THUNDER BAY -- When it comes to murder, Thunder Bay bucked the national trend – at least for one year.
According to figures released by Statistics Canada, the Lakehead murder rate dropped by 20 per cent in 2011, from five to four. Nationally the rate jumped by about seven per cent.
Overall, Thunder Bay was fourth in Canada with a rate of 3.33 murders per 100,000 people, trailing Winnipeg (5.08), Halifax (4.41) and Edmonton (4.17).
The Canadian average was 1.73 per 100,000, up from 1.62 in 2010.
However, Thunder Bay’s rate will jump in 2012. With less than a month to go the city has already had five murders this year.
There were 598 murders in Canada in 2011. Toronto led the way in overall numbers, with 86, followed by Montreal with 54 and Edmonton with 50.
Kingston, Ont., Sudbury, Moncton, N.B. and Oshawa, Ont. were the only cities of the 34 census metropolitan areas listed not to record a homicide in 2011.
