The annual report card on vitality in Calgary communities is out and citizens gave an overall grade for quality of life in the city a B+.

The 2013 Calgary’s Vital Signs Report is compiled by the Calgary Foundation and measures the strength of the community by identifying trends and assigning grades in 12 key issue areas.

 “This year’s unprecedented flooding tested our communities like never before. The overwhelming sense of community spirit and generosity that emerged from the flood waters is what framed our 2013 Calgary’s Vital Signs Report. We are a resilient city, where people value citizen engagement and feel they have an opportunity to make a difference,” says Kerry Longpré, Vice-President Communications at The Calgary Foundation. “The Vital Signs survey ran during the middle of the flood period and we were interested to see that there was virtually no change in grades from the pre-flood to post-flood respondents.”

The survey showed that 79% of respondents indicated that they think Calgary is a good place for the next generation which is an increase of 6% from last year.

2013 Calgary’s Vital Signs Report Highlights:

  • GETTING AROUND
    Grade: C+
    Details: Research shows that Calgary ranked 10th in walkability among Canada’s largest cities in 2013, with Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal leading the pack. Vital Signs survey respondents identified walkability as one of their top priorities, along with the continued expansion of the LRT network. In good news, the LRT added over 11km of new track in 2012 which subsequently reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 40,000 tonnes annually.
     
  • FOOD
    Grade: B-
    Details: Respondents indicated they would like to see increased access to affordable and nutritious food. Concerns over the cost of food align with recent data that the budget of a healthy diet for a family of four is approximately $950/month – add another $100/month if that family has a teenager.
     
  • ARTS & CULTURE
    Grade: B
    Details: Arts was on the rise this year with 153 arts organizations putting on nearly 8,000 events that were attended by 2.3 million people. Thanks to Calgary 2012 initiatives like GIGYYC (Grassroots Inspired Grants), 167 projects received $1,200 grants in support of arts and culture initiatives.
     
  • LIVING STANDARDS
    Grade: B
    Details: While respondents celebrated Calgary’s abundance of opportunities and high standard of living, statistics show that single-parent families have a high poverty rate at 23.5% (National rate is 19.7%). Calgary Food Bank has also seen an increase in distribution this year, with $43 million in food being distributed, an increase of $11 million from last year.

The civic election is just around the corner and the survey respondents said they would like to see an increase in voter turnout.

94% agreed that it is every citizen’s duty to vote and 78% feel it is every citizen’s duty to engage in activities that strengthen democracy.