Troubling Nanaimo Profile

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 NOT STATS TO BE PROUD OF

 Dr. Paul Hasselback who is the new Medical Health Officer for the area preseneted some troubling statistics as they relate to the overall health and well being of Nanaimo residents. The following highlights speak for themselves, and I understand the complete document is available online at the VIHA website.

Some revealing highlights in the Local Health Area Profile Nanaimo (68) presented by the new VIHA public health officer at Nanaimo City Council meeting Feb. 27, 2012 include:

• Nanaimo had a higher percent of people on income assistance (7.9%} than BC (4.5%} or VIHA (5.4%).
• Nanaimo had more low income seniors (9.5%) than VIHA (8.6%} but fewer than BC (14.7
• More Nanaimo grade 4 and 7 children scored below standard in writing (25.6%} than BC children (18.7%)
• More Nanaimo grade 4 and 7 children scored below standard in reading (24.2%) than BC children (20.5%)
• Fewer 18 year olds graduated high school in Nanaimo (64.3%) than in BC (70.2%}.
• The percentage of people in Nanaimo spending more than 30% of income on rent (48.6%) was higher than BC (43.4%)
• There were more female lone-parent families in Nanaimo (25.7%) than BC (20.5%)
•  The serious juvenile crime rate was higher in Nanaimo (6.7 per 1,000) than BC (4.2 per 1,000)
• There were more non-cannabis juvenile drug offences in Nanaimo (63.2 per 100,000) than BC (52.4 per 100,000)
• There were more children on income assistance in Nanaimo (7.8%) than in BC (4.0%)
• Overall, Nanaimo scored poorly on almost all indicators of crime
• Overall, Nanaimo scored poorly on nearly all indicators of child and youth healthy development

Councillor Kipp asked Dr. Hasselback who should be the champion who would address what is clearly a startling picture of Nanaimo's young people. Dr. Hasselback, had no real answer.