Belonging & Leadership

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A sense of community is giving of one’s time, talent and treasure. Importantly, a sense of community is indicative of a city’s vitality. Over half of London’s population reports being engaged in unpaid volunteer activities, higher than both provincial and national averages. Over 66% of Londoners feel a sense of belonging and being part of what makes London a vibrant and healthy place to live.

Improve youth involvement in leadership programs

Encourage involvement from London communities

Promote volunteerism and philanthropy throughout the community

Key Report Findings (click to expand)

Voter Turnout

Voter turnout for the 2006 Federal Election in London was 66.4%. This turnout was 2.6% higher than the national average (64.7%) and 0.3% lower than the provincial average (66.6%). Conversely, data presented for municipal voter turnout in the City of London shows an increasing trend from the years 2000, 2003 and 2006 with respect to the percentage of individuals who participated in municipal elections.

City of London Municipal Voter Turnout	Number of People	Percent of Population
2006	102,637	42.3%
2003	95,753	35.9%
2000	81,212	32.7%

Source: City of London
Related Articles:
Table X-3: Percentage Voter Turnout for 2000, 2004, 2006 Federal Elections for Vital Signs CMAs and CAs
Appendix Table X-3: Voter Turnout in Vital Signs Communities
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Volunteer Rate

In 2004, in London, 52.1% of persons aged 15 years and older were engaged in unpaid volunteer activities. This is slightly above the provincial volunteer rate of 50.4% and well above the national rate of 45.3%.
Volunteer Rate for London CMA, Ontario and Canada 2000 and 2004

	(CLI 2006 Index)	(CLI 2008 Index)
	2000	2004	Percentage change 2000-2004
Canada	27.0	45.3	67.8
Ontario	25.0	50.4	101.6
London	32.9	52.1	58.4

Source: Canadian Council on Learning, based on Statistics Canada, National Survey of Giving, Volunteering and Participating (conducted for 2000 and 2004).
Note: Geographic units appear to be defined in terms of communities which are on the basis of municipal boundaries rather than CMAs. However, the boundaries are not specifically indicated.
Definition: Proportion of Canadians engaged in unpaid volunteer activities as part of a group or organization, according to the Canada Survey of Giving, Volunteering and Participating. (No age was specified on website)

Related Articles:
Table X-2: Volunteer Rate for Vital Signs, 2000 and 2004
Appendix Table X-2-a: Volunteer Rate based on Persons Reporting Hours of Unpaid Care or Assistance to Seniors, 1996, 2001 and 2006
Appendix Table X-2-b: The Number of Volunteers and the Volunteer Ratio for the Provinces of Vital Signs Communities and the Annual Average and Median Hours the Volunteers Volunteer, 2004
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Sense of Community

In 2007 in London and Middlesex, 66.1% of the population 12 years and over reported a strong or somewhat strong sense of community belonging. Compared to the national and provincial estimates (62.0% and 63.0%), the estimates for the London area are slightly higher.
Population 12 and over Reporting A Strong or Somewhat Strong Sense of Community Belonging, London Health Region, Ontario and Canada 2003, 2005 and 2007, %

	2003	2005	2007
Canada	61.6	62.3	62.0
Ontario	62.3	63.4	63.0
London Health Region: Middlesex-London Health Unit	62.9	65.3	66.1

Source: Statistics Canada.
Related Articles:
Table X-7: Population 12 and over Reporting A Strong or Somewhat Strong Sense of Community Belonging, by Province and Health Region, 2003,2005 and 2007, Per cent
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Charitable Donations

With the median charitable donations of donors amounting to $300 in 2006, donations in London were 20.0% higher than the national level ($250) and 3.2% below the provincial level ($310). Median donations have increased 42.9% from $210 in 1997.
Charitable Donors as a Proportion of Tax Filers for London CMA, Ontario and Canada, Current Dollars 1997-2006

	Canada	Ontario	London
1997	25.7	28.1	31.0
1998	25.8	28.3	31.2
1999	25.5	28.0	30.8
2000	25.5	28.2	31.1
2001	25.2	27.6	30.3
2002	25.1	27.3	29.9
2003	24.9	27.0	29.6
2004	25.4	27.7	29.9
2005	25.0	27.1	29.6
2006	24.6	26.6	29.2
% change, 1997–2006	-4.1	-5.4	-5.8
% change, 2001–2006	-2.3	-3.7	-3.7

Source: Statistics Canada.
Related Articles:
Table X-1: Charitable Donors as a Proportion of Tax Filers for Vital Signs Communities, Current Dollars, 1997-2006
Table X-4: Median Charitable Donations for Donors in Vital Signs Communities, Current Dollars, 1997-2006
Appendix Table X-1-a: Charitable Giving in Vital Signs Communities* from the Canadian Council on Learning, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008
Appendix Table X-1-b: Charitable Donor Rate by Province (%), 2004
Appendix Table X-4: Average and Median Donations of Donors in the Provinces of Vital Signs Communities, 2004
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RELATED LINKS

Household Spending on Social Clubs
Table X-5: Spending on Social Clubs and Other Organizations and Use of Recreation Facilities for Vital Signs CMAs and Economic Regions, 2003 and 2006

Women in Municipal Government
Table X-6: Female City Councilors as a Per cent of All City Councilors in Selected Vital Signs CMAs, 2003

Overall Rankings of Vital Signs Communities
Appendix Table X-7-i: Social, Political, Economic and Overall Rankings of Vital Signs Communities, 2000

How Cohesive are Canadian CMA's
Appendix Table X-7-ii: Political Legitimacy, Political Participation, Economic Inclusion and Equality, Social Belonging and Recognition, 2003

LOCAL LINKS

Municipal Elections Information
http://www.london.ca/Elections/default.htm

Elections Canada
http://www.elections.ca/home.asp

Volunteer Services: London
http://relocatecanada.com/london/vol.html

Volunteer in Our Retirement Community
http://london.ontarioretirementcommunity.com/gr_volunteer_opportunities.htm

Giving and Volunteering in London
http://givingandvolunteering.com/factsheets/1997_ON_giving_and_volunteering_in_london.asp

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