Focusing on what's important, through Vital Signs

By Marina Boulos-Winton

Experiencing my first launch of Greater Montreal's Vital Signs was exhilarating. So many people attended, the presentations made by the panellists were remarkable, and the questions and comments from media representatives and the audience were serious and insightful!

We decided to host our October 5 Vital Signs event at the Auditorium of the Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec, a perfect location.

In keeping with the sheer magnitude of this public library, it serves and is accessed by people from all walks of life, including those who use it for their employment search, those who need to learn English or French, those with young children who need a leisure activity, students of all levels, and those either down on their luck or very fortunate, who simply go to the library to pass the time.

At any rate, libraries are an essential part of having an educated and literate population. Hence it was an ideal place to gather our distinguished panellists (Lise Bertrand, Simon Brault, Aïda Kamar, Sidney Ribaux) and an audience of close to 200, which included funders and the non-profit community, to discuss what’s working, what’s not, and what needs to be fixed.

Greater Montreal’s poverty rate is 18 per cent, versus the national average of 13.5 per cent. The city has the second largest population in Canada, yet it’s ranked 20th for level of income. Francophones in Montreal have some of the lowest high school graduation rates, and we rank 29th out of 31 among major North American cities for people attaining a bachelor degree.

While we still rank high in quality of life, will we become a society where the gap between rich and poor becomes even wider, and where no new wealth is being created? Will we have the resources to innovate, compete and create  pportunities for ourselves, for future generations and for those newly arrived in our city? Will we become mere transients as we seek jobs elsewhere?

For now, Vital Signs gives the Foundation of Greater Montreal, and those who create funds with us – much like mini-foundations within a foundation – the ability to focus on what’s important, and how together we can invest where it will make a difference.

We hope shortly to announce a partnership to alleviate the rate of high school drop-outs, and in the new year, our philanthropic focus for 2011.

Stay tuned between now and our next Vital Signs report in October 2011 …

Marina Boulos-Winton is President & CEO of the Foundation of Greater Montreal

Want to help your community? Abandon your comfort bubble!

By Melissa Ricci

Belonging to the Hamilton Community Foundation’s YAC (Youth Advisory Council) has really given me a unique insight into the meaning of the word “community.”

It’s not a secret that Hamilton has its fair share of problems involving poverty. When I was younger, I would try to avoid going downtown because I thought it was scary – it was not the sheltered suburb I was used to playing dolls in. People used food banks, asked for spare change, and stayed overnight at shelters. I was terrified because it was all unknown to me and I thought I would get hurt.

When I was 15, a teacher invited me to go to the first YAC meeting of the year. I got my mom to drive me down to Jackson Square, in the heart of downtown Hamilton, so I could attend. Representatives explained the grant-making process and gave us a brief outline of what we would be doing over the course of the year. I met some new friends and left. I admit, I was confused as to how meeting in a boardroom would make any difference in the community.

But the longer I stayed with the YAC, the more grant proposals I read, and the more community visits I participated in, the more I learned about Hamilton. It had always been rather unknown to me: I stayed in my happy bubble and ignored everything new. Now I was learning about its thriving arts community, about church groups and youth groups organizaing breakfast programs, street hockey leagues, services for newly immigrated students.

I got involved, I met people, and I saw the true face of the "scary" city I had avoided for so long. I loved every minute of it.

I've lived in Hamilton my entire life. But it wasn't until I started working with the Community Foundation that I really began to call Hamilton my home.

One of the most important things I've learned, and that I believe everyone should learn, is the importance of getting outside your comfort bubble. To truly make an impact on the problems in a community, to truly improve the lives of children, to eradicate poverty, to help others become involved, and to help those who may need it, you need to know your city. You need to get involved. You need to make your city your home and care for it as you would care for your own family.

Getting out of the house and simply learning is the first step to helping. Go!


Melissa Ricci served on the YAC for three years, and as co-chair in 2009-10. She now studies Arts and Science at McMaster University. She likes reading, cake decorating, volunteering, and the Hamilton Community Foundation, and hopes to one day found her own charitable organization

Imagineaction, Vital Signs guide students and teachers to social action

By Mary-Lou Donnelly

The findings in the recently released Canada’s Vital Signs 2010 report are no surprise to teachers who deal daily with the fall-out of many of the issues addressed in the report.

The results show the importance of the partnership between Community Foundations of Canada and the Canadian Teachers’ Federation in our Imagineaction program. Students and teachers will be able to use the data to put in place action plans addressing community needs.

There are many examples in the report where students and teachers may choose to act. In the area of Belonging and Leadership, even as we celebrate gains in terms of peoples’ sense of belonging, there remain one-third of individuals in society who do not have a strong sense of community belonging.  As focal points of community, schools are uniquely placed to begin to address this situation.  Students and teachers may choose this statistic as the impetus for a project related to the “connect” or “engage” Imagineaction themes.

Similarly, in the area of Environment, the fact that greenhouse gas emissions from personal vehicles have risen by one-third is a call to action. Last year, for example, a group of students from École La Morelle in Quebec ran an information program for parents dropping off and picking up their children, aimed at getting them to turn off their vehicles while they waited.

The results showing a widening of the Gap Between Rich and Poor and stating that at least one in 10 Canadians are now considered poor is more than a call to action – it is a national embarrassment.

Each day, teachers are faced with the realities of poverty as students come to class hungry. Teachers and students across the country are already helping to run lunch programs and are assisting to help alleviate the suffering caused by poverty. The Vital Signs results demonstrate once again the importance of renewing our efforts in this area.

Imagineaction calls for teachers to lead their students to social action through critical thinking. Vitals Signs provides a valuable resource for students who are looking for information to assist them in making a decision as to where to act and what to do.

Together they could be the difference that enables action.

Mary-Lou Donnelly is President of the Canadian Teachers' Federation

Community belonging a vital sign

By Karen Takacs

In all the media coverage of the Community Foundations of Canada’s Vital Signs 2010 report, one indicator caught my attention. More Canadians feel a strong sense of community belonging.

While probably the least talked about, for me community belonging is the most telling of all the Vital Signs indicators, revealing our well being as citizens and as a society.

And I think our notion of what constitutes our community is changing, too. Witness the outpouring of support for victims of the Haitian earthquake and Pakistan floods. Canadians see themselves, their families and their neighbours in the faces of people struggling, and they give.

