Most Dangerous Provinces in Canada

Canada has a reputation for being a pretty friendly and safe place, and in most cases, that perception is true. But as lovely as our country is, it’s not a utopia of safety, and it’s important to know that there are certain areas where crime is significantly higher. Luckily savvy business people and homeowners can use common sense measures—including home alarm systems—to keep their homes and businesses safe, no matter where they live and work. In this post, we’ll explore the most recent statistics and see where crime is highest right now so you can stay smart and stay safe.

 

Canadian Crime Statistics: Where Does the Data Come From?

Statistics Canada is the national statistical office, tasked with ensuring that all Canadians have important information on Canada’s economy, society and environment so they can function effectively as citizens and decision makers. The agency does a great job publishing detailed data on incidences of crime across Canada each year. Data for 2020, which was released on July 7, 2021, allows Canadian citizens to see crime statistics sorted by various categories and characteristics. While the database is an excellent and transparent tool, it can be hard to navigate. That’s why we’ve pulled out the most important information and presented it in an easy-to-read format right nere. 

 

Crime Severity Index: A Key Crime Indicator for Canadian Provinces

When you hear the acronym CSI, you might think of an American television show about crime scene investigators, but when it comes to Canadian crime data, it stands for Crime Severity Index. The CSI measures the volume and severity of police-reported crime in Canada, and has a base index value of 100 for 2006. The overall CSI for Canada in 2020 is 73.4.

 

2020 Canadian Crime Statistics

The most recent data show an encouraging trend in Canadian crime statistics. As reported by Statistics Canada, “All measures of the CSI—the overall CSI, the Violent CSI and the Non-violent CSI—decreased for the first time after five years of increases.” Many attribute the 2020 decline to the pandemic, as shutdowns and quarantines kept more people at home and out of trouble. 

Crime Rates Canadian Provinces

 

Canadian Crime Hot Spots 

Despite the good news on the overall Canadian crime rate in 2020, some areas continue to show high crime rates. Looking at the overall CSI, Saskatchewan reported the highest crime index, with a measure of 141.11. Manitoba (125.23) and Alberta (107.36) take second and third place, respectively, in the contest for most dangerous province in Canada. It’s also interesting to note that although New Brunswick and Nova Scotia have relatively low CSIs at 82.82 and 71.67, they are the only two provinces that experienced upticks in the CSI from 2019 to 2020. We’ll be keeping our eye on those two provinces to see what 2021 holds in terms of crime rates. 

 

Violent Crime Rates for Canadian Provinces

If we drill down into the data and look at the subset for violent crimes, we see a similar story. The overall Violent Crime CSI for Canada is 87.03 (down from 90.30 in 2019), but once again, Saskatchewan (174.93), Manitoba (169.5), and Alberta (107.14) have significantly higher rates. Nova Scotia is the only province that showed a significant increase in the Violent Crime CSI, moving from 82.76 in 2019 to 98.05 in 2020. This represents an 18.5% increase in violent crime in Nova Scotia this year, despite overall trends across Canada ticking down. 

 

Non-Violent Crime Rates for Canadian Provinces

As you might expect, Saskatchewan (128.61), Manitoba (109.01), and Alberta (107.18) also clock in as the provinces with the highest rates of non-violent crime in Canada. Provinces to watch are Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, which both experienced modest upticks in their non-violent CSI metrics. 

Canadian Crime Map

Prairie Provinces Show Highest Crime Rates in Canada

The 2020 data clearly shows that the Prairie Provinces—Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Alberta—are the most dangerous provinces in Canada when it comes to police-reported crimes. With businesses reopening and Canucks from across the country venturing out again, we may see crime rates climb in 2021. But no matter where you live, an ADT (now Telus) monitored alarm system from Alarm Guard will make sure you are always safe and protected. And you can even save big on your homeowner’s insurance with an ADT (now Telus) system!

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Interested in exploring these crime statistics at a city level? Check out our companion piece: Most Dangerous Cities in Canada on our blog!

 

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