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QOLRS reports reveal that the quality of life in 20 Canadian communities was at risk and had deteriorated for a significant number of people between 1991 and 2001. While general improvements in the rates of post-secondary education, employment growth, and homeownership suggest a positive picture overall, not all sectors of the population benefitted equally. This page summarizes some of the highlights for HRM found in the QOLRS reports from 1991-2004.
Data source for all tables on this page: Canadian Census 1991, 1996 and 2001, Statistics Canada
The highlights include QOLRS data on:
HRM trends related to six main QOLRS factors
In Canada overall we are seeing an aging population and a rise of population growth among the young, while experienceing a loss is in the middle. Across Canada immigration is driving population growth which is leading to growing ethnic and cultural diversity. This is not the case in HRM. Relative to other QOLRS communities, HRM has limited cultural and ethnic diversity and has experienced a loss of immigrants over the 10-year period. The Nova Scotia government has implemented a more aggressive immigrant recruitment policy to increase and maintain immigrants to Nova Scotia. HRM has also consulted with many stakeholders and has developed a strategy for immigration to support the success of provincial efforts.
The Canadian work force saw changes, including a reduction in the gender gap. Unemployment is down overall while education skill requirements are up. In HRM, family and household incomes are lower than other communities and we are losing ground. HRM had the lowest pay for young and older workers.
In terms of civic engagement in Canada overall, voter participation is down, volunteerism is down, and fewer people are giving more to charities.
Focus on HRM
Factor 1: Local Economy
- Number of new businesses has increased
- Number of bankruptsies is down
- Significant drop in unemployment rate since 1991
Factor 2: Natural Environment
- Environmental deficits - waste water
- Ecological footprint high
- Transportation - increase in workforce auto dependency and reduced use of public transit by workforce
Factor 3: Personal Goals and Aspirations
- Educated population
- Highly educated workforce
- Opportunities for employment, but young workers paid poorly
- Real income has gone down for households and families
Factor 4: Fairness and Equity
- Growing gap in incomes for households and families with individuals hit hardest
- Employment opportunities for young, older, and less skilled workers reduced
Factor 5: Basic Needs
- Low income households seeing further decline in income (social assistance rates reduction has significant impacts especially among certain sectors, elderly, individuals with disabilities, youth
- Housing security reduced for individuals and families
- Affordable housing stock in decline
Factor 6: Social Inclusion
- Civic engagement: HRM has highest rate of newspaper readership
- Civic engagement: Decreased volunteerism and charitable giving
- Civic engagement: Decreased voter turn-out
- Social isolation: Visible minorities, immigrants and First Nations peoples experience barriers to labour force participation
Focus: Growth in Inequality
The growing income gap, changes to social programs and increased strain on the urban environment offset positive growth outcomes in Canada as a whole. A roller coaster period of severe economic decline between 1991-1996 was followed by general recovery. However, the recovery was only partial and was not shared equally by all households, resulting in a deepening poverty for some in the face of overall prosperity for most. Only the wealthiest 30% of families and 20% of individuals in 20 QOLRS communities experienced any increase in income between 1990 and 2000. The per cent of overall population living in poverty remained the same over the 10-year period, with certain marginalized communities experiencing further deterioration in their situations (i.e. 60% of seniors renter households faced affordability problems in 2001).
Withdrawal of social infrastructure impacts health and well-being. A decline in overall levels of dependency on government transfers did not translate into comparable reductions in levels of poverty. Those relying on social assistance fell deeper into poverty due to steady deterioration in the value of social assistance benefits over the 10-year period.
Affordable housing infrastructure is deteriorating and disappearing. Absence of new subsidized housing development narrowed choices for low-income families and singles facing severe affordability challenges and lengthy waiting lists. Deepening poverty is exacerbated by rising shelter costs which have consumed income required for other necessities.
The Poor Lose Ground
The Prosperous Prosper
Rate of Poverty Not Going Down
Insufficient Income Supports for Low Income Households - Welfare Incomes as a Per Cent of Lown Income Measure in HRM 1991-2001
Shelter Costs Crowd Out Other Household Expenditures
Or Costs are Not Met
Declining Stock of Affordable Rental Housing
Focus: Personal and Community Health and Well-being
Residents of HRM spent more than most residents of other QOLRS communities on private health care insurance plans. Increasingly, shelter costs are crowding out other necessary household expenditures.
HRM showed the second highest rate of increase in infant deaths. Only two QOLRS communities showed an increase; Vancouver had the lowest rate and Edmonton the highest. HRM had second highest rate of infant mortality behind Quebec.
Suicide rates are decreasing and HRM has lower than average rate compared to rest of Canada. There was a rise in employment hours lost to illness and disability.
There was an increase in labour force auto-dependency and a decrease in labour force use of public transit in HRM. At the same time there was a decrease in long-distance communting and an increase in short-distance commuting.
Spending on Private Health Case Insurance Plans As a Percent of Total Expenditures for Selected QOLRS Communities
Infant Health
Suicide
Workplace Wellness
Increasing Auto-dependency
Decreasing Mass Transit Use
Long-distance commuters
Short-distance commuters
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