Abbotsford, B.C. is Canada’s murder capital, again

Abbotsford, B.C. had renewed its title as the murder capital of Canada, recording more homicides per capita than any other city in 2009. The Abbotsford-Mission CMA, with a population of 160,000, recorded nine murders in 2009. Most other cities in western Canada—including Regina, Saskatoon, Winnipeg and Edmonton—had much higher counts of violent crimes, but fewer murders per capita. Abbotsford’s high murder rate is likely due to its popularity with gang leaders who have been engaged in a murderous turf war in recent years, The Province reports. Regina had the highest level of violent crime overall, with Saskatoon and Winnipeg trailing not far behind. Guelph, Ont. had the lowest level of violent crime, followed by Québec City and Toronto. According to the index, Canada’s overall crime rate has fallen 4% from 2008.

Statistics CanadaThe Province