MEET YOUR NEIGHBOURS

“It took us some time to find our feet when we first got here.” SAMANTHA LUC

“I’ve worked with people from almost every country. We’re not that diferent at all.” MARILYN CANCELLARA

“Everybody needs a friend to talk to.” NANCY LI

“I want to work with people to help them.” ANA BARBAKADZE

How many close friends do you have? If you lost a wallet with $200, how likely is it to be returned with the money still in it? How would you describe your neighbourhood? Answers to questions like these form the basis of a city’s ‘social capital.’ And, in many ways, Toronto fares better than you might think

How many close friends or relatives could you call in an emergency?

If you lost your wallet, would you trust someone in your neighbourhood to give it back?

The answers to these questions are part of what researchers call “social capital,” a key ingredient to a good quality of life, a healthy population, safe streets and economic prosperity.

Toronto — a city of more than 2.8 mil- lion people where 51 per cent of residents are visible minorities — exhibits remarkably high levels of social capital, according to a groundbreaking report being released Tuesday.

And surprisingly, the research shows robust social capital among some groups where it was not expected, including first-generation Canadians and seniors living alone and in highrise buildings, says the report by the nonprofit Toronto Foundation and Environics Institute for Survey Research.

“In contrast to some of the research evidence for U.S. cities, this study found no evidence in Toronto that increasing ethnic diversity is linked to lower levels of social capital,” says the report, the first comprehensive look at the issue in a Canadian city.

Social capital is the “lubricant” that drives social networks, determines trust and makes it possible for people who may have little in common to live peacefully with each other, says the report. This kind of mutual support, trust and connection are not simply “feel good” notions, but as important as economic capital, it says.

“Social capital is absolutely critical to our lives, to our happiness, to our wellbeing, to progressing in society,” said Sharon Avery, president and CEO of the foundation. “And while there is clearly something to celebrate (in the Toronto results), I don’t want us to celebrate and walk away.”

For example, the research shows just 6 per cent of Torontonians don’t have a close friend or relative. But that still represents100,000 residents, Avery noted. “That’s the population of Pickering and not something we can ignore.”

To lead the way, the foundation is using the research to make grants of up to $25,000 each to nine resident-led projects aimed at strengthening social capital and urban resilience in neighbourhoods across the city.

The foundation hopes the research, which will be freely available through Environics, will help academics, planners, activists and philanthropists guide investment in communities and help those who are most vulnerable.

Avery also hopes other cities across Canada do their own studies.

“Until another big city does this, we won’t be sure we are as good as we should be,” she said.

The report, which cost about $275,000 and another $100,000 in in-kind support, examined four dimensions of social capital — social trust, social networks, civic connection and neighbourhood support.

It found people in Toronto generally trust others, including those who are different from themselves, feel a sense of belonging to their community, have family and friends they can rely on, give back to the community and are interested in politics.

However, the research found a significant number of residents with low levels of social capital, including those who are isolated from their neighbours, living on low incomes, residents in their late 20s struggling to get established, and in some cases, racialized minorities.

At a time when Toronto faces a rapidly aging population, high rates of child poverty and a growing polarization of highand low-income neighbourhoods, “social capital becomes even more important to our collective well-being,” the report says.

It is also “an important measure of how well residents are doing and how well they are able to recover from setbacks and crises, both individually and as a community.”

Environics surveyed a demographically representative sample of 3,207 residents over age 18 earlier this year and asked participants a series of 60 questions.

In addition to questions about personal connections and trust, the Environics survey asked about civic connections, such as participation in groups, community associations and interest in politics. It found civic connection is highest among those who know their neighbours, have relatively high incomes, are religiously active and live in the central part of the city.

Among ethnic groups, those who identify as Black were most active, while those who identify as Chinese were least active, according to the study.

Despite concern about low voter turnout, the survey shows higher rates of political engagement since Statistics Canada’s 2013 General Social Survey, a national survey that included a small sample from Toronto.

In terms of neighbourhood support, the Environics survey found a large majority of city residents believe “people working together as a group can make a big difference” with the highest scores among those who identify as Black or South Asian and among residents of “neighbourhood improvement areas” targeted for extra municipal support due to high socio-economic needs.

“Listening to those populations and asking them what they think the solutions are … is a key bridge we’d like to build between neighbourhoods,” Avery said.

“Assets aren’t just about money, they are also about the relationships we share.”

Kwame McKenzie, CEO of the Wellesley Institute, one of several community partners that helped fund the project, said most people understand the value of having friends and relatives to count on — in fact, 54 per cent of Torontonians said they had up to five close friends.

“But what many people may not re- alize is that a society where (groups from different cultures) are better linked is actually more important for your health and … a vital component of well-being,” he said.

“We need to ensure that we build better links between groups in the city if we want good health for everyone.”

Michelynn Laflèche, vice-president of research and policy for United Way Greater Toronto, another community partner, said social capital is linked to opportunity. “In a region with growing inequality, it’s important to have a picture of what social capital looks like: Who has how much, and what they can do with it,” she said.

And when it comes to cold hard cash — and getting your wallet back, the survey shows 75 per cent of Torontonians trust someone in their neighbourhood to return it.