Windsor-Essex's 2026 Vital Signs® Survey

Welcome to the 2026 Vital Signs® Survey

Thank you for taking the time to offer your responses.

Who is the WindsorEssex Community Foundation (WECF)?

The WECF is a leader in philanthropy - helping build a better Windsor-Essex by attracting and managing legacy funds, making grants to support local charities and programs, and bringing community partners together.

What is the Vital Signs Program?

Vital Signs^® is a community report that combines national, provincial, and local data with residents’ views on important local issues. This report is a catalyst to engage our community in an ongoing dialogue about who we are, what we do, why we do it, and where it can lead. The results are combined with other data from local and national sources such as Statistics Canada to create an all-encompassing report for our region. Learn more at www.wecf.ca.

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Before you begin, please note that we can only use results submitted by Windsor-Essex residents.

*Survey closes August 7, 2026*

SECTION ONE: Demographics

Please provide the following demographic information to help us better understand the diverse perspectives in our community.

* What is your age?

24 or younger

25 – 44

45 – 64

65 or over

Decline to answer

* What is your marital status?

Single – this also includes divorced, separated, or widowed

Married or common-law

Decline to answer

* Were you born in Canada?

Yes

Decline to answer

* Where do you currently live?

Amherstburg

Essex

Kingsville

Lakeshore

LaSalle

Leamington

Tecumseh

Windsor

I do not live in the Windsor-Essex region. Please note: if you do not live in the Windsor-Essex region, we will not be able to use your responses

Decline to answer

Other

* How long have you lived in the Windsor-Essex region?

Less than 2 years

2 to 10 years

More than 10 years

I do not live in the Windsor-Essex region. Please note: if you do not live in the Windsor-Essex region, we will not be able to use your responses

Decline to answer

* Which best describes your current employment status?

Employed full-time (35 or more hours per week)

Employed part-time (34 or less hours per week)

Unemployed

Retired

Student

Unable to work/ not looking for work

Decline to answer

SECTION TWO: Quality of Life

In this section, you will be asked brief questions on 11 issue areas that are important to the quality of life in Windsor-Essex.

ENVIRONMENT

The ENVIRONMENT refers to the natural environment of your community, including the biodiversity, connected natural areas, agricultural activities, climate resilience, forests and green spaces, waterways and Great Lakes.

* How would you rate the overall quality of the ENVIRONMENT in Windsor-Essex County?

We’re doing great

We're making good progress

There's room for improvement

Don’t know/Decline to answer

* In your opinion, what should be the top ENVIRONMENT priority in Windsor-Essex County? Please select only one answer.

Improving air quality

Improving water quality

Improving recycling programs

Improving the amount of connected green spaces

Improving resilience to climate change

Monitoring the health of Lake Erie

Don’t know/Decline to answer

Other

* How important is the health of Lake Erie to you?

Extremely

Moderately

Not at all

Don’t know/Decline to answer

* How do you rate the air quality in Windsor-Essex?

We’re doing great

We're making good progress

There's room for improvement

Don’t know/Decline to answer

SAFETY

Your sense of SAFETY is influenced by many factors, such as your concern about different types of crime and other activities in your neighbourhood, your general sense of connectedness to your community, and your belief that you can rely on others in an emergency.

* How would you rate the overall SAFETY in Windsor-Essex County?

We’re doing great

We're making good progress

There's room for improvement

Don’t know/Decline to answer

* In your opinion, what should be the top priority for improving SAFETY in Windsor-Essex County? Please select only one answer.

Reducing crime levels

Increasing the visible presence of police

Reducing the use of illegal drugs

Expanding social programming for at-risk individuals

Creating more proactive initiatives aimed at reducing youth crime

Don’t know/Decline to answer

Other

* Windsor-Essex offers adequate social programming for at-risk individuals.

We’re doing great

We're making good progress

There's room for improvement

Don’t know/Decline to answer

GETTING AROUND

GETTING AROUND refers to the ways in which people in your community get from one place to another, as well as the issues affecting those modes of transportation.

* How would you rate the overall quality of transportation and GETTING AROUND in Windsor-Essex County?

