Trends related to each

Benefit Message

acting on the trends that matter

Benefits Trends

The Benefits Catalogue has proven that our work and services:
 are essential to personal health and well-being
 provide the key to balanced human development
 provide a foundation for quality of life
 reduce self-destructive and anti-social behaviour
 build strong families and healthy communities
 reduce health care, social service and police/justice costs
 are a significant economic generator
 and that green spaces are essential to environmental and
ecological wellbeing, even survival.

RETHINK (West) Inc.

Health Benefits/Challenges

 in general, the % of Canadians who

rate their health as excellent or very
Recreation, active good is decreasing
living, sport, arts,
 the trend in killer diseases is up –
culture and parks particularly cancer
are essential to
 Diabetes rates are rising dramatically
personal health
 Obesity rates are rising at an alarming
– recreation is a key rate
determinant of  more teenagers are reporting health
health status. problems
 good news for rates of depression and
circulatory disease.

RETHINK (West) Inc.

Human Development Benefits/Challenges

 in general, public education is

struggling financially and being forced
back to basics
Recreation, active
 extra-curricular activities have been
living, sport, arts, on the decline for some time
culture and parks
 colleges and universities are shifting
are key to to increased focus on professional
balanced human preparation
development –  companies are being forced to cut
helping back on training and development
Canadians reach  leisure learning is less common –
for their potential replaced by focus on specific activities
or skill sets
 note growth in demand for experiential
learning through travel and tourism.

RETHINK (West) Inc.

Quality of Life Benefits/Challenges

 The Institute of Well-Being has created a

Canadian Index of Wellbeing (CIW) – a
composite considering:
 Standard of living
Recreation, active  Our health
 Quality of our environment’
living, sport, arts,  Education and skill levels
culture, parks and  The way we use our time
 The vitality of our communities
greenspace are  Participation in the democratic process
essential to  State of our arts, culture and recreation.
quality of life and  Early work looking at 1994-2008 shows
a sense of place. that our GDP is increasing at a much
faster rate than our overall wellbeing or
quality of life.
 Public surveys show increasing interest in
and commitment to pursuit of quality of life

RETHINK (West) Inc.

Self-Destructive and Anti-Social Behaviour

 decline in substance abuse rates

 decline in depression rates
Recreation, sport,  decline in crime rates – both property
arts and outdoor crime and violent crime
pursuits enhance  Canadians are reporting higher levels of
quality of life by perceived personal safety (e.g. walking
alone after dark)
reducing
self-destructive  decrease in percentage of Canadians
experiencing discrimination because of
and anti-social ethnicity, race, culture, skin colour,
behaviour religion or language

RETHINK (West) Inc.

Strong families and healthy communities

 reduction in % of couples with children

 increase in % of one-person
Recreation, sport, households and common law living
arts, culture and  increase in #/% of latch key children
parks build strong  divorce rates steady
individuals,  increase in % of Canadians reporting a
families and ‘very strong’ sense of community
healthy belonging
communities.  The Institute of Wellbeing reports that
the wellbeing of Canadians as
measured by the quality of their
relationships and community vitality is
improving – based on rates of
voluntarism, providing unpaid care and
assistance, concern about others.

RETHINK (West) Inc.

Economic Benefits/Challenges

 obvious economic downturn

 unemployment and underemployment
Recreation, sport, rates up
arts, culture and  some improvement in poverty rates
parks are  delayed retirement imperative
significant  Tourism (our sister industry)
economic experiencing significant downturn –
generators in security, health and economic issues
your community.  Canadians on average are better off –
but income and wealth inequality
increasing
 the social safety net continues to fray,
providing less support for the
disadvantaged.

RETHINK (West) Inc.

Environmental Benefits/Challenges

 increasing public concern about the

environment
 % land in protected status increasing
Parks, open spaces,
natural areas and  gradual improvements in water and air
pollution levels
green spaces are
essential to  loss of biodiversity continues – #
species at risk increasing
environmental
wellbeing and  poor international national record re.
climate change, ozone depletion,
ecological energy use, waste management and
survival. pesticide/fertilizer utilization

RETHINK (West) Inc.

Pay now (prevention) or pay more later …
Total expenditure, all levels of government - $ millions
120,000

100,000

Recreation/Culture
80,000
Health
Social Services
60,000
Protection
Environment
40,000
Education

20,000

0
1988 2004
RETHINK (West) Inc.
Kitchen and Slack, Trends in Public Finance in Canada
Key Question – Key Strategy

Question
Is your organization committed to improving health,
human development, social/community, economic
and environmental outcomes for the community
it serves.
NO 1 2 3 4 5 YES

Strategy
Review your policies and plans to position your ability and capacity
to deliver the benefits/outcomes that are important to your community.
Leverage your resources through strategic alliances with health,
social service, education, justice, economic development and
environmental organizations.

RETHINK (West) Inc.

www.foresight-trendscan.blogspot.com

RETHINK (West) Inc.