Have you noticed that the people you pass on the street are smiling a lot more lately and complaining a lot less?
Are you one of the many local residents who are delighted with the services provided by the city and wouldn’t change a thing?
This is the big picture that emerges from the 2011 Community Satisfaction Survey conducted by Ipsos Reid in the city recently.
The impressions, attitudes and perceptions of Thunder Bay by its citizens are surprisingly positive.
For this survey 500 telephone interviews were conducted with a random selection of residents 18 years of age and older.
The respondents were chosen in proportion to the population distribution. The results have been weighted by age and gender to reflect the true demographics of the city.
When people around here were asked how they like living in Thunder Bay almost everyone seemed very content. Other than a few bumpy roads and some policing issues, life is pretty sweet. At least that’s what folks around here are saying to Ipsos Reid.
When asked about the services currently provided by the city, 86 per cent of those surveyed were very satisfied and 73 per cent thought they were receiving good value for their tax dollars. The quality of life in Thunder Bay was very highly rated by 87 per cent of those questioned.
No kidding. More than 80 per cent of your local friends and neighbors couldn’t be happier living right here in the Great White North. Next time you’re out and about keep an eye open for all those smiling faces.
Thunder Bay is considered a relatively safe city by 70 per cent of those who live here. A smaller number, 60 per cent, feel safe walking at night in their own neighbourhoods.
For families with kids, 75 per cent of parents felt it was safe for them to play outside.
That doesn’t mean our city is crime-free. Victims of crime were identified in 30 per cent of local households. Most of these, 77 per cent, were property crimes occurring in or near the home. Crime did not jump off the page as a major concern for most.
Local respondents were asked what they considered to be top of mind issues. The growth of the local economy was the top concern for 33 per cent. This was down 23 points since the last survey in 2009. For some at least, the local economy must be improving.
Second on the list of top concerns was taxation and spending (16 per cent). I would have expected this to be of greater importance in these tough economic times but that’s not the case here. A coast to coast poll of other municipalities revealed that the top national concerns were Transportation (28 per cent) and Crime (15 per cent).
Revitalization and the Waterfront Project are the top concern of only 11 per cent of those surveyed (down from 17 per cent two years ago). Interest in this project seems to be waning. Maybe the bickering and the huge cost increases are turning people off. It does point out a continuing problem. There is no broad public support for this project. I contend that there never was.
I haven’t ever thought of Thunder Bay as a glass half-full community but the numbers are in. People around here know a good thing when they see one. They seem to be very grateful and appreciative of our natural surroundings, our plentiful clean water and our highly breathable fresh air.
These are the best things in life and even if they aren’t completely free any more, in our city they are reasonably priced and the supply is endless. Many communities around the world would gladly trade places with us. Most of the survey respondents believe this to be true.
Still, I have a sneaking suspicion that there is plenty of complaining going on in this city regardless of how good our community appears to be. Some folks feel it is their civic duty to gripe and criticize.
It’s a type of pre-emptive grumbling to keep city hall on its toes. Maybe it’s working.
When it comes to surveys like this, the numbers can be spun and manipulated to say just about anything. To paraphrase Mark Twain, “there are lies, damn lies and then there are statistics.”
Check out the numbers on line and see what they mean to you.
Most of us living in Thunder Bay know we’ve got a good thing going here. The message to politicians and community leaders is clear. What ever you do, don’t screw it up.
Never forget, our town is already Superior by Nature.
Are you one of the many local residents who are delighted with the services provided by the city and wouldn’t change a thing?
This is the big picture that emerges from the 2011 Community Satisfaction Survey conducted by Ipsos Reid in the city recently.
The impressions, attitudes and perceptions of Thunder Bay by its citizens are surprisingly positive.
For this survey 500 telephone interviews were conducted with a random selection of residents 18 years of age and older.
The respondents were chosen in proportion to the population distribution. The results have been weighted by age and gender to reflect the true demographics of the city.
When people around here were asked how they like living in Thunder Bay almost everyone seemed very content. Other than a few bumpy roads and some policing issues, life is pretty sweet. At least that’s what folks around here are saying to Ipsos Reid.
When asked about the services currently provided by the city, 86 per cent of those surveyed were very satisfied and 73 per cent thought they were receiving good value for their tax dollars. The quality of life in Thunder Bay was very highly rated by 87 per cent of those questioned.
No kidding. More than 80 per cent of your local friends and neighbors couldn’t be happier living right here in the Great White North. Next time you’re out and about keep an eye open for all those smiling faces.
Thunder Bay is considered a relatively safe city by 70 per cent of those who live here. A smaller number, 60 per cent, feel safe walking at night in their own neighbourhoods.
For families with kids, 75 per cent of parents felt it was safe for them to play outside.
That doesn’t mean our city is crime-free. Victims of crime were identified in 30 per cent of local households. Most of these, 77 per cent, were property crimes occurring in or near the home. Crime did not jump off the page as a major concern for most.
Local respondents were asked what they considered to be top of mind issues. The growth of the local economy was the top concern for 33 per cent. This was down 23 points since the last survey in 2009. For some at least, the local economy must be improving.
Second on the list of top concerns was taxation and spending (16 per cent). I would have expected this to be of greater importance in these tough economic times but that’s not the case here. A coast to coast poll of other municipalities revealed that the top national concerns were Transportation (28 per cent) and Crime (15 per cent).
Revitalization and the Waterfront Project are the top concern of only 11 per cent of those surveyed (down from 17 per cent two years ago). Interest in this project seems to be waning. Maybe the bickering and the huge cost increases are turning people off. It does point out a continuing problem. There is no broad public support for this project. I contend that there never was.
I haven’t ever thought of Thunder Bay as a glass half-full community but the numbers are in. People around here know a good thing when they see one. They seem to be very grateful and appreciative of our natural surroundings, our plentiful clean water and our highly breathable fresh air.
These are the best things in life and even if they aren’t completely free any more, in our city they are reasonably priced and the supply is endless. Many communities around the world would gladly trade places with us. Most of the survey respondents believe this to be true.
Still, I have a sneaking suspicion that there is plenty of complaining going on in this city regardless of how good our community appears to be. Some folks feel it is their civic duty to gripe and criticize.
It’s a type of pre-emptive grumbling to keep city hall on its toes. Maybe it’s working.
When it comes to surveys like this, the numbers can be spun and manipulated to say just about anything. To paraphrase Mark Twain, “there are lies, damn lies and then there are statistics.”
Check out the numbers on line and see what they mean to you.
Most of us living in Thunder Bay know we’ve got a good thing going here. The message to politicians and community leaders is clear. What ever you do, don’t screw it up.
Never forget, our town is already Superior by Nature.
