CSLS Conference on the State of Living Standards

CSLS conference on The State of Living Standards and the Quality of Life in Canada
October 30-31, 1998, Chateau Laurier Hotel, Ottawa, Ontario.

Introduction

It is widely believed that the standard of living and the quality of life of Canadians, while high from an international perspective, have improved little or even deteriorated in recent years. Is this an accurate portrayal of reality? To address this issue, the Centre for the Study of Living Standards (CSLS) has organized a major conference to be held in Ottawa October 30-31, 1998. All persons interested in this topic are invited to attend.

The conference will examine developments in various dimensions of economic and social well-being in this country. The CSLS has developed a new index of economic well-being for Canada based on trends in consumption, stocks of wealth, inequality and economic security and this index will be unveiled at the conference.

The conference represents the second stage of a major CSLS project on the state of living standards and quality of life in Canada coordinated by Lars Osberg of Dalhousie University and Andrew Sharpe of the CSLS. Nearly 50 researchers, primarily from Canada but also from the United States and Europe, are involved in the project. The project is being overseen by a Research Advisory Committee composed of over 35 representatives of government department and agencies, non-profit organizations and private sector organizations. The first stage of the project was a preconference in June 1998. The project's third stage will be the publication of a volume by the University of Toronto Press on the state of living standards and quality of life in Canada based on papers presented at the conference.

Program

Friday, October 30

8:30-9:00 AM Registration, Coffee and Muffins

9:00-9:15 Opening Remarks by Ian Stewart, Chair, Centre for the Study of Living Standards and Andrew Sharpe, CSLS Executive Director

9:15-10:15 Session 1 Trends in Economic Well-being

Chair: Jean-Pierre Voyer (HDRC)

Lars Osberg (Dalhousie University) and Andrew Sharpe (CSLS) "An Index of Economic Well-being for Canada" (240Kb) "Appendix Tables" (152Kb)
Larry Mishel (Economic Policy Institute) and Andrew Sharpe (CSLS) "A Comparison of the Economic Well-Being of Canadians and Americans" (215Kb) "Appendix Tables" (182Kb)
Discussant: Tom Rymes (Carleton University)

10:15-10:30 Break
10:30-11:30 Session 2 Indicators of Well-being

Chair: David Slater (Centre for the Study of Living Standards)
Abe Tarasofsky (Statistics Canada) "GDP and Its Derivatives as Welfare Measure: A Selective Look at the Literature" (191Kb)
Clifford Cobb and Craig Rixford (Redefining Progress) "Competing Paradigms in the Development of Social and Economic Indicators" (164Kb)
Discussant: Dan Usher (Queen's University)
11:30-12:30 Session 3 Sustainability I: Intergenerational Bequests of Natural and Human Capital
Chair: John Knubley (HDRC)
Rose Anne Devlin and Quentin Grafton (University of Ottawa) "Trends in Canada's Natural Capital" (199Kb)
Serge Coulombe (University of Ottawa) and Jean-Francois Tremblay (Queen's University) "Human Capital and Regional Convergence in Canada" (124Kb)
Discussant: David Longworth (Bank of Canada)
12:30-2:15 Lunch Speaker: Darryl Brickner (Angus Reid Group) "Subjective Assessments of Trends in Living Standards and Quality of Life"
2:15-4:15 Session 4 Sustainability II: Intergenerational Bequests and the Well-being of Children
Chair: Walter Ross (Laidlaw Foundation)
Janet Currie (UCLA) "The Effect of Welfare on Child Outcomes: What We Know and What We Need to Know" (104Kb)
Shelly Phipps (Dalhousie University) "The Well-Being of Canadian Children in International Perspective" (123Kb)
Miles Corak and Andrew Heisz (Statistics Canada) "Neighbourhoods, Social Capital and the Long-term Prospects of Children" (135Kb)
Ken Battle and Michael Mendelson (Caledon Institute of Social Policy) "The National Child Benefit: Another Hiccup Fundamental Structural Reform" (85Kb)
Discussants: Craig Riddell (University of British Columbia)
Stan Winer (Carleton University)
4:15-4:30 Break
4:30-6:00 Session 5 Sustainability III Social Cohesion, Social Capital and Well-being
Chair: Dick Stanley (Canadian Heritage)
Frances Woolley (Carleton University) "Social Cohesion and Voluntary Activity: Making Connections" (116Kb)
Ray Bollman and Roland Beshiri (Statistics Canada) "Is There a Rural Social Deficit?: A Comparative Overview of Living Standards in Rural and Urban Canada"
Mike McCracken (Informetrica) "The Macroeconomic Implications of Social Cohesion" (89Kb)
Discussants:
Jane Jenson (Universite de Montreal)
Brian MacLean (Laurentian University)
6:30-7:00PM Reception and Cash Bar
7:00-10:00 PM Dinner Speaker: John Helliwell (UBC) "Assessing the Prospects for sustainable Increases in Living Standards"

