Community Vitality Trends - Canada

The Institute of Wellbeing has taken on the challenging task of developing the Canadian Index of Wellbeing (CIW). A number of the indicators moitor the strength of social and community relationships. Quoting from The First Report of the Institute of Wellbeing, 'How are Canadians Really Doing?':


"The indicators reveal that Canadians, by and large, have strong social relationships with their families and communities. On balance, the trend of most of these indicators is heartening, suggesting that the wellbeing of Canadians, as measured by the quality of their relationships, is improving over time."


The following indicators were monitored and form the basis for the conclusion quoted above:

• 61% of Canadians were members of non-profit, voluntary organizations in 2003, up from 51% in the late 1990s
• 33% of Canadians volunteered with non-profit and charitable organizations in 2003; this was up from 31% in 1997, although the proportion had fallen to 27% in 2000
• 83% of Canadians reported that they extended unpaid care and assistance to family, friends and neighbours in 2004, an increase from 73% in 1997
• 42% of Canadians in 2003 reported being concerned about the needs of others, regardless of the pressures of their own lives, an increase from 27% in 1994
• the national crime rate dropeed by 30% between 1991 and 2006: property crime rates dropped by 36% between 1993 and 2006, violent crime rates down 12% from1993 to 2006
• the percentage of Canadians feeling safe walking alone after dark increased from 86% in 1993 to 90% in 2004
• in 2004, 4.1% of Canadians experienced discrimination because of their ethnicity, race, culture, skin colour, relition or language - a drop from 7.1% in 2002
• 64% of Canadians expressed strong attachment to their local community in 2005, up from 58% in 2001 (see table below).
  

The only negative trends related to shrinking social networks. The number of Canadians reporting six of more close relatives dropped from 37% in 1996 to 34% in 2003, while the number reporting six or more close friends went from 40% down to 30%. The recent popularity of online social networking may of course have altered this trend.

% Canadians reporting a 'very strong' sense of community belonging

population 12 years and older, by province, 2001 - 2005

	2001	2003	2005
Canada	57.9%	63.9%	64.4%
Newfoundland	77.7	79.9	79.2
Prince Edward Island	70.4	73.7	75.1
Nova Scotia	66.1	70.9	73.6
New brunswick	62,0	72.3	73.2
Quebec	46.9	55.5	54.7
Ontario	59.9	64.4	65.5
Manitoba	63.1	69.4	68.5
Saskatchewan	68.1	72.6	72.2
Alberta	56.6	64.5	64.8
British Columbia	63.3	67.7	69.6
NWT	80.3	76.9	74.6

Source: http://www.ciw.ca/Libraries/Documents/FirstReportOfTheInstituteOfWellbeing.sflb.ashx