THUNDER BAY – As 2022 draws to a close, Thunder Bay has set a grim record. There have been 15 homicides in our city so far this year.
The record before this was 11 in 2014.
The number of homicides this year likely ensures the city will hold the dubious title of “Murder Capital of Canada”.
The statistics are based on the number of murders per 100,000 population.
Winnipeg has had 51 murders in 2022. 833,000 people live in Winnipeg, the rate per 100,000 is 6.3.
Toronto has a population of 6,313,000. There have been 69 murders recorded by Toronto Police. That works out to a homicide rate of 1.09 per 100,000.
If Toronto had Thunder Bay’s homicide rate, there would be 945 murders in Toronto.
By way of contrast, 685 people were victims have been murdered in Chicago so far in 2022.
Newswise, Thunder Bay’s homicide rate and the problems with GTA drug dealers does not rank in the news nationally.
It should be front and centre for Prime Minister Trudeau and Premier Ford.
The reality is the total number of deaths as a result of the drug trade is far higher. There is not a running tally of overdoses.
The damage brought to Thunder Bay by drug addiction is massive.
It needs a full court press exceeding the push for luxuries like indoor turf facilities, there should not be a single council meeting in our city where dealing with this crisis in not on the agenda.
As 2022 draws to. close, newly sworn in Mayor Ken Boshcoff has more than shown his seemingly boundless energy as up for the task. It is up to all the rest of us to stand united in living in a safer Thunder Bay.
James Murray
