Time crunch worsening for Canadian families, warns report

Mounting pressure affects every aspect of community life

A new study released by the Canadian Index of Wellbeing (CIW) paints a portrait of Canadians squeezed the by competing demands work and home life, a formula that doesn’t bode well for individuals or community health, says the CEO of Community Foundations of Canada.

Responding to Caught in the Time Crunch: Time Use, Leisure and Culture in Canada, Monica Patten, said the report clearly points to a population that is less healthy – both physically and mentally.

“This is important research that communities across Canada need to be aware of, and pay attention to,” said Patten, who heads a network of more than 170 community foundations located in cities, towns and rural areas from coast to coast. “If we have less time for ourselves and our families, the entire community suffers.”

Canadians can determine their own personal time profile by taking the ‘Are You Crunched for Time’ quiz on the CIW website.

Recreation and leisure can often get lost in our busy society, said Patten, who noted that community foundations, policy makers, and other local and national organizations need to take note of the changing landscape related to time use in this country. For instance:

• The proportion of Canadians experiencing high levels of time crunch grew from 16% in 1992 to 20% in 2005. About 23% of women felt time pressured and 17% of men.

• In 1992, 23% of Canadians worked non-standard hours (weekends, evenings, nights, rotating shifts). By 2009 the proportion jumped to 29%.

• Adults providing care to seniors grew from 17% in 1996 to 20% in 2006. More women (23%) took care of seniors compared to men (16%).

“Because community foundations fund all kinds of charities in the community, the findings of this report are extremely important to our work,” said Patten. “In addition, they provide important context for us as we work with local networks of community leaders across Canada. The CIW has done us all a service by contributing this research to our national knowledge base.”

The Report concludes with a call for a national dialogue on how Canadians can lead more balanced lives and Patten said the community foundation network will consider ways it can be a part of this dialogue, whether it is locally or through national program like Vital Signs, an ongoing study of quality-of-life issues in our country. On Oct. 5, 16 communities across Canada will release local Vital Signs reports.