Niagara Prosperity Initiative Evaluation Research (2018 – 2020)
A ‘Niagara Prosperity Initiative Review’ report is included on pages 5 to 10 of the March 9, 2021 Niagara Region Public Health & Social Services Committee meeting agenda document. The ‘Connecting the Pieces: An Evaluation of the Niagara Prosperity Initiative and [...]
Niagara Food Security Network – Lived Experience Engagement, November 2020 – Report on Findings, February 2021
This report summarizes November, 2020 conversations with 33 individuals experiencing food insecurity and living in the Niagara region of Ontario. The goal was to gather information about “food-related access experiences, including challenges/barriers as well as effective factors/strategies, as seen through [...]
Indigenous Employment Engagement in Niagara: Social Knowing, Discrimination, and the Importance of Indigenous Resources
This report presents findings of 2017–2018 exploratory, inquiry-based research funded by the Ontario Human Capital Research and Innovation Fund (OHCRIF). Four focus groups/sharing circles were conducted with 21 under/unemployed Indigenous residents and representatives from two local employers (one public and [...]
2021 Ontario Economic Report
This report combines insights from the annual Ontario Chamber of Commerce Business Confidence Survey with Ontario’s Economic Outlook. The Business Confidence Survey illuminates trends in economic activity and provides a grassroots perspective of how Ontario businesses feel about the economic [...]
Economic Analysis of Mobile Integrated Health Care Delivered by Emergency Medical Services Paramedic Teams
Mobile integrated health care (MIH) is a new model of community-based health care to provide on-site urgent or nonurgent care. Niagara emergency medical services (NEMS) started MIH in 2018 to serve the Niagara region of Ontario, Canada. This article summarizes [...]
Digital Data Partnerships: Building the Foundations For Collaborative Data Governance in the Public Interest – Executive Summary
This 4-page Executive Summary highlights key lessons learned by organizations in Montreal that are exploring and developing alternative models of data governance that are tailored to their needs and goals. This new guide for the analysis and explorations of best [...]
Potential Economic Impacts and Reach of Basic Income Programs in Canada: Report Highlights – December 2020
This study by CANCEA (Canadian Centre for Economic Analysis) provides a first-ever look at the economic benefits and impacts of a national basic income program in Canada. “Basic Income could grow the economy and speed up Canada’s recovery, while ending [...]
Yesterday’s Gone: Exploring Possible Futures of Canada’s Labour Market in a Post-COVID World
This report is provided to better prepare workers for the future of Canada's labour market. It outlines 8 megatrends and 34 related meso trends that have the potential to impact employment in Canada by 2030. Yesterday's Gone builds on work [...]
2020 ParticipACTION Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth
ParticipACTION. The Role of the Family in the Physical Activity, Sedentary and Sleep Behaviours of Children and Youth is a comprehensive assessment of child and youth activity in Canada. It builds in the previous (2018) Report Card on Physical Activity [...]
Buying Cannabis Online – What You Need To Know
If you choose to purchase cannabis online, there are several things to look out for to ensure that you are protecting yourself, including your health, keeping your financial information secure and that you are buying your product from legal sources. [...]
Age-Friendly Community Needs Assessment Research in Niagara, December 2020
This summary of major Age-Friendly needs assessment research completed in Niagara over the past decade is provided by the Age-Friendly Niagara Network (AFNN), in partnership with INCommunities and Niagara Connects. The document raises awareness of the growing Age-Friendly Community Planning [...]
Canada’s Food Price Report, 11th Edition, 2021
This report focuses on impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and forecasts that overall food prices will increase 3 to 5%. Overall, the food inflation index has outpaced general inflation over the last 20 years in Canada. The typical grocery bill [...]
Canadian Cannabis Survey 2020: Summary
In order to obtain in-depth information, Health Canada developed and implemented the Canadian Cannabis Survey (CCS). The aim of the CCS is to obtain detailed information about the habits of people who use cannabis and behaviours relative to cannabis use. [...]
Violence Against Women and COVID-19: A Pandemic Within a Pandemic
This McMaster Optimal Aging Portal shares results of a moderate-quality systematic review that examined the scientific literature on violence against women during periods of physical distancing and confinement. Highlights include: o Pandemics can exacerbate gender inequalities and impact the way [...]
INCommunities and Niagara Connects Integration
Effective January 01, 2021, Niagara Connects, its programs and team will begin to operate under the umbrella of INCommunities. In consultation with partners and stakeholders, the two organizations received resounding support for working together as ‘one hub’, to strengthen both [...]
Looking Ahead and Looking Up: Affordable Housing in Niagara
“The housing crisis affects everyone in Niagara but hits some harder than others,” Dr. Heritz writes in NCO Policy Brief #48. “The most vulnerable bear the brunt of the shortage of affordable housing, including Indigenous Peoples, women and children, older [...]
Raising Canada 2020 – Top 10 Threats to Childhood in Canada and the Impact of COVID-19
This report is provided by Children First Canada; the University of Calgary O’Brien Institute for Public Health; and the Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute. It includes Statistics Canada data from the 2019 Canadian Health Survey on Children and Youth, and [...]
211 Niagara Region COVID19 Report March 16 – August 31, 2020
211 data can be used to inform decision-making and investment in our communities. This report summarizes Inquirer and Unmet Needs from 9,621 connections with inquirers in Niagara during the March 16th to August 31st 2020 period. 211 is a fully-integrated [...]
Cannabis Knowledge Exchange Hub
The Cannabis KE Hub is a source of credible, evidence-based information on the non-medical use of cannabis. The website intended for policy-makers and professionals working in primary care; mental health and addictions; education; and social services. Content is curated by [...]
Gender Representation and Governance in Niagara
Niagara Community Observatory policy brief #47 completes an environmental scan of municipal councils, advisory committees, and boards in Niagara to determine the gender make-up of these local governance structures. It finds women are overwhelmingly underrepresented on local councils, compared to [...]
