In the spring of 2009, HCIA plans to issue a Community Well-Being Report - and we'll really need your help to create it. Because this report will truly take the measure of our community's overall well-being, we'll be looking to you and to other members of our region for vital information, input, and feedback.

Some of the core questions the report will address are:

• what makes our community a great one to live in?
• how can we make it even better?
  
• are the decisions we make as a community making a difference?
  

The report will take into account a myriad of factors, from housing affordibility to whether or not there are enough jobs in our region to air quality and its effect on health, street safety and much much more. We'll also measure our region's performance on key economic, social and environmental indicators, and generate a snapshot of important facets of community life.

So. There are several benefits to a Well-Being Report.

A regional overview: The report will bridge sectors and municipal boundaries to provide a comprehensive picture of well-being throughout the region.

A barometer of change: The first report will provide a benchmark. Through repetition every two or three years, future reports will help us identify trends and evolving issues.

A tool for action: The report will assist municipal councils, businesses and community organizations develop consensus and plan collaboratively on shared goals and issues.

And here's how you can help
(thanks for reading this far!).

To truly measure a community's well-being, we need feedback from that community. Building on the best practices from communities in Canada and internationally, and the ideas of numerous community members, our Working Group has developed a draft framework for the report, tailored to our region's unique needs and values.

You can help us make sure we've got it right. In the fall, Headwaters Communities in Action will ask you to share your thoughts and opinions in two ways:

Survey: you can complete a brief survey online or by hand to tell us about what you value most in your community.

Community Focus Groups: join a roundtable where you can share your recommendations, and help us to set priorities for what's to be measured.

We'll be sending you more information about these opportunities in the near future. Thanks. We can't do this without you!

Please contact us at action@headwaterscommunities.ca for more information about this project.