No matter where you live in Canada, your chances of becoming a victim of crime are low—but if you want to be where the odds are lowest, Rothesay and Quispamsis, N.B., might be for you.
These two riverside towns just northeast of Saint John with a population of 29,000 have a crime severity index of 18.25, the lowest of the 237 Canadian urban areas ranked by Maclean’s and almost 55 points lower than Canada’s overall CSI of 72.9. The crime severity index is a measure used by Statistics Canada that accounts for the both the number and seriousness of crimes.
It’s never a great idea to leave your doors unlocked, but if you’re determined to, Rothesay and Quispamsis are the places to do it. They had the lowest rate of breaking and entering in the country in 2017 with just 18 incidents, or a rate of 61.32 per 100,000 people.
Rothesay and Quispamsis are the only towns from Atlantic Canada to make our list of the top 50 safest places in the country. The majority of them are from Ontario, with communities in Canada’s most populous province accounting for two-thirds of the list.
Selwyn, Ont. and Amherstburg, Ont. are the second and third safest places in Canada, respectively. The Peterborough County township of Selwyn’s CSI is just slightly higher than Rothesay and Quispamsis’ at 18.7, while the Windsor, Ont. bedroom community of Amherstburg has a CSI of 20.93.
Seven communities from Quebec and eight from British Columbia also cracked the top 50. Just one town in Alberta made the cut—High River, whose CSI of 38.68 makes it the 45th safest place in Canada.
The safest place in Quebec, and the 15th safest place in Canada, is the Regional County Municipality of Collines-de-l’Outaouais. This area outside Ottawa includes Val-des-Monts and Chelsea and has a CSI of 27.77.
Just one spot below is the safest place in British Columbia. North Saanich has a CSI of 27.84 and also has one of the lowest levels of violent crime in the country.
Our annual Dangerous Places report ranks communities according to Statistics Canada’s Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, a measure of all police-reported crime. For more information, please see our methodology page.
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| Community | Province | Crime Severity Index (CSI) | Five-year percent change in CSI | Population | Police service | Number of homicides in 2017 | Homicide rate per 100,000 people | Breaking and entering rate per 100,000 people | Assault level 1 rate per 100,000 people |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rothesay and Quispamsis | New Brunswick | 18.25 | -31% | 29355 | Kennebecasis Regional Police Force | 0 | 0 | 61.32 | 163.52 |
| Selwyn | Ontario | 18.7 | -55% | 15417 | Ontario Provincial Police, Peterborough County (Selwyn) detachment | 0 | 0 | 116.75 | 110.27 |
| Amherstburg | Ontario | 20.93 | 23% | 22775 | Amherstburg Police Service | 0 | 0 | 92.21 | 166.85 |
| Petawawa | Ontario | 22.14 | -10% | 14491 | Ontario Provincial Police, Upper Ottawa Valley (Petawawa) detachment | 0 | 0 | 138.02 | 234.63 |
| Hamilton Township | Ontario | 24.02 | 5% | 11207 | Ontario Provincial Police, Northumberland (Hamilton) detachment | 0 | 0 | 249.84 | 80.31 |
| Georgian Bluffs | Ontario | 24.2 | -11% | 10835 | Ontario Provincial Police, Grey County (Georgian Bluffs) detachment | 0 | 0 | 119.98 | 156.9 |
| Essex | Ontario | 25.35 | -25% | 20828 | Ontario Provincial Police, Essex detachment | 0 | 0 | 148.84 | 278.47 |
| Kingsville | Ontario | 25.51 | -9% | 22675 | Ontario Provincial Police, Essex County (Kingsville) detachment | 0 | 0 | 163.18 | 202.87 |
| LaSalle | Ontario | 26.62 | 25% | 29987 | LaSalle Police Service | 0 | 0 | 186.75 | 50.02 |
| Innisfil and Bradford West Gwillimbury | Ontario | 27.01 | -20% | 67763 | South Simcoe Police Service | 1 | 1.48 | 104.78 | 197.75 |
| Rideau Lakes | Ontario | 27.04 | -24% | 10661 | Ontario Provincial Police, Rideau Lakes detachment | 0 | 0 | 206.36 | 253.26 |
| Tecumseh | Ontario | 27.25 | 9% | 25154 | Ontario Provincial Police, Essex County (Tecumseh) detachment | 0 | 0 | 166.97 | 119.27 |
| Wellington County | Ontario | 27.56 | -20% | 95786 | Ontario Provincial Police, Wellington County detachment | 0 | 0 | 174.35 | 168.08 |
| Lakeshore | Ontario | 27.7 | 6% | 36140 | Ontario Provincial Police, Essex County (Lakeshore) detachment | 0 | 0 | 262.87 | 146.65 |
| Collines-de-l'Outaouais Regional County Municipality | Quebec | 27.77 | -44% | 50471 | MRC des Collines-de-l'Outaouais | 0 | 0 | 241.72 | 334.85 |
