Winnipeg Free Press - ONLINE EDITION
Winnipeg named 2008 murder capital
WINNIPEG — Winnipeg has regained the nefarious title of Murder Capital of Canada for large urban centres.
Statistics Canada released its 2008 Homicide in Canada report this morning which found Winnipeg atop the list of the country's 10 largest centres with the highest per-capita rate of homicide.
There were 31 homicides in the Winnipeg census metropolitan area in 2008, which gave the city a murder rate of 4.07. The next city was Edmonton, with a rate of 3.44.
Statistics Canada said there were six other cities which reported a greater number of homicides in 2008 but Winnipeg had the highest per capita rate.
Statistics Canada found that the smaller B.C. community of Abbotsford-Mission, plagued by a series of gang-related homicides, scored an even higher per capita homicide rate, of 4.71.
On a provincial basis, Manitoba reported 54 homicides in 2008, giving it the highest per capital homicide rate (4.47) among the 10 provinces.
There were more homicides reported in four other provinces: Ontario (176), British Columbia (117), Alberta (110), and Quebec (92).
Nationally, there were 17 more homicides in 2008 than the previous year, resulting in a 2 per cent increase in the national homicide rate. Statistics Canada said the 2008 increase was due almost entirely to increases in Alberta and B.C., most of which were gang-related.
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52 Comments
Posted by: opinionated
October 29, 2009 at 4:02 PM
Would be interested to see stats on random type murders that happen to innocent victims. That would mean more to me.
Call me insensitive, but I believe most of the murders in Winnipeg happen to people who are involved in criminal activity to start with and my heart dosen't really bleed for them.
I don't feel unsafe even in more dangerous areas. If you keep your nose clean there are pretty good odds that you will be safe.
Posted by: lwj01998
October 29, 2009 at 2:27 PM
What is our new motto now that replaced "Spirited Energy".. I hear we spent another 2 million on something. There is apparently a new one called "Start Living" which offers quite a contrast to the murder rate we maintain.
Posted by: Ed Anger
October 29, 2009 at 7:36 AM
Hurray: special thanks to the north end for bringing our numbers back up. Were No1 were No1...
Posted by: disappointed in this city
October 29, 2009 at 2:23 AM
Now there is something to be proud of ! Yeppers one great city
Posted by: the reaper
October 28, 2009 at 11:04 PM
crjb1 you are using stats numbers from two different years, neither of which is 2008
Posted by:
October 28, 2009 at 10:10 PM
Could the Free Press please provide us with citations of where the announcement was made that "named" WInnipeg is the murder capitial, who handed out the title and when? Because I checked the Statistics Canada news release and there is no mention of any city being named Murder Capital, just a presentation of the facts. This is yellow sensationalistic journalism at its worst, and as we increasingly remork, it is becoming very hard to distinguish between the Free Press and the Sun. Fress Press, your community expects more from you and deserves better journalism from you. Cut out the sensationalistic terminology. Some serious analysis would be welcome though.
Posted by: its_me_from_wpg.
October 28, 2009 at 9:37 PM
Since when were we not the #1 murder capital of Canada.
the gangs are killing to stay #1.
Posted by: am
October 28, 2009 at 7:26 PM
I have an idea....keep the damn offenders in jail not on the street! they need help and need guidance not their sentences reduced. It's pretty black and white. You kill someone you stay in jail for the rest of your life, you attempt to kill someone, you work in jail. I'd love to sit around all day but you know what, I have a job and i HAVE TO WORK....so should everyone else especially if you've broken the law!
No more tv's and cable.....send em out to fix up our disgusting city and just maybe they'll have some pride in their work...plus it won't make us look too bad either.
Posted by:
October 28, 2009 at 5:32 PM
Sigh...
The grass is always greener.... to those who have never left the fishbowl
Posted by: Dyl
October 28, 2009 at 5:03 PM
Good thing this city has so much to do and is a great place to live...NOT!!!!!
Also # 1 worst infrastructure as well!
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