South Algonquin is one of the most beautiful places on earth. With stunning landscapes in all seasons, outdoor recreation experiences that are second to none, and perhaps the most prized holiday experience of all – quiet repose – it’s no wonder we often hear this region referred to as “God’s Country”. People come here from all walks of life, from all over the world, to replenish what’s lost in the hustle and bustle of city life.
But have you ever wondered whether the people who live in your vacation destinations, the places that fill your bucket, ever need to refill theirs? Let’s explore a little more to discover what it means to “be well” where ever you might find yourself.
Ranging from thriving on one end, to bare survival (or languishing) on the other, wellbeing is a measure of how satisfied we are with the state of our lives.
Some of us are more "well" than others
According to the Angus Reid Institute’s 2023 Life Satisfaction Index, slightly more than half of Canadians in general reported feeling dissatisfied. Also interesting are the patterns of who is dissatisfied and why. Suffice it to say, some of us are more likely to be “well” than others.
At the South Algonquin Business Alliance (SABA), we spend a lot of time thinking about how to set our communities up to thrive. I won’t kid you, it’s tough going. Change is a hard master and an unwelcome guest, and the messenger of change even more so. But guess what? Even if we think we're doing a great job maintaining our systems, change is happening to us anyway and the outcome is not looking good.
In South Algonquin, our population is less than half what it was in the 1980s and still dropping. People struggle. We’ve lost our bank, one of our two mechanics (along with towing services), and tourism businesses are seriously at risk. This past spring at a council meeting, Professor David Robinson of Laurentian University predicted that in one generation, our teeny tiny community of 1055 people will fall off a population cliff as the last of the baby boomers age out. That’s just three census periods. According to South Algonquin's Stats Canada census profile, our median age is 59 years. Madawaska Valley’s is 58, and Killaloe, Hagarty and Richards’ is 54. The examples above may belong to South Algonquin, but the story impacts us all to some degree, throughout the region.
The time is right for a conversation about wellbeing
All of this is to say that if you secretly feel as though thriving is still a goal, take heart. You’re in good company. Whether you feel satisfied or not, wellbeing is a shared concern. The time couldn’t be more right for a conversation about wellbeing in rural places. How will we thrive with a population that’s half or a third of what we have now? Can we thrive? What will governance look like?
I don’t have all the answers but I do know that it is possible to design our futures with growth, vibrancy, abundance, resilience and vitality in mind if we care enough to try. Other communities are doing it, which means we can too. The conversation belongs to those who have the greatest to lose if we don’t – the citizens, residents, and ratepayers. Wellbeing starts with talking to and with each other, looking hard at where and who our policies and processes help and hurt, and doing the work of planning for positive change now, before it happens to us by default and we receive whatever is left over.
The Canadian Index of Wellbeing will be our guide through what I hope will be a lively community conversation about positive and innovative disruption around the world, brought home in a meaningful, local way. We’re going to explore each of the eight areas – living standards, health, environment, communities, education, time use, civic participation and leisure & culture.
We’re going to do this from an asset-based community building (ABCD) perspective. ABCD is a strategy that focuses on what’s strong in communities and how the smallest ideas and actions can lead to thriving.
I think it matters that we aim for a high level of life satisfaction in our rural homes. I hope you do too. I warmly invite you to join the conversation.
Until next time, Angela Pollak, PhD
Chair of the South Algonquin Business Alliance
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