Our community’s health, finally measured
Roderick Benns is the publisher of The Advocate. An award-winning author and journalist who grew up in Lindsay, he has written several books including Basic Income: How a Canadian Movement Could Change the World.
In this edition of the Advocate, writer Sarah Fournier delves into one of the most important documents Kawartha Lakes has seen in a long time – the Community Foundation’s Vital Signs report.
Vital Signs is Canada’s largest community-focused data program, led by Community Foundations of Canada. This just-released report is a snapshot of the health of our community along 11 core areas. Health, immigration, seniors, safety, the environment and more.
The collected data supports evidence-based solutions that are tailored to each community. The report is meant to stimulate discussion and encourage civic participation. It helps us know where to direct community resources for the greatest possible impact.
As an example of how these reports can catalyze change, we can look to the immediate south. Durham Region experienced a shocking increase in food insecurity in recent years. Dramatic cost of living spikes sparked a jump from 16.5 per cent of food-insecure households in 2019 to more than 25 per cent in 2023. This was driven by a massive surge in food prices and an alarming rise in housing costs between 2020 and 2024.
To that end, they dedicated their 2024 Vital Signs report solely to food insecurity. With an all-hands-on-deck approach, partner agencies used the report’s network-wide data to secure emergency government funding. This boosted weekly distribution of food by 20 per cent in early 2025.
They also successfully lobbied for a pilot program of a new “groceries and essentials” benefit. This meant direct grocery subsidies to 1,200 low-income households this past year.
In other words, Vital Signs reports can be effective because they define specific areas of concern.
Of course, what any changemaker fights against is the powerful, self-perpetuating system that’s already in place. System change is one of the most difficult things to accomplish in leadership.
My favourite writer on this topic is Seth Godin. He sees understanding systems as essential for moral leadership, to be able to see invisible forces that perpetuate inequality, environmental destruction, and social injustice, among other challenges. Once we can understand systems, we can work with them strategically, rather than being controlled by them.
But we can’t tear down entire systems. That’s almost never realistic. Instead, we need what Godin argues for – a strategic intervention within what we have now. That’s where this new Vital Signs report can come in. It shows where we need to intervene so we can figure out what to do next. We must graft system solutions – probably local solutions – onto challenges that right now seem intractable.
For example, in Sarah Fournier’s cover story, we learn how lonely and isolated our new immigrant population is feeling right now. The system that brought them here obviously did not work how it was intended. An early thought from this desk is that the Advocate can help. We can play a role in helping new immigrants connect with employers, each other – and the rest of us. The hope will be this will provide them with a greater sense of agency and create more community cohesiveness.
It’s early days for this report. Look for further analysis from us – and action where we can help.
