Community belonging down in Waterloo Region, says report

There isanoverall decline in Waterloo Regionresidents' sense of communitybelonging, fewerarts and culture jobsandfewerpeople donating charitably, according to the 2013 Waterloo Region Vital Signs report.

The report was authored by the Kitchener and Waterloo Community Foundation (KWCF) and is intended to serve as a barometer of quality of life in the region.

"We continue to be very concerned about our sense of belonging and leadership as a community, our arts andculture stats, what's happening with health and wellness, and that whole area of getting started in our community continue to be primary areas of focus," Chief Executive Officer of the KWCFRosemary Smith toldThe Morning Editionhost Craig Norris.

"Since 2003, the overall trend in those feeling a somewhat strong or very strong sense of community belonging has been in decline. These feelings are especially low amongst those aged20 to 34 years old," the report says.

The findings of the report are based ondata taken from Statistics Canada, the Ontario MunicipalBenchmarkingInitiative,the Canada Revenue Agency and the Canadian Index ofWellbeing.

"Plus, we think this year we need to have a richer conversation aroundtransportation and what it means toour community," Smithsaid.

Five per cent ofWaterloo Region residentscommute to work using public transit, while the provincial average is 14 per cent, the report said.

Smith said theannual KWCF report is intended to spark conversation.

"It's that richness of conversation that really helps us take action."

Listed below are some of the key findings of the report:

• In 2011, almost 9,000 people were employed in the fields of arts,culture, recreation and sports.In 2012, that declined to just over than6,000.
• The proportion ofWaterloo Region tax filers who make charitable donations has been declining at a faster rate than the national and provincial averages.
• The gap between the rich and poor is growing, with Waterloo Region's top 50 per cent of tax filers earning a median of more than $50,000 annually. The bottom 50 per cent earned a median income of $14,100. Those numbers are largely in line with provincial and national benchmarks.