Revealed – the top 10 safest Canadian cities to live in

Revealed – the top 10 safest Canadian cities to live in | Insurance Business Canada

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Revealed – the top 10 safest Canadian cities to live in

Which cities see the lowest crime rates?

Insurance News

By
Mika Pangilinan

A new study has named Toronto the safest city in Canada, boasting the lowest instances of criminal offenses per 100,000 of the population.

Analysts at Money.ca delved into data on arson, robbery, impaired driving, and burglary across various Canadian cities to pinpoint the locations least affected by these crimes. They assessed the frequency of each offense using statistics from the Canadian Crime Index.

Toronto ranked first, being the least prone to crimes, with 286.9 offences per 100,000 of the population. It had the fewest instances of breaking and entering, standing at 150.8 cases per 100,000 residents in 2021. It is also among the top ten cities least susceptible to arson and impaired driving incidents.

Securing the second spot as the safest Canadian city to live in, Quebec recorded 301 offenses per 100,000 of the population. It saw the lowest count of robbery cases nationwide, tallying merely 12.2 violations in 2021. Moreover, its burglary occurrences are the second lowest, trailing only behind Toronto at 161.2 instances.

In third place stands Ottawa-Gatineau, QC, with 318.8 offenses per 100,000 residents. The region is also among the top 10 cities least likely to encounter robbery and breaking and entering incidents.

Listed below are the seven other cities in Money.ca’s top 10:

Quebec – 301 offenses per 100k
Ottawa-Gatineau, QC – 318.8 offenses per 100k
Sherbrooke – 327.4 offenses per 100k
Ottawa-Gatineau, ON – 333.9 offenses per 100k
Montreal – 356.7 offenses per 100k
Barrie – 356.7 offenses per 100k
Trois-Rivières – 366.2 offenses per 100k
Saguenay – 396.3 offenses per 100k
Hamilton – 420.6 offenses per 100k

Sherbrooke saw 16.6 robbery cases and 169.7 instances of breaking and entering in 2021. Meanwhile, Ottawa-Gatineau, ON, witnessed the third lowest count of impaired driving cases, totalling 69.6 incidents in 2021, along with a modest 9.9 instances of arson.

Crime rates can impact insurance premiums

In an emailed news release, a representative from Money.ca offered insights into the significance of the study.

“Looking at rates of arson, robbery, burglary, and driving under the influence in each area offers insights into the overall crime rates in Canadian cities that affect homeowners and families in particular,” the representative said.

“This study also highlights the areas where insurance premiums are perhaps lower, or residents may be less inclined to increase their insurance options to protect themselves from these occurrences.”

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