| North Saanich | British Columbia | 27.84 | -9% | 12116 | RCMP, North Saanich detachment | 0 | 0 | 214.59 | 132.06 |
| Halton Region | Ontario | 27.89 | -2% | 581387 | Halton Regional Police Service | 3 | 0.52 | 178.71 | 177.51 |
| Repentigny and Charlemagne | Quebec | 28.08 | -37% | 92542 | Repentigny Police Service | 1 | 1.08 | 145.88 | 273.39 |
| South Frontenac | Ontario | 28.65 | -18% | 19240 | Ontario Provincial Police, Frontenac (South Frontenac) detachment | 0 | 0 | 259.88 | 176.72 |
| Caledon | Ontario | 28.98 | 4% | 68433 | Ontario Provincial Police, Caledon detachment | 0 | 0 | 200.2 | 182.66 |
| Norwich | Ontario | 29.17 | 8% | 11474 | Ontario Provincial Police, Oxford (Norwich) detachment | 0 | 0 | 322.47 | 148.16 |
| Essa and area | Ontario | 29.49 | -23% | 62311 | Ontario Provincial Police, Nottawasaga (New Tec./Essa/Adjala Tosor.) detachment | 0 | 0 | 150.86 | 213.45 |
| Grey Highlands | Ontario | 29.62 | -20% | 9996 | Ontario Provincial Police, Markdale (Grey Highlands) detachment | 0 | 0 | 230.09 | 340.14 |
| North Grenville | Ontario | 30.14 | -18% | 15061 | Ontario Provincial Police, Grenville County (North Grenville) detachment | 0 | 0 | 225.75 | 199.19 |
| Loyalist | Ontario | 32.5 | -19% | 16959 | Ontario Provincial Police, Napanee (Loyalist) detachment | 0 | 0 | 159.21 | 389.17 |
| Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry | Ontario | 32.56 | -26% | 65892 | Ontario Provincial Police, Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry detachment | 0 | 0 | 229.16 | 226.13 |
| Lévis | Quebec | 32.63 | -13% | 145584 | Lévis Police Service | 1 | 0.69 | 161.42 | 234.92 |
| Elgin County | Ontario | 32.98 | 0% | 44720 | Ontario Provincial Police, Elgin County detachment | 0 | 0 | 310.82 | 178.89 |
| Trent Hills | Ontario | 33.65 | -23% | 13648 | Ontario Provincial Police, Northumberland (Trent Hills) detachment | 0 | 0 | 278.43 | 227.14 |
| Colwood | British Columbia | 33.88 | -26% | 17507 | RCMP, Colwood detachment | 0 | 0 | 194.21 | 177.07 |
| Orangeville | Ontario | 34.47 | -16% | 32208 | Orangeville Police Service | 0 | 0 | 99.35 | 316.69 |
| Richelieu-Saint-Laurent region | Quebec | 34.76 | -22% | 207757 | Richelieu-Saint-Laurent Police Service | 2 | 0.96 | 259.92 | 188.68 |
| Comox | British Columbia | 35.03 | 33% | 14495 | RCMP, Comox detachment | 0 | 0 | 117.28 | 158.68 |
| Brighton | Ontario | 35.28 | 2% | 11782 | Ontario Provincial Police, Northumberland (Brighton) detachment | 0 | 0 | 314.04 | 305.55 |
| The Nation | Ontario | 35.44 | -21% | 12221 | Ontario Provincial Police, Russell County/Hawkesbury (The Nation) detachment | 0 | 0 | 147.29 | 245.48 |
| St. Clair, Lambton and area | Ontario | 36.73 | -14% | 51124 | Ontario Provincial Police, Lambton detachment | 0 | 0 | 303.18 | 152.57 |
| Coldstream | British Columbia | 36.83 | 19% | 10589 | RCMP, Coldstream detachment | 0 | 0 | 226.65 | 160.54 |
| Kincardine | Ontario | 37.23 | -26% | 11664 | Ontario Provincial Police, South Bruce (Kincardine) detachment | 0 | 0 | 274.35 | 214.33 |
| York Region | Ontario | 37.34 | 5% | 1163901 | York Regional Police Service | 9 | 0.77 | 178.54 | 191.68 |
| Saanich | British Columbia | 37.36 | -20% | 119229 | Saanich Police Department | 0 | 0 | 145.1 | 293.55 |
| Sidney | British Columbia | 37.5 | -22% | 12364 | RCMP, Sidney detachment | 0 | 0 | 145.58 | 186.02 |
| Oak Bay | British Columbia | 38.09 | -6% | 19627 | Oak Bay Police Department | 2 | 10.19 | 163.04 | 86.62 |
| North Perth | Ontario | 38.18 | -28% | 13317 | Ontario Provincial Police, Perth (North Perth) detachment | 0 | 0 | 255.31 | 285.35 |
| Blainville | Quebec | 38.28 | -18% | 54319 | Blainville Police Service | 2 | 3.68 | 233.8 | 360.83 |
| High River | Alberta | 38.68 | -42% | 16114 | RCMP, High River detachment | 0 | 0 | 111.7 | 297.88 |
| Terrebonne and area | Quebec | 39.52 | -32% | 141574 | Terrebonne Police Service | 2 | 1.41 | 226.74 | 292.43 |
| North Vancouver District Municipality | British Columbia | 39.82 | -9% | 93318 | RCMP, North Vancouver District detachment | 0 | 0 | 327.91 | 188.6 |
| Prince Edward County | Ontario | 40.35 | -24% | 25491 | Ontario Provincial Police, Prince Edward detachment | 0 | 0 | 372.68 | 356.99 |
| L'Assomption and area | Quebec | 40.46 | -9% | 24418 | L'Assomption Police Service | 0 | 0 | 188.39 | 327.63 |
| Norfolk County | Ontario | 40.55 | -5% | 66184 | Ontario Provincial Police, Norfolk County detachment | 0 | 0 | 308.23 | 326.36 |
