Winnipeg Sun, Thursday February 28, 2008
Reproduced with permission.

What do you like most, and least, about living in Winnipeg?

A year and a half ago, United Way launched a new initiative, Urban Exchange, an advisory panel through which Winnipeggers and United Way talk regularly with each other to find solutions to problems that concern us most.

The advisory panel includes anyone who wants to visit MyCityMySay.ca or call the director of Urban Exchange at 477-5360 and answer some questions.

Almost 3,000 people contributed to the report released yesterday, which summarizes their responses to the first questionnaire, entitled “Exchange One: Getting Connected.”

The best things about living in Winnipeg?

“In an open-ended question, panellists mentioned ‘the people’ most often, followed by the fact Winnipeg is a small city with big city advantages.”

No surprise there.

Things they’d most like to change? Crime was highlighted more often than any other concern, with “infrastructure, Winnipeg’s downtown and poverty coming next on the list.”

Now if you’re sitting there saying, “Sure wish I could have added my voice to this report,” there’s good news: it’s not too late.

“Exchange One: Getting Connected” is still open, with new panellists (like you) seeing their responses in an updated report. So have at it via the info mentioned above.

Just what are they going to do with my opinions, you ask? Here’s the answer:

The thoughts and opinions participants share with United Way help inform community investment decisions and areas of focus. The summarized responses will be shared with leaders and decision-makers in Winnipeg who are interested in learning more about what people are concerned about; what they’re excited about; and where they feel our city is headed.”

Opportunity knocks, kids. Your call.

Winnipeg Free Press, Thursday February 28, 2008
Reproduced with permission.

The United Way of Winnipeg has begun a long-term consultation project to learn what Winnipeggers are thinking.

Dubbed Urban Exchange, the initiative will use surveys and other means to present snapshots of the city’s mindset.

“We wanted to have a way to stay engaged with people on an ongoing basis,” Pat Harper, the United Way’s director of strategic management services, said, adding the findings will be used to help the United Way determine what programs it should be funding.

The first Urban Exchange report, Urban Reflections, was released today in a colourful 38-page report.

Harper said the report’s findings were culled from the opinions of about 2,900 Winnipeggers who participated in a survey. The participants, identified as panelists, were picked from those people who participated in a similar project — Journey Forward .

Harper said that Winnipeggers had to say about their city through the Journey Forward project made officials at United Way realize that they should duplicate that project on a permanent basis.

The report presents participants feelings on 19 major issues of the day, ranking them and asking if the city is making any progress in resolving them. The report also asks participants how they rate the city and what they consider to be the best features of Winnipeg.

Today’s release is an interim report, Harper said, adding the United Way hopes that others will go on-line at http://www.mycitymysay.ca/, e-mail UrbanExchange[at]UnitedWayWinnipeg.mb.ca, or call 477-5360 to fill out the survey making the findings more comprehensive and more reflective of the community.

Since the initial data was analyzed and compiled, Harper said about 500 more people have joined the project and she said the United Way hopes others will continue to join the project.

Harper said a professional researcher, at a cost of about $40,000, was employed to devise the survey and to analyse its findings.

Harper said she believes the first survey will accept participants for another three months.

Meanwhile, she said that the United Way is preparing another survey. Harper said it’s expected that the United Way will conduct such community surveys two or three times a year.

Click here to download the release.

Click here to download the release.

Click here to download the release.