Fifty-four percent of people in the Central Okanagan say things have gotten worse for them in the past two years. Across the country 40 per cent of Canadians feel this way.听
Chief blame for the gloomy view lies with the rising cost of living, which was cited as a concern by 42 per cent of those who said their quality of life had diminished. Other factors were safety concerns, mentioned by nine per cent, and homelessness/poverty, referenced by eight per cent.听
When residents were asked what was the single biggest issue facing the Central Okanagan, 46 per cent said social issues, with transportation problems were mentioned by 39 per cent.听
Pollster Ipsos conducted the survey last fall on behalf of the Central Okanagan Regional District. Similar ones done in recent years by the company for the City of sa国际传媒 have found equally bleak views concerning quality of life among city residents.听
sa国际传媒sa国际传媒 population makes up about 70 per cent of the approximately 225,000 people who live in the Central Okanagan. The next most populated communities are West sa国际传媒, Lake Country, Peachland, and unincorporated areas.听
Although the regional district, which provides services such as dog control and waste pick-up has been around since the 1960s, only half of sa国际传媒-area residents say they are familiar with its role and purpose. Relatively few people feel they have a strong understanding of what the regional district does.听
There are some apparent inconsistencies in the surveysa国际传媒 findings. For example, while 54 per cent say their quality of life has gotten worse in the past two years, 31 per cent say their quality of life is still very good, and 61 per cent say it is good.听
Peachlanders are the most likely Central Okanagan residents to say their quality of life is good or very good, with 97 per cent of residents expressing this view. In sa国际传媒, 92 per cent of residents say their quality of life is good or very good.听
The lowest level of life satisfaction is among the approximately 10,000 people who live on Westbank First Nation land, a number that includes both band members (900) and non-Indigenous people (9,000).
鈥淒espite overall positive perceptions of quality of life, more than half (54 per cent) feel the quality of life in the Central Okanagan has worsened over the past two years,鈥 the Ipsos report states. 鈥淭his is consistent with 2022 but higher than the norm of 40 per cent.鈥
sa国际传媒-area women are more likely than men to believe their quality of life has diminished, and younger people are more likely to feel this way than older people.听