CSLS Releases Study on Estimates of the Human Development Index for the Canadian Territories and Provinces: Alberta Ranks First

The Centre for the Study of Living Standards today released a major study entitled “The Human Development Index in Canada: Estimates for the Canadian Provinces and Territories.” The report is posted at http://www.csls.ca/reports/csls2012-02.pdf

This is the first study that has developed estimates of the Human Development Index (HDI) for the provinces and territories that are consistent with the official HDI estimates for Canada produced by the United Nations. Key findings from the study are highlighted below.

In 2011, Alberta ranked as the jurisdiction with the highest HDI in Canada, closely followed by Ontario, the Northwest Territories, and British Columbia. Nunavut ranked last, and Prince Edward Island second last.

The HDI is based on life expectancy, average years of education attainment, expected years of education, and Gross National Income. For both life expectancy and average educational attainment, British Columbia ranked first among the 13 provinces and territories and Nunavut ranked last. For expected years of schooling, Quebec ranked at the top and Nunavut came in last, while for GNI per capita, Northwest Territories was in first place and Prince Edward Island was in last place.

In 2011, Canada ranked sixth out of 187 countries in the HDI, behind Norway, Australia, United States, the Netherlands and New Zealand. This ranking however hides considerable differences within Canada. The top four jurisdictions in Canada would rank third in the international rankings, between Australia and the United States and the Netherlands. Nunavut, with the lowest HDI among the 13 provinces and territories, would rank 38th internationally and second lowest Prince Edward Island 24th.

An analysis of the growth rate of the HDI over the past decade gives a different story than the level of the HDI. Low ranked Nunavut fared best, with the HDI advancing at a 0.54 per cent average annual rate between 2000 and 2011. It was closely followed by Newfoundland and Labrador at 0.48 per cent. In contrast Ontario had the slowest growth in the HDI of any jurisdiction in Canada (0.25 per cent per year), closely followed by Alberta and British Columbia (both at 0.26 per cent).

The report provides a comprehensive picture of developments in life expectancy, average education attainment, expected years of schooling, and Gross National Income per capita for all provinces and territories over the 2000-2011 period.

For further information, please contact:
Andrew Sharpe
Executive Director
Centre for the Study of Living Standards
710-151 Slater Street
Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5H3
613-233-8891
Andrew.sharpe@csls.ca

The Centre for the Study of Living Standards (CSLS) is a national, independent, Ottawa-based not-for-profit research organization Its primary objective is to contribute to a better understanding of trends and determinants of productivity, living standards, and economic well-being in Canada through research.

Donor makes indelible mark on York Region environment

By Rosemary Park

Thousands of years ago, glaciers retreating in the York Region area left behind the Oak Ridges Moraine, and major headwaters flowing south to Lake Ontario, or north to Lake Simcoe.

Six years ago, the establishment of York Region Community Foundation resulted in Ernie Crossland, his wife Jean, and their children creating the first environmental scholarship for high school students living in communities beside Lake Simcoe. The scholarship is especially unique as it funds students for every year of their undergraduate study of environmental issues.

In 2011, we had our first university graduates, with others following behind.

As a farmer, prior Town of Newmarket Citizen of the Year, and environmentalist, Ernie believes in the future – in keeping Lake Simcoe healthy, and our young adults obtaining the knowledge and skills to protect our planet in their own way.

Thank you Ernie, Jean and family!

Rosemary Park is founding Chair of the York Region Community Foundation.

Winnipeg Foundation’s Youth in Philanthropy members see their grant-making in action

The Winnipeg Foundation reserves $5,000 every year for each committee participating in its Youth in Philanthropy program to distribute to charities of its choice. With input from each member, the committee decides which charities will receive grants, how much each will receive and how it will be spent.

After conducting site visits to charitable organizations, each committee submits a grant recommendation to the Foundation’s Board of Directors for final approval. The following entry is a snapshot of the RB Russell Vocational High School YiP committee’s experience during their site visit to Agape Table earlier this year:

We found this visit to be the most inspirational because it was clear that the staff and volunteers at Agape Table really cared about the people they were helping.

When we arrived they were serving food for their breakfast program. We saw that there were people who had no money eating a free meal and people on a very limited income eating a meal, too.

YiP committee members pay a visit to Agape Table

The place was really busy, and our tour guide was pulled away a few times to deal with various people or crises. She showed us the whole facility and what they do there. In the basement they had a discount grocery store that offered a variety of healthy groceries at discounted rates, or at cost. The food for the grocery store is all donated by local farmers and gardeners.

