MEDIA RELEASE

April 25, 2016 (Ottawa, ON) — The Ottawa Community Foundation held a public launch today of Ottawa Insights, a dynamic, new web-based community knowledge centre that brings together and connects key information and intelligence on status, trends and conditions affecting quality of life in Ottawa. Its purpose is to support shared understanding and strategic collaboration towards fostering a more vibrant and equitable city over the long term.

Ottawa Insights is by nature and design a collaborative and evolutionary project. “This online community knowledge centre has been meticulously developed to enable the people of Ottawa to better understand key local issues and trends,” said Marco Pagani, President & CEO of the Foundation. “The ultimate goal of Ottawa Insights is to empower everyone, including donors, funders, policy makers, community leaders and organizations, to take informed action to create positive, systemic and sustainable change in our community.”

A small sampling of indicators from today’s release:

  • 40% of all visible minority children, and more than 50% of the children in a number of Ottawa neighbourhoods, are living in low-income situations.
  • Unemployment rates of immigrants in Ottawa for less than five years are more than double the national average, while rates for Ottawa immigrants here for more than 20 years are progressively lower than the Canadian average.
  • Ontario families in the top 20% of income earners spend an average of three times the amount on food as families in the bottom 20%.
  • In 2015, youth unemployment in Ottawa rose to 15%, the highest it’s been in over a decade and the highest among the six largest Canadian cities.
  • Mental health emergency visits to CHEO have increased by 75% since 2010.
  • Ottawa’s premature mortality rate (death before age 75) is the lowest in the Champlain LHIN as a whole, and is significantly lower than the rest of the country.

At its launch, Ottawa Insights presents a suite of over 50 indicators related to Basic Needs and Standard of Living; Economy and Employment; and Health and Wellness. The Ottawa Community Foundation will continue to present comprehensive information and data over the rest of  the year in the areas of Environment and Sustainability; Arts and Culture; Education and Learning; and Community and Belonging. Visit www.ottawainsights.ca.

Established in 1987, the Ottawa Community Foundation is a public, non-profit organization created by and for the people of Ottawa. Working directly with its community of donors, partners and stakeholders, the Foundation is committed to acting as a catalyst for positive, systemic and sustainable change in Ottawa and beyond. Priding itself on enabling generous citizens to enhance the quality of life in their community while achieving their own charitable objectives, the Community Foundation currently manages assets worth almost $120-million, and has provided close to $100-million in grants to the community since its inception. For more information about the Ottawa Community Foundation, visit www.cfo-fco.ca. 

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For more information or to schedule an interview, please contact:

Iona Green
Manager, Marketing and Communications
Ottawa Community Foundation
(B) 613-236-1616 X 232
(C) 613-408-1616
igreen@cfo-fco.ca