Group A: Mature & Prosperous Shaded portions of the map show areas where this group is overrepresented by 20% or more, not the number of households e.g. a rural area may be over indexed but still contain relatively few target households.
Group A: Mature & Prosperous Types within: A001-A006 (215,051 Households, 1.69%) These are established wealthy married couples owning expensive older homes in posh urban cities throughout Canada, including Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver. Families consist predominantly of university educated parents typically aged 45-64 in senior management and professional occupations with children of elementary and secondary school age. These households exhibit very high levels of activity in most areas due to high disposable income, large household size, and a certain zest for life and energy that propelled them in their successful careers. Media engagement skews to more sophisticated vehicles such as magazines and the business and news sections of newspapers. Technology has been comfortably adopted to both entertain and facilitate – they are likely to own computers, video game consoles and cell phones and will purchase products on-line. Spending on all categories of household and durable goods is high; quality and style is sought after with these purchases. Their home is their castle and substantial renovation and improvement projects are very common. Members of the family enjoy culture and the arts but also outings to pop and rock music concerts, movies, bars, restaurants and family oriented venues such as amusement parks and zoos. They also enjoy visiting foreign destinations such as Hong Kong, Italy and France. They attempt to stay healthy through their diet and activities which include strenuous physical fitness activities, gardening and club-based sports such as golf, sailing, and racquet sports. They usually own at least two cars, typically sedans, mini-vans and SUV’s. Grew Up With Events: Avro Arrow cancelled, the Cold War, 6-day War in Middle East, civil rights movement, Vietnam war, JFK shot, Maple Leaf flag, Expo ’67 Movies: Ben-Hur, The Sound of Music, Lawrence of Arabia, Patton Entertainment: Colour TV, “old Elvis”, Jerry Lee Lewis Great Balls of Fire, Beatle-mania, The Rolling Stones (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction and Sympathy for the Devil, The Beverly Hillbillies, Peyton Place, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Laugh-In, Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring Fads & Fashion: digital watches, bold prints on men’s suit jackets, Barbie, Easy-Bake Oven, G.I. Joe, Twister, Weebles Science: Man lands on the moon, Astroturf, nuclear reactors, “The Pill”, DDT
Group B: Affluent Families Shaded portions of the map show areas where this group is overrepresented by 20% or more, not the number of households e.g. a rural area may be over indexed but still contain relatively few target households.
Group B: Affluent Families Types within: B007-B016 (913,049 Households, 7.16%) The next generation of highly affluent mature households is found in this mainly urban Ontario and Alberta group. They are home and familycentric married couples strongly concentrated in the 30-49 age range with pre-school and elementary school age children who have already become quite successful financially. Time is a scarce commodity as both parents work but must also drive their kids to their various activities – they are highly likely to be involved in hockey, soccer, and baseball. As a result these families may often rely on drive thru, take-out, frozen food or pasta as a dinner time meal solution. Much time, money and energy is focused on improving their homes with new furniture, appliances, décor and landscaping. As a group, they shop a lot at various retail destinations from boutique shops to warehouse stores to on-line/internet stores. Despite their high income they are therefore highly leveraged with mortgages and lines of credit. Leisure activities are strongly skewed to family venues such as movies, zoos, theme parks, video arcades and away from art galleries, museums and high culture. There is a high development of ‘70s and ‘80s-era immigrants within this university or college educated management, professional, corporate sales and scientific group.
Grew up with Events: Iran hostage crisis, Terry Fox dies, Ronald Reagan “star wars” and Iran-Contra, Margaret “The Iron Lady” Thatcher and the Falklands, Brezhnev, Andropov and Chernenko die, Gorbachev begins glasnost and perestroika policies Movies: Apocalypse Now, Chariots of Fire, Amadeus, Out of Africa Entertainment: MTV and CDs, “Who shot JR?”, Lennon killed, Apple Macintosh “1984” ad, Live Aid, Madonna’s Virgin tour, Michael Jackson’s Thriller , Pink Floyd Another Brick in the Wall, The Smiths How Soon Is Now?, Magnum P.I., The Cosby Show, the last M*A*S*H, Miami Vice Fads & Fashion: The Me generation, the preppy look, blue eye shadow & mascara, Rubik’s cube, “bogus”, “awesome”, New Coke, Pac Man Science: AIDS first identified, personal computers, Chernobyl accident, shuttle Challenger explodes
Group C: Solid Citizens Shaded portions of the map show areas where this group is overrepresented by 20% or more, not the number of households e.g. a rural area may be over indexed but still contain relatively few target households.
