With inflation rising at its fastest pace in 40 years, some Canadians may not be able to afford an expensive vacation to faraway lands this summer. Don’t let that get you down. Two-thirds of Canadians told us that they get a great deal of satisfaction from greenspaces much closer to home.
In fact, Canadians who get a great deal of satisfaction from the quality of their local environment (including air and water quality) are more likely to report higher levels of life satisfaction (64% versus 54%) and excellent or very good mental health (59% versus 52%) than Canadians overall.
Three-quarters of the residents of Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador and Saskatchewan reported satisfaction with their local environment in 2019, compared with 62% of those in Ontario, the lowest level of satisfaction among the provinces.
Rural Canadians were more satisfied with their local environment than urban dwellers (75% versus 65%).
What type of activities do those who report high levels of satisfaction in their local environment partake in? Hiking or backpacking (43%) was the most popular activity for those reporting a high level of satisfaction, followed by watching or photographing wildlife (29%), canoeing or kayaking (20%) and camping in a tent or going fishing (19%).
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