Homenick

Heney Klypak

Alan Hunter

Jamie Lackie

Craig Newby

Gary Nickel

Michael Stensrud

Ken Homenick

Brent Rempel

Kathryn Bankowski

Sandra Downes

Heney Klypak

Greg Kuse

Loye Anderson

Roger Birtles

Sandra Downes

Kevin Lucas

Dwayne Schmautz

Heney Klypak

Derek Rope

Linton Auchstaetter

Ken Homenick

Heney Klypak

Jamie Lackie

Kevin Lucas

Gary Nickel

Michael Stensrud

Peter Gerrard

Kirk Anderson

Roger Birtles

Sandra Downes

Betty Anne Fisher

Jamie Lackie

Craig Newby

Derek Rope

Loye Anderson

Roger Birtles

Sandra Downes

Greg Kuse

Tanya Mitzel

Gary Nickel

Alan Clark

Joyce Phillips

Janet Macnab

Dawn Driedger

Cheryl George

Linton Auchstaetter

Roger Birtles

Betty Anne Fisher

Ken Homenick

Tanya Mitzel

Gary Nickel

James Yachyshen

Kirk Anderson

Ken Momenick

Greg Kuse

Jamie Lackie

Michael Stensrud

Sandra Downes

Heney Klypak

Gary Nickel

Brent Rempel

Eric Antonini

Greg Kuse

Michael Stensrud

James Yachyshen

Tim Eichholz

Ross Revill

Cheryl Tetreault

Eric Antonini

Alan Hunter

COSMOPOLITAN INDUSTRIES LTD. DATES FOR 2016 SPECIAL EVENTS, STATUTORY HOLI-

DAYS JANUARY, 2016

Friday, January 1st New Year's Day - Cosmo Closed

Friday, January 22nd Professional Development Day for Staff-Cosmo

Closed

FEBRUARY, 2016

Monday, February 15th Family Day – Cosmo Closed

MARCH, 2016

Friday, March 4th Winter Carnival Party at Cosmo

Friday, March 25th Good Friday—Cosmo Closed

APRIL, 2016

Monday, April 11th Professional Development Day for Staff-Cosmo

Closed

MAY, 2016

Friday, May 6th (1st Friday in May) Open House at Cosmo

Friday, May 13th Participant Awards—5-20 years

Monday, May 23rd Victoria Day—Cosmo Closed

JUNE, 2016 Friday, June 3rd Participant Awards – 25+ years

Monday, June 20th Riverside Vipond Golf Classic

JULY, 2016

Friday, July 1st Canada Day - Cosmo Closed

AUGUST, 2016 Monday, August 1st Civic Day - Cosmo Closed

SEPTEMBER, 2016

Monday, September 5th Labour Day - Cosmo Closed

Friday, September 16th Summer Windup at Cosmo

OCTOBER, 2016

Monday, October 10th Thanksgiving Day - Cosmo Closed

Monday, October 24th Professional Development Day for Staff-Cosmo

Closed

NOVEMBER, 2016

Friday, November 11th Remembrance Day - Cosmo Closed

DECEMBER, 2016

Friday, December 2nd Area Christmas Di

Monday, December 26th Boxing Day – Cosmo Closed

Tuesday, December 27th Cosmo Closed (in-lieu of Christmas Day)

Monday, January 2nd, 2017 Cosmo Closed (in-lieu of New Year’s Day)