Group C: Solid Citizens Types within: C017-C027 (1,013,527 Households, 7.95%) Active, outdoorsy, health conscious married couples, the majority aged 4559, and their elementary or high school aged children make up this group. They live in central and western Canada and own single detached homes built post-1970. Parents tend to have college or university education although there are some with a trades background. Both parents work, producing a high household income from their jobs in management, finance, insurance, health care, teaching, corporate sales or contracting. They are mainly established Canadians or ‘60s and ‘70s era European immigrants. Very into do-it-yourself home improvement, they buy lots of hand and power tools and make minor investments in appearances such as buying new china and tableware, bedding or towels. These families are quite active in sports and outdoor activities and buy a lot of sporting goods. The family dog accompanies them on their walks or “helps” them garden. They strive to be healthy by snacking on fruit, granola bars and rice cakes and they usually do not drink or smoke a lot nor eat much snack food. They appreciate beauty whether that is in the arts, in nature, or in quiet contemplation. They purchase clothing from a wide range of retailers but they over index at places featuring practical items like Eddie Bauer and Marks Work Wearhouse. The local pub is a favourite venue for a dinner out. This is the most likely group to own three or more cars with types such as pick-up trucks sometimes chosen for their functionality. Grew up with Events: Baby boomers crowd universities, 6-day War in Middle East, civil rights movement, Vietnam war, Watts riots, JFK shot, Maple Leaf flag, Expo ’67 Movies: Dr. Strangelove, The Sound of Music, The Graduate, Patton, The French Connection Entertainment: The Rolling Stones (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction, The Righteous Brothers You’ve Lost The Lovin’ Feelin’, Tarzan, Hogan’s Heroes, LaughIn, Rat Patrol, Star Trek, Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, Joseph Heller’s Catch-22, Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring Fads & Fashion: coffee house folk singing, wide patterned ties, Nehru jackets, turtlenecks, miniskirts and hot pants, go-go boots, Etch-A-Sketch, Twister, Battleship, Battling Tops, Ouija board, Silly String Science: Man lands on the moon, lasers, nuclear reactors, commercial satellites, “The Pill”, cigarettes linked to cancer
Group D: Parisien Québécois Shaded portions of the map show areas where this group is overrepresented by 20% or more, not the number of households e.g. a rural area may be over indexed but still contain relatively few target households.
Group D: Parisien Québécois Types within: D028-D031 (395,117 Households, 3.10%) These fashionable urban Québecers who tend to be in their mid-30s to late-40s are parents who are working hard to balance money concerns and family responsibilities. There is a mix of married, common-law and divorced adults in the group. Children tend to be under 14. They have a strong sense of style - high amounts are spent on clothing, home décor, landscaping, gourmet food, premium beer and European wine. These white and grey collar job holders are the most highly leveraged group with mortgages, car and personal loans and lines of credit outstanding. Incomes are $60,000 and above, over 30% above the average household income, but they are the most likely of any group to buy lottery tickets in the hope of alleviating their debt. This group is cautious about the future due to Quebec’s economy and they tend to be well insured including health, disability and mortgage plans. As a group they value home, family and good living. They are the heaviest spenders on toys and games. They dine at home and their leisure activities outside of the home include movies, popular music concerts and family outings to historical sites, theme parks or video arcades. They are quite active in outdoor sporting activities including hiking, skating, mountain biking and alpine sports. Grew up with Events: Ayatollah Khomeini takes over Iran, militants seize the U.S. embassy, hostage rescue raid is a disaster, Soviets invade Afghanistan, Three Mile Island, Lennon killed, Pope John Paul II shot, Quebec bans English public signs, Falklands war, new Canadian Constitution and Charter of Rights and Freedoms Movies: Apocalypse Now, Raiders of the Lost Ark, On Golden Pond, ET, Tootsie Entertainment: CNN and MTV launched, The Sugar Hill Gang has the first hit rap song Rapper’s Delight, ABBA is huge, John Belushi dies, Cats opens on Broadway, The A-Team, Hill Street Blues, That’s Incredible Fads & Fashion: Trivial Pursuit, Intellivision, Colecovision, “Do you know what comes between me and my Calvins? Nothing” Science: Voyager I reaches Saturn, NutraSweet, space shuttle begins missions
Group E: Comfortable Nests Shaded portions of the map show areas where this group is overrepresented by 20% or more, not the number of households e.g. a rural area may be over indexed but still contain relatively few target households.
Group E: Comfortable Nests Types within: E032-E037 (637,265 Households, 5.00%) This group has a higher concentration of 55+ couples or widowed adults who are either empty nesters or have high school and university aged children. They have owned their older 50s and 60s era single detached homes in the suburbs and urban fringe for years. The group sports upper middle incomes with old age security, retirement benefits and investment income contributing to the total. They have a solid array of investments and fairly low debt. There is some sense that this is their time and that they are going to spend a bit to make their family home look nice and update their wardrobes – things that sometimes took a back seat to raising a family in previous years. The group contains a number of avid opera and symphony patrons. Overall they are fairly active, enjoying outdoor activities such as sailing, golf and gardening as well as that classic Canadian sport – curling. The group is not strongly engaged with technology but does like to shop on-line. They like to spoil their grandchildren with gifts from Toy ‘R Us, Mastermind and Disney and are also generous charitable givers. There is a substantial long-established (pre-1970) European immigrant population in the group. Grew up with Events: Newfoundland becomes the 10th province, NATO & Warsaw Pact created, Korean War, McCarthyism, Queen Elizabeth II ascends to the throne, Vietnamese defeat French at Dien Bien Phu, first Canadian subway opens in Toronto, Hurricane Hazel, Marilyn Bell swims Lake Ontario, the Richard riots in Montreal, anti-Communist uprisings in East Germany, Poland and Hungary crushed Movies: The Sands of Iwo Jima, All About Eve, An American in Paris, On the Waterfront, Rebel Without a Cause, The Bridge on the River Kwai Entertainment: 45 RPM records, Peanuts comic strip, emergence of rock ‘n roll, Playboy and TV Guide magazines debut, James Dean dies Fads & Fashion: grey flannel suits, blue jeans and poodle skirts, crew cuts and pony tails, Lego, Pez, Mr. Potato Head, plastic army men, Tonka trucks Science: Polio vaccine, Soviets launch Sputnik and begin the “space race”, nuclear submarines, Xerox machines, open heart surgery
Group F: Suburban Contentment Shaded portions of the map show areas where this group is overrepresented by 20% or more, not the number of households e.g. a rural area may be over indexed but still contain relatively few target households.
