Frequently Asked Questions

Nova Scotia Quality of Life Survey

Survey Basics

  • The Nova Scotia Quality of Life Survey provides an opportunity to tell a more complete story of Nova Scotian wellbeing. It asks over 200 questions about your quality of life. Results will be used to equip decision makers, advocates and researchers with previously unknowable or ignored information to address long standing challenges. It will also allow us to compare results from 2019, when we last surveyed. The survey is a ground breaking opportunity to help improve quality of life for you, those you care about and for the community you live in. We explore a range of topics, including health, affordability, trust in institutions, confidence in democracy, experiences of loneliness and discrimination, job satisfaction, connection to nature, and more.

  • The survey will take from 30 to 60 minutes to complete. Your story is very important to us and so is your time. If you need a break or get interrupted, you can return later to the same device and pick up where you left off.

  • One person from each household is asked to complete the survey. The person to complete the survey must be at least 16 years of age and whose birthday is closest to June 1st. If you do not receive a mailed invitation and code, you can contact Engage Nova Scotia at survey@engagenovascotia.ca or (Toll-Free) 1-833-224-0333 for assistance.

  • Your participation in this study is entirely voluntary and involves only the completion of the online survey. All the information you provide in the survey will be entirely anonymous. You will not be asked at any point in the survey for any identifying information, such as your name, address, or birth date. However, we hope you complete as much of the survey as possible to ensure a more complete understanding of quality of life for Nova Scotians.

  • Engage Nova Scotia in collaboration with the Canadian Index of Wellbeing (CIW) is administering the survey, with the support of the Province of Nova Scotia, Government of Canada, municipalities across Nova Scotia and other non-governmental partners.

  • While the CIW has done several surveys at the community level across Canada, this is the largest undertaking of its kind ever done in Canada, giving our province an advantage in navigating these uncertain times. We make the data accessible on our website and through tools and reports to government, community, researchers and the public. By asking in-depth questions of many people, we are able to get a comprehensive understanding of how Nova Scotians are doing.

Privacy & Security

  • Yes, we take data security very seriously. We use industry-standard encryption and security protocols to protect your information. We follow strict data protection guidelines.

  • The survey is completely voluntary and anonymous. No identifying information is collected, such as name, address, or birth date. Your individual responses will never be shared or published in a way that could identify you personally. We specifically designed the survey to ensure that your answers cannot be traced back to you.

  • Survey data will be stored on a secure server accessible only to the researchers. All data storage follows strict privacy protocols and applicable privacy legislation. The data collected by the survey is owned by the Canadian Index of Wellbeing (CIW) and Engage Nova Scotia.

  • Only authorized researchers and analysts involved in the project will have access to the anonymized survey data.

  • We employ multiple layers of security including encrypted data transmission, secure servers, restricted access controls, security audits, and compliance with Canadian privacy laws and international data protection standards.

  • Indigenous participants will be informed that their data will be recorded on our secure servers, but not included in reports or used in analyses by Engage Nova Scotia or the Canadian Index of Wellbeing. Data from Indigenous participants will be securely held and provided to the Mawkim/Data Governance team at the Union of Nova Scotia Mi'kmaq, who will hold authority regarding the use of Indigenous data from this survey in alignment with their mission and protocols. This process supports OCAP principles, as well as the data sovereignty movement in Mi'kma'ki and beyond. The data of non-Mi'kmaq Indigenous People currently living in Mi'kma'ki are also covered by this decision and protocol, made in collaboration with UNSM.

  • Data Sovereignty means that First Nations have the right to own, control, access, and protect their own data and information. These rights are guided by the OCAP principles (Ownership, Control, Access, and Possession), which ensure that communities can manage and benefit from their data in ways that support self-determination and informed decision-making. 

    For the Quality of Life Survey, Engage Nova Scotia is working closely with the Mawkim/Data Governance team at the Union of Nova Scotia Mi'kmaq. This partnership ensures that all Indigenous data collected through the survey is protected by Indigenous people and handled in a manner that respects OCAP principles and the rights of Mi'kmaq communities.

  • At the end of the survey, you have the option to enter a draw to win one of 130 gift cards for $50. If you enter, we will ask for your email address. This email is collected on a separate webpage form and will not be linked with the survey results. This protects the anonymity of your responses.

  • Yes. This project has been approved by the University of Waterloo's Research Ethics Board (File No. 478640).

Survey Content

  • To get a comprehensive understanding of how Nova Scotians are doing, we asked many questions. The survey questions were designed to gather information concerning the eight domains of life that Canadians have identified as critical to our overall wellbeing: (a) community vitality, (b) democratic engagement, (c) education, (d) our environment, (e) healthy populations, (f) leisure and culture, (g) living standards, and (h) time use. We also asked about your overall wellbeing and for some personal characteristics like sex, age, and education. These questions will allow us to discover which groups in Nova Scotia are thriving and which are falling behind in their wellbeing and why.

  • Traditional policy decisions have been based mainly on economic data, but research shows these metrics alone do not capture the full picture of individual and community wellbeing. Factors like social connections, trust, and sense of belonging are crucial indicators of quality of life and help inform more comprehensive and effective policy decisions.

Special Circumstances

  • Yes. Survey participants were able to complete the survey in either English or French. 

  • Yes! We committed to making the survey accessible to all Nova Scotians. We have been collaborating with groups across Nova Scotia who provide services to People with Disabilities to deliver the survey using accessible design.

  • Yes. The survey has also been made available in French. Additionally, the survey software offered automatic translation to other languages as well.

Results & Follow-up

  • Survey results will be compiled and made available after data collection is complete. We expect initial findings to be released in late 2026 with future reports in 2027. Updates will be posted on our website and shared through our newsletter.

  • Data analysis will involve traditional descriptive statistics for a basic understanding of wellbeing throughout Nova Scotia. Our researchers and the CIW will also be able to conduct additional studies in the future to analyze the data in unique ways to help drive new insights. Weighting of the data follows a process similar to what Statistics Canada does to ensure the data represent Nova Scotia’s population as a whole as much as possible.

  • The data from the survey will be used to better understand and improve quality of life for Nova Scotians. This includes for purposes of government policy decisions, community organization planning, academic research, and advocacy efforts. We have also built special tools on our website to make the data accessible to all.

    The survey data will also be used by CIW researchers to identify key factors contributing to and detracting from the wellbeing of individuals and communities and help policymakers make informed decisions for everyday Canadians.

  • Yes! The results will be broken down by region, so you can see how your community responses compare to others across Nova Scotia. You will be able to explore the results through our Wellbeing Mapping Tool, which we developed following the 2019 survey.

  • The results from the 2019 survey have been used in many ways to inform government decision-making, provide social advocates with much-needed data, and catalyze new conversations about a Nova Scotia that centres wellbeing for everyone as an organizing goal. Some examples include:

    • Loading the data into our Wellbeing Mapping Tool to make findings available to everyone - everywhere. 

    • Compiling reports on a wide-ranging topics that include health and wellbeing indicators across 10 regions; climate and environment issues across the province, women’s wellbeing indicators, social connections, sustainable development across the 17 UN SDGs, accessibility challenges for persons with disabilities and more.

    • Workshops with municipalities to reveal how local data can inform budget and planning to leave fewer residents behind.  

    • Informing government action to meet legislated goals on accessibility and climate change.

    • Presentations in every region of the province and to virtually every sector of society to reveal previously unknowable or ignored realities of life in Nova Scotia.    

    You can explore the results from the 2019 survey for yourself here.  

    How can I stay updated on the project?
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