News and information from the Community Data Program

New data in the catalogue: Newcomers, business patterns, and going postal with consumer debt

The June 2012 order from our list of upcoming data products (Schedule B) is now officially available in the Community Data Program Catalogue. This includes datasets on consumer credit, immigrant landings, Canadian business patterns (December 2011 only—June 2012 is on its way!), and a file for mapping Postal Codes. If you do anything interesting with the data, make sure to let us know so that we can show off your work.

Read the complete Newsletter 

Making It Count! is a new quarterly newsletter offered to registered users of the CCSD Community Data Program and organizations working with community data. Every three months, you'll receive the scoop on what's happening in the world of municipal and neighbourhood data. Showcasing innovative uses of program data, highlighting upcoming training and special events and passing along the latest news on new data and tools, Making It Count! connects data users to the resources you need.

In March 2012, the Government announced a reduction of more than 8 percent over 3 years to the budget of the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). This $319 million cut is equivalent to the cost of one of the sixty-five F-35 fighter jets the Government wants to buy.

We are calling on the federal government to reverse cuts to CIDA and restore funding in Budget 2013.

JOIN THE CAMPAIGN!

OTTAWA—Following the release of Towards a More Equal Canada, a discussion paper on income inequality, the Broadbent Institute has published the first of a series of responses to the report from a number of academics and politicians. This first round of responses includes opinions by Senator Hugh Segal and academics Luc Turgeon and Katherine Scott. Alongside the paper, these newly-released responses represent the next step in the Institute’s Equality Project.

from CTV News Ottawa

Tens of thousands of dollars were raised and around 50 special people were honoured at the first-ever Amazing People Gala Saturday night.

The event, co-created and hosted by CTV Ottawa’s Kimothy Walker, further showcased the lives of those profiled in the award-winning Amazing People series since the spring of 2011.

Two of them were singled out for Amazing Person of the Year by a panel of judges: clean water crusader Ryan Hreljac for 2011 and Kimberley Fawcett, who lost her leg and baby in a car crash, for 2012.

Two viewer’s choice awards went to former CFRA host Greg Hebert (2011) and adoption advocate Peggy Taillon (2012).

"One thing that they all share is this ability to inspire others," Walker said.

The fundraising goal for the evening, presented by CTV Ottawa, was to raise enough to help local charity SchoolBOX build a school in Nicaragua.

However, the $50,000 raised was enough for two schools.

"A lot of kids in Nicaragua don’t go past Grade 5,” said organizer Eric Collard. “They don't make school a priority."

CTV Ottawa’s Amazing People series airs Thursdays on the News at 6.

HungerCount 2012 provides essential information on levels of food bank use in Canada, profiles communities hit by economic change

Ottawa, October 30, 2012 – The number of Canadians turning to food banks for help is at an all-time high, according to the HungerCount 2012 national study released today by Food Banks Canada.

After dipping slightly in 2011, food bank use in Canada increased by 2.4% this year, and is now a staggering 31% higher than before the 2008-2009 recession.

The HungerCount 2012 report highlights that in a typical month, food banks across the country provide food to more than three quarters of a million separate individuals – 882,000 people – and more than 339,000 (38%) of those helped are children.

October 26, 2012, David Bulter-Jones, MD, of Public Health Agency of Canada tabled in Parliament his Report on the State of Public Health in Canada, 2012: Influencing Health - The Importance of Sex.

In his fifth annual report, Mr. Bulter-Jones explores the influence of sex and gender on public health and the health status of Canadians. Differences in health experienced by men, women, boys and girls can be attributed to biological diversity as well as the social roles and responsibilities assumed by each of us.

From the Canadian Index of Wellbeing

How are Canadians really doing? Is our overall quality of life getting better or worse? Are we getting closer or moving farther away from realizing the kind of Canada we want to live in?

The second Canadian Index of Wellbeing (CIW) composite report shows in the seventeen year period from 1994 to 2010, Canada's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by a robust 28.9% while our quality of life only improved by a very modest 5.7%. Further, it reveals Canadian wellbeing dropped by 24% between 2008 and 2010 and the decline in our wellbeing continues despite subsequent economic recovery.