How strong is our sense of belonging? What connections do we feel to our community? Are we ready to get more involved?
Across BC we are active in our communities and report high levels of trust and safety in our neighbourhoods. We know how to be more involved in our communities, but there are opportunities for better connections.
Adding a little shoe spice to the stacks … by Enokson is license under CC BY 2.0
Our sense of belonging in BC
Q5. How would you describe your sense of belonging to your local neighbourhood?
Total respondents = 7,137
Across the province, 66% of us describe our sense of belonging to our local neighbourhood as strong, but only 18% describe it as very strong suggesting room to further strengthen our local connections. We feel the same about belonging regardless of gender, and feel a stronger sense of belonging as we grow older and live longer in our community. Our sense of belonging also increases if we have a spouse or partner (regardless of whether or not we have children), or if we are a single parent. Our sense of belonging is lower if we are a student, unemployed, or of Chinese origin.
Most of us trust the people in our neighbourhood
But we feel unsure if people moving onto our street would be welcomed
Fewer than half of us feel that someone new moving onto our street would be welcomed into the neighbourhood, and only 13% of us strongly believe so.
We are less likely to think someone new moving onto our street would be welcomed if we are 25-34 (36%), and more likely if we are 75+ (57%).
Across BC, our responses range from a low of 33% to a high of 64%, suggesting room for improvement in all regions.
Reading the Pictures by Dru Bloomfield is license under CC BY 2.0
45
agree that someone new moving onto their street would be welcomed into the neighbourhood
We know about opportunities to be more involved in our communities
94
have participated in a community activity in the last year
Q4. Thinking about the last 12 months, please indicate if you have done any of the following in your community.
Total respondents = 7,137
72
have visited a local library, community or recreation centre
Q4. Thinking about the last 12 months, please indicate if you have done any of the following in your community.
Total respondents = 7,137
71
know about opportunities to get more involved in our community
Q7. If you wanted to contribute or be more involved in your community, would you know what opportunities exist to do so?
Total respondents = 7,137
Welcome by Richard Matthews is license under CC BY 2.0
Our top opportunities for strengthening connections
Across BC, our most common suggestion for getting involved in community is through volunteering. Our interest in volunteering remains the same regardless of our income, education, age, or family status.
However, the biggest opportunity to strengthen community connections is by participating in a neighbourhood project. The gap between those interested in participating in a local project, and those that have done so, represents the greatest opportunity to invite people across BC to strengthen communities together.