Most people have a deep need to feel they belong: to a culture, to a community, to a cause. Communities are stronger when citizens put their energies toward civic responsibility, respect for others, social well-being and volunteerism.

• Federal Election Voter Turnout
• Municipal Voter Turnout
• The Volunteer Rate
• The Sense of Community Belonging
• Community Newspaper Circulation
• The Number of Charities
• The Number of Charitable Tax Filers
• Median Charitable Donations

Note: Unless otherwise indicated, references to "Kitchener" refer to the Kitchener Census Metropolitan Area (CMA).

Federal Election Voter Turnout is a measure of how politically engaged the population is.

• Waterloo Region: 66.8 %
• Toronto: 64.5 %
• Sudbury: 66.0 %
• Guelph: 70.8 %
• Ottawa: 73.1 %

Source: Elections Canada Official Voting Reaults. Wat Rgn = 3 ridings: Kitchener Centre; Kitchener-Conestoga; Kitchener-Waterloo; Source: Elections Canada, Official Voting Results 2000, Thirty-eighth General election Table 11: Voting Results by Electoral District, Thirty-ninth general election Table 11:Voting Results by Electoral District retrieved from www.elections.ca; Wikipedia electoral riding placements

Municipal Voter Turnout measures how politically engaged the public is at the local level.

• Waterloo Region: 26.58 %
• Kitchener: 24.5 %
• Waterloo: 28.66 %
• Cambridge: 26.33 %
• Hamilton: 37.25 %
• London: 42.9 %
• Windsor: 38.2 %

Source: Municipal Websites, Municipal staff

The Volunteer Rate is an indication of how many people want to help their neighbours.

• Waterloo Region: 27.1 %
• Toronto: 20 %
• Sudbury: 27.5 %
• Ottawa: 29.3 %

Source: Canadian Council on Learning, 2006 , based on Statistics Canada, National Survey of Giving, Volunteering and Participating. Special Request http://www.ccl-cca.ca/CCL/Reports/CLI2007?Language=EN

The Sense of Community Belonging is an indicator of community health.

• Waterloo Region: 62.9 %
• Hamilton: 64.7 %
• Windsor: 65.0 %
• London: 65.3 %

Source: Canada Health Survey, http://www.statcan.ca/english/freepub/82-221-XIE/2006001/tables/t012b.pdf

Community Newspaper Circulation (weeklies, etc.) is an indicator of the level of interest in local issues and happenings.

• Waterloo Region: 99,148
• Windsor: 29,881
• Hamilton: 66,553
• London: 107,623

Source: Ontario Community Newspapers Association, http://www.ocna.org/index.html

The Number of Charities is an indicator of how comprehensive the "helping network" is in the community.

• Waterloo Region: 20.6
• Hamilton: 14.7
• Windsor: 15.3
• London: 19.7

Source: CRA, http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/ebci/haip/srch/sec/SrchLogin-e?login=true&searchType=Registered

The Number of Charitable Tax Filers is an indication of the participation rate in charitable giving in the community.

• Waterloo Region: 29.4 %
• Toronto: 25.7 %
• Sudbury: 25.8 %
• Guelph: 30.1 %
• Ottawa: 30.5 %

Source: Statistics Canada Table 111-0001; http://cansim2.statcan.ca/cgi-win/cnsmcgi.exe?Lang=E&RootDir=CII/&ResultTemplate=CII/CII___&Array_Pick=1&ArrayId=1110001

Median Charitable Donations is an indicator of the generosity of the residents to their own and to other communities.

• Waterloo Region: $290
• Sudbury: $210
• Guelph: $270
• Ottawa: $290
• Toronto: $250

Source: Statistics Canada, Table 111-0001, http://cansim2.statcan.ca/cgi-win/cnsmcgi.exe?Lang=E&RootDir=CII/&ResultTemplate=CII/CII___&Array_Pick=1&ArrayId=1110001