Canadian homicide rate drops to lowest level in 44 years

The homicide rate in Canada fell to its lowest level since 1966 last year, according to newly released data from Statistics Canada.

There were 56 fewer killings in 2010 than during the previous year, the agency said Wednesday.

The drop was most notable in the western provinces, especially British Columbia, which saw 35 fewer homicides.

Police in Alberta reported 18 fewer homicides, while those in Manitoba reported 12 fewer.

Nationally, the homicide rate fell to 1.62 for every 100,000 population — the lowest level since 1966.

Despite the decline in the West, Manitoba and Saskatchewan still had the highest rates of homicide in the country — continuing the decades-long trend of higher homicide rates in the Prairies.

Police in the largest census metropolitan areas reported significantly fewer homicides in 2010.

The homicide rate in Vancouver, for example, fell by 42 per cent to its lowest level since data in the area became available in 1981. There were 25 fewer killings in the West Coast city than in 2010.

Thunder Bay, Ont. had the highest homicide rate for the second year in a row, while the next highest rates were recorded in Saskatoon and Regina, the federal agency reported.

The general decline of firearm-related homicides continued in 2010 as police reported 170 homicides with a firearm in 2010, down from 180 the year before.

The trend has been seen over the past three decades. Rates of homicides involving a rifle or shotgun in 2010 were about one-fifth of those seen 30 years ago.

Canada's largest cities had the largest number of gun-related homicides: Half of all homicides in Toronto were committed with a firearm, along with 44 per cent in Vancouver and 33 per cent in Montreal.

In 2010, handguns accounted for 64 per cent of homicides committed with a firearm.

About 32 per cent of homicide victims died in shooting incidents, while 31 per cent of victims died in stabbings. About one-fifth of homicides involved beatings, eight per cent were caused by strangulation or suffocation and the remaining deaths were caused by cars, fires or poisoning.

Gang-related homicides hit a record high of 138 in 2008 and have since declined.

There were 124 gang-related murders in 2009 and 94 in 2010. Most homicides were related to "settling accounts," the agency said.

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