Group F: Suburban Contentment Types within: F038-F046 (812,511 Households, 6.38%) This group can be found in Ontario and western Canada and skews towards large urban centres in Alberta and B.C. Parents in these families are under 50, typically 30-44, with children under 19. They live in single, semi-detached and townhouses built post 1970. The adults have high school, trades and college educations. Both parents work producing slightly above average household income in grey and blue collar jobs in a wide variety of fields including retail sales, manufacturing, administration, and hospitality. This is a group that prefers Hollywood movies, mainstream pop music or television to international news and the arts. You are much more likely to find Cosmopolitan and Maxim magazines on the coffee table than Time. As a group they are very practical and mainstream in their choices and habits: they drink domestic beer and home brew, spend a fair percentage of their money on food, clothes and other expenses for their children, balance an above average debt load with above average assets and RESPs, choose clothing for functionality and comfort, frequent burger restaurants and donut shops, buy their cars used and drive them hard. Computers and cell phones are used frequently. Highly active, the families like to snowboard, camp, jog, play soccer and hockey. They save money by engaging in do-ityourself home improvement. Grew up with Events: Iran hostage crisis, Terry Fox dies, “star wars”, Iran-Contra, U.S. invades Grenada, Falklands War, Olympics boycotts, Expo ’86 in Vancouver Movies: Chariots of Fire, The Big Chill, Amadeus, Out of Africa, Platoon Entertainment: MTV and CDs, “Who shot JR?”, Karen Carpenter dies, Lennon killed, Apple Macintosh “1984” ad, Live Aid, Madonna’s Virgin tour, Michael Jackson’s Thriller , Bangles Walk Like an Egyptian, Pet Shop Boys Opportunities, The Cosby Show, thirtysomething, Miami Vice Fads & Fashion: The Me generation, the preppy look, The Flashdance look, Rubik’s cube, “Valley Girl”, “gnarly”, New Coke, Pac Man Science: AIDS first identified, personal computers, NutraSweet, MRI machines, CFCs blamed for ozone depletion, Chernobyl
Group G: Culturally Diverse Shaded portions of the map show areas where this group is overrepresented by 20% or more, not the number of households e.g. a rural area may be over indexed but still contain relatively few target households.
Group G: Culturally Diverse Types within: G047-G052 (361,926 Households, 2.84%) 60% of these web savvy people are immigrants; most moved to Canada in the past two decades. For example 30% are Chinese and 14% are East Indian. They have settled in urban Ontario and BC. The group exhibits the largest household size averaging 3.3 people. There is a wide age range in the household including some extended family units with grandparents, parents and children present. Homes are single and semi-detached, duplexes, townhouses in good neighbourhoods. The parents tend to be university educated. Many of the older children are still living at home because they have just completed school or are just establishing themselves in a career. Typically the parents are engaged in sales and service, hospitality industry or manufacturing jobs or as professionals. The group exhibits slightly heavier than average television consumption fuelled by strong daytime viewership. They are heavy newspaper readers with particular interest in business, technology, new homes, travel and sports. Fiscally this group is very conservative however they do purchase expensive jewellery and carry American Express gold cards. They have slightly above average income, low debt levels and above average assets with particularly strong savings for their children’s education as they chase the “Canadian Dream”. The big city attractions are frequented, particularly museums and art galleries, the symphony, night clubs and movie theatres as well family oriented venues such as parks and zoos. They are quite active with the notable exception of outdoor winter sports and pursuits such as fishing and camping. Shopping excursions are often long affairs at malls including a meal in the food court.
Grew up with Elders: The Great Depression, WWII begins, splitting the atom, Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Golden Gate Bridge completed, Frank Lloyd Wright builds “Fallingwater”, big band music, the golden age of the mystery novel and radio Middle aged: Vietnam War and protest movement, Watergate, CN Tower, Canadian wage and price controls, Eatons discontinues catalogue sales after 92 years, Canada goes metric, large scale Middle East violence including Yom Kippur War, gas crisis, disco, The Godfather, People magazine debuts, Beta vs. VHS, first test tube baby born Young adults: Princess Diana dies, Hong Kong returned to Chinese rule, Y2K, bridge connects PEI to mainland, the Harry Potter books, Kosovo, Titanic, The Blair Witch Project, Oasis, Puff Daddy, Pokemon
Group H: Emerging Elite Shaded portions of the map show areas where this group is overrepresented by 20% or more, not the number of households e.g. a rural area may be over indexed but still contain relatively few target households.
Group H: Emerging Elite Types within: H053-H056 (273,467 Households, 2.15%) This is an extremely social, image conscious young urban group mainly found in Ontario and B.C. It consists of mostly singles and roommates – one and two person households mainly aged 20-39 in their first or second job and home after university. Also in this group are young divorced adults and couples living in common law relationships. This group has the lowest presence of children. They rent high or low rise apartments in downtown locations. Incomes are slightly above average but with no family to support this often results in a rather comfortable lifestyle. A significant minority are already making over $100,000 a year. Occupations are similar to those of a white collar high income group which these people will no doubt become as they age and move up in their careers. They prefer to be out with friends in the urban social and club scene rather than watching television, listening to the radio or playing video games at home. For such a young group there is a high degree of sophistication about them – they will often listen to classical and jazz music, watch the Bravo! channel, read about international news, make confident fashion choices and patronize museums, the fine arts and theatre. They are the most likely group to become immersed in the movie premieres and parties of the Toronto International Film Festival. Expenditures and habits are among the narrowest, most clearly defined and distinctive. They care about their appearances – heavy per capita clothing, jewellery, watches and personal care expenditures are paid for by American Express cards. They date a lot and buy flowers as gifts for the evening. They tend to be heavy smokers and drinkers, particularly of premium or niche brands. Their image consciousness can be seen in their diet which is nearly devoid of snack foods and their sporting activities which skew heavily to aerobics, weight training, jogging and organized fitness club membership. They spend the most of any group on music CDs and tapes and high amounts on sporting equipment. They usually own only one car or sometimes none at all and prefer coupes, sports cars and sedans. Wishing to be free to stay out late or head out on a road-trip on a moment’s notice, this group has the lowest incidence of pet ownership.
