Here at home and around the world, 2020 has been a year unlike any other, but what has its impact been in Greater Victoria?
Significant, according to the 2020 VictoriaB次元官网网址檚 Vital Signs report, released earlier this month.
Responses to the annual community check-up indicated that 51 per cent of residents have felt a decline in their mental health due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and 29 per cent have experienced a job or income loss. Add to that the impacts of the worldwide movement for racial justice, and the immense disruptions in our daily lives, and changes have emerged in how residents perceive our region.
B次元官网网址淲hile Greater Victoria has been fortunate to so far avoid the most significant impacts of the pandemic, itB次元官网网址檚 clear the events and upheaval theyB次元官网网址檝e brought have had a major impact on peopleB次元官网网址檚 lives B次元官网网址� both economically and with their mental health and wellbeing,B次元官网网址� says Victoria Foundation CEO Sandra Richardson. B次元官网网址淲e encourage residents, local governments, organizations and donors to review this yearB次元官网网址檚 report as we look at how best to support the community today and in the months to follow.B次元官网网址�
15th edition of VictoriaB次元官网网址檚 Vital Signs
This year marks the , possible thanks to the support of presenting sponsor Coast Capital Savings.
Nearly 1,800 Capital Region residents completed the Vital Signs survey, whose results are combined with significant data and statistics to create a snapshot of how our region is faring both overall and in 12 key issue areas, such as health and wellness, transportation and the environment. This yearB次元官网网址檚 survey also included specific COVID-19-related questions and the report itself features Pandemic Snapshots, offering evidence-based insights on the impact of COVID-19 on our region.
The magazine-style final report also explores the continuing community response to COVID, how the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals relate to each issue area, and more.
Here are some of this yearB次元官网网址檚 significant findings:
- Beyond a decline in mental health, 40 per cent of respondents have felt a decline in their physical health.
- 34 per cent of jobs for residents under 25 years old disappeared between February and May of this year, with young women experiencing a 41 per cent drop in employment, compared to 27 per cent for their male peers.
- Overall, 74 per cent of respondents feel the pandemic is a major threat to the local economy.
- Overall quality of life, as graded by survey respondents, has dropped from 2019 from a B+ to a B, and of the reportB次元官网网址檚 12 key issue areas, nine have seen a grade change from 2019. The most drastic of these falls under B次元官网网址淕etting Started,B次元官网网址� which looks at how our community fares in offering opportunities to newcomers and young people. From 2019B次元官网网址檚 B- grade, this year it fell to D+, tying with Housing as the lowest-graded area.
- Asked to identify the most important issues facing our region, survey respondents picked Homelessness as the No. 3 priority, behind Cost of Living and Housing. In 2019 Homelessness was identified as only the eighth most important issue.
- The three best things about Greater Victoria remain the same from 2019, with Natural Environment, Climate and Air Quality taking top spots.
VictoriaB次元官网网址檚 Vital Signs report is available at various locations throughout the community, or view it online at .
***
Established in 1936, the Victoria Foundation is CanadaB次元官网网址檚 second oldest community foundation, managing charitable whose generosity allows them to create permanent, income-earning funds. To date, the foundation has invested more than $225 million in that strengthen communities locally and throughout Canada.
