How does one assess a society’s quality of life?
Traditionally, it has been measured using narrow economic measures, such as Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The challenge: activities that negatively impact our wellbeing like smoking, can increase GDP, whereas beneficial activities, like leisure activities, are not considered at all.
Enter the Canadian Index of Wellbeing, developed by a non-partisan organization chaired by the Honourable Roy J. Romanow. The Canadian Index of Wellbeing provides unique insights into Canadians’ quality of life – overall, and in specific areas, such as our standard of living, health, the quality of our environment, and the state of our leisure and culture.
One of their latest reports, “Caught in the Time Crunch – A Report on Time Use, Leisure and Culture in Canada (.pdf),” features research led by CIW director Bryan Smale, a professor in Waterloo's department of recreation and leisure studies.
The trends? Canadians are spending less time on social leisure activities. Participation in physical activities has levelled off. We’re volunteering less for culture/recreation organizations and have witnessed a decline in opportunities to attend performing arts. On the upshot, after years of decline, Canadians’ vacations are becoming somewhat longer, and household spending on culture and recreation is increasing.
"It’s time we had a national dialogue – a dialogue about how we can lead more balanced lives," stresses The Honourable Roy J. Romanow in the report's preface. "We need to make room in our lives for both our obligations and our human needs. And that means lives that satisfy and enrich, not just for some of us, but for all of us. It’s time we enjoyed the kind of personal fulfillment and leisure that Canadians once dared to imagine was possible for ourselves and for future generations."