On the face of it, things aren’t looking good at home. Many Canadians, and new immigrants in particular, are struggling to find work. One in 10 Canadians lives in poverty and the gap between rich and poor continues to widen. That is why it is all the more remarkable that the region with the highest unemployment in Canada, Lunenburg County, also reports the second highest sense of community belonging. In spite of the challenges, Canadians continue to reach out to their neighbours, to give time and money.

Increasingly this sense of belonging extends beyond our borders. In many developing countries the situation is dire. The experience of poverty is almost beyond the comprehension of those of us who have never lost a child to starvation; had a wife or daughter brutally raped or beaten without protection or redress under the law; or lost land and livelihood because, as a women, you do not have the right to own property.

Yet each year, thousands of Canadians drop what they are doing to serve overseas in a modest attempt to redress these inequities and work for change. It is the kind of experience that stays with you, that changes you. One 2007 study revealed that former overseas volunteers were one and half times more likely to volunteer in their own communities than the average Canadian. And when they did, they gave more volunteer hours. As most Canadian Crossroads International volunteers will tell you, we are in the community-building business. Across cultural differences, great distances and vast disparity in access to and control of resources, we are working with our neighbours to build one world.

Patsy George, a Crossroads volunteer who came to Canada 50 years ago from India, describes community building this way: Each of us has a duty to care. Not only for ourselves, but for everyone we are in contact with or might hope to be, our environment and the institutions around which we build community. We are inextricably bound up with one another, she says.

At 70 years of age, she told me, she has limited time. After a lifetime of volunteer work that has garnered her the Order of Canada, among other honours, she has to focus her efforts and her focus is building the global community. It is an effort that reaps its own reward.

As the Vital Signs report indicates, community engagement correlates strongly with an individual’s health and mental health even when socioeconomic and other factors are taken into account.  Working together toward a common cause, whether with folks in Lunenburg County, Canada or in Harare, Zimbabwe, enriches the lives of those who choose to work for collective good and all society.  The relationship and skills developed increase our resilience to cope in tough times and fuel the social change vital for all to enjoy a real quality of life.


Karen Takacs is Executive Director with Canadian Crossroads International (CCI), an international development organization that is advancing the rights of women and girls and the right to sustainable livelihoods for all. She is also Chair of the Board of the Canadian Council for International Co-operation (CCIC)

Progressive partnership: Vibrant Communities and Community Foundations

By Paul Born

Vibrant Communities Canada has partnered with organizations across Canada, including many Community Foundations, on a nine-year experiment that demonstrates the positive impacts of an innovative and collaborative approach to fighting poverty that is driving individual benefits, neighbourhood changes and large-scale community poverty reductions.

For nearly a decade now, a wide range of partners, including Community Foundations, have formed leadership tables in more than a dozen communities across Canada, giving new momentum to the work of poverty reduction. More than a hope or a dream, they have made it a living, breathing reality.

Joined by the Vibrant Communities initiative, citizens of all income levels, community workers, business people and representatives from all levels of government are clarifying needs, identifying community assets and developing tangible strategies for tackling poverty.

Our experience is proving an important role for place-based strategies when it comes to reducing poverty. Community collaboration is showing promising and powerful results. Community Foundations have played a critical role in many cities, including Hamilton Community Foundation, which has played a leadership role in convening and leading the award-winning coalition in Hamilton.

The Edmonton Community Foundation sits on the leadership body and contributes broadly to the work in that city. The Kitchener and Waterloo Community Foundation was involved with the leadership roundtable for Opportunities Waterloo Region. The Niagara Community Foundation was also involved with Opportunities Niagara.

Launched in 2002, Vibrant Communities Canada builds on learning generated by Opportunities 2000, a millennium campaign to reduce poverty in Waterloo Region to the lowest in Canada, which earned a place in the United Nations Top 40 Projects Worldwide.

The Vibrant Communities approach emphasizes collaboration and consensus building across sectors; comprehensive thinking and action; building community assets; and a commitment to long-term learning and change. It is a self-fuelling change model where progress creates greater capacity, leading to new programs and more systematic interventions. The end result is improved lives and less people living in poverty.

Together, Vibrant Communities partners have:

· Launched 164 poverty reduction initiatives
· Reduced poverty for more than 170,000 households in Canada
- Raised $19.5 million, most of it in local communities
- Engaged 1,690 organizations as partners, including more than 500 businesses
- Mobilized 1,080 individuals as partners, including 573 people living in poverty
- Driven 35 substantive government policy changes

We invite you to read the report, read the executive summary of the report, visit the VC Evaluation webpage and learn about the Vibrant Communities experience.

Paul Born directs Tamarack – An Institute for Community Engagement, a ten year journey and partnership with Alan Broadbent of the Avana Capital Corporation and Maytree Foundation to advance place based solutions to entrenched problems like poverty

Tough economic times still ahead

By Lynne Slotek

As Canada’s Vital Signs 2010 reported, “the fallout from the global recession is far from over.”

Regrettably, history has taught us that – without extensive government stimulus – it will be many years before Canada returns to unemployment and poverty levels that existed before the recession. After the 1980s recession, for example, it took seven years for Canada’s unemployment rate to return to pre-recession levels, and even then poverty rates kept going up for another three years.

Recessions do not hit all Canadians equally. A report prepared last year for the Canadian Index of Wellbeing (CIW), The Economic Crisis through the Lens of Wellbeing by Jean-François Arsenault and Andrew Sharpe, showed that in each of the previous two recessions, lower and middle income families experienced much larger losses of income than higher income households.

In the 1982-83 recession, the market income of the bottom 20 per cent of households dropped by 38 per cent, while the top 20 per cent of households lost just 3 per cent. In the 1990-93 recession, the bottom 20 per cent lost 74 per cent of income compared to 5.1 per cent for the top 20 per cent.

The situation for the unemployed and Canadians living in poverty has been further complicated by the growing holes in our country’s social safety net. Cuts to EI combined with a weakening of welfare benefits have rendered the climb out of poverty more difficult than in the past.

The climb has been especially steep for historically disadvantaged groups such as recent immigrants, racialized groups, Aboriginal peoples and youth. A second report prepared for the CIW, How are Canadians Really doing? A Closer Look at Select Groups by Caryl Arundel and Associates noted that  racialized groups are three times as likely to be poor than other Canadians.

