Look through the Portal. Envision the Future. #cindertoflame

Cinder to Flame Look through the Portal Envision the Future

Imagine… A city, municipality, or community where everyone can afford a safe place to live, healthy food to eat, transportation and technology for communication, and receive timely access to health care.

Gross domestic product only reflects how well the economy is growing. It does not integrate other factors that contribute to quality of life. At the University of Waterloo, the Canadian Index of Well-being’s vision is to promote well-being through reports on the quality of life across Canada and at each government level to inform decision-making. Their findings prior to COVID-19 reported a widening gap between economic growth and well-being. Canadians have less time to enjoy life and are struggling to improve work-life balance.

The government of Canada has published intentions “toward a quality of life strategy for Canada” but has not matched New Zealand’s progress where measurable quality of life frameworks have been embedded into government decision-making and budgeting processes.

Governments (at every level) spend money on health and well-being policies, messaging and programs. However, their effectiveness is impacted by the high cost of living. Today, middle income families struggle with affordable housing and following Health Canada guidelines for healthy eating (such as filling half your plate with fruit and vegetables). Cost of living is associated with quality of life, health and well-being.

Statistics Canada describes cost of living as a “notion of the minimum amount of money that would be necessary in different periods of time to ensure a given level of well-being”. Cost of living has a direct link to each level of government spending and there is a cascading effect of fiscal accountability, from federal down to municipal government. The critical and unavoidable spending associated with navigating through the pandemic had a profound impact on budget deficits. Canadian Cities are projecting budget deficits into future years with no planned end in sight. Budget deficits are a risk to future sustainable, quality living.

Health care is largely funded by government, meaning tax payers. Any Corporation who receives government funding is accountable for judicious spending to ensure current and future access to essential services. There is a strong connection between the role of municipalities in promoting healthy communities and the provision of health care. Affordable housing and food security are two key factors (among the social determinants of health) that directly impact health care usage and spending.

Cinder to Flame helps Corporations solve complex challenges with strategic services that energize people, fuel a healthy corporate culture and ignite major innovation.

Look through the portal. Envision the future. How can your Corporation support a social purpose that helps people in communities achieve sustainable, quality living?

Navigate to Cinder to Flame’s vision and mission: https://www.cindertoflame.ca/vision

Here are the links to two resources cited:

Home | Canadian Index of Wellbeing | University of Waterloo (uwaterloo.ca)

Measuring What Matters: Toward a Quality of Life Strategy for Canada - Canada.ca

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