Grew up with Events: Tiananmen Square, the Gulf War, Berlin Wall falls, Exxon Valdez, Blue Jays win World Series, the GST, Princess Diana dies, fighting in Bosnia, Croatia, Rwanda & Chechnya, Hong Kong returned to China Movies: Dances with Wolves, The Silence of the Lambs, Pulp Fiction, Forrest Gump, The Lion King, Fargo Entertainment: Islamic militants put a price on Salman Rushdie’s head, Twin Peaks, Kurt Cobain commits suicide, Milli Vanilli admits to lip-synching Fads & Fashion: roller blading, “Where’s Waldo?”, Reebok pump, dolphin-free tuna, health & nutrition versus obesity, the Grunge look, the “Rachel” haircut, cargo pants, polar fleece, Tommy Hilfiger, bottled water, Beanie Babies, laser pointers, “blingbling”, “cha-ching”, “Not!” Science: the rise of the Internet, genetically-engineered food, Dolly the cloned sheep
Group I: Young Homebodies Shaded portions of the map show areas where this group is overrepresented by 20% or more, not the number of households e.g. a rural area may be over indexed but still contain relatively few target households.
Group I: Young Homebodies Types within: I 057-I 062 (525,791 Households, 4.13%) Living in urban central and western Canada and usually consisting of one and two person households usually aged 20-39 this group is made up of singles and roommates with some young divorced people and common-law couples. They rent old apartments, particularly in low-rise buildings, townhouses and duplexes. University or college educated, they produce average incomes from their white and grey collar jobs. Average debt is present but they have also started to accumulate assets and manage to contribute above average amounts into RRSPs. While they are aware of trends and style they often do not spend large amounts on clothing and accessories. While certainly engaged in the entertainment, cultural and social possibilities of their city overall they shy away from extremes and displays of conspicuous consumption. This group attends dinner theatres, IMAX movies, goes camping, and frequents outlet malls. Despite the fact that they rent, their cocooning instincts shine through and they spend on tools, repair projects and gardening for their homes.
Grew up with Events: Tiananmen Square protest, the Gulf War, Soviet Union dissolves, loonie coin debuts, U.S. invades Panama, Bloc Québecois formed, NAFTA, Mandela becomes South African PM, Mexican economy collapses, O.J. Simpson trial, the Taliban control Afghanistan Movies: Thelma & Louise, Philadelphia, Schindler’s List, Braveheart, Leaving Las Vegas, Jerry Maguire Entertainment: Seinfeld, The Simpsons and Entertainment Weekly magazine debut, Carson retires, Michael Ondaatje’s The English Patient Fads & Fashion: butterfly clips, Doc Martens, puffy coats, mini back-pack purses, Tamagotchi, Magic Eye pictures, Snapple, Mentos, “going postal”, “dude” Science: Web browsers, Hubble telescope, digital film editing, global warming, preserving biodiversity
Group J: Francophone Families Shaded portions of the map show areas where this group is overrepresented by 20% or more, not the number of households e.g. a rural area may be over indexed but still contain relatively few target households.
Group J: Francophone Families Types within: J063-J069 (768,274 Households, 6.03%) This group typifies middle class French speaking Québec. Parental ages are 45-64 and children are of elementary and high school age. There is a high incidence of common-law couples, a frequent lifestyle in the province. They own single- and semi-detached homes dating from the 60s and 70s in urban, small town and rural settings. Average dwelling value is 40% below the Canadian average, also typical of the province. The usual adult education level is high school or college. Grey collar administrative and supervisory workers mix with mechanics. The group is a non-immigrant population and is also quite unlikely to move homes within the province. Average household incomes are on par with the national norm but they exhibit markedly low contributions to charities versus similar income groups. They tend to carry a heavy debt load with mortgages, auto loans, lines of credit and personal loans. Asset value and breadth is slightly below average and skews to more liquid types such as bonds, stocks and term deposits. Parents heavily insure themselves with life, disability, health, mortgage, loss of employment and credit card balance plans. When they do spend money, home décor is a favourite category. They will also spend higher than average amounts on men’s, women’s and children’s fashions and buy a lot of hand and power tools, sporting goods and equipment and lottery tickets. True to their French roots they are the heaviest consumers of European wine. Eating habits are somewhat indulgent – cookie, potato chip and boxed chocolate snacks are common. Interests gravitate to family oriented venues such as movies, historical sites and amusement arcades. These families prefer outdoor pursuits and winter activities such as fishing, hiking, skating, mountain biking, alpine sports, power boating, tennis and volleyball. Virtually the sole exception to this outdoors focus is that the children are heavy video game console users. They often shop at dollar stores, farmer’s markets, and local independent shops.
