CALGARIANS REMAIN RESILIENT
Despite tough economic times, survey finds satisfaction with life in Calgary
Calgary has weathered tough economic times — and there may be more ahead — but an annual survey of citizens released Tuesday shows many people are facing the challenges with a degree of optimism.
Respondents to the Calgary Foundation’s ninth annual Vital Signs survey gave the city an overall B grade, meaning they are generally satisfied with life in Calgary but indicating there’s room for improvement.
Although the overall measure is unchanged, low oil prices and the resulting loss of thousands of jobs in the oilpatch and the industries that depend on it have created some unease: 69 per cent of 1,819 Calgarians who responded to this year’s survey described themselves as happy — a decrease from 87 per cent of respondents last year.
“There is an anxiety right now. We all know people who can’t find housing. We all know people who are losing their jobs,” said Kerry Longpre, vice- president of communications at the Calgary Foundation.
There’s no denying the happiness quotient is lower, but Longpre said 69 per cent is still a high number. It’s reflective of a resolve shown by Calgarians in the face of adversity, she said, likening the present mood to what the city experienced following the devastating flood of 2013.
Amid that adversity, the city has still maintained many of the qualities that make it so attractive to newcomers: the Economist Intelligence Unit rated Calgary the 5th most livable city in the world in 2015; Mercer Global Financial recently named Calgary the world’s cleanest city.
“At times when things get tougher, people rise to the occasion. I think there’s a sense of that again,” Longpre said.
“We know there’s going to be increased demand ( on social service agencies) in the community. There are issues that are going to be exacerbated by the downturn in the economy.”
Indeed, long- standing issues like affordable housing are looming as large as ever in the minds of Calgarians: survey respondents dropped the city’s grade for living standards to C+, down from a B- last year.
Newcomers lured to the city when the economy was booming helped create a tight rental market in recent years, combined with a dwindling supply as property owners converted a large number of properties to condominiums.
While the economic slowdown appears to have helped ease the rental crunch on the one hand — the vacancy rate climbed 2.64 per cent in the past year — on the other hand, people are worried about being able to afford basics like food and shelter: 26 per cent of respondents identified improving rental housing as a priority. At the same time, 49 per cent of Albertans say they would struggle financially if their paycheque were delayed by a week.
“The vacancy rate has gone up, but the affordability is still a problem,” said Diana Krecsy, president and CEO of the Calgary Homeless Foundation.
“I’m concerned we have working poor who were always on the brink, losing their jobs and having to go to the food bank. They’re the next group that is going to fall into homelessness.”
A count last October showed Calgary has about 3,500 homeless — the overwhelming majority of whom stay in shelters for only one or two nights after experiencing a scenario like the one mentioned by Krecsy.
Since launching the city’s 10- year plan to end homelessness in 2008, the homeless foundation and the agencies it works with have found permanent homes for about 6,000 people. The recent increase in vacancies has created an opportunity to keep at- risk people from tipping into homelessness, said Krecsy, with additional rent supports for lowincome Albertans expected in the upcoming provincial budget.
“We’re making progress, but we need to seize that opportunity now,” she said
While success may be a longer time coming on some fronts, there are encouraging signs in others. In 2014, the high school completion rate in Calgary was just over 87 per cent, up from 81 per cent in 2000.
“Every time we bring a kid back to school, it’s better for everyone,” said Lucy Miller, president of the United Way of Calgary, which launched a program in 2013 to cut the local dropout rate.
The United Way is awaiting more recent statistics that will show the specific impact of its All in For Youth initiative, but Miller said the signs are encouraging: the program has given free tutoring, mentoring and other supports to more than 450 students at 20 local high schools and Bow Valley College.
Miller praised local school boards for embracing the program, in which participating schools invite former students to return and offer help from tutors and volunteer mentors drawn from the private sector.
“It’s changing the culture of how we deal with kids who are struggling in high school,” Miller said.
In a finding that goes against the stereotype of Calgary held by outsiders, survey respondents identified the local environment as a high priority, calling for increased preservation of local parks, more options for sustainable energy and reducing the amount of waste. And there are signs people are backing these ideals with action: In 2014, Calgarians sent about 70 per cent of waste to landfills, compared to 80 per cent in 2007. The reduction, thanks to citywide recycling for single- family homes and a trial composting program, represents about 125 kilograms per person.
Support from Calgarians is also driving a thriving and diverse arts community, with a reported attendance of 3.6 million at 10,000 arts and cultural events in the city during 2014. Cultural events are often seen as frills when governments are faced with difficult fiscal choices, but social scientists and thinkers like Richard Florida have identified a strong arts community as an important economic driver that lures a “creative class” of professionals to a city.
Beyond the economic benefits, the arts are also important in tough times because they bring people together and can foster a sense of community when it’s needed most, said Col Cseke, co- artistic director of Verb Theatre.
“One thing the arts can offer is a way for folks to build their understanding and their empathy for what’s happening in the world,” Cseke said.
The Vital Signs survey was conducted online by the Praxis Group. Results are considered accurate within four percentage points, 19 times out of 20.