Next she showed us the walk-in cooler, which they were able to purchase through a grant from another organization. She seemed very excited that they were able to make such a large and significant purchase, which enabled them to accept much larger food donations, and keep food longer.

This would eventually inspire us to offer to use our grant money to purchase a cooler for their grocery store.

The last thing she showed us was the clothing and toiletries area, where people in need acquire the basic life necessities, such as toothpaste, underwear and soap. While we were there, staff helped a man who was being bullied outside.

Agape Table offers many services to people in need, such as food, clothing and other necessities. They work hard to support homeless people, as well as people on a fixed income, while still helping them maintain their dignity.

RB Russell YiP committee, April 2012

Fund honours dynamic couple, ensures food for Kingston school children

By Skana Gee

They were a well-known and much-loved couple in Kingston: Larger-than-life Zalman (Zal) Yanovsky, former lead guitarist and singer for the rock band Lovin’ Spoonful, and his “anchor” Rose Richardson.

They ran two successful eateries – Chez Piggy and Pan Chancho Bakery – and frequently gave of their time and resources. They believed in making Kingston a vibrant place.

When Zal died suddenly in 2002, just before turning 58, Rose created a fund in his honour to help The Food Sharing Project, which has operated breakfast, lunch and hearty snack programs in the city since 1982. Friends and colleagues contributed $20,000 in seed money to launch the endowment.

“We love food and we want people to eat and be healthy and happy. It’s a bit astonishing, how many children are at school hungry,” says Zal’s daughter, Zoe, in a video about the program.

Now known as The Rose and Zal Yanovsky School Breakfast Fund – Rose died in 2005 – the endowment with the Community Foundation for Kingston and Area provides funding to The Food Sharing Project for food, equipment and supplies, while the 75 participating elementary schools provide space and volunteers to run a program tailored to their needs.

It’s a gift of not just food, but care and hope. “It nourishes the mind, body and soul,” says one staff member who’s been involved.

Adds principal Brenda Moore, who runs the project: “We know that you can’t teach a child anything if they’re hungry. That’s got to be the first order of the day.” An inspiring speech by Brenda about the program can be found here.

Thanks in large part to an annual fundraising breakfast, during which restaurant-goers make a donation to the fund, The Rose and Zal Yanovsky School Breakfast Fund now stands at $167,000, with close to $36,000 donated over the years to the Food Sharing Project, which these days helps more than 3,800 students.

“The hope is that people will leave a donation on the way out, and they certainly do – they do so in droves,” notes Zoe.

Skana Gee is Communications Coordinator with Community Foundations of Canada.

Youth at Edmonton Community Foundation taking empowerment seriously

By Skana Gee

When Scott Graham talks about the Youth Empowerment Program at Edmonton Community Foundation, his enthusiasm is unmistakeable.

And it’s not due solely to the projects funded in 2011, the inaugural year – which included a youth literacy initiative, a queer prom, a battle of the bands, and an Aboriginal photography exhibit. His excitement also has a lot to do with the YEP grants committee itself.

“These young people refresh and revive your faith in the next generation. They are so informed and savvy and terrific,” says Graham, Director, Community Grants.

Youth granting had been on the Edmonton Community Foundation’s radar for a while when a donor – a member of one of the foundation’s founding families – stepped forward to help. A great community organizer when she was young, the unnamed donor was keen on youth leading the way on their own projects. She provided a gift of $50,000, which then attracted other donations.

Preparing for its first granting period in spring 2011, the foundation relied on social media to spread the word to “a new generation of grant seekers.” It also worked closely with the public and Catholic school boards and reached out to school principals and counsellors, provincial education representatives, and youth-oriented charities.

With flexible guidelines and a user-friendly process, the committee (which reflects the junior high to college age of its grant applicants) has heard about a range of potential projects, and has awarded $68,940 – grants range from $500 to $3,000 – to date.

Successful applicants have included an initiative aimed at youth homelessness, a mural-making and documentary project, a program that helps Rwandan immigrants connect to their community, and a floor-hockey challenge.

“We were not surprised, but we were impressed, with the number of socially responsible grant requests that came in,” says Graham. “We had a kid from the local arts high school who wanted to make a zombie movie to raise awareness about homelessness – it just jumped off the page.”

The grants committee, whose members come from diverse backgrounds, never ceases to amaze, he says.