Saturday, October 31 Morning Sessions Concurrent
8:00-8:30 AM Coffee and Muffins
8:30-11:00 Session 6A Conceptual and Empirical Issues in the Measurement of Well-being
Chair: Jesse Vorst (University of Manitoba)
David Hay (BDI Research Group) "Measuring Well-being: A Critical Assessment" (292Kb)
Malcolm Shookner (Ontario Social Development Council) "A Quality of Life Index for Ontario" (318Kb)
Ronald Coleman (St. Mary's University) and Hans Messinger (Statistics Canada) "Measuring Sustainable Development: A Nova Scotia Pilot Study"
Michael R. Hagerty (University of California, Davis) "Canadian Quality of Life from the Voting Booth: Revealed Preferences of Voters" (109Kb)
Simon Langlois (Université Laval) and and Francois Gardes (Université de Paris) "A New Multidimensional Index of Poverty Richness (MIPR) for Canada: A Comparison with LICO" (127Kb)
Discussants:
Steve James (Finance Canada)
Christopher Sarlo (Nipissing University)
8:30-11:00Session 6B Trends in Inequality in Canada
Chair: Kathleen Campbell (Indian and Northern Affairs Canada)
Krishna Pendakur (Simon Fraser University) "Trends in Consumption Distribution in Canada: Sensitivity to Equivalence Scales" (311Kb)
Gordon Anderson and Peter Ibbott (University of Toronto) "Measures of Poverty in Canada: Ambiguity and Conflict" (121Kb)
Mary Kilfoil (Dalhousie University) "Are Canadian Couples Better Off or Just Working Harder?" (366Kb)
Richard Chaykowski (Queen's University and George Slotsve (Northern Illinois University) "Unions, Earnings Inequality, and Economic Well-Being in Canada"
Cam Mustard (Institute for Work and Health), M. Barer (University of British Columbia), R.G. Evans (University of British Columbia), and J. Horne (University of Manitoba) "Paying Taxes and Using Health Care Services: The Distributional Consequences of Tax Financed Universal Health Insurance in a Canadian Province" (121Kb)
Discussants:
Charles Beach (Queen's University)
Allan Maslove (Carleton University)

11:00-11:15 Break
11:15-12:45 Session 7 Well-being and Quality of Working Life
Chair: Terry Sullivan (Institute for Work and Health)
Andrew Clark (Université d'Orléans, France) "What Makes a Good Job? Evidence From OECD Countries" (93Kb)
Andrew Jackson (Canadian Labour Congress) and Pradeep Kumar (Queen's University), "Measuring and Monitoring the Quality of Working Life" (192Kb)
Wayne Lewchuk (McMaster University) and David Robertson (CAW) "Quality of Work Life in Canada" (112Kb)
Discussants:
John O'Grady (Institute for Work and Health)
Gordon Betcherman (World Bank)
12:45-2:15 Lunch Speaker: Alex Michalos (University of Northern British Columbia) "Combining Economic, Social and Environmental Indicators to Measure Quality of Life"
2:15-3:45 Session 8 Health, Insecurity and Well-being
Chair: Mark Wheeller (Health Canada)
Michael Wolfson (Statistics Canada) "'Good Life Time' (GLT): Health, Income and the Time to Enjoy Them" (787Kb)
Cam Mustard (Institute for Work and Health) "Income Inequality and Inequality in Health: Implications for Thinking About Well-Being" (40Kb)
David Ross (Canadian Council of Social Development) and Paul Kovacs (Insurance Bureau of Canada) "Index of Personal Security" (69Kb)
Alex Michalos and Bruno Zumbo (University of Northern British Columbia) "Criminal Victimization and Quality of Life"
Discussants:
Pierre Fortin (UQAM)
Robin Boadway (Queen's University)
3:45-4:00 Break
4:00-4:55 Panel : Prospects for Canadian Living Standards in the New Millennium
Chair: Alice Nakamura (University of Alberta)
Keith Banting (Queen's University)
Frances Woolley (Carleton University)

4:55-5:00 Closing Remarks Lars Osberg (Dalhousie University)

The Centre for the Study of Living Standards would like to thank Human Resources Development Canada, the Laidlaw Foundation, the Institute for Work and Health, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, Health Canada, Industry Canada, and the Canadian Labour Congress for the financial assistance that has made possible the project on the state of living standards and quality of life in Canada.

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