MacLean’s has released its 2019 ranking of the most dangerous urban centres in Canada and one Vancouver Island community is among the top 10.
Eight different BC cities break the top 50 on the list, however, Courtenay is the town with the highest crime-rise on the Island, and is ranked seventh in the country for crime growth.
MacLean’s uses Statistics Canada’s Crime Severity Index (CSI) to measure the rate of crime in an area, and to compare it to its CSI five years ago.
The baseline for CSI is 100. If an area has a lower rate of crime or less severe crimes compared to five years ago, their CSI is placed below 100. If a CSI is above 100, more crimes and/or more severe crimes took place in that region.
Courtenay’s 2019 CSI is 119, up almost 39 points from its 2012 index of 80.
According to MacLean’s, over the past 5 years the town of 25,525 people experienced 1 homicide, 142 assaults, 12 sexual assaults, and 3 firearm offenses.
Meanwhile, Victoria sits at 179th of the same MacLean’s list with a CSI of 114, almost 12 points fewer than in 2012. Over the past 5 years, the city of roughly 106,748 people experienced 1 homicide, 979 assaults, 161 sexual assaults, and 7 firearm offenses.
Statistically, crime across the country has decreased slightly in the past half decade.
Here are the 10 most dangerous places to live in Canada, according to Maclean’s:
1. Wetaskiwin, Alberta
2. Red Deer, Alberta
3. Lethbridge, Alberta
4. Prince Albert and area Saskatchewan
5. Thompson, Manitoba
6. Cold Lake, Alberta
7. Courtenay, British Columbia
8. Whitecourt, Alberta
9. Spruce Grove, Alberta
10. Sylvan Lake, Alberta
Other Vancouver Island communities listed in the top 100 for crime:
50. Port Alberni CSI up 8.72
52. Comox CSI up 8.72
53. Central Saanich CSI up 7.76
65. North Cowichan CSI up 4.18
68. Sooke – CSI up 3.69
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