Thunder Bay has 3rd highest homicide rate in Canada: Stats Can
Regina reported to have the highest homicide rate, followed by Winnipeg and Thunder Bay
Thunder Bay continues to have one of the highest homicide rates in the country — but it can no longer be called the murder capital of Canada.
According to a Statistics Canada report, released Monday, Thunder Bay's homicide rate ranked just behind Regina and Winnipeg, based on 2013 statistics for census metropolitan areas.
- Read the StatsCan report here
- Thunder Bay murder rate 'unlikely' to impact personal safety
- Canada's crime rate continued downward trend in 2013
Thunder Bay's mayor Keith Hobbs said it's a troubling ranking.
"You think 2013's stats are bad? Wait till next years to come out," he said.
"It's going to show us as No.1 in the country for sure. So it's something we are gong to have to address seriously with Thunder Bay police."
So far in 2014, Thunder Bay has recorded 10 homicides.
Hobbs said this new report shows hand-gun homicide has gone down in the city, but the use of knives as a murder weapon is increasing.
"A lot of our homicides have been beatings or edged weapons related," he said.
"You know, I don't want to see an all-out ban ... on knives, but I think police have to have more tools in their tool box in respect to this weapon."
In 2012, Statistics Canada reported Thunder Bay had the highest homicide in the country, with a total of 7 deaths. The rate was 5.81 victims per 100,000 people.
In 2013, that number dropped by almost half to 2.46 per 100,000 people.
Today's report also noted homicide rates in Canada's two largest metropolitan areas - Toronto (1.34) and Montréal (1.08) - were below the national average of 1.44.
No homicides were reported in Moncton, Saguenay, Sherbrooke, Peterborough or Guelph in 2013.
