Motor vehicle fatalities, unemployment and substance abuse are some of the issues facing young people in Grey Bruce. A report called Youth Vital Signs from the Community Foundation Grey Bruce looks at issues such as youth health, youth spaces, economic barriers, and belonging.
It found the number one killer of Grey Bruce youth aged 15 to 24 is motor vehicle collisions with an average of 6 deaths per year (based on deaths from 2000 to 2012). That is double the rate of the rest of the province.
22% of Grey Bruce residents report regular heavy drinking but 38% of 18 to 34-year-olds report regular heavy drinking.
More young people in the local region are in the workforce, at 75%, compared to an Ontario average of 60%. The youth unemployment rate in the area is the highest of all of the age cohorts at 10%.
The report says 99% of residents aged 12 to 17 were satisfied with their lives.
However, 19 % of children live in low-income households --slightly higher than the provincial average. The highest low-income rates among children and youth are found in Huron-Kinloss, Chatsworth, Owen Sound, Southgate, and Arran-Elderslie, where around one quarter of children and youth live in low-income households.
About 35% of young adults between 20 and 34 years old live with their parents in grey bruce, compared to a provincial average of 42%.
The report also says between 2011 and 2016, the two counties saw a net loss of 1329 youth between the ages of 18 to 24.
