211 Niagara Snapshot January – December 2020
211 data can be used to inform decision-making and investment in our communities. This report summarizes Inquirer and Unmet Needs from 21,215 connections with inquirers in Niagara during the January to December 2020 period. 211 is a fully integrated provincial [...]
Exploring the Digital Needs of Niagara’s Arts Community: Reflections and a Look to the Future
From January 26 to February 6, 2021, the First Ontario Performing Arts Centre (PAC) hosted a virtual summit to engage the Niagara arts community in exploring the needs of a digital future. The summit featured a series of 15 sessions, including [...]
Eating in Ontario: What Do We Know? Vegetable and fruit consumption, food insecurity, self-rated health, and physical activity based on CCHS 2017 with implications related to COVID-19
This report provides a cross-sectional, descriptive analysis of vegetable and fruit consumption, food insecurity, self-rated health, and physical activity. It explores some determinants of healthy eating and health. The data source used is the Canadian Community Health Survey 2017. When [...]
OPENN Newsletter
The Overdose Prevention and Education Network of Niagara (OPENN) consists of members from prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and enforcement agencies. OPENN members are working together to address increased substance use and raise awareness around the disturbing increase in opioid overdoses [...]
2019 MBNCanada Performance Measurement Report
Municipal Benchmarking Network Canada (MBNCanada) is a collaborative of Canadian municipalities whose mission is to enhance municipal service delivery by leading the development and application of municipal performance measurement and benchmarking. The Network collects data from across 36 municipal service [...]
More Than Money: Leveraging the benefits of sport hosting in Niagara
Policy Brief #30 for Brock's Niagara Community Observatory was written in partnership with the Brock Centre for Sport Capacity. It examines the impact of various sport events in Niagara with the aim of generating a future strategy for bidding and [...]
Niagara Workforce Planning Board Local Labour Market Planning Report 2020-2021
The 2020-2021 Niagara Workforce Planning Board (NWPB) Local Labour Market Planning Report was written during an extremely challenging time for employers, employees, and job-seekers alike. NWPB notes, “As COVID-19 makes hiring and job seeking a more difficult prospect for both [...]
Imagine Canada Sector Monitor report: Ongoing Impacts of the COVID-19 Crisis on the Charitable Sector
This report summarizes the findings of a national survey of 1,089 charities conducted between November 3 and December 2, 2020. Beyond providing essential services to millions, Canada’s nonprofit sector is a critical engine of economic growth and jobs. Nonprofits and [...]
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 [...]
