Strong relationships between neighbours. Everybody knows at least a few neighbours by name who live on their street or in their building. Volunteerism is common, and an increasing number of residents choose to invest their money locally. People have a strong sense of belonging, including creating space for hard conversations. A strong local community is reflected in our media consumption: social networks have oriented themselves towards locally-focused spaces and groups. We know about international politics but also about the public meetings and festivals happening in our own neighbourhoods. People see and meet a variety of people of different backgrounds and isolation is lessened. Neighbours have the time to start the day with a friendly greeting as they get the mail, shovel snow, take in the recycling, or walk to school and work together. We have plenty of freely-accessible informal gathering places for people of all ages. We’ve developed a culture of generosity in our daily lives by offering space, sharing ideas, lending a hand, and making food for one another.

Mutual aid, support, and solidarity. We enjoy art, cultural activities, and informal gatherings with our neighbours. We form relationships across class differences, ages, disability, and ethnocultural identities. A culture of solidarity takes the place of charity-oriented approaches to social cohesion. There are self-organizing peer support groups for new mothers, 2SLGBTQ+ neighbours, retirees, newcomers, and other affinity groups. There is an increase in representation of Black, Indigenous, and people of colour in organizations to reflect their proportion of the population. People have more meaningful relationships with those of different ethnic, religious, and socioeconomic backgrounds than they had growing up. Everybody has a support system, and those whose families do not live close by can rely on their neighbours for help with childcare, sharing food, meal prepping, gardening together, recreational activities, or working together on a community project. Newcomers, including international students, quickly find support and connection in their new home.

Civic identity. Neighbours participate enthusiastically in civic life by voting, sitting on committees and attending council and school board meetings. We have built strong relationships with sister cities and neighbouring urban areas to promote friendly rivalries and encourage collaboration on larger regional, provincial or national issues. We have built a strong sense of civic identity and pride, while making space for acknowledgment and reconciliation of harms. We come together in religious and secular ceremonies to mark the passing of the seasons, major holidays, celebrate local achievements, honour our heroes, and uplift youth. These ceremonies revive our collective purpose and have replaced some of the consumer behaviors that kept us isolated, such as shopping and staying inside to watch TV and movies. We have strong city-level and neighbourhood-level identities, and take pride in daily interactions with our community. Our idea of community has expanded to include future residents, non-human neighbours, groundwater and ecosystems. Everybody has a meaningful life and purposeful work, and people feel safe inside and outside their homes. Everyday interactions with neighbours are normalized, and this fills us with a sense of hope about the present and the future. We have time to slow down and savour important relationships.

Intergenerational solidarity. We have supportive relationships between older adults, caregivers, and youth that strengthen intergenerational ties. Families and caregivers who have been under-represented in the school system are provided with the resources to be able to effectively advocate for their children and participate in parent involvement committees. Generational segregation and loneliness has significantly reduced with the expansion of multi-generational housing options.

Youth independence. Youth grow up in an inclusive and nurturing environment. They have opportunities to change things and make a difference in their communities. Children have agency to do things on their own, safely, in their neighbourhoods. This includes walking to school, going to the corner store, or playing in the park with their friends. As they get older, youth have freedom of movement throughout the region, helping them achieve independence as they begin to work their first jobs, or go to recreational activities without the need for parents to drive them. Children are not isolated in their own homes. They have a thriving web of relationships, including family- and neighbourhood- level connections, connections in their school, and connections in region-wide activity and interest-based relationships. Children are able to advocate for themselves to educators, healthcare professionals, and other service providers with the support of parents and caregivers.

Civic participation. Neighbours are aware of decisions being made at the neighbourhood level and regional level, and we have a meaningful voice when advocating to decision-makers. We have embraced our identity as a mid-sized region in southwestern Ontario: we don’t seek to become a bedroom community for Toronto. We have established our own arts and culture communities, our own economic anchors, and our own centres of social life that contribute to the identity of Waterloo Region. There is meaningful representation of nonprofits and community groups on school councils, neighbourhood associations, and city committees in order to build connections and identify gaps. People with lived experience are involved in decision-making, making bureaucracies easier to navigate and better able to meet neighbours’ needs. Community organizations are more connected and have more collective power than before. Neighbours have an understanding of local governance and of their ability to participate in democratic processes. Service providers, including governments, have an intimate knowledge of the neighbourhoods where they operate.

Basic needs met. We work to relieve poverty, and ensure that everyone has adequate housing, food, and clothing. Everyone wakes up under a roof and has a nutritious breakfast. People are able to live without anxiety about the necessities of life, affordable, reliable, sustainable housing and food, and a healthy environment free from undue nuisance, pollution, and conflict. Food is affordable and healthy. Activities for children are affordable and there is financial support available for equipment and training.

Safety and representation. We have active participation and representation from women, nonbinary, two-spirit, queer and trans folks in positions of leadership. Gender-diverse neighbours feel comfortable and safe in their neighbourhoods and in public spaces region-wide. Queer and trans folks are safe and comfortable in public life, and we have zero reported hate crimes against 2SLGBTQ+ neighbours. Instances of everyday aggressions and workplace discrimination on the basis of gender has significantly declined. There are safe spaces and supports for those fleeing intimate partner violence, including financial support, childcare, housing, food and community-building.

Allyship. Men are active participants in allyship and gender-based equity programs, such as Male Allies. Allyship is a key part of the shift away from gendered violence. Allyship programs in general, including bystander intervention training, is commonplace for all age groups in workplace and community settings. The widespread adoption of these programs has produced measurable reductions in the violence they seek to prevent.

Universal washrooms. Gendered washrooms in public spaces and workplaces have transitioned toward single-stall facilities. These renovations have multiple benefits for all neighbours including increased availability of healthcare and menstrual products, infant and toddler care, privacy, accessibility, safety, and efficient use of space in buildings.

Belonging: measurable outcomes

• Rate of volunteerism (formal and informal)
• Number of neighbours people recognize and know by name
• Levels of child well-being
• Number of childcare spaces (by neighbourhood)
• Number of seniors’ assisted living facilities (by neighbourhood)
• Instances of gender-based violence
• Rate of domestic labour and caregiving
• Reported rates of suicidal ideation
• Self-reported levels of belonging [Canadian Index of Wellbeing]
• Voter turnout at municipal, provincial, and national levels
• Gap in percentage turnout between older and younger voters [Canadian Index of Wellbeing]
• Percentage of children aged 0 to 5 years for whom there is a regulated centre-based child care space [Canadian Index of Wellbeing]
• Percentage of population living in poverty (based on Low Income Measure After Tax LIM-AT) [Canadian Index of Wellbeing]
• Average daily amount of time spent with friends (minutes per day) [Canadian Index of Wellbeing]
• Rate of bullying [Children and Youth Planning Table Youth Impact Survey]
• Participation in civic activities [Children and Youth Planning Table Youth Impact Survey]
• Participation in public consultation activities