Stories about community, loneliness, and belonging in Canada
In 1986, nearly half of Canadians saw a friend on any given day. By 2022, that number had collapsed to one in five. The decline did not happen suddenly. It crept in, one small optimization at a...
Thirty-seven percent of Torontonians report feeling lonely at least three days a week. Forty-three percent say they never interact with their neighbours. Inside Canada's loneliest city.
Half of Vancouver residents say it is difficult to make friends. The phenomenon has a name, a reputation, and now a growing body of research behind it.
Run clubs grew 59% in a single year. Gen Z is four times more likely to meet people through exercise than at a bar. Something is shifting.
Nearly half a million people arrive in Canada each year. 57% of immigrants report being lonely. Settlement services focus on employment and documents, not friendship.
The U.S. Surgeon General compared the health effects of chronic loneliness to smoking fifteen cigarettes a day. In Canada, the hidden cost may exceed $15 billion.
One-third of Canada's 27,000 faith buildings are expected to close within a decade. With them goes the community infrastructure that held neighbourhoods together.
1.54 million Canadians play monthly. 340% growth in five years. The fastest-growing sport in Canadian history is not really about the sport at all.
Six in ten Canadians feel disconnected from their community. Sixteen percent say they never feel a sense of belonging at all. The numbers paint a stark picture.