We’re doing great

We're making good progress

There's room for improvement

Don’t know/Decline to answer

* In your opinion, what should be the top priority for improving GETTING AROUND in Windsor-Essex County? Please select only one answer.

Improving public transportation

Creating a regional transportation system connecting Windsor and Essex County

Improving and/or increasing the number of bike pathways and/or pedestrian walkways

Creating a more accessible transportation system for seniors and/or youth

Don’t know/Decline to answer

Other

* How do you rate the quality of public transportation in Windsor-Essex County?

We’re doing great

We're making good progress

There's room for improvement

Don’t know/Decline to answer

* Bike paths and pedestrian walkways are easy to access in Windsor-Essex.

We’re doing great

We're making good progress

There's room for improvement

Don’t know/Decline to answer

HEALTH, WELLNESS & ACTIVITY

HEALTH, WELLNESS & ACTIVITY refers to both physical and mental health, as well as healthy lifestyle choices including engaging in physical activity.

* How would you rate the overall quality of HEALTH, WELLNESS & ACTIVITY in Windsor-Essex County?

We’re doing great

We're making good progress

There's room for improvement

Don’t know/Decline to answer

* In your opinion, what should be the top priority for improving HEALTH, WELLNESS & ACTIVITY in Windsor-Essex County? Please select only one answer.

Improving access to mental health programs and services

Improving access to health professionals and services

Increasing access to sports/physical activity programming

Don’t know/Decline to answer

Other

* In general, I am happy in life

Often

Most of the time

Sometimes

Never

LEARNING

LEARNING refers to access to opportunities, knowledge, skills, and competencies.

* How would you rate the overall quality of education and LEARNING in Windsor-Essex County?

We’re doing great

We're making good progress

There's room for improvement

Don’t know/Decline to answer

* In your opinion, what should be the TOP priority for improving LEARNING in Windsor-Essex County? Please select only one answer.

Affordability of post-secondary education

Improving skill development for the workforce

Better access to educational opportunities

Improved selection of post-secondary programs and opportunities

Don’t know/Decline to answer

Other

* Learning opportunities are readily available in Windsor-Essex including access to libraries, tutoring, literacy programs, workforce development programs, etc.

We’re doing great

We're making good progress

There's room for improvement

Don’t know/Decline to answer

* Local educational institutions and community programs are providing proper skill development for the workforce.

We're doing great

We're making good progress

There's room for improvement

Don't know/Decline to answer

HOUSING

HOUSING refers to the accessibility and affordable living spaces for all people, recognized as a fundamental need that supports health, education, and economic opportunity.

* How would you rate the quality of HOUSING in Windsor-Essex County?

We’re doing great

We're making good progress

There's room for improvement

Don’t know/Decline to answer

* In your opinion, what should be the TOP priority concerning HOUSING in Windsor-Essex County? Please select only one answer.

Improving the affordability of housing

Providing housing for those experiencing homelessness

Increasing the availability of housing with different levels of assisted care

Don’t know/Decline to answer

Other

* There is availability of housing with different levels of assisted care in Windsor-Essex.

We’re doing great

We're making good progress

There's room for improvement

Don’t know/Decline to answer

* There is sufficient availability of affordable housing options across Windsor-Essex to meet the needs of residents.

We’re doing great

We're making good progress

There's room for improvement

Don’t know/Decline to answers

ARTS & CULTURE

ARTS & CULTURE refers to the activities, artistic expressions, leisure, and social/cultural events that contribute to the diversity and richness of community life.

* How would you rate the quality of ARTS & CULTURE in Windsor-Essex County?

We’re doing great

We're making good progress

There's room for improvement

Don’t know/Decline to answer

* In your opinion, what should be the TOP priority concerning ARTS & CULTURE in Windsor-Essex County? Please select only one answer.

Accessibility of arts and cultural events

Providing more art in public places

Increasing the number of art and cultural opportunities for those wanting to pursue a career or hobby in the arts

Increasing the number of art and cultural programs available for community members

Don’t know/Decline to answer

Other

* There are opportunities in Windsor-Essex for those wanting to pursue a career or hobby in the arts.

