Quality of Life in Canadian Municipalities THE FEDERATION OF CANADIAN MUNICIPALITIES

This is the third in a series of reports on quality of life prepared by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) using information derived from a variety of national and municipal data sources. The first report, published in 1999, addressed the social effects of the severe economic recession of the early 1990s, focusing on the period 1991 to 1996. A second report, published in 2001, identified the beginning of an economic recovery that took place in the second half of the 1990s. The statistics used in this report are drawn from a larger reporting system containing hundreds of variables that measure changes in social, economic and environmental factors. These variables are structured into 75 indicators of the quality of life in 20 Canadian municipalities from 1990 to 2002. Taken together, these data form the Federation of Canadian Municipalities' Quality of Life Reporting System (QOLRS). The 20 Canadian municipalities participating in the QOLRS account for 40 per cent of Canada's total population. These municipalities comprise some of Canada's largest urban centres, many of the suburban municipalities surrounding them, as well as small and medium-sized municipalities in seven provinces. By providing a method to monitor quality of life at the local level, the QOLRS is intended to establish municipal government as a strong partner in public-policy debates in Canada. This volume, the first of a series making up the 2004 FCM Quality of Life Report, provides highlights of an analysis of six Quality of Life factors in 20 Canadian municipalities [Table 1] from 1991 to 2001. Developed by FCM and municipal staff, the report is intended to serve as a planning tool for municipalities. It looks at Quality of Life issues from a municipal perspective and uses data segregated by municipal boundaries, not Census Metropolitan Areas as is often the case in other similar studies. The reporting system is equally important as a tool for community organizations, research institutes, and other orders of government, allowing them to: • identify and promote awareness of issues affecting quality of life in Canadian municipalities; • better target policies and resources aimed at improving quality of life; • support collaborative efforts to improve quality of life; and • inform and influence decision-makers across Canada. Subsequent volumes in the 2004 report will examine in more detail issues such as affordable housing and homelessness; municipalities and the environment; income security and social inclusion; and community safety and security. …