“These are committed youth who are really community minded and altruistic and selfless,” he says. “They come really prepared, and they’re very careful about allocating funds … There was spirited discussion and nobody was shy about expressing an opinion. They disagreed and they hashed it out and they came to a consensus.”

The donor has been “thrilled” with the outcome, and funding will continue for the time being, with the next announcement of successful grant applicants expected in late March.

Skana Gee is Communications Coordinator with Community Foundations of Canada.

Sunshine Coast Vital Signs sparks significant social change

By Silas White

The launch of the Sunshine Coast’s Community Plan to Attract, Retain and Engage the Younger Generation happened just over a year ago. And with it came the inception of the associated group VOICE on the Coast, an advocacy network for Generation X and Y that has now developed into a non-profit society.

VOICE members at their strategic planning session in January. Photo credit: Raquel Fors

The credit for sparking this significant social change undeniably goes to the Sunshine Coast Community Foundation and its very first Vital Signs publication in 2009.

When Sunshine Coast Vital Signs indicated very serious challenges for residents aged 18 to 45, highlighted by the region having the second-oldest median age in B.C., the Community Foundation faithfully pursued a mission to “inspire” and “stimulate” by bringing stakeholders together in a collaborative community planning process. The stakeholders formed a task force, engaged members of the younger generation, and eventually presented its community plan to address the problem.

The new community focus on the need to attract, retain and engage young people immediately reframed many other issues in the community including economic development, recreation and post-secondary education.

In the 2011 municipal election, the issues of attracting, retaining and engaging young people took a far more prominent place in the campaign dialogue than it had in the past. And, largely buoyed by younger voters, turnout in both municipalities increased drastically.

The legacy of the community plan is the advocacy group VOICE on the Coast, led by a steering community of seven residents under the age of 40 from diverse backgrounds. The group has carried on many proposed initiatives, including political advocacy for employment, affordable housing and post-secondary expansion; enhanced online community engagement and promotion of entertainment activities; and a commitment to canvassing and providing more information on the state of younger adults for Vital Signs.

Most recently, the group has initiated a strategic planning process of its own that will hatch plans to build a regular two-way communications system between young people and local government.

The median age on the Sunshine Coast may continue to tick upwards, but thanks to the vision and initiative of the Sunshine Coast Community Foundation, the future of the region is looking much brighter.

Silas White is Director at VOICE on the Coast.

In Squamish, Vital Signs presents an opportunity to take stock of community issues

By Tara Ramsey

“It is easy to sit up and take notice, what is difficult is getting up and taking action” – Honore de Balzac

Vital Signs is an opportunity to take stock of key community issues. This snapshot allows us to pause and evaluate how we are doing. Communities receive information that helps determine successes and gaps in services. This focuses energy on what will hopefully result in action. Recently, I took action by joining a “food bank flash mob” which resulted in donations to those in need. I hope as Vital Signs is digested more action will transpire.

Tara Ramsey, Vital Signs committee member

Squamish’s Vital Signs reveals we are doing really well in Health and Wellness. Our obesity rate is 6.2%, which is 65.7% below the national average. Not surprising since we are known for being the “Outdoor Recreation Capital of Canada.” On the downside, our Violent Crime Rates are shocking, as we were 66.2% above the national average.

Squamish is a community in transition. Although I believe “the only constant is change” (Heraclitus), Squamish has been adapting to significant changes. It has changed from being resource-based, where now nearly one-third of occupations are in sales and service. In nine years:

- 2003 Interfor sawmill curtailed operations / closed (2004) (*-185 jobs)

- 2004 BC Rail privatization / CN Rail purchase (*-300 jobs)

- 2006 Woodfibre pulp mill closed (*-323 jobs)

- Real estate market high and low

- 2008 beginning of economic downturn

- Highway improvement / 2010 Olympics – including Pre and Post – influx of people / temporary employment

*stats: http://www.thesquamishreporter.ca/index.php?id=149

Squamish Community Foundation indicated that with financial support they would write a follow-up report. In light of all of these changes, combined with 2011 census results, I believe this would be crucial to assess our improvements.

Tara Ramsey is a Vital Signs committee member with Squamish Community Foundation

Community engagement lends Vital Signs even more value in South Okanagan

By Aaron McRann

After witnessing the success of Vital Signs in other communities, the Community Foundation of the South Okanagan committed to its first Vital Signs report in 2011.

Based on the experience of others, we expected going in to this process that we would have the opportunity to highlight key areas of need in the community. We expected that we would offer a document that could provide an unbiased assessment of the health of our community. We expected that the document would be used by many different groups to inform their plans for the future.

