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How Do Montrealers, Torontonians Feel About Their Cities' Neighbourhoods, Housing, Police, Politics, Municipal Services? Survey by York U. Institute for Social Research Finds Striking Similarities, Intriguing Differences
ISR Director Prof. Paul Grayson initiated an annual quality of life survey in January, 1998 to measure the level of satisfaction with the quality of life in Canadian cities. The survey was initially organized to canvass both Toronto and Montreal in 1998, but the ice storm would have made communication difficult, and would invariably have biased the results, so the first survey was confined to Toronto. It was expanded in 1999 to include a comparison with Montreal. The latest survey was conducted between January and February of 1999 through telephone interviews with 400 Torontonians and 400 Montrealers, 18 years of age or older. Survey results for samples of this size are accurate within 4.9 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
Grayson said the on-going surveys help track the effects of short and long-term social changes -- stemming from such policy decisions as municipal amalgamation, provincial downloading of services and changes in the property tax assessment system -- while monitoring any marked differences between how Torontonians and Montrealers feel about various aspects of life in their cities. He said municipal politicians, city planners, and citizens conscious about the quality of life in their communities should take note of the findings. York University's survey is the first, and currently only, annual survey comparing the quality of life in Canada's two largest cities.
The survey results of how Montrealers and Torontonians feel about the quality of their municipal services -- including politics -- neighbourhoods, housing, and leisure activities follow.
Torontonians, Montrealers give thumbs up to parks, garbage collection; Toronto cool to snow removal, but warmer on police services
Synopsis: Both Toronto and Montreal residents are highly satisfied with garbage collection and park maintenance. Torontonians are less satisfied with snow removal while more satisfied than Montrealers with road repair, cleanliness of the city, and police. Torontonians gave a thumbs down to the city's snow removal over the past two years, though results show that citizens said the city's snow removal services were no worse during the great snow of 1999.
Table 1. Quality of Services in Toronto and Montreal
NB *Denotes differences which are statistically significant -- which means they are real differences, and cannot be due to chance Toronto, post-amalgamation, more satisfied with municipal politicians; Montrealers less interested in civic politics, less impressed with politiciansThe new City of Toronto came into being in 1998 amid considerable opposition. By comparing the 1998 responses of Torontonians to those given in 1999, we are able to get some idea of whether amalgamation affected political participation and assessments of politicians. Similarly, by looking at Montrealers' survey responses in 1999, we get some idea of how typical Torontonians are. Synopsis: More Torontonians in 1999 than 1998 correctly named the mayor and their percentage satisfaction with municipal politicians was higher in the former year than the latter. Nonetheless, they were less satisfied with the helpfulness of politicians. If comparisons are made with Montrealers, Torontonians in 1999 were more interested in municipal politics, better able to identify the name of the mayor, more satisfied with the helpfulness of politicians, and slightly less likely to believe that politicians treat all groups fairly. After amalgamation, the interests of Torontonians in municipal politics stayed the same yet exceeded that of Montrealers.
Table 2. Quality of Political Life in Toronto and Montreal
NB *Denotes differences which are statistically significant -- which means they are real differences, and cannot be due to chance Torontonians, Montrealers show high degree of satisfaction with neighbourhoods; share sense of safety in their neighbourhoods during day and nightSynopsis: For all measures, differences between Toronto in 1998 and 1999, and between Toronto and Montreal in 1999, are small. Montrealers frequent neighbourhood food stores slightly more than Torontonians, but when it comes to the frequency of shopping for other things, the reverse is true. There are virtually no differences in how safe Torontonians in 1998 and 1999, and Montrealers in 1999, view neighbourhoods for adults after 11 p.m. and for children during the daytime.
Table 3. Quality of Neighbourhoods in Toronto and Montreal
NB *Denotes differences which are statistically significant -- which means they are real differences, and cannot be due to chance What is not shown in the table is that in 1998, 18 per cent of Torontonians reported membership in a neighbourhood organization, but by 1999 this figure had dropped to 13 per cent. In Montreal, only 11 per cent reported neighbourhood organization membership in 1999. These differences are statistically significant.
Montrealers and Torontonians share 85% satisfaction with their housing Synopsis: Although Montrealers are as satisfied with their housing as Torontonians, fewer own their own homes, live in single detached residences, and feel that ëtheir house is very much a home.' Montrealers, however, pay less in rent and are more satisfied with their landlords than Torontonians.
Table 4. Housing Characteristics: Toronto and Montreal
NB *Denotes differences which are statistically significant -- which means they are real differences, and cannot be due to chance Montrealers less satisfied with libraries than TorontoniansMontrealers, Torontonians applaud their city's sports, bars, restaurants, cinemas, museums; Hogtowners happier with plays, less pleased with festivals Synopsis: While there are some differences in satisfaction with the variety of various leisure time activities available to Torontonians and Montrealers, differences are not large and likely balance one another. Moreover, levels of satisfaction are high for residents of both cities.
Table 5. Quality of Leisure Activities in Toronto and Montreal
NB *Denotes differences which are statistically significant -- which means they are real differences, and cannot be due to chance Results released earlier this month from The Institute for Social Research Quality of Life Survey 1999 have included:
Founded in 1965, the Institute for Social Research (ISR) is an Organized Research Unit at York University. The Institute's purpose is to undertake, promote and critically evaluate applied social research. The Institute, with over thirty years experience in social science, public opinion and policy research, houses the largest University-based survey research unit in Canada.
For more information, please contact:
Dr. Paul Grayson
Sine MacKinnon
Ken Turriff Please note: For more information in French, please contact: (Pour plus d'information en franÁais, s.v.p. communiquer:)
Susan Stowe |
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