What’s life like in Chilliwack?
That’s what the Chilliwack Social Research and Planning Council wants to know, so it will be conducting a “quality of life” survey this fall.
This is not the first time Chilliwack residents have been asked to share their views about the community and daily life. Past surveys, done in 2004 and 2009, helped paint a picture life in the city.
Now, five years later, the council is asking again.
The focus of the survey is to help understand the connections that residents have to one another, their neighbours and their larger community. As the population of Chilliwack grows, a sense of transition from rural to urban has also grown, bringing its own challenges and rewards to the area.
This research will also gauge residents’ perceptions of how these changes have affected their quality of life and well-being.
The council has asked Dr. Katherine Watson, associate professor of sociology at UFV, to lead the project.
The survey will be conducted in Chilliwack from Sept. 15 to Oct. 3. Households will be contacted by phone and individuals will be asked to participate by completing the survey online or over the phone. Participation is voluntary, but there is a prize for taking part. Participants who wish to be entered into a draw (by providing their name and contact information) are eligible to win either an iPad mini, or $1,000. A single name will be drawn and the prize awarded at the end of the project. Names provided will not be linked to any answers.
The results of this research will help local governments and organizations make informed decisions in areas such as housing, policing, volunteerism and recreation, the planning council says. This survey will identify important local trends over the past 10 years such as connections among residents, engagement in community and the growth of urbanization.