History can be an important predictor of future patterns. But sometimes we need to remind ourselves that it’s there to teach us, not to bind us. History will only repeat itself if we allow it to. We Canadians are an adaptable people and we have the capacity to explore new solutions.

What does this mean in public policy terms? It means there must be two priorities for government action. First, since recessions and their aftermath primarily hit those who lose their jobs, it is vital that governments support such individuals by designing and implementing income supplement and retraining programs that meet their needs by opening up real access to real jobs.

Secondly, governments must offset as much as possible the shortfall in private-sector spending that prevents our economy from operating at full capacity. This is no time to become complacent and assume that just because GDP may be picking up a little, the market economy will take care of everything. It was that kind of thinking that got us into trouble in the first place.

In short, we still need ongoing government stimulus and support for both Canadians hit hardest by the recession and for the economy if we are to avoid the extended periods of high unemployment and even higher poverty rates that have followed previous recessions.

Lynne Slotek is the National Project Director of the Canadian Index of Wellbeing. CIW Reports on the quality of life of Canadians are available at www.ciw.ca

Housing driving a wedge between rich and poor

By Judith Maxwell

Rising home prices are often treated as a sign of prosperity, but they also drive a wedge between the rich and the poor.

In its Vital Signs 2010 report, Community Foundations of Canada has asked the question: "How much "house" can Canadians afford? Well, it all depends on your income, your down payment and mortgage interest rates, as well as the cost of the house.

And today, the average price for a house is 4.1 times the annual median family income, up from 3.1 times in 1995.

Broad averages like these hide many diverse stories. Some people can afford to spend $1 million on a house, others can't make next month's rent.

Benjamin Tal of CIBC Economics^[i] says that the most vulnerable groups are those who live on less than $50,000 a year. If they own a house, and not many of them do, he estimates that they are paying 51% of their gross income on mortgage payments plus hydro and property taxes. In contrast, people with incomes over $50,000 pay an average of 24% of gross income.

The Community Foundation of Ottawa has demonstrated the wedge between rich and poor in its Vital Signs 2010^[ii] report. Ottawa, like many other cities large and small, has a serious shortage of affordable housing, specifically apartments with rent geared to income.

For a family of four on social assistance (Ontario Works), for example, monthly assistance amounts to $1,844. This is not enough to cover the average monthly rent for a 3 bedroom apartment ($1,257) plus a nutritious food basket ($735). The family therefore has to choose between lower quality housing and being able to cover costs of food, transit and other necessities.

A lot of working Canadians face the same dilemma. Almost half of the people on low income in Ottawa do not receive Ontario Works benefits - they are the working poor. Their wages, even when they work 49 weeks a year, don't cover basic shelter, food and necessities. Many depend on the food bank to get through the month.

These are untenable choices for families. The underlying problem is that Ottawa has a waiting list of 10,000 families looking for affordable housing but has only built an average of 164 new units per year over the past decade.

Real estate developers don't build affordable housing because it is not a profitable business. Governments have reduced their contributions to this kind of housing, and not-for-profits, which are ready and able to build, don't have access to capital.

This puts Canadians to a test. Do we let this gap between rich and poor continue to grow? Or can we get creative? Surely financial innovation plus a social conscience can free up resources to build more stable, decent and affordable housing.

Tom Carter^[iii] Canada Research Chair at the University of Winnipeg, says that good housing plays a stabilizing and facilitating role in the community. It improves:

• Physical and mental health
• Educational attainment
• Family life and social interaction
• Income security
• Labour force attachment
• Integration of immigrants, and
• Community development

Sounds like a good investment to me.

Judith Maxwell is the former Chair of the Economic Council of Canada, and Founding President of Canadian Policy Research Networks

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^[i] Benjamin Tal, Consumer Watch Canada, "Assessing Vulnerabilities in the Canadian Housing Market," CIBC Economics, May 25, 2010.
^[ii] Community Foundation of Ottawa, Ottawa's Vital Signs, 2010.
^[iii] Tom Carter and Chesya Polevychok, Housing is Good Social Policy, Canadian Policy Research Networks, 2004.

CFC survey on local environment an important red flag

By Vicki Burns

Community Foundations of Canada  in conjunction with Environics Research Group have just released the results of a national survey that points out a disturbing disconnect between the way Canadians view their own local environment and the concern they have for global environmental issues. 

Most of those surveyed felt content with their own local environment at the same time as expressing that environmental concerns are the number one problem facing the world.

In some ways, this is understandable since we still tend to think of Canada as a country of wide open unlimited spaces with lots of wilderness and clean water. The reality, however , is that there are very significant issues in Canada that we all can be part of turning around. Some of those issues are:

• Greenhouse gas emissions from personal vehicles, which have risen by almost one-third in Canada since the early 1990s
• The Alberta Tar Sands, called the fastest growing source of global warming pollution in Canada, will affect all Canadians no matter where they live because of its sheer scale.
• Record algae blooms in the Lake Winnipeg watershed – and across North America –  this summer, causing illness in people and pets
• The more than 213 billion litres of water wasted by Canadians every year (roughly equivalent to the City of Toronto’s annual water use) due to low efficiency toilets
• And the most personal example of all: the toxins that can now be found in our bodies, such as bisphenol A, which a recent survey found in 91 per cent of Canadians aged six to 79

Check out the full story on this survey and its implications on the Vital Signs website. I think its an important red flag for those of us working on environmental issues. We need to really be thinking about how to bring that concern for the global environment into everyone’s backyard. 

Each one of us has the potential to contribute to a healthier environment through so many everyday actions. How do we take this message “mainstream?"


Vicki Burns is Coordinator of the Lake Winnipeg Watershed Initiative. Her regular blog posts can be found at http://canadawater.wordpress.com

Canadians' views on local, global environmental issues disconnected, survey shows

(October 18, 2010) - Environmental organizations say a new public opinion survey reveals a troubling disconnect between Canadians' concerns for the global environment and their awareness of local environmental issues.

The Vital Signs National Public Opinion Survey, which was commissioned by Community Foundations of Canada (CFC) and conducted by the Environics Research Group, shows Canadians are generally positive about the quality of the environment in their own community, even though they rate the environment as the top problem facing the world today.ⁱ

"Canadians seem to be viewing environmental problems as issues that occur somewhere else, but not in their own backyard," says Dr. Rick Smith, Executive Director of Environmental Defence.