And just months after the launch of our first Vital Signs report, we’re happy to have experienced all three of these wonderful benefits.

South Okanagan's leadership team

However, the side benefits that we have enjoyed by engaging in this process are also worth noting. By engaging an effective Community Leadership Team, made up of prominent leaders from every sector of our community, we have been able to forge much stronger alliances that will remain important for years to come.

The process of working together to craft this first Vital Signs report required commitment, ingenuity, compromise, and imagination from each of our Leadership Team members. This level of engagement not only sold them on Vital Signs as a key tool for driving change, but on the Community Foundation as a leader in steering and coordinating that change for the future.

Another very gratifying “surprise” was the level of community interest in the process. In all, the local newspapers provided eleven articles about Vital Signs including discussions of its roots, its development process, and its outcomes. More than 660 citizens completed our community survey, fully three times our expectations.

The end result is a valuable, unbiased report that truly is the voice of our citizens … awesome!

Aaron McRann is Executive Director of the Community Foundation of the South Okanagan

Vibrant community sport sector an important ingredient in community vitality

By Barbara McMillan

Community foundations understand the value that sport brings to communities, and why programs involving sports are worth supporting.

Whether the focus is on athletic performance or fostering healthy lifestyles, engaging volunteers or cultivating leadership, building confidence or building community, we know that a vibrant, accessible, and adequately funded community sport sector is an important ingredient of community vitality.

We also know that it can be a challenge for sport organizations to access the resources necessary to allow them to meet the demand for their programs, and increase their capacity, their impact or their reach.  And for funders, there may be procedural, capacity or awareness barriers that might limit their ability to support sport organizations in the way they would like.

That’s why more than 60 representatives from sport organizations and community and other foundations, including Ian Bird, Community Foundations of Canada’s President and CEO, recently gathered for a day-long symposium at the UBC John MS Leckie Boathouse in Richmond to explore opportunities to work together to enhance sports philanthropy.

We heard many stories of how community foundations are supporting sport through grants, agency endowments, legacy funds, and infrastructure projects. And we heard about the power of sport to change lives, improve health outcomes, and strengthen community. But we also learned about the regulatory, resource, and turf barriers that can limit capacity and impact.

Initial feedback about the meeting has been overwhelmingly positive. Sport groups and community foundations appreciated the opportunity to learn more about each other and to start a conversation about how we can more intentionally and strategically connect our sport and our philanthropy organizations and networks.

One of the immediate outcomes is that the sport organizations that participated now see community foundations as partners rather than funders.

We’re now pulling together the notes from the meeting, and will be considering how – with some of the many ideas generated and relationships initiated – we will foster a sport and community philanthropy strategy.

As one participant noted: “There is so much value in this discussion, and sharing information may result in movement toward collaboration – let’s keep the discussion going and expand it.”

Stay tuned …

Barbara McMillan is Community Foundations of Canada’s Director of Regional Strategies

Vital Signs reveals 16 per cent of Kingston residents living below poverty line

By Vikram Varma

Kingston & Area’s 2011 Vital Signs talked about the working poor, revealing that more than one in 10 of the people using food banks have a job.

The Kingston Community Roundtable on Poverty Reduction recently released a Living Wage report for Kingston, in partnership with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. A living wage is based on the principle that full-time work should provide families with a basic level of economic security, not keep them in poverty. It is the amount needed for a family of four with two parents working full-time to pay for basic necessities, support the healthy development of their children, escape financial stress and participate in their communities.

Executive Director Vikram Varma

In Kingston, the report calculated that a living wage amounts to $16.29 an hour, for each parent working full-time, year-round jobs. This is substantially higher than the Canadian minimum wage and almost 35,000 people in Kingston’s regional labour force have yearly incomes below the annualized equivalent of minimum wage.

We at the Community Foundation for Kingston & Area realize the minimum wage is not sufficient for Kingstonians to earn a liveable income and an equitable standard of living. As a result, 16% of Kingstonians subsist below the poverty line and about 13% of Kingstonians are identified as working poor.

The Roundtable hosted a discussion on the living wage last fall featuring well known economists Don Drummond and Jim Stanford as the keynote speakers. I was happy to hear Mr. Drummond mention that one initiative that had proven results in breaking the cycle of poverty was Pathways to Education, one of the programs for which we have helped raise funds.

Vikram Varma is Executive Director at the Community Foundation for Kingston & Area