Toronto can now claim that more of its residents were born outside of Canada than in the city. 

That’s according to a new so-called Vital Signs report by the Toronto Foundation. It’s also just one of the fascinating insights the report provides into the state of the city.

For instance, a section on the gap between the city’s rich and poor says that the city’s income equality gap is widening. According to the report, in 2013 the medium income for a low-income Toronto family was $14,630 after taxes. That is, far below what one needs to lead a safe and sustainable life in the city. Dependence on the city’s food banks also increased over that same time. The 2008 recession might have ended, but its effects are still being felt on the city.

The report’s section on transit should surprise no one: the city has done a dismal job of improving transit infrastructure. “The City has also been slow to build cycling infrastructure to make cycling a safer and more attractive transportation option on city streets,” says the report’s authors. In 2013, Toronto added 4.6 km of new bike lanes. That’s better than the 3.2 km it took away in 2011 (RIP Jarvis bike lane), but far below what other cities in North America and around the world added over the same period of time.

Other aspects of city life are less dire. When it comes to the environment, for example, the city has taken some decisive steps toward ensuring that Toronto will be able to meet the challenges of climate change. Toronto’s tree canopy, vitally important in protecting the city against severe storms, has grown each of the past three years. Torontonians have also done a good job of using less water in their day-to-day lives. Between 2011 and 2012, water consumption dropped by 16-million litres per day.

In a lot of ways, the report reaffirms what many of us already know: Toronto is among one the most exceptional cities in the world, but it will face significant challenges in the future.

Read the full report here.

Image via Flickr user Mariusz Kluzniak.
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Igor Bonifacic is the managing editor of Toronto Standard. Follow him on Twitter.