Happy New Year!  I hope all our friends, members, and supporters have enjoyed a safe and wonderful celebration to welcome 2026!  I want to thank all of you for your contributions to help make EDSS a valuable resource for the Down syndrome community. We have so much to look forward to this year and I am excited to welcome new and old friends to our centre and some new locations for a great year ahead.  Our team is busy planning the calendar of programs and events this year, so keep watching for more updates like the new youth floor hockey program.  We also plan to expand our reach by bringing our services to more locations across the region so we can better serve the community in 2026.  

Keep your eye on the “Mark Your Calendar” notice included in the newsletter for more events and opportunities to get involved. We are open to volunteers so if you have some time and interest in volunteering, please let us know by contacting our volunteer coordinator at volunteer@edss.ca. 

Updates

Cold Weather Policy Reminder: 

In the event of temperatures, including wind chill, reaching -30°C or below, according to Environment Canada’s website, all programs will be canceled to prioritize safety. This excludes programs that run during office hours at the Edmonton Down Syndrome Society building. 

The office will remain open, and programs and services that are delivered at our centre will continue unless you are otherwise notified. 

Thanks to funding support from Canadian Tire Jumpstart Foundation, we are very pleased to share that we will be starting a new Floor Hockey Program in the new year!   Like Jumpstart, we understand the importance of sport for the health and well-being of kids and are proud of the work we do to provide sport and play for the community. Meghan Schritt, Program Manager will be sharing the details in early January so stay tuned for more information.  If you know someone who may like to volunteer Tori our Volunteer Coordinator can be reached at volunteer@edss.ca

Volunteer Opportunity – Part-time Administrative Assistant 

We are looking for someone who would be interested in working a few hours 1 day a week to support the office with a variety of administrative duties.  Please share your resume with admin@edss.ca if you have skills and interest to learn more.   

Did you know?

Through the Eye See…Eye Learn program, children in kindergarten are eligible to receive free glasses and frames. Be sure to ask your optometrist about it!