Grew up with Events: Trans-Canada highway opens, France transfers sovereignty to new nation of Algeria, JFK shot, Canada the third space nation with Alouette I satellite, FLQ bombs in Montreal, U.S. involvement in Vietnam grows, Canada introduces social insurance cards and ends capital punishment, Northern Dancer wins the Derby Movies: Lawrence of Arabia, To Kill a Mockingbird, Dr. Strangelove Entertainment: Marilyn Monroe dies of a drug overdose, Johnny Carson takes over on the Tonight Show, Beatlemania, The Rolling Stones emerge as the anti-Beatles Fads & Fashion: turtlenecks, polyester, surplus store clothing, Easy-Bake Oven, Mousetrap Science: first industrial robot, commercial satellite and commercial nuclear reactor
Group K: Small Towns Shaded portions of the map show areas where this group is overrepresented by 20% or more, not the number of households e.g. a rural area may be over indexed but still contain relatively few target households.
Group K: Small Towns Types within: K070-K081 (1,279,100 Households, 10.04%) This is the largest single Mosaic group accounting for one in ten Canadian households. Largely rural in character, it exhibits particular concentration in the Atlantic provinces but is also represented across rural Ontario and the west. Jobs in agriculture, forestry, transportation, construction and administration are common. Group households have slightly below average income and few $100,000+ earners but exhibit comfortable lifestyles and below average unemployment. The typical house is an old pre-war single detached unit. Large amounts are spent on home upkeep and renovations. There is a wide age range present in this group of almost exclusively English speaking people of Western European and Ukrainian descent. A rustic country mindset is reflected in their media habits: they love country music; they are light TV viewers but they do watch game shows and specialty stations such as Country Music Television, The Nashville Network, The Movie Network and Outdoor Life Network. They do not frequently patronize the arts; instead they are quite involved in their community and attend local fairs, country markets and horse races. Camping, hunting, motorcycling and snowmobiling are favourite leisure pursuits; used pick-up trucks the vehicle of choice. Fashion is another area of stark contrast to the Canadian average. Spending on clothing is typically less than $250 per year per person with a strong focus on functionality. While these habits may seem modest often the group is impacted by its rural location and the attendant lack of retail and leisure choices. They spend large amounts on groceries, are the most likely group to own a dog and are quite generous with their charitable donations.
Grew up with Fairly wide age range growing up mainly between 1954 and 1977 during which time major cultural changes take place. Events: the Cold War to the Vietnam War to civil rights movement to the rise of international terrorism and the slaying of Israeli athletes at the Munich Olympics Movies: Ben-Hur to The Sound of Music to M*A*S*H to Star Wars Entertainment: The Chordettes Mr. Sandman to The Beatles Can’t Buy Me Love to Jefferson Airplane White Rabbit to Earth, Wind and Fire Fantasy Fads & Fashion: grey flannel suits and men’s hats to bold wide ties to army jackets to leisure suits; hula hoops to Easy-Bake Ovens to Twister to Pong Science: regular jet airline service to the space race to the microprocessor to VCRs
Group L: Country Homes Shaded portions of the map show areas where this group is overrepresented by 20% or more, not the number of households e.g. a rural area may be over indexed but still contain relatively few target households.
Group L: Country Homes Types within: L082-L089 (769,811 Households, 6.04%) This large rural group is particularly concentrated in the west but has presence in Ontario and Eastern regions of the country. It consists mainly of 1-2 person empty nester households with a skew to age 60+ with high school or trades educations living in old single detached homes. Of those below retirement age, most are engaged in primary industries, child and home care, and hospitality occupations. They have well below average incomes with over 60% earning less than $45,000 but contribute to charities at a strong rate. Exclusively English speaking, they are established Canadians, natives or pre-1970 immigrants from Western Europe and the Ukraine. Prominent activities of this group include arts & crafts and other hobbies, gardening, hunting, snowmobiling and bird watching. They exhibit light radio, television and newspaper consumption habits although they do like country music and will read the local community newspaper. Low income and low asset levels mean lower purchasing power. Most spend very little on home appliances, furniture, décor, bath & bedding, and china & tableware and only absolutely minimal amounts on clothing. They also spend very low amounts on food at both grocery stores and restaurants and as well as on entertainment items such a pre-recorded music and stereo and video equipment.
Grew up with Events: Allies invade Normandy, Canadians fight as separate army, Germany surrenders, atomic bombs used on Hiroshima & Nagasaki, Japan surrenders, Nuremberg trials, the Marshall Plan, Gandhi assassinated, Berlin airlift, NATO established, South Africa adopts apartheid, Korean War, Queen Elizabeth II crowned Movies: It’s a Wonderful Life, Twelve O’Clock High, Sunset Boulevard, A Streetcar Named Desire Entertainment: big band music, George Orwell’s 1984, Norman Mailer’s The Naked and the Dead, in the U.S. the FCC creates the commercial broadcasting spectrum of 13 channels and receives 130 applications for licenses, Amos ‘n’ Andy, The Life of Riley Fads & Fashion: the Jitterbug, Slinky, Lego Science: oral penicillin, Yeager breaks sound barrier, first self-service elevators, polio vaccine
Group M: Golden Seniors Shaded portions of the map show areas where this group is overrepresented by 20% or more, not the number of households e.g. a rural area may be over indexed but still contain relatively few target households.
