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Media Advisory

Sept. 29, 2009

Checkup 2009

The Community Foundation of Ottawa’s annual

Ottawa’s Vital Signs report to be released October 6

Do you know:

the leading cause of death amongst men between the ages of 20 – 44 in Ottawa?
how many people with disabilities are living in poverty in our city?
the number of Ottawa River wildlife species on the endangered list?
how many personal bankruptcies were declared in Ottawa last year?

Join us for the answers to these questions and more at the:

Ottawa’s Vital Signs Media Conference

Tuesday, October 6

10 – 11 a.m.

Community Foundation of Ottawa

75 Albert Street, Suite 301

A half-hour presentation will be followed by an opportunity to conduct one-on-one interviews with Ottawa’s Vital Signs and community spokespeople.

Ottawa’s Vital Signs 2009 is the fourth annual report card on the health of our city. Measuring the community’s quality of life in 11 key areas, Ottawa’s Vital Signs presents indicators and assigns grades in such areas as the Gap between Rich and Poor; Safety; Health and Wellness; Learning; Housing; Arts and Culture; and the Environment.

In producing Ottawa’s Vital Signs, the Community Foundation of Ottawa works with a wide range of respected community organizations and individuals to compile the most relevant data available and to grade the final indicators presented in the report, providing a broad view of local issues. Presented in an accessible, reader-friendly format, the report is designed to engage the entire community on issues of importance, and to stimulate public dialogue on how we can work together to make our city better.

Ottawa’s Vital Signs is part of a national initiative led by Community Foundations of Canada through which 16 communities across the country will release Vital Signs reports on the same day. These cities include Victoria, BC; Central Okanagan, BC; Sunshine Coast, BC; Boundary Communities, BC; Calgary, AB; Medicine Hat, AB; Red Deer, AB; Sudbury, ON; Toronto, ON; Oakville, ON; Guelph and Wellington, ON; Waterloo, ON; Kingston, ON; Ottawa, ON; Wolfville, NS; and Saint John, NB.

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.

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