An investmentin improvingour well-being

WINNIPEG’SCOMMUNITYINDICATORS

“Like monitoring your own blood pressureto stay healthy, Peg is tracking Winnipeg’swell-being to improve our quality of life.” – Cathy Steven, Executive Director, Health In Commonand Member, PEG Steering Committee

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“As a city, we need to knowthat we are making progressand be encouraged to domore. We must also learnfrom our mistakes. Peg helpsus do all this.”– Jim Carr, President and CEO, Business Council of Manitoba

www.mypeg.ca

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Peg is a CommunityIndicators System thatmeasures the well-being of WinnipegThe “Peg” is a common nickname forWinnipeg. This is why it was chosen as thename of this vital project. The word itselfsignifies marking one’s place, symbolizes“pegging a problem or a solution” andultimately, “pegging our progress as acommunity.”

Peg’s framework consists of eight keytheme areas; each to be populated witha set of indicators and stories to helpassess community well-being in Winnipegon an ongoing basis. At present, Peg has13 pilot indicators, populating four of thetheme areas along with 23 related stories.

Developed by the community toaccurately assess Winnipeg’s well-beingon an ongoing basis, these key themeareas are as follows:

Basic Needs :: food, shelter, security

Health :: physical, mental and social

Education :: life-long learning

Social Vitality :: energy, inclusion andengagement

Governance :: equal opportunities

Economy :: from producer and distributorto consumer

Built Environment :: human-made

Natural Environment :: a sustainableenvironment

Community indicators aremeasurements that provideinformation about trends—past and present. Theygenerate keen insights intothe direction of anycommunity. Indicators cantell you whether a city isimproving, declining,staying the same or acombination of all three. In essence, indicators chartthe interplay among acommunity’s social,environmental andeconomic well-being.Today, over 15 cities across Canada and hundredsmore worldwide use community indicator systemsto help guide their decisions, progress and futures.Now Winnipeg has joined them--since indicatorsalso help drive and mobilize individuals, groupsand organizations to strive for sustainable change.

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Peg’s website is an accessible,reliable, online community resourceavailable to all Winnipeggers

www.mypeg.caJust by visiting www.mypeg.ca—individuals, groups and organizations

may track facts, figures, charts and real-life stories about Winnipeg.

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Peg’s Goal :: To engage, guide and inform Winnipeggers’ decision-making,collective actions and ultimately help achieve short and long-term progress thatreflects their values, hopes and dreams

Peg’s Mission :: To build the knowledge and capacity of Winnipeggers to worktogether to achieve and sustain the well-being of current and future generations

Peg benefits Winnipeggers from all walksof life. Prime examples include:

• Students and educators of all ages researchingschool, college and university projects

• Non-profit organizations gathering data totailor programs to fit the needs of Winnipeggers

• Community groups and members wanting tolearn about the strengths, weaknesses and needsof their neighbourhoods and the city, as a whole

• Newcomers and visitors wanting to learn aboutWinnipeg, its neighbourhoods and its people

• Government departments collecting dataabout Winnipeg; studying, comparing andcontrasting impacts of various policies over time

• Business owners assessing trends that impacttheir customers and help define where theymight want to get involved in the community

Developed by andfor Winnipeggers,Peg uses acommunity-drivenstructure to ensure it remains relevant,transparent andaccountable to thepeople of this cityIt is led by a consortium ofpartners and collaboratorsheaded by United Way ofWinnipeg and the InternationalInstitute for SustainableDevelopment (IISD).

For a complete list of partnersand collaborators, please visitwww.mypeg.ca/credits

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Peg’s community indicators provide relevantfacts, figures and first-hand stories from peopleall over the city to help inform decision-makingand guide positive collective action

www.mypeg.ca

How Peg’s data helps parents, children and communities

The collecting of information “validates what we know,” according to staffat the Elmwood Parent Child Coalition. “It helps to identify needs anddevelop programs that assist families.” With this data, Coalition staff canexplain why gaps should be addressed. Data like this “raises awareness …and gives people the opportunity to buy in and work together.”– Theresa McCombs and Cath McFarlane, Elmwood Parent Child Coalition, Winnipeg

For Theresa and Cath’s story, visit www.mypeg.ca

How Peg’s data contributes to research on teen pregnancy

Professor Noralou Roos says that Peg helps the community seeconnections between real issues and indicators. For example, teenmotherhood and indicators like lack of resources for early childhooddevelopment, insufficient help to encourage high school graduationand poor access to subsidized care in the core. As she points out, “Youaddress those problems and you are going to solve a significant partof the teen birth problem.”– Professor Noralou Roos, researcher, University of Manitoba

For Noralou’s story, visit www.mypeg.ca

How Peg’s storytelling serves education and learning

Just as Peg places great value on storytelling, so does Marc Kuly.Based on his recent work with the Many Voices, One World project inthe Manitoba School Improvement Program, he is convincedstorytelling and public performance help students find commonbonds with their classmates. As Marc has witnessed first-hand,storytelling is “discovering purpose, discovering common cause.”– Marc Kuly, teacher, Gordon Bell High School, Winnipeg

For Marc’s story, visit www.mypeg.ca

7“Peg is a valuable addition to Winnipeg’s socialinfrastructure. Its innovative technology andengagement processes will help spark positivecollective action throughout the community.”– Darren Swanson, Director, IISD Measurement andAssessment Program

• Identifying the next theme areato be developed and populatedwith indicators

• Keeping the indicators in thepresent system up-to-date

• Collecting and presenting morereal-life stories from Winnipeggers

• Exploring more ways to worktogether to enhance Winnipeg'swell-being, and

• Measuring the short and long-term impact(s) of Peg as aproject and as a website

Just like Winnipeg, Peg will continueto grow and evolve. Peg staff willcontinuously welcome and seekinput from individuals, groups andorganizations all over the city toensure www.mypeg.ca provides anaccurate, ongoing portrait ofWinnipeg’s well-being—that isaccessible 365 days a year.

Peg

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United Way Registered Canadian Charitable Organization # 119278513RR0001

IISD Registered Canadian Charitable Organization # 2720 2349 RR 0001

International Institute for Sustainable Development

Established in 1990, IISD is a non-partisan, charitable organization specializing in research,analysis and information exchange. Our Vision: Better living for all—sustainably. Through ourhead office in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada and our branches in Ottawa, New York andGeneva, we apply human ingenuity to improve the well-being of the world’s environment,economy and society.

United Way of Winnipeg

United Way's priorities are determined by Winnipeggers' priorities. We support strategies andprograms in three main areas: Education, Income and Health - all of which are universalessentials for a good life. United Way ensures an essential network of programs and services byproviding support to nearly 100 agency partners. Each plays a vital role in our overall strategyto ensure lasting, positive change by addressing the underlying causes of our city's mostchallenging social issues.

For moreinformationabout Peg,please contact:

CHRISTA RUSTPeg Project Manager International Institute for Sustainable Development

161 Portage Ave East, 6th flr, Winnipeg, MB R3B 0Y4

(204) 958-7719crust@iisd.ca

HEATHER BLOCK Strategic Initiatives ManagerUnited Way of Winnipeg

580 Main Street, Winnipeg, MB R3B 1C7

(204) 924-4267hblock@UnitedWayWinnipeg.mb.ca