Group M: Golden Seniors Types within: M090-M100 (729,813 Households, 5.73%) Life has been good to this, the oldest group, and they are enjoying their leisure time and accumulated wealth. There is a concentration of these people in B.C. but they also may be found across the prairies and Ontario. 57% are female due to their greater longevity. They are the least likely group to have children living with them. While their income is significantly below average (much derived from government programs and personal investments) they need little at this stage in life and are consequently quite comfortable and able to donate extensively to charitable causes. These people are regular patrons of the arts. They attend dance, theatrical and symphonic performances far more frequently than the general public, often going out for a fancy dinner beforehand. They also frequently tune into performances on the radio or television. By contrast they are quite uninvolved with pop culture such as newly released movies and music. Not only is this group culturally aware but they travel a significant amount abroad to countries such as New Zealand, Israel and Hong Kong. Financial assets are arranged to produce steady annual income streams and are concentrated in RRIFs and GICs. While their overall level of physical activity is understandably lower due to age and the low numbers of people per household, they exhibit a determination to stay healthy and continue to enjoy life via activities such as aerobics and fitness walking.
Grew up with Events: Germany invades Poland beginning WWII, Battle of Britain, Pearl Harbour, Stalingrad, Battle of Midway, D-Day, WWII ends, East/West political tension, Korean War, first McDonald’s hamburger stand opens in Pasadena, Israel established Movies: Gone With the Wind, Citizen Kane, Casablanca, Going My Way, Sands of Iwo Jima, All About Eve, The African Queen Entertainment: Judy Garland Over the Rainbow, Glenn Miller In the Mood, Bing Crosby White Christmas, Perry Como Some Enchanted Evening Fads & Fashion: the Zoot Suit, pants become acceptable women’s wear thanks in part to women working in military factories (Rosie the Riveter), Kilroy was here, Scrabble Science: freeze drying of food, Rh factor in blood discovered, the atom bomb, microwave oven
Group N: Québec Community Shaded portions of the map show areas where this group is overrepresented by 20% or more, not the number of households e.g. a rural area may be over indexed but still contain relatively few target households.
Group N: Québec Community Types within: N101-N107 (763,703 Households, 5.99%) These rural Québec and northern New Brunswick middle aged householders have strong roots in their local community and little interest in big city or international happenings. Almost exclusively French or bilingual, they own very inexpensive pre-war single detached houses and duplexes. Significantly below average incomes, low education levels and moderately high unemployment are typical. They work hard to make ends meet and support their children. Dominant employment types are agricultural, transportation, construction and manufacturing. Consequently this group has slightly above average debt and few financial assets. Their long work hours and commutes leave little time for leisure. They are very light television viewers and newspaper readers. They rarely go out at night or on the weekends and tend not to engage in many sporting or leisure activities with the exception of bowling, fishing, hunting, hiking and snowmobiling. Expenditures are modest but those for clothing, home décor, food and European wine are higher than average. Their interest in these areas is reinforced by readership of fashion, home & garden, and food & beverage magazines. Some households spend heavily on tools for do-it-yourself projects. Old fashioned values and habits abound: they are extremely unlikely to purchase items on-line and meals are prepared fresh and eaten almost exclusively at home.
Grew up with Events: Algerian War of Independence against France, French defeated by Viet Minh at Dien Bien Phu, riots in Montreal following suspension of Maurice Richard, Suez Canal crisis, John Diefenbaker wins largest majority in Canadian history, Charles de Gaulle becomes French premier, St. Lawrence Seaway opens, Avro Arrow cancelled, Francis Gary Powers shot down in his U-2 spy plane over Russia, Bay of Pigs and Cuban Missile Crisis Movies: The Caine Mutiny, Rebel Without a Cause, Vertigo, Some Like It Hot, Psycho Entertainment: 70mm film introduced, “young Elvis”, Billboard chart debuts, first transatlantic telecast occurs Fads & Fashion: Dior, Chanel, Givenchy, UFOs Science: fibre optics, understanding of DNA, Yuri Gagarin the first man in space
Group O: Atlantic Roots Shaded portions of the map show areas where this group is overrepresented by 20% or more, not the number of households e.g. a rural area may be over indexed but still contain relatively few target households.
Group O: Atlantic Roots Types within: O 108- O 112 (401,492 Households, 3.15%) This is an exclusively rural Atlantic Canada group consisting of a high proportion of 45+ year-old parents with children of high school age or younger. They are the least likely of any group to have moved recently, staying put in their inexpensive pre-war single detached homes. This is a group that tends to have lower education levels with elementary, high school or trades training predominant. It has the highest rate of unemployment and significantly below average incomes. Blue collar occupations such as fishing, forestry, manufacturing, transportation, agriculture abound. Many wives stay at home either to take care of the children either by choice or because they are unemployed. They watch more television than any other group with a particularly high level of daytime TV such as talk shows and situation comedy re-runs. True to their family’s maritime heritage, they love Scotiabank. One of their few indulgences is snack food. They are extremely involved in their local community but also enjoy attending art galleries, museums, visiting the ballet and watching movies at a theatre. Favourite leisure activities are those common to many rural groups such as hunting, bird watching and snowmobiling but these are joined by distinctly maritime pursuits such as sailing and fishing. They often scour the local newspaper’s classified ads for bargains and job opportunities. Grew up with Events: the Cold War, civil rights movement, Castro assumes power, JFK and the Camelot presidency, OPEC constituted, New Democratic Party formed, Canada’s new flag inaugurated, Canada Pension Plan introduced, Expo ’67, Israeli forces trounce Arabs in Six-Day War Movies: The King and I, North by Northwest, West Side Story, Dr. Zhivago, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?, The Graduate Entertainment: Bill Haley & His Comets Rock Around the Clock, Elvis rises to stardom, The Beatles appear on The Ed Sullivan Show, The Byrds Turn! Turn! Turn!, Leave It to Beaver, American Bandstand, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. Fads & Fashion: blue jeans, Silly Putty, Barbie, birth of the shopping mall, the hippie look Science: jet powered transport planes, the space race, “the Pill”, the first successful heart transplant
Group P: Urban Commuters Shaded portions of the map show areas where this group is overrepresented by 20% or more, not the number of households e.g. a rural area may be over indexed but still contain relatively few target households.
