THUNDER BAY – NEWS – Thunder Bay continues to experience high levels of violence along with homicide rates far higher than most Canadian cities. Thunder Bay led all of Canada on the Police-reported Violent Crime Severity Index for 2022.
Statistics Canada reports that in Thunder Bay in 2021, there was an increase in robbery, human trafficking under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, sexual assault (level 1), trafficking, production, importation or exportation of cocaine, and sexual violations against children; partially offset by decrease in homicide and theft of $5,000 or under (non-motor vehicle).
Nationally, in Canada, there were 788 homicides, 29 more than the previous year. The national homicide rate increased 3% from 2.00 homicides per 100,000 population in 2020, to 2.06 homicides per 100,000 population in 2021.
Overall, the increase in the national number of homicides was the result of more homicides in Ontario (+37 homicides, which follows two years of decreases) and British Columbia (+25 homicides). In contrast, Alberta (-23 homicides, which follows two years of increases) and Nova Scotia (-14 homicides, which follows a large increase in 2020 as a result of the mass shooting that occurred in the province)Note
Police-reported 190 Indigenous victims of homicide, 18 fewer than in 2020. Despite the decrease, the rate of homicide for Indigenous peoples (9.17 per 100,000 population) was approximately 6 times higher than the rate for non-Indigenous people (1.55 per 100,000 population).
The rate of homicide for individuals identified by police as persons of a group designated as racialized increased 34% in 2021 to 2.51 homicides per 100,000 population. This rate was higher than for victims identified as belonging to the rest of the population (1.81 homicides per 100,000 population).