Canadian Index of Wellbeing Survey opens to Oxford County residents

Emily Stewart, Post Correspondent

Oxford County residents can address their concerns affecting their mental health and wellbeing in a survey from now until mid-June.

An Oxford County press release from May 1 announced that the Canadian Index of Wellbeing (CIW) Survey, sponsored by the county and Safe and Well Oxford, is open to residents of Oxford County who are 16 years old and older until June 15. Oxford County will be participating in the survey for the second time since 2016.

"The survey will help us to gather information, specifically, so we can ensure that our Safe and Well Oxford Plan, our community safety and wellbeing plan, reflects actual lived perspectives of residents,” said Warden Marcus Ryan. “What are the things that make them feel well or not well living in Oxford County?"

Nationally, pressing issues have hit communities such as the COVID-19 Pandemic restrictions, inflation, isolation, the cost of living, and now international relations such as tariffs in the past five years. Ryan said the uncertainty of tariffs and other international relations and their impacts are difficult to forecast.

"We can’t predict these things, so all the more reason to talk to residents and say specifically, I know you're anxious about a lot of stuff, but specifically, what are those things and then we can say what are the things that Oxford County can do to address these things.”

He said any concerns the county’s municipal politicians and staff cannot address on their own can then be brought to the attention of other stakeholders.

“I’m sure we will hear in the survey about access to doctors and things like that. Oxford County does not employ doctors or operate clinics, but it means we can talk to our MPPs or MPs,” Ryan explained. “We can talk to Ministry of Health and say here’s the things our residents are struggling with and it’s really hard for us to address say, homelessness, mental health, and addictions if there aren’t enough doctors locally for those people to get those help to help them if we’re only doing the housing part and we’re not doing the healthcare part.”

The warden is encouraging all eligible residents to participate in the survey and then get their family, friends, and neighbours to do the same.

"It's not a quick survey, but this is not a simple issue. You know how well do you feel is not a simple question to ask and answer. We put a lot of work into this with the Canadian Index of Wellbeing to try and come up with questions that we think are relevant to Oxford residents and I would really encourage every resident 16 or older to complete the survey and tell us how they feel about these issues,” he said. “If we're better informed, we'll at least have the ability to make better decisions to help the residents, but we need them to tell us how they’re really doing."

The CIW is at the University of Waterloo and is a national, non-partisan independent group. Its survey collects data on community vitality, work-life balance, living standards, health, education, environmental sustainability, democratic participation and participation in cultural and leisure activities.

Safe and Well Oxford prioritizes addressing substance misuse, affordable housing, mental health, diversity, equity, and inclusion, and gender-based violence across eight of Oxford County’s municipalities.

Participants will be entered in a draw for a one in 10 chance to win a $100 gift card from a local business. To fill out the survey online, visit www.speakup.oxfordcounty.ca/wellbeing-survey. Paper surveys can be requested by calling 1-800-755-0394.