Group P: Urban Commuters Types within: P113-P122 (643,462 Households, 5.05%) These are urban and urban fringe Québec and Ontario people who typically work in lower income health services, clerical and manufacturing labour jobs. Moderately high levels of unemployment exist. The group contains very high proportions of recent (post-1990) immigrants from non-European countries. Heads of households are commonly 20-39 and may be single, married, separated or divorced. The majority live in rented accommodations in large apartment buildings not more than a 30 minute commute from work. There are many young children, most under the age of 5. Adult education levels are polarized with above average concentrations of university educations and those with not even high school diplomas. Despite this they have goals for themselves and high hopes for their children. They understand the power of technology and the need to stay current with computer advancements – they are the most likely of any of the lower income groups to own a computer and have Internet access. Children are encouraged to learn with educational toys and books from Mastermind. Music, television and computing are all areas of above average equipment expenditures. They exhibit extreme thrift in other lifestyle expenditure areas, shopping at dollar stores and outlet malls for clothing and at Ikea and The Brick for furniture. All told as a group they manage to keep debt levels low and put a bit of money away for the future. This group over-indexes for ownership of the standard American Express card versus other lower income groups. Music and popular entertainment crop up again in their leisure interests which include dancing and club-hopping, attending concerts and going to the movies. Soccer and basketball are their two favourite participatory and spectator sports. Eating habits include high fast food and snack consumption.
Grew up with Events: USSR dissolves, U.S. invades Panama, Nelson Mandela is freed, Iraq invades Kuwait and is subsequently defeated, UN debacle in Somalia, Russian army crushes revolt in Parliament, fighting in Bosnia, Oklahoma City bombing Movies: Field of Dreams, Glory, Goodfellas, JFK, The Crying Game, The Full Monty Entertainment: Madonna Vogues, The Simpsons, Seinfeld, ER & Friends debut, Nirvana releases the watershed album Nevermind, CD sales surpass cassettes, Tom Hanks wins consecutive best actor Oscars, Vanilla Ice has his hit, Sir Mix-aLot Baby Got Back, Tupac Shakur killed Fads & Fashion: Tattoos and body piercing, Tommy Hilfiger, Jones Soda, Sobe, Cosmopolitan martinis, “The bomb”, “Peace out”, “You go!” Science: human gene transfer, genetic cloning, genetically-engineered food
Group Q: Struggling Parents Shaded portions of the map show areas where this group is overrepresented by 20% or more, not the number of households e.g. a rural area may be over indexed but still contain relatively few target households.
Group Q: Struggling Parents Types within: Q123-Q131 (802,102 Households, 6.29%) Young common law, legally married or single parents often aged 20-34 with preschool and elementary school aged children make up this group. They tend to have college or lower education and exhibit very high levels of unemployment with incomes significantly below average. Blue and grey collar jobs predominate. Many women stay at home with the children. There is a wide range of dwelling types present from high rises to single detached to mobile homes, evenly split between rented and owned. They are located across the country but primarily in western Canada with some in Ontario and the Territories. Lifestyle and media habits reveal a simple, living from day to day attitude. Much time is spent watching daytime television and reading men’s magazines such as Maxim. They spend very little on clothing and their homes. They are frequent patrons of both sit down and fast food restaurants, particularly seafood, food courts and burger restaurants. Banking, investment and credit card activity are all minimal. To guard against hardship they carry credit card balance and loss of employment insurance. Interests center on community, friends and family with outings to bars and restaurants, local fairs and exhibitions, zoos, theme parks and amusement arcades dominating the agenda. Softball, billiards, basketball, arts & crafts, camping and playing football are common activities. As a group they spend little with the exception of slightly above average amounts of pre-recorded music, audio and video equipment bought at outlet stores and traditional malls. A significant minority are native North Americans. Grew up with Events: conflict in Bosnia, Rwanda and Chechnya, Mandela elected president in South Africa’s first interracial election, O.J. Simpson trial, French wine boycotted following a nuclear test in the Pacific, Britain alarmed by “mad cow” outbreak, Hong Kong turned over to China Movies: Forrest Gump, Pulp Fiction, The Lion King, Braveheart, Leaving Las Vegas, The English Patient, Fargo, Sling Blade, Titanic, Good Will Hunting Entertainment: Kurt Cobain kills himself at age 27, chain book stores outsell independents for first time, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame opens, HDTV standard set, Ellen DeGeneres outs herself, Harry Potter mania begins, baseball players strike Fads & Fashion: Pogs, 64-bit video games, Tamagotchi, cargo pants, Guess jeans, Nike Science: Comet Hale-Bopp, the Internet boom
Group R: Metropolitan Lifestyles Shaded portions of the map show areas where this group is overrepresented by 20% or more, not the number of households e.g. a rural area may be over indexed but still contain relatively few target households.
