If residents of Courtenay get a call from the city in the next couple of weeks, chances are they want to know about their thoughts on city services, community priorities and overall quality of life.
The City will be conducting the phone surveys between Nov. 4 and 17, and is partnering with Forum Research Inc. to conduct the surveys. Researchers will randomly dial Courtenay residents aged 18 and over, which will help the city assess community needs and track trends over time.
Mayor Bob Wells stressed the importance of these surveys in shaping the future of Courtenay. “Conducting this survey will give us a clearer picture of our residents' changing needs and preferences,” said Wells. “These insights are really crucial to align city services with what our community truly values.”
This year, the survey will help shape strategic priorities and budgets, highlight key community issues and services, assess people's awareness of city programs and services, uncover potential service gaps, and support continued improvement within the community.
The City’s Director of Corporate Services Kate O’Connell emphasized the importance of ongoing benchmarks. “By comparing data over multiple years, we can better understand our residents' priorities over time,” said O’Connell. “This will significantly enhance our decision-making processes to reflect the community’s evolving expectations.”
Survey results will be presented to Council early in the new year. This annual residential survey will continue annually until 2027 in order to build a five-year dataset. After that, it will be conducted every two years starting in 2029.
For any questions regarding the survey, please contact Forum Research at 416-960-9600 or inquiry@forumresearch.com.
To review the 2023 survey results visit courtenay.ca/ResidentSurvey