The Rural Ontario Institute (ROI) is pleased to announce the Rural Community Well-Being Dashboard and supporting factsheets are now available in Canada’s two official languages.
“The Rural Community Well-being Dashboard provides rural decision makers with relevant, local data and visualizations making it easy for rural communities to understand and interpret complex data and identify opportunities for planning and development. By translating the dashboard into dual languages, we are continuing to remove barriers to ensure communities can access the data they need,” said Kezia Cowtan, Data Programs Manager at ROI.
French translation of the Rural Community Well-being project has been made possible through Partnership Investment funding from the Ontario Trillium Foundation.
The Community Well-being Dashboard was developed in collaboration with data champions and project partners, including the Ontario Ministries of Agriculture, Food, and Agribusiness and Rural Affairs, the Ontario Trillium Foundation, EcoCanada, York University and the Rural Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA). The dashboard and supplemental Rural Wellbeing Fact Sheets provide communities with a deeper understanding of rural data trends and equip them to evaluate their well-being, determine priorities for improvement, monitor progress over time, and conduct cross community and interregional comparisons. Indicators were selected from a national standard (CSA R113-22: Indicators for rural community well-being, services, and quality of life) including readily available data at the community level.
“In 2021,13% of rural Ontarians were able to conduct a conversation in French. We are proud to offer the Rural Community Well‑being Dashboard and factsheets to the Francophone community. These resources will support the planning, policy development, and progress measurement in our rural communities by providing locally relevant data to decision-makers,” said Kimberly Earls, Executive Director at ROI.
“The launch of the dashboard in French is a crucial step toward ensuring equitable access to data on the well-being of rural communities. By making this information available in French, we are empowering French-speaking communities to understand their circumstances, inform their decisions, and take informed action,” said Jennifer Lambert, Housing Plan Coordinator at Prescott and Russell.
“The francophone dashboard is an essential tool for better understanding the determinants of well-being in francophone rural communities. In line with the RSIFEO’s mandate, it supports coordinated health and well-being initiatives, taking into account the specific realities of immigrants and minority communities,” said Fred Standley Vincent, Health Program Coordinator at the Francophone Immigration Support Network of Eastern Ontario (RSIFEO).
A special webinar will take place on May 21, 2026, from 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM, for Francophone stakeholders to learn more about the project and available resources. The session will be conducted entirely in French and is open to the public to attend. To register, please visit https://www.ruralontarioinstitute.ca/events.
Source : Rural Ontario Institute