The region's fourth Vital Signs report has been released. The annual check-up identifies trends and assigns grades in 11 key areas that measure the quality of life in our community, including safety, arts and culture, health and wellness and the environment.
Rosemary Smith, CEO of the K-W Community Foundation, says this year's report contains a number of successes to celebrate.
"Many of our citizens are composting and recycling, we have one of the lowest rates of water usage in the province and poverty rates, including that for children and seniors, are showing declines," says Smith, in outlining some of those successes.
The K-W Community Foundation collaborates with the Community Foundation of Cambridge and North Dumfries on the annual report, which Smith also says reveals positive trends in median family income (higher than Ontario and Canada) and composite learning index scores in Waterloo Region that are higher than both the provincial and national scores.
When it comes to community safety, Smith points to a 52 per cent reduction in the rate of motor vehicle thefts in our community since 2004 and the police reported robbery rate is half of that which is seen across Ontario.
Employment is also strong locally, with the region's employment and participation rates higher than Ontario averages. The participation rate measures the number of people either working or looking for work.
Despite the successes, Smith cautions it's no time to rest on our laurels.
"We have continued to lose significant numbers of workers in the arts and culture industry, leaving our employment numbers in that sector lower than the provincial and national averages," Smith notes. "Our charitable giving numbers are stagnant and the number of local residents who are volunteering here have fallen below the provincial and country-wide numbers."
Other challenges include a declining sense of community belonging since the first Vital Signs report measured it in 2007, along with a 45 per cent increase in the youth poverty rate.
Meantime, only half of area residents report being moderately active and, despite three local hospitals, only nine per cent of residents over the age of 75 could be served by all available longterm care beds in our region.
Rental vacancy rates in the region remain extremely low but the number of social housing units and emergency beds remain virtually unchanged.
A number that stands out for Smith is that which relates to hate crimes.
"Hate crimes have risen significantly since 2006," she points out. "But we don't yet know if that's because there are more hate crimes or if there's more comfort with residents being able to talk to police and report crimes of this nature."
Smith says the Vital Signs report is a living document that is to be used by government, organizations -- both non-profit and corporate -- and individual residents to use as a guideline in shaping and creating a better community.
It's also a launching pad for community discussions.
"Talk to others, don't just assume that you know the answer," Smith urges. "The lens we use to have these community-wide conversations about why we are where we are, is very enlightening. You'll learn more than you ever thought you would because there are many, many takes on why the data is what it is."
Here are some of the Region's grades from the report:
Safety: B+
Belonging and Leadership: B
Learning: B
Environment: B-
Gap between Rich and Poor: B-
Housing: B-
Work: B-
Arts and Culture: C+
Getting Started: C+
Health and Wellness: C+
Getting Around: C
For a closer look at the region's Vital Signs report, click HERE.