<Oct2>

Media Release

October 2, 2007

Second annual Ottawa's Vital Signs report released today

(Ottawa) – The Community Foundation of Ottawa launched its second annual report card on the health of the community this morning at the Ottawa Congress Centre. Ottawa’s Vital Signs (OVS) measures the city’s quality of life in 11 key areas, including: the Gap between Rich and Poor; Safety; Health and Wellness; Learning; Housing; Getting Started in the Community; Arts and Culture; Environment; Work; Belonging and Leadership; and Getting Around. A compilation of data from numerous research sources, Ottawa’s Vital Signs identifies significant trends and issues in our community and presents them in a reader-friendly, accessible format.

“The goal of producing this report each year is to learn, share and inspire community conversation and debate,” said Barbara McInnes, President & CEO of the Community Foundation of Ottawa.

“The report rates indicators that cover a broad range of issues, which, taken together, provide a snapshot of how well the community is doing in ensuring a good quality of life for its citizens. Ottawa’s Vital Signs is designed to help the community get to know itself a little better, and we’ve already been hearing that the report is proving to be a valuable tool for many organizations that are addressing issues on the ground.”

Overall, the 2007 report reminds us that we are fortunate to live in a healthy and vibrant community. Ottawa residents are some of the most highly educated in both the province and the country, with the highest proportion of the population having completed a post-secondary education. Ottawa’s employment picture is also very positive. In 2006, our unemployment rate was 5.1%, the second-lowest rate in 20 years, and well below both the national and provincial levels. The unemployment rate of Ottawa’s new immigrants has also been declining over time, but was at 13.9% in 2001, which was higher than the national average of 12.7%.

Indicators in the 2007 Ottawa’s Vital Signs report also tell us that, while Ottawa is one of the most prosperous cities in Canada, our city continues to be plagued by a widening gap between rich and poor. In 2005, almost 71,000 families, and more than one child in five, lived below the poverty line. Close to 40,000 people are accessing Ottawa Food Bank services, 39% of whom are children. These numbers have risen steadily each year since 2003.

The Ottawa’s Vital Signs report will be published every autumn by the Community Foundation of Ottawa. OVS is part of a national initiative led by Community Foundations of Canada (CFC) through which 11 communities across the country released their own Vital Signs reports today. These include Victoria, Vancouver, Red Deer, Calgary, Medicine Hat, Sudbury, Toronto, Kitchener and Waterloo, Ottawa, Montreal and Saint John. CFC’s first national Vital Signs report was also released today. All reports are available at www.cfc-fcc.ca.

About the Community Foundation of Ottawa

The Community Foundation of Ottawa is a public, non-profit organization created by and for the people of Ottawa. It connects donors who care with causes that matter and serves as a trusted resource for addressing issues and leveraging opportunities in the community. It attracts and manages a growing endowment, the invested earnings of which provide grants to charitable organizations. The Foundation’s role is as neutral broker in support of all charitable causes that contribute to the community’s quality of life. With its growing profile, the Community Foundation of Ottawa has built an enviable reputation for astute financial management, high-quality donor services, strategic grantmaking and innovative partnerships.