Majority (51%) of Guelph Residents Say
Quality of Life in City `Very Good'

Toronto, ON - A new poll conducted by Ipsos Reid on behalf of the city of Guelph has found that a majority (51%) of residents of Guelph say that the quality of life in the city is `very good', with another 45% indicating that the quality of life is `good'. Further adding to the general contentment with life in Guelph, nine in ten (89%) residents say that they are `satisfied' (25% very/64% somewhat) with `the overall level and quality of services provided by the City of Guelph'.

Among those residents who in the past 12 months have had cause to contact the city or speak with a municipal employee, seven in ten (68%) say that they were `satisfied' with the `overall quality of service', compared to only two in ten (19%) who report being `dissatisfied' with the experience, or the 13% who came away with `neutral' feelings. In fact, eight in ten (80%) `agree' that they were `treated fairly', three quarters (73%) thought the staff was `knowledgeable and competent', and six in ten (58%) believe that the `staff went the extra mile' during their interaction.

Thinking about the issues facing their community, fully one quarter (25%) of residents believe that the issue that should receive the greatest attention from local leaders is taxation and municipal spending. Next on the list of priorities for Guelph residents are transportation (23%), government services (22%), growth (17%) and the environment (13%). In this vein, two thirds (66%) of residents believe that city council is dealing with important issues in the community in an `effective' (11% very/55% somewhat) manner.

However, the poll did identify areas where some improvement could be sought with respect to satisfaction scores: eight in ten (78%) are satisfied with `communication with city residents', seven in ten (71%) are satisfied with `garbage services', and six in ten (57%) are satisfied with `road maintenance, including repairs and snow removal on roads, as well as pothole repairs, surface replacement and sweeping'.

In terms of communication among residents and the city, four in ten (40%) residents of Guelph feel that they receive `too little' information from the city, while a majority (57%) feels that they receive `just the right amount'. Just 3% believe they receive `too much information'.

Focusing specifically on the issue of yard waste collection, a service that occurs twice yearly, six in ten (60%) are `satisfied' (28% very/32% somewhat) with the frequency of the collection. Despite this, however, most (85%) would be `supportive' (61% very/24% somewhat) of `an increase in the twice yearly pickup of yard waste'. As an example, two thirds (67%) are `supportive' (48% very/19% somewhat) of increasing the yard waste pick up even if it would increase property taxes by $1 annually.

These are the findings of an Ipsos Reid poll conducted on behalf of the City of Guelph from June 11 to June 19, 2008. For the survey, a representative randomly selected sample of 672 residents of Guelph was interviewed by telephone. With a sample of this size, the results are considered accurate to within 1773.8 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, of what they would have been had the entire adult population of Guelph been polled. The margin of error will be larger within regions and for other sub-groupings of the survey population.

For more information on this news release, please contact:
Sean Simpson
Research Manager
Ipsos Reid
Public Affairs
(416) 572-4474
[email protected]

About Ipsos Reid
Ipsos Reid is Canada's market intelligence leader, the country's leading provider of public opinion research, and research partner for loyalty and forecasting and modelling insights. With operations in eight cities, Ipsos Reid employs more than 600 research professionals and support staff in Canada. The company has the biggest network of telephone call centres in the country, as well as the largest pre-recruited household and online panels. Ipsos Reid's marketing research and public affairs practices offer the premier suite of research vehicles in Canada, all of which provide clients with actionable and relevant information. Staffed with seasoned research consultants with extensive industry-specific backgrounds, Ipsos Reid offers syndicated information or custom solutions across key sectors of the Canadian economy, including consumer packaged goods, financial services, automotive, retail, and technology & telecommunications. Ipsos Reid is an Ipsos company, a leading global survey-based market research group.

To learn more, please visit www.ipsos.ca.

About Ipsos
Ipsos is a leading global survey-based market research company, owned and managed by research professionals. Ipsos helps interpret, simulate, and anticipate the needs and responses of consumers, customers, and citizens around the world.

Member companies assess market potential and interpret market trends. They develop and build brands. They help clients build long-term relationships with their customers. They test advertising and study audience responses to various media. They measure public opinion around the globe.

Ipsos member companies offer expertise in advertising, customer loyalty, marketing, media, and public affairs research, as well as forecasting, modeling, and consulting. Ipsos has a full line of custom, syndicated, omnibus, panel, and online research products and services, guided by industry experts and bolstered by advanced analytics and methodologies. The company was founded in 1975 and has been publicly traded since 1999.

In 2007, Ipsos generated global revenues of e927.2 million ($1.27 billion U.S.).

Visit www.ipsos.com to learn more about Ipsos offerings and capabilities.

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