Group R: Metropolitan Lifestyles Types within: R132-R139 (662,493 Households, 5.20%) This group lives in urban Québec, predominantly in the city of Montreal, and consists mostly of young 20-39 year olds but also some retirees who share most of their demographic characteristics and lifestyle. They tend to be single and live alone; two and three person households are often non-related roommates. Children, if present, are very young. Because the young members are just starting out, the older members are on pension income, and the number of people per household is small, this group has significantly below average household income. Per capita however they are much closer to the national average. They are interested in fashion, computers and technology and the latest in entertainment. While they may not have a great deal of disposable income, moderate amounts is spent on paint and other home décor items. They lead incredibly active social lives, spending much of their money going out to bars and clubs, taking in movies, concerts and cultural performances. In common with other Québec groups they tend to drink French wine and Québec micro-brewery beer. They utilize cool independent boutiques for key purchases and save money on most things by shopping at dollar stores or low end mall retailers. The younger members of this group tend to possess college or university educations; the older members have high school or less. The group has moderately high levels of unemployment. Jobs are typically administrative, retail, hospitality and manufacturing related. Grew up with First Jobs: Tiananmen Square, the loonie, fall of the Soviet Union, quashing of the Meech Lake accord, Mandela elected president, Gulf War I, GST invoked, NAFTA created, Unabomber arrested, Princess Diana killed, Grunge and rap music firmly in the mainstream, media goes digital, World Series cancelled Seniors: Hitler becomes Führer, Dionne quintuplets born, Spanish civil war, war between China and Japan, World War II, atomic weapons and first computers developed, the United Nations formed, Jackie Robinson joins the Brooklyn Dodgers, Dr. Benjamin Spock’s childcare classic published, in Citizen Kane Orson Welles pushes the boundaries of cinema and redefines the medium
Group S: Young Canadians Shaded portions of the map show areas where this group is overrepresented by 20% or more, not the number of households e.g. a rural area may be over indexed but still contain relatively few target households.
Group S: Young Canadians Types within: S140-S146 (394,835 Households, 3.10%) Urban eastern and western Canadians predominantly aged 20-34 with a high concentration of singles, common law couples, and single parents make up this group. It contains the highest proportion of recent (post-1996) immigrants who hail mainly from Asian, African and Middle Eastern countries. Households generally contain 1 to 2 persons. They have the highest concentration of apartment renters and of university educations of any group. Incomes are significantly below average from early career jobs in white and grey collar occupations. Income level is partially a function of the low number of people per household. They are technically savvy, shopping and watching live broadcasts on-line and banking by phone or computer. Financial activity is minimal although credit card companies are banking on their future success and have approved the group’s members for card ownership at a rate that far surpasses their current income. They spend moderately on clothing and home décor and when clothing is purchased these people look like poster children for Banana Republic and Club Monaco. This is an active group socially, culturally and physically which is able to take advantage of the opportunities available in their cities.
Grew up with Events: Berlin Wall falls, “Velvet Revolution” in Romania, South Africa ends apartheid, U.S.-led military coalition defeats Iraq, conflict in Bosnia Movies: Driving Miss Daisy, Dances with Wolves, Unforgiven, Schindler’s List, Braveheart Entertainment: Twin Peaks, Northern Exposure, N.Y.P.D. Blue and The X-Files all push the boundaries of TV and feature eccentric characters in leading roles, Ellen DeGeneres becomes the first openly gay woman to have her own sitcom, music fragments into many styles and niches Fads & Fashion: Beanie Babies, high tech toys, pre-ripped jeans, wide headbands, half-heart necklaces like Laura Palmer’s (Twin Peaks), bottled water Science: visionary Jaron Lanier coins the term virtual reality and produces equipment to experience it, Dolly the sheep pioneers cloning
Group T: Social in the City Shaded portions of the map show areas where this group is overrepresented by 20% or more, not the number of households e.g. a rural area may be over indexed but still contain relatively few target households.
Group T: Social in the City Types within: T147-T150 (381,321 Households, 2.99%) This group is made predominantly made up of seniors 55+ but there is an above average presence of individuals between 20 and 24. Households are almost exclusively one and two person. The few larger households feature young adult family members enrolled at university or in their first job. Typical dwellings are old rented duplexes and apartments. Many have moved into downsized apartments or senior citizens homes in recent years. Group members are blue collar and service industry workers with high school education or less. Their income is half the national average with a high level of government pensions. Less than a quarter have incomes over $45,000 and over 50% do not contribute to an RRSP, They prefer to use Caisses Populaires Desjardins for their banking purposes. High television viewing, particularly daytime soaps, mini-series and variety and award specials are especially popular. These urban Québec Francophones enjoy a night out to take in cultural performances, ballet, opera, symphonies or a movie and regularly engage in physical activities such as tennis, hiking and fitness walking. They are generous with gifts for others such as flowers and toys or clothes.
Grew up with Events: The Great Depression, Italy invades Ethiopia, the Hindenburg explodes, Amelia Earhart vanishes over the Pacific, Germany annexes Austria and Czechoslovakia, Chamberlain declares “peace in our time” and then resigns after Germany invades Poland and WWII begins, the war rages for six years ending with Japan’s surrender on Sept. 2 1945 Movies: Gone With The Wind, Citizen Kane, Holiday Inn, Casablanca, The Best Years of Our Lives Entertainment: George Gershwin combines black folk idiom and Broadway musical techniques in Porgy and Bess, the BBC begins the first television service, the Cannes Film Festival debuts Fads & Fashion: hats virtually mandatory men’s wear with a suit, Monopoly, horse racing Science: nylon, Teflon, radar, ballpoint pens, nuclear technology, computers, carbon-14 dating, aluminium foil, refrigerators, supersonic flight