Quality of life index edges up, report says

Ontario's quality of life is slowly improving as the economy continues to boom, but social and environmental problems are undermining progress, according to a report by leading social agencies. "Until we address those problems, we're not going to advance our quality of life in the 21st century," Malcolm Shookner, executive director of the Ontario Social Development Council and author of the report, said yesterday.

The Quality of Life Index, compiled with help from more than 20 social agencies and councils across the province, rose to 97.7 this spring - up slightly from 96.9 last fall, according to the Spring 2000 report. But the index still hasn't reached the benchmark of 100 set in 1990, just before the recession in the early years of the decade. Shookner noted. On the bright side, economic news - while slightly worse than last fall - continues to improve. Bankruptcies are still dropping from a peak two years ago, says the sixth report jointly published by the council and the Social Planning Net work of Ontario. Although the number of people with jobs tell from a peak reached last October. it increased again in April. And the number of unemployed levelled off in the first three months of this year. However, jobs are barely keeping up with population growth, Shookner said.

The "social deficit" continues, led by a dramatic increase in waiting lists for public housing. The lists are swollen by people earning low wages, the loss of rent controls and the withdrawal of senior governments from housing, he said. There were fewer people on welfare compared to six months ago, but the report's authors said they don't know how many were thrown off the rolls by new eligibility rules.

In Toronto, only one of the four broad indicators has improved since 1990: health. Social, economic and environmental indexes have still not recovered. "The number of people forced to rely on social assistance is still higher than in 1990," said Andy Mitchell, program director of the Community Social Planning Council of Toronto. "Even many of the people who are in fact working thanks to the improved economy are working in more marginal jobs, lower wages, more part-lime work," he said.

Province-wide, the number of children taken into care by child welfare authorities is stable, but it's an open question to whether agencies will be able to cope with an increase in workloads expected to follow recent changes in child protection legislation, Shookner said. The changes broaden the definition of child abuse and neglect as a basis for admission to care.

Environmental indicators continue to improve and have been strong throughout the decade, with the success in the blue box recycling program the primary factor. But recent declines in air quality are troubling, Shookner said. The air improved throughout the last decade until 1998, when quality started to go down. Figures for 1999 aren't available yet, but Shookner said he suspects they'll continue to be worse. The number of reports of toxic spills continues to drop. But, Shookner said, "there are questions in how much that decline has to do with changes in how spills are reported."

Health indicators are mixed, but the number of low birth-weight babies declined last year, reflecting in part the impact of prenatal programs. The number of elderly people waiting for long-term care beds remains high but has dropped from its peak in April, 1999, as money promised by the provincial government begins to take effect.