Canadians give strong ratings (excellent or good) to all areas of the local environment: water quality (80%), air quality (74%), protection of local wildlife and green spaces (68%), waste management (68%), and quality of water in lakes and rivers (56%). In addition, close to half (48%) believe the quality of the local environment is not changing over time, but the remainder - by a two-to-one margin - say it is getting better (34%) rather than worse (16%).

Contrast to global stats
These findings are in stark contrast to a recent Canadian Environmental Barometer survey, where more than seven in ten Canadians said they were definitely, if not extremely, concerned about such issues as air quality, water quality and toxic chemicals in the environment.

"Canadians have voiced these concerns for years, but they tend to be focused at a national or global level," says Keith Neuman, Group Vice President - Public Affairs, Environics Research Group. "When attention is turned to where people live, opinions are decidedly more positive."

"We need to work hard to make sure Canadians know local actions have global impact. And vice versa," says Gerald Butts, President and CEO of World Wildlife Fund - Canada.

Those issues include:

• Greenhouse gas emissions from personal vehicles, which have risen by almost one-third in Canada since the early 1990s.ⁱⁱ
• The Alberta Tar Sands, called the fastest growing source of global warming pollution in Canada, will affect all Canadians no matter where they live because of its sheer scale.ⁱⁱⁱ
• Record algae blooms in the Lake Winnipeg watershed - and across North America - this summer, causing illness in people and pets.^iv
• The more than 213 billion litres of water wasted by Canadians every year (roughly equivalent to the City of Toronto's annual water use) due to low efficiency toilets.^v
• And the most personal example of all: the toxins that can now be found in our bodies, such as bisphenol A, which a recent survey found in 91 per cent of Canadians aged six to 79.^vi

Canadians can make a difference, but are unmotivated to act
When asked who has the most responsibility for the quality of the local environment, Canadians identified various levels of government (66%) but also saw a significant role for citizens (54%). Close to half of Canadians also feel citizens can make a major difference (48%) in improving local environmental quality, with most of the remainder (38%) indicating they can make "some" difference. However, our lack of motivation and/or an unwillingness to change our lifestyle is cited as the biggest obstacle to reducing our environmental impact.

"Community foundations across Canada have seen the impact citizens can have when they join forces around environmental issues," says Monica Patten, President and CEO of Community Foundations of Canada. "These findings will assist and encourage our members to explore even more opportunities to support local environmental action."

About Vital Signs and the 2010 National Public Opinion Survey
Full findings, charts and methodology, are available at www.vitalsignscanada.ca along with examples of how community foundations are tackling environmental issues. Vital Signs is part of a growing, nation-wide initiative by Canadian community foundations to measure quality of life and take action to improve it. Sixteen community foundations released local Vital Signs report cards on October 5, along with a national snapshot published by CFC.

About Community Foundations
Canada's 170 community foundations are local charitable foundations that help Canadians invest in building strong and resilient places to live, work, and play. They are one of the largest supporters of Canadian charities, providing $144 million to local organizations in 2009. Visit www.cfc-fcc.ca.


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Note to Editors: Stories of local environmental action can be found at www.vitalsignscanada.ca.

Contacts

Skana Gee Vital Signs Communications Coordinator 902.466.7191 (w) 902.223.5234 (c) gee.skana@gmail.com	Keith Neuman, Ph.D. Environics Research Group 613-230-5089 keith.neuman@environics.ca
Rick Smith Executive Director Environmental Defence 416.323.9521 ext. 225	Gerald Butts President and CEO World Wildlife Fund - Canada 416.489.8800

ⁱ Environics Research (2008). Canada's World Polls.
ⁱⁱ Statistics Canada (2010). Study: Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Private Vehicles. The Daily, Thursday, May 13, 2010.
ⁱⁱⁱ Environmental Defence (2008). Canada's Toxic Tar Sands.
^iv H20: Ideas and Action for Canada's Water (2010). Toxic Algae Warnings All Over North America.
^v Environmental Defence (2010). Down the Drain: Water Conservation in the Great Lakes Basin.
^vi Statistics Canada (2010). The Canadian Health Measures Survey. The Daily, Monday, August 16, 2010.

Getting more out of your charitable giving

By Marvi Ricker

Charitable giving has always been an important part of social history, and the spirit that inspires it is universal. The benefits of making a charitable donation are countless, from helping those in need to the personal satisfaction we feel when supporting a cause.

Often this benevolence happens on the spur of the moment, in response to an immediate need.  A survey conducted for the BMO Retirement Institute reveals 44 per cent of baby boomers said they donate on impulse, without either a plan or a budget, and only one per cent donate to charity as part of a plan or budget with the help of a financial advisor.

But now boomers, a generation that’s been socially aware and involved, are taking a closer look at their charitable involvement. They’re examining why they give, what they give, to whom they give, when they give and how they give – both through financial donation, and through volunteering.

Like their parents before them, boomers are givers. But because they are better educated and wealthier, they are much more engaged and involved in their giving. That’s why tools like the national Vital Signs program are so critical in today’s philanthropic landscape. Reports about how our communities are faring provide boomers, and other potential donors, with the information they need to make smart and savvy decisions. While their parents simply entrusted charitable organizations with their financial donations, boomers want to be active in the causes they believe in and the philanthropic choices they make.

Although the Retirement Institute survey shows that many boomers are giving on impulse, strategic giving requires as much planning as you would expect to put into saving or investing.

Vital Signs provides a catalyst to get the planning process started by considering some of the issues and opportunities in our communities. Donors also need to conduct a thorough, disciplined and strategic examination of goals, objectives, interests and options. 

A financial advisor can both identify and help clients understand all the options, to assist them in making informed charitable decisions and to ensure that those dreams are realized – during their lifetime and in perpetuity.

Marvi Ricker is Vice-President and Managing Director of Philanthropic Services for BMO Harris Private Banking

Generous mortgage terms, low interest rates spark home-ownership boom

By Jane Londerville

The increase in percentage of home ownership in Canada between 2001 and 2006, as documented in Canada’s Vital Signs 2010, is partly the result of generous mortgage terms and low interest rates.

Home buyers were permitted to borrow as much as 100% of the price of their home at the end of this five-year period; those having difficulty saving for a down payment – but with reasonable income and credit ratings – used this opportunity to get into the real estate market .

