Ontario Well-being Study Yields Contradictory Results

Similar studies planned for other provinces

Pedestrians cross a downtown intersection in Toronto. A study on Ontario residents’ well-being and quality of life is prompting similar studies in several other provinces. The Canadian Press/Colin Perkel

A new study on Ontario residents’ well-being measuring people’s participation in social activities, perceptions, and even living standards and education has yielded extensive contradictions. 

Nevertheless, the report is prompting similar studies in other parts of the country. 

The Canadian Index of Wellbeing indicates that Ontario residents are contributing less financially to culture and recreation and attending fewer performing arts events. Yet volunteering rates have increased, as have vacation times. 

“These are some apparent conundrums,” said index director Professor Bryan Smale with the Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies at the University of Waterloo. 

“Another one I would point out is demographic engagement. People are saying they are more interested in politics and they have a fair degree of confidence in the way democracy works. But they are not voting and they don’t have much confidence on the federal level.”

Another contradiction is people’s trust, which has lowered, with only one in two Ontarians feeling they can trust others. However, crime rates have dropped across the country and perceptions of personal safety have at the same time improved. 

“We see property and crime rates plummeting in most communities across the country and in Ontario in particular, yet people trust others less,” said Smale. 

“The objective facts in terms of rates suggest one thing, but people’s perceptions are being somewhat dictated by the sorts of social messaging about ‘being tough on crime,’ as if there is an epidemic.” 

Smale noted that one of the questions for researchers now is whether the move away from in-person social leisure activities to online activities is equally satisfying for people. The data revealed that people now have fewer close friends, although report a greater connection to the community. 

Researchers are now considering beginning similar indices for Nova Scotia, British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan. A survey in B.C. will start later this month with hopes for a similar comprehensive report. Local municipalities, such as Guelph, Ontario, have started using an index to improve services. 

In Winnipeg, the United Way’s local office developed its own index in collaboration with the International Institute for Sustainable Development to measure similar trends. 

“We have been working on it for eight or nine years,” said Heather Block, director for strategic initiatives at Winnipeg’s United Way. 

“We launched about 3-4 years ago. Part of how it came about was from questions about whether our investments of time and money are actually making a difference or not. A community indicator system is a way to find that out.”

The United Way 2014 report concludes that overall, Winnipeg’s conditions have improved with less water usage, more people graduating from high school, and decreased landfill usage. Still, other indicators reveal troubling trends including greater income disparities, lower volunteering rates, and worsening voter turnout. 

“We can look at places that are getting stronger and places we can pull together more, and I think that is an important factor in a lot of indicator systems,” said Block. “It is not data for data’s sake.” 

Kaven Baker-Voakes is a freelance reporter based in Ottawa.