South Cambie Lifestyle & Demographics

Asian Up-and-Comers
Successful middle-aged Asian families

Divided between Vancouver and Toronto, Asian Up-and-Comers is often the first stop for new immigrants from China and, to a lesser degree, the Philippines, Vietnam and South Asia. These middle-aged families typically are well-educated and ethnically diverse. More than a third speak Chinese, nearly two-thirds speak a language other than English and 60% are foreign born. While their incomes are just average, this cluster's above-average savings levels and lofty home values - averaging nearly $309,000 for their suburban houses - result in decidedly upscale spending patterns: wardrobes filled with designer clothes and jewellery, driveways lined with sporty luxury cars, nights spent at the theatre. Self-described early adopters, Asian Up-and-Comers residents are especially fond of the latest in computers, consumer electronics and Internet technology - often to stay connected to relatives back home.

Upper-Middle $60,082
Middle-Aged
Ethnic Presence: High (Chinese)

The residents of Asian Up-and-Comers are relatively recent immigrants: nearly half came to Canada since 1990. But these large, often multigenerational families are beginning to prosper in their adopted country. Some have recently moved or bought their first home, and the 27 percent who still rent their residences will be a future market for houses. Already, many adults have university degrees and white collar jobs. And they apply their smarts when shopping, first researching products on the Internet to get the best deals. They're big on travel to Hong Kong and the western United States. And they're active in the community, not just in patronizing local shops and restaurants, but in writing public officials and donating money to political groups.

How they think
Asian Up-and-Comers is a cluster that is modern, autonomous and idealistic in its values. Among the strongest clusters on the trend Introspection and Empathy, these Canadians are living rich, thoughtful lives. This cluster is enthusiastic about consumption-especially technology, but not obsessed with material things. Asian Up-and-Comers is strong on a number of idealistic trends from Global Ecological Consciousness to Ethical Consumerism to Equality of the Sexes. This cluster delights in the non-rational: strong on Intuitive Potential and Personal Creativity, Asian Up-and-Comers residents like to feel as well as think, and create as well as produce. Asian Up-and-Comers is flexible and open; it has no particular Aversion to Complexity in Life and has little time for Ethnic Intolerance or the Acceptance of Violence.

Attitudes
"I find it enriching to talk to different kinds of people"
"I tend to be the first to own new electronic products"
"I read newspaper inserts before Shopping"
"Being Canadian is part of my identity"
"It is important for me to feel connected to my cultural roots"

Newcomers Rising
Young midscale immigrants in city apartments

Nearly two-thirds of the residents of Newcomers Rising are immigrants, hailing from an assortment of nations in South Asia, Latin America and the Middle East. Though most arrived after 1990, these educated singles and families have already carved out a middle-class lifestyle in their high-rise apartments found mostly in and around Ontario's large cities. They're tech-savvy consumers who buy digital cameras, own video gaming systems and spend a lot of time online at job and chat sites. They score high for going to computer shows, visiting amusement parks, using dating services and engaging in fitness activities like swimming and yoga. Life still has its challenges for these newcomers - they admit to experiencing significant stress - but they're on pace for upward mobility. This cluster has a high rate of residents taking college and university courses.

Middle $46,292
Young
Ethnic Presence: High (Mixed)

Newcomers Rising is a diverse world of singles and families, whites and blacks, kids of all ages and immigrants from Poland, china and the Philippines. But they share a comfortable lifestyle characterized by evenings at rock and classical music concerts, shopping at upscale stores like Club Monaco and Banana republic and virtual lives spent surfing the web for commerce and entertainment. This cluster represents one of the nations top markets for watching TV sports and their presence at trade shows cannot be overemphasized. Newcomers Rising residents typically are the attendees first in line to inspect the latest trends.

How they think
Although members of Newcomers Rising have experienced some early success in their lives in Canada, their values suggest they are still looking for footholds to make them feel more secure. They are strong on Anomie and Aimlessness and express an Ethnic Intolerance, which is likely a manifestation of a need to feel (unconditionally) part of a stable social group. However, their Search for Roots and Community Involvement indicate that they may be progressing toward less exclusionary forms of group belonging. Though they are on track for further success, these Canadians are too concerned with improving their families' lives to worry about impressing others: they are strong on Utilitarian Consumerism and weak on both Need for Status Recognition and Joy of Consumption. This cluster's weakest values are Control of Destiny and Rejection of Authority. In some cases, this may reflect origins in more hierarchical societies; in others, it may simply indicate a need for security for the time being: Newcomers Rising residents plan to succeed by following rules laid out by others-they're not ready to strike out on their own and claim greater autonomy in the workplace, in their spiritual lives or at home (where father knows best).

Attitudes
"Religion is very important to me"
"I really enjoy shopping for clothes"
"Young people today have too much freedom and not enough discipline"
"Immigrants should set aside their cultural backgrounds and blend into Canada's culture"
"I enjoy entertaining"

Grey Pride
Midscale suburban apartment-dwelling seniors

The top-ranked cluster for retirees, Grey Pride represents a middle-class mix of over-60 singles, couples, widows and widowers living in urban- and suburban-fringe apartments. Getting by on comfortable fixed incomes, cluster residents maintain a relaxed lifestyle, sewing and gardening at home, and socializing with friends at the theatre and art gallery. But the chief form of entertainment is television, and residents are big fans of cultural programs on Bravo, sports championships and American sitcoms like "Ed" and "Becker." Concerned about aging - one in four residents is over 75 - this cluster's residents score high for buying prescription drugs, using cosmetics to help them feel younger and having a will.

Middle $48,990
Mature
Ethnic Presence: Low

Grey Pride residents have average educations an live in detached houses and apartment complexes built since the 1970s. Those who are still working have white collar and service jobs. Those who have retired, however, aren't shutins by any means. Grey Pride residents travel often to Europe, the Caribbean and Nevada, where they frequent the gambling tables in Las Vegas. Contrary to senior stereotypes, they strongly disagree with the statement "I would rather spend an evening at home than almost anything else." In values surveys, these activist elders rank high in the Social Values category of Openness Towards Others.

How they think
As they move into retirement, Grey Pride residents are increasingly attracted to simplicity and contemplation. They demonstrate an Aversion to Complexity in Life and want to use the time they once devoted to work to explore their links to the past (Search for Roots) and the relationships in their lives (Introspection and Empathy). Having come of age at a time when keeping up with the Joneses was an almost universal preoccupation; these Canadians still feel a Need for Status Recognition and an attraction to Ostentatious Consumption. In their Ethnic Tolerance and belief in the Importance of National Superiority, Grey Pride residents show that they are not entirely at ease in the mosaic Canada has become. But they are doing their best to keep up, as their Enthusiasm for Technology and Openness Toward Others show.

Attitudes
"I feel that violence is all around us and that we must constantly be on the lookout"
"I have already taken steps to ensure that I have sufficient income for retirement"
"It's unacceptable that an industrial society such as ours produces pollution"
"Governments do more harm than good"
"Overall there is too much immigration"

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