Households could also extend the amortization period (total time to pay off the loan) to 40 years during this period – and a significant proportion of first-time buyers did this in order to buy a more expensive house.

In 2008, in light of significant default problems among homeowners in the U.S., the Canadian government legislated a maximum loan-to-value ratio of 95% and a maximum amortization period of 35 years. In 2010, further restrictions on borrowing were put in place. For example, households refinancing their home now cannot borrow more than 90%, forcing at least some saving through mortgage repayment and house appreciation.

The main recent change is the requirement that borrowers have sufficient income to qualify for their loan based on the higher five-year-term interest rate, even if they ultimately choose a shorter term or variable rate mortgage. This adds some comfort that they will be able to hang onto their home if interest rates rise in the future when they have to renew their mortgage loan.

Mortgage interest rates have a large impact on affordability of owned housing for Canadians. This is why the ‘price to income ratio’ is not a very effective method of measuring stress in the market. An expensive house at a low interest rate could be more affordable than a lower priced house at high interest rates.

A borrower with a loan of $200,000 at 5% amortized over 25 years will pay $1,163 per month to carry the loan. If, when the term is up on the mortgage loan in 5 years, rates have risen to 8%, the payment increases to $1,526. This is an extra $4,000+ a year in payments. For those who stretched to the maximum when they bought, who have had a child and are now incurring daycare costs, or who have had to replace a high paying job with one at lower salary during the downturn, this change could mean financial strife.

Jane Londerville is Associate Professor and Interim Chair of the Department of Marketing and Consumer Studies at the University of Guelph. She teaches in Guelph's B. Comm. Real Estate and Housing major and chairs the Wellington Guelph Housing Committee which advocates for affordable housing.

Measuring learning in Canada's many communities

By Dr. Paul Cappon and Erin Mills

Interest in the role of community as a site of learning has increased in recent years as policy makers and learning practitioners seek ways to address the complex social, economic, political and environmental challenges of the new economy.

The term community is often difficult to define and its usage varies widely in public discourse. For some, community refers to a group of people with a common purpose, shared values and interests, such as participation in chat rooms or special online interest groups.

For others, community is organized around a specific geographic area (such as a village, town or urban centre), cultural or demographic identities.

As research has shown, communities harness resources of knowledge, social networks, environmental assets and financial capital that enable local people and organizations to develop skills and knowledge, and strengthen values.

Indeed learning matters to individuals, providing benefits such as better health, more job opportunities and a higher quality of life. Learning matters to communities, where success is directly linked to the skills and engagement of the people who live there. And learning matters to our country’s ability to maintain a high standard of living and to participate fully in the knowledge economy.

However, measuring learning in the community is a complex task.

Measurement is the basis for tracking improvement, yet learning has traditionally been a difficult concept to quantify and report on—especially learning that takes place outside the classroom. The Canadian Council on Learning’s Composite Learning Index (CLI) is the first of its kind in the world. The index is designed to help assess the state of learning in 4,700 cities and communities across Canada, over time and throughout all stages of life.

The CLI has two main objectives: to foster an informed discussion of lifelong learning in Canada; and to identify areas of strength and weakness in learning conditions nationally, and in individual communities, enabling communities to learn from one another.

In May 2010, CCL released its fifth year of CLI results, garnering increased international attention and interest.

CLI scores show modest progress in lifelong learning. Over the past five years, Canada has witnessed no substantial progress in lifelong learning, from a CLI benchmark score of 73 in 2006 to 75 in 2010. In addition, the 2010 CLI score of 75 shows no change since 2009.

While Canada has seen only limited progress on the CLI over the past five years, the story is somewhat different when it comes to specific regions of the country.

For example, the majority (60%) of communities in Atlantic Canada have seen progress over the five-years, compared to only 26% of all communities in Western Canada. Overall, Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island are improving at greater rates than other provinces in Canada. The result is a narrowing of the “CLI gap” that has existed with the rest of Canada since the index began in 2006.

By monitoring progress over time; communities can better undertake strategies to maximize their strengths and effectively address their weaknesses.

Dr. Paul Cappon is President and Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Council on Learning, Ottawa, Ontario.

Erin Mills is a Senior Research Analyst with the Canadian Council on Learning, Ottawa, Ontario.

Day of action for a federal strategy to address housing as a critical vital sign

By Christiane Mitchell

October 19th marks the launch of the Red Tent Campaign, a multi-partner campaign to end the coast-to-coast crisis of homelessness and draw attention to the need for a federal housing strategy, such as the federal Bill C-304, should it pass into law.

Rallies in cities across Canada will be held to draw attention to the 300,000 homeless people and the inadequate housing of more than a million others. As a vibrant symbol, carried by hundreds of activists and volunteers, the red-coloured, functional tents will bear the message of “housing is a right” – an international human rights law to which Canada is signatory and bound, but unfortunately does not live up to. The splash of red tents on Parliament Hill, along with other locations across the country, will underscore the key message to parliamentarians: housing is a human right and significantly enhanced investment in housing and housing supports is needed if homelessness is to be eliminated and the right to housing is to be honoured.

Empirical evidence shows that decent, affordable housing is an absolute necessity for good health. On the flip side, inadequate and/or unaffordable housing is linked to:

· Higher risk for illness and death among people who are homeless versus the general population. For example, in Toronto, adult women who are homeless are 10 times more likely to die than other women in the general population;
· High risk of respiratory disease, infectious disease and asthma due to lead, mould, vermin, poor heating, dampness, overcrowding and/or poor ventilation;
· High risk of mental health problems associated with overcrowding;
· Stress, leading to unhealthy coping behaviours, such as tobacco use and substance abuse; and
· Less money available to support other social determinants of health, e.g., nutritious food.

In addition to the adverse affects of poor housing on individual health, let’s comprehend the broader spectrum of health problems associated with low income neighbourhoods.

An Ontario-based study showed children living in poor neighbourhoods had a 67% higher rate of injuries than children living in the wealthiest neighbourhood. Living in a deprived area has also been shown to increase smoking, decrease physical activity, increase depression, increase noise pollution, increase speeding-related accidents, thus impairing a community’s vital signs and its quality of life.