We’re doing great

We're making good progress

There's room for improvement

Don’t know/Decline to answer

* I attend or participate in arts and cultural events in my community.

Frequently

Occasionally/Sometimes

Rarely/almost never

BELONGING & LEADERSHIP

BELONGING & LEADERSHIP refers to the types of relationships that exist between people in their community that contribute to a sense of trust, collaboration and inclusion, and that help build a strong sense of belonging.

* How would you rate the quality of BELONGING & LEADERSHIP in Windsor-Essex County?

We’re doing great

We're making good progress

There's room for improvement

Don’t know/Decline to answer

* In your opinion, what should be the TOP priority concerning BELONGING & LEADERSHIP in Windsor-Essex County? Please select only one answer.

Increasing opportunities for people to feel included and connected

Creating initiatives to improve voter turnout

Increasing opportunities to volunteer

Providing more initiatives to increase life satisfaction

Don’t know/Decline to answer

Other

* I feel a sense of belonging in Windsor-Essex - I feel included and connected.

Frequently

Occasionally/Sometimes

Rarely/almost never

* I stay informed about elections and vote when I can.

Frequently

Occasionally/Sometimes

Rarely/almost never

WORK

WORK refers to the extent to which individuals in your community have access to meaningful employment opportunities, as well as to the quality and nature of the work.

* How would you rate the quality of WORK opportunities in Windsor-Essex County?

We’re doing great

We're making good progress

There's room for improvement

Don’t know/Decline to answer

* In your opinion, what should be the TOP priority concerning WORK opportunities in Windsor-Essex County? Please select only one answer.

Decreasing the unemployment rate

Ensuring youth are better prepared for the workforce

Providing a living wage to employees

Providing access to a diverse range of meaningful employment opportunities

Don’t know/Decline to answer

Other

* There are employment opportunities in Windsor-Essex for those seeking work.

We’re doing great

We're making good progress

There's room for improvement

Don’t know/Decline to answer

GETTING STARTED

In general, GETTING STARTED refers to the many different transitions we can make throughout our lives and, in this section, it relates to newcomers, meaning anyone who is new to the Windsor-Essex region.

* How would you rate the quality of GETTING STARTED in Windsor-Essex County?

We’re doing great

We're making good progress

There's room for improvement

Don’t know/Decline to answer

* In your opinion, what should be the TOP priority concerning GETTING STARTED in Windsor-Essex County? Please select only one answer.

Increasing employment and educational opportunities for newcomers

Improving how my community welcomes newcomers

Increasing awareness of racism and diversity issues

Improving foreign accreditation recognition

Don’t know/Decline to answer

Other

* There are both educational and employment opportunities for newcomers in Windsor-Essex.

We're doing great

We're making good progress

There's room for improvement

Don't know/Decline to answer

FOOD SECURITY

FOOD SECURITY refers to the physical, social and economic access to affordable, safe, sufficient and nutritious food for an active and healthy life.

* How would you rate the quality of FOOD SECURITY in Windsor-Essex County?

We’re doing great

We're making good progress

There's room for improvement

Don’t know/Decline to answer

* In your opinion, what should be the TOP priority concerning FOOD SECURITY in Windsor-Essex County? Please select only one answer.

Improving access to fresh and nutritious food

Improving access to locally grown food

Increasing the number of food banks

Increasing support for community food programs

Don’t know/Decline to answer

Other

* Windsor-Essex has access to locally grown food.

We’re doing great

We're making good progress

There's room for improvement

Don’t know/Decline to answer

SUBMIT SURVEY

Thank you for taking the time to complete the survey. Your responses are vital to the success of the Vital Signs^® Report. By voicing your opinion on the issue areas in this survey, you are joining the conversation about what matters most to you, and helping to shape the future of our community!

Please share this survey with your friends, family, and colleagues. An online version can be found on our website at www.wecf.ca. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram (@wecfoundation) #InspiringPhilanthropy #VitalWE

The 2026 Vital Signs^® Report will be released in October 2026.

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