Over 20 indicators have now been updated on the Victoria Foundation’s Vital Victoria: Greater Victoria Data Hub. From safety and housing to health & wellness, the updated indicators address a range of issue areas.
Sense of Belonging
One indicator that was updated was ‘Sense of Belonging’, which can be found under the Belonging & Engagement issue area. As one of the health characteristics in the 2019/20 Canadian Community Health Survey, 72.5% of the population aged 12 and over in the South Vancouver Island Health Service Delivery Area “reported their sense of belonging to their local community as being very strong or somewhat strong”. Research shows a high correlation of sense of community-belonging with physical and mental health.
This indicator corresponds with Sustainable Development Goal 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all ages.
Housing Completions
Another indicator that was updated is ‘Housing Completions’. Found under the ‘Housing’ issue area, data was pulled from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s Starts and Completions Survey. This indicator represents the number of dwellings in new, completed structures in a given area. Data is measured by way of site visits to confirm the stages reached during the construction process. This research is conducted on a monthly basis in higher populated areas (view detailed research methodology). In 2017, there were 2,526 housing completions in Victoria, British Columbia. This increased by 55% in 2021 with 3,907 housing completions.
This indicator corresponds with Sustainable Development Goal 11: Make cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.
Crime Rate
A third updated indicator is ‘Overall Crime Rate’, found under the ‘Safety’ issue area. It measures
“number of actual incidents per 100,000 population”. According to the most recent incident-based crime statistics, “data from the previous year are revised to reflect any updates or changes that have been received from the police services” (view detailed research methodology). The study found that, overall, there were 6,691 crimes per 100,000 population in 2020 in Victoria, British Columbia which marks a 24.54% decrease over the past decade.
This indicator corresponds with Sustainable Development Goal 16: Promote just, peaceful and
inclusive societies.
Statistics Canada 2021 Census of Population
Indicator data on Greater Victoria’s Data Hub is pulled from a range of sources including Statistics Canada’s Census Program. Every five years, the agency conducts a nationwide census centered on capturing “a detailed statistical portrait of Canada and its people by their demographic, social and
economic characteristics”. The overall response rate in 2021 was 98% with a recorded population of 37 million. Many new questions measured equity, diversity and inclusion. Questions on gender were also included, making Canada the first country to provide census data on transgender and non-binary people.
Statistics Canada is gradually releasing census data throughout 2022 according to seven major themes. As these datasets are made available, the Victoria Foundation will update the data hub. Stay tuned!
How do you navigate Greater Victoria’s Data Hub?
Divided into 11 key themes, including ‘Belonging & Engagement’, ‘Environmental Sustainability’, ‘Housing’ and more, each theme contains a series of indicators. The majority of indicators contain a description, SDG, and graph tab.
Watch our instructional video below to learn how to navigate the Greater Victoria Data Hub.
About Vital Victoria: Greater Victoria’s Data Hub
Each year, the Victoria Foundation conducts a Vital Signs survey that measures the vitality of our
region, identifies concerns, and supports action on issues that are critical to our quality of life. To
complement the distribution of the results, we released the Greater Victoria Data Hub in 2021. With over 60 indicators on the quality of life in Greater Victoria and its demographics, drawing on respected institutional data sources, this user-friendly data hub provides open access to up-to-date important regional data.
Our annual Vital Signs magazine sharing our Vital Signs survey findings is released every autumn. The citizen opinion data collected in our survey helps us connect philanthropy to community needs and opportunities, which is a key part of our granting process.