Ensuring access to affordable, adequate, safe housing for all will make an immense contribution to the improvement of emotional  and physical health and safety, not only to the immediate health conditions of millions of vulnerable people, but also to the overall health of all Canadians. This information alone should be enough for parliamentarians to ramp up investments in housing across Canada.  But in case a reinforcing message is needed, watch for the presence of the Red Tent Campaign in your community!

Christiane Mitchell is the Manager of the Poverty and Health Program of Canada Without Poverty, a national charity based in Ottawa

Supporting immigrants to get Canadian credentials - is it worth it?

By Dianne Fehr

An accountant with a Master's degree, Abdulhameed had a very successful career before he came to Canada. He held many senior positions, including one with a significant North American oil and gas company with operations in Libya. Fleeing the volatility and war in their home country of Iraq, Abdulhameed and his family immigrated to Canada in 2005.

Abdulhameed worked hard to settle his young family in Calgary, and spent
most of the family's savings to do so. Unable to find work as an accountant
because he didn't have Canadian training or experience, he worked as a clerk
at a convenience store for minimum wage.

Abdulhameed knew his best chance to escape his survival job was to get
Canadian training in his field of accounting. On his minimum wage income,
though, the $550 fee for each course was impossible.

Thankfully, Abdulhameed learned about the Immigrant Access Fund, a micro
loan program that helps immigrants living in Alberta with the costs of
obtaining the Canadian accreditation or training they need in order to work
in their pre-immigration occupation. An Immigrant Access Fund micro loan
made it possible for him to register for the accounting classes he needed.

Abdulhameed completed only two accounting classes before being hired by a
Calgary energy company. His starting wage was $40 an hour.

When he earned minimum wage, Abdulhameed paid neither federal nor provincial income tax because he didn't earn more than the basic personal exemption amount.

Earning $40 an hour, he would pay about $12,000 in income tax in his first
year alone. Abdulhameed eventually obtained a Canadian accounting
designation. As a young professional with an income that is sure to grow,
Abdulhameed's contribution to Canada's prosperity during his working life
will be significant.

This week, Community Foundations of Canada released its Canada’s Vital Signs 2010 report, which highlights the fact that immigrants with university degrees
are much more likely to be unemployed than their Canadian-born counterparts.
Clearly, Canada is not optimizing the economic potential of these highly
educated workers.

As a taxpayer, I would like every immigrant like Abdulhameed to have
employment commensurate with his or her skills and experience. I want them
to pay tax, be active consumers, and contribute to their communities. The
Immigrant Access Fund and hundreds of other organizations across
Canada – including the immigrant employment councils that are springing up in
many communities – are coming up with innovative ways to help skilled
immigrants become job-ready, supporting employers as they adopt inclusive
hiring practices and diverse workplaces, and encouraging regulatory bodies
to be open and accepting of their internationally educated/trained
colleagues.

Given the tremendous rate of return Canada realizes when people move from
minimum wage to full employment, it only makes sense to ensure that this
happens. Under very conservative estimates, the rate of return on the public
funds that help support the Immigrant Access Fund's work is 33% (more for
high-earning occupations). I expect that any program that results in
immigrants working at their potential would see a similar return.

Fully integrating Canada's immigrants into our workforce is not an
impossible dream; Immigrant Access Fund is doing it one micro loan at a
time. I know from dealing with recipients of Immigrant Access Fund loans
that skilled immigrants are highly motivated to succeed and willing to do
what it takes. They sometimes need a bit of help, and it is in everyone's
best interest that we support them when they do.

Dianne Fehr is Executive Director of the Immigrant Access Fund Society of Alberta

Mentoring: An Important Strategy to Open the Canadian Labour Market to New Immigrants

By Peter Paul

While recent immigrants to Canada are more highly educated than previous cohorts and the Canadian-born, they earn lower wages and have more difficulties entering the labour market. At a time when we are competing in a global economy, Canada has clearly not leveraged this talent into innovation and productivity.

As we saw with the release of Canada’s Vital Signs 2010 earlier this week, recent immigrants with a university education had an unemployment rate that was 4.1 times higher (13.9%) that that of Canadian-born workers with a university degree (3.4%), according to 2009 data.

There is no doubt immigrants to Canada are unemployed and underemployed. About 65% who arrived in the 1990s experienced a low-income period, and about one-fifth had chronic low incomes. In the most recent recession, immigrants were disproportionally affected.  Many of the newly unemployed were immigrants who had taken jobs in the manufacturing sector because their skills and experience were not recognized in Canada. They now find themselves even further from their original career goals.

One of the main factors that explains the gap between employment rates for recent skilled immigrants and their Canadian-born counterparts is the lack of social and professional networks that new immigrants have in their new home.

Now that the economy is hopefully improving, this means that they have no access to the hidden job market, including job openings that are not advertised. Depending on where they worked and how long they’ve been in the country, recent immigrants may also lack an understanding of the Canadian workplace culture and find it hard to have their international qualifications recognized.

However, more and more community organizations and employers offer programs to overcome these deficits. In particular, mentoring has shown itself to be a proven strategy as it connects a skilled immigrant with an established Canadian professional in the same or related occupation.

It’s not just the mentee who benefits – it’s a two-way street. Mentees benefit by the expert advice and connections that mentors provide – it is their bridge to becoming Canadian professionals. Mentor benefit by developing their leadership and coaching skills in addition to enhancing their ability to lead diverse teams.

The success of mentoring is demonstrable. In a study of The Mentoring Partnership in Toronto, you can see the difference that mentoring made to the individuals who participated:

o Almost 80% of mentees found work;
o There was a 67% increase in income for the mentee; and
o 95% of all mentors said they would hire a skilled immigrant.

A mentoring program is also advantageous to the participating employers. Among other benefits, it:

o Helps identify hidden talent by bringing employers in touch with qualified candidates;
o Provides a learning opportunity for staff ; and
o Recognizes volunteerism and helps gain greater visibility in the community.

To learn more about mentoring, visit http://www.alliescanada.ca/how-we-can-help/mentoring/.

Peter Paul is the project leader of ALLIES, a project jointly funded by Maytree and The J.W. McConnell Family Foundation. ALLIES (Assisting Local Leaders with Immigrant Employment Strategies) supports local efforts in Canadian cities to successfully adapt and implement programs that further the suitable employment of skilled immigrants. For more information, visit the website at www.alliescanada.ca.

A cross-country snapshot of Vital Signs media coverage

Community foundations in 16 communities released their 2010 Vital Signs reports yesterday, focusing local and national media attention on key issues facing our communities and our country. Print, broadcast and social media networks across the country were buzzing yesterday with news of local success stories and the challenges that lie ahead.

Here's a round-up of some of the media from various Vital Signs communities across Canada and their take on local issues and opportunities. I'll start on the West Coast and make my way home, to Halifax. Don't forget you can find all the local Vital Signs reports, local media releases, and the national Canada's Vital Signs report on our Vital Signs website.

Victoria
The Times Colonist article covered the range of issues covered in Victoria's Vital Signs from the high rate of life satisfaction, giving and volunteering to the surprising numbers on motor vehicle emissions. "It's an honest report," says Victoria Foundation CEO Sandra Richardson. "There's our beautiful side and the other side of the coin.

Vancouver
The Vancouver Sun started its week-long series looking at Vital Signs issue areas by declaring North Shore residents the happiest in metro Vancouver. The reason? The region's "physical beauty," followed by the weather, climate and year-round recreation. But Vital Signs director Lidia Kemeny also credits the city's sense of belonging.

Strong social connections are not as tangible as beautiful mountains or a temperate climate or having a good job or nice house," Kemeny said. "But ultimately they are essential to our experience of our community and our personal lives ... and to making us feel enthusiastic about our region. In other words, connections are essential to community vitality."

Red Deer
The Red Deer Advocate discussed how the community's Vital Signs reflected 'the new economic reality' after the global economic downturn, including an emphasis on combating poverty and meeting the health care needs of residents. “All of this year’s indicators provided a clear picture of how the economic downturn is affecting our quality of life,” said Janice Wing, CEO of Red Deer and District Community Foundation.

Medicine Hat
Early coverage of Medicine Hat's Vital Signs trumpeted that 'The Hat's a happy place' with the vast majority of residents feeling connected to their neighbours and their community. We'll feature more coverage as it comes in.

Calgary
The Calgary Herald's headlines spoke volumes about the plight of newcomers arriving in the booming city. 'About two-thirds of the 10,000-plus immigrants who arrive in Calgary every year end up underemployed.' The community received a B- grade in the report for its services to newcomers and the poor.

"It's really, really tough," says Nadeem Tufail, who drives a taxi and works other odd jobs despite having a law degree and a master's in literature from his native Pakistan. "It's been 11 years since I came to Calgary and I'm still waiting for my big break. You need to feed your family, so you drive a cab."

London
Although Londoners are more educated and generous than average Ontarians, neighbours are not connecting with one another, says the London Free Press and the city is still home to thousands of children living in poverty. The article points to a number of challenges facing the community, which is better known for its wealth and beauty than its social ills.

Despite being among Canada’s largest immigrant destinations, many newcomers don’t feel welcome to work, play or learn in London. While almost two-thirds of Londoners own their homes, the city’s homeless shelters are consistently full. And while seven of ten Londoners say they believe this community is theirs to shape, they still stay away in droves at election time. 

Waterloo
The Waterloo Record noted that of their Vital Signs launch a social venture partnership for Waterloo Region was announced. Another article in the same paper took note of the indicator grading: “Of the more than 1,000 graders, 81 per cent identified hate crimes at the top of their list as an area in dire need of corrective action, followed by a need for more residents to have a family doctor. On a positive note, 75 per cent of the graders said they thought the region’s residents have a high satisfaction in their lives, with nearly the same number of graders believing the population is doing well in terms of median family income.”

Hamilton
The Hamilton Spectator continued its Code Red series on poverty in the city, with a Vital Signs insert in the paper and coverage highlighting differences among neighbourhoods and the nearby communities of Hamilton and Burlington. Local radio also covered the report saying that Hamilton was home to 'virtually two cities, worlds apart.'

"The Hamilton Community Foundation Vital Signs Report shows the percentage of 20 to 24-year-olds who have not completed high school ranges from zero in some neighbourhoods to over 65 percent in others. Poverty rates range by neighbourhood, from less than 3 percent in some neighbourhoods to more than 40 percent in others. Child poverty rates range from zero to 55 percent depending on where you live," says the CKNW report.

Toronto

Toronto's Vital Signs is all over the Toronto Star, especially as the city is in the midst of a municipal election, like many other Vital Signs communities. As Christopher Hume says, the city is one of the world's most liveable, but 'its success cannot be taken for granted.'

Ottawa
An article in the Ottawa Citizen noted that overall there are many things to be concerned about. "Issues around poverty, homelessness and health care are top-of-mind among our citizens," McInnes said. But there's "growing frustration with the lack of improvement in these areas." The story did note that Arts and culture spending has improved, as has its grade. On a per-capita basis, the city spent $6.47 last year on arts and festivals, up from just $3.64 in 2005.

Kingston
CFLY radio in the Kingston area focused on the difficulties for young people and immigrants who are just getting started in the community. Youth unemployment in Kingston is more than double that of overall employment and has increased by 27% since 2007. Recent immigrants receive about 70% of the family income of those who are Canadian born and the annual number of immigrants arriving in Kingston has not increased in the last decade.

The Whig-Standard also covered the challenges that immigrants face, regardless of their education level.

Montreal
The Gazette highlighted two of the concerns raised in Montreal’s Vital Signs: a lack of family doctors and high drop out rates. The article has a lot of detail about what community foundations are and how to get involved. It notes that they are relatively new in Quebec. In an interview, Boulos said the FGM is becoming better known in the Montreal region. "And philanthropy overall is on the rise in Quebec," she said.

Saint John
The Telegraph Journal highlighted a drop in both the overall and child poverty rates. It noted the role that many groups have played in combating poverty in Saint John. Jane Barry, the foundation's executive director, said that the drop in the overall and child poverty rates has to be "very encouraging for the hundreds of volunteers who have made addressing poverty a challenge."

Lunenburg County, Nova Scotia
The Chronicle Herald in Halifax published an article highlighting some of the positive and negative findings of the local report. Importantly, it highlighted to role of the Lunenberg County Community Fund and noted that the report is meant to act as a stepping stone to collaborative action.
Anne-Marie McElrone is the Director of Communications and Marketing for Community Foundations of Canada

Unemployment four times higher among university-educated newcomers, says national report card

OTTAWA (Oct. 5, 2010) - Despite the fact that Canada will soon rely on immigration to replenish its shrinking labour force, newcomers with professional credentials are suffering unacceptably high unemployment rates, in comparison to non-immigrants with the same level of education, says Canada's Vital Signs 2010, the annual report card on quality of life from Community Foundations of Canada.

In 2009, recent immigrants (lived in Canada for five years and less) with a university education had an unemployment rate that was 4.1 times higher (13.9%) than that of Canadian-born workers with a university degree (3.4%).

"It's disheartening to see such a significant gap among well-educated newcomers; their experience in our labour market is dramatically different than that of non-immigrants with a comparable education level," said Monica Patten, President and CEO of Community Foundations of Canada.

"Integrating newcomers into our workplaces is a necessity, not an option - our country is going to rely on immigrants for all of our net labour force growth as early as next year. We need to act now," said Dianne Fehr, Executive Director of the Immigrant Access Fund Society of Alberta.

The Immigrant Access Fund offers micro-loans to immigrants to assist them in their quest to obtain the Canadian accreditation or training they need to become gainfully employed in the career field established in their countries of origin. The fund was supported by The Calgary Foundation, one of the more than 170 community foundations in Canada.

"The majority of loan applicants are working in jobs well below their capabilities, simply in order to survive," said Fehr.

Other issues raised in Canada's Vital Signs 2010, a snapshot of how Canadian communities are faring in 10 key areas:

• Canadians who moved from renting to home ownership due to low interest rates are now carrying a great deal of debt and may find themselves struggling with only a small increase in mortgage rates. In 2008, the average price of a house in Canada was $303,607 and the median family income was $73,500, giving a housing price-to-income ratio of 4.13. That's compared to a national ratio of 3.20 just a decade ago.
• 
  
• The supply of doctors is rising, and more are women. The physician supply rate (number of physicians per 1,000 persons) has increased 6.5% since 1997.
• 
  
• Since the early 1990s, greenhouse gas emissions from personal vehicles have risen by almost onethird. Transportation currently produces a quarter of Canada's greenhouse gas emissions.

Fifteen Local Reports Released Today
Vital Signs is part of a growing nation-wide initiative by Canadian community foundations to measure quality of life and take action to improve it. Today, 15 local Vital Signs report cards are being released by community foundations across Canada. A full list of this year's participants and their local reports can be found at www.vitalsignscanada.ca.

Watch for the release of the Vital Signs 2010 National Public Opinion Survey, commissioned by Community Foundations of Canada and conducted by the Environics Research Group, on Mon, Oct. 18.

About Community Foundations
Canada's 170 community foundations are local charitable foundations that help Canadians invest in building strong and resilient places to live, work, and play. They are one of the largest supporters of Canadian charities, providing $140 million to local organizations in 2009. Find out more at www.cfc-fcc.ca.

The Census Long Form and Vital Signs

On Wednesday September 29th, the House of Commons passed a motion calling on the federal government to reinstate the mandatory long-form census. This is just the most recent of many efforts by businesses, academics, community organizations, individual citizens and politicians from all parties and levels of government to convince the federal government to change its course. Community Foundations of Canada has been part of this effort and in July wrote a letter to Minister Tony Clement.

The loss of the mandatory census long form represents a disaster for Canada's statistical infrastructure. The resignation of Canada's Chief Statistician shows the seriousness of this issue. But this bad political decision is reversible. It appears not to be possible to reinstate the long form for the 2011 census (although some argue this still can be done by postponing the census to the second half of 2011), but the long form can certainly be reinstated for the 2016 census.

It is important that Canadians make their views known on this issue in as many ways as possible. One way is by signing the national petition to reinstate the long form. Another way is to contact your local MP and let them know that you support the reinstatement of the long form census.

The demise of the mandatory long form for the 2011 census is a blow to the Vital Signs project organized by Community Foundations of Canada, as it is for other projects that rely on this data such as the Canadian Index of Wellbeing and Federation of Canadian Municipalities' Quality of Life Reporting SystemThe census provides high-quality, reliable data for Canadian communities of all sizes. It is the most important data source used by local community foundations to compile their Vital Signs reports.

As part of the research support for the Vital Signs project, the Centre for the Study of Living Standards developed and maintains a comprehensive data base for Vital Signs communities containing about 70 indicators in ten issues areas. The census is a source 18 of these indicators, and is more important than other data sources such as the Labour Force Survey (LFS), the Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics (SLID), and the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCSH). The census is particularly important for small Vital Signs communities, such as Wolfville, where the limited sample size of national surveys such as the LFS means that estimates for these communities are just not possible.

Even for the CMAs where estimates from other household surveys such as the LFS, SLID, and CCHS are often available, these estimates are much less reliable than census data because the census long form has a much greater sample size (20 per cent of the population). More important, information from the census long form is used to benchmark and weight the different groups in other household surveys. The demise of the long form means that the quality of the estimates in these surveys will deteriorate in the future because these benchmarks and weights cannot be updated.

Looking beyond the needs of the Vital Signs project, the loss of the census long form means that the community profiles posted on the Statistics Canada website, which are freely accessible to all Canadians, cannot be reliably updated.

These profiles, which unfortunately are much less known and used than they should be, provide estimates for such variables as population, gender, age group, characteristics of dwellings, educational attainment and field of study, marital status, family and household characteristics, earnings and income, mother language, knowledge of official languages, labour market status, employment by industry and occupation, mobility status, Aboriginal and visible minority status, immigration and citizenship status, place of work, and mode of transport to work, for all cities, towns, municipalities, and reserves in all provinces and territories in Canada. Data for literally tens of thousands of communities are available.

For example, if one want to know the median income in 2006 of female lone-parent families in the small town of Vulcan, Alberta (population 1,940), one can find it on the community profiles website with several keystrokes ($34,614). By replacing the mandatory census long form, which was answered by a random sample of 20 per cent of Canadians, by the non-mandatory National Household Survey, the results for the 2011 census will be much less reliable for the construction of community profiles than was the case in previous censuses, if they can be used at all.

Again,it is important that Canadians tell the government that we want reliable data to be available to policy makers, the not for profit sector, researchers, advocates and the public. Please sign the national petition to reinstate the long form http://www.savestatcan.ca/ and contact your local MP and let them know that you support the reinstatement of the census.

Andrew Sharpe
Executive Director
Centre for the Study of Living Standards
Ottawa, Ontario
andrew.sharpe@csls.ca