If one were to stop an average Toronto resident on the street and ask them for their opinion on the country’s safest cities, nine times out of 10 they would say not here. But, according to a new report, the one-and-only Toronto is the safest in all the land. And all those awful incidents we read about on social media everyday, apparently no big deal.
The report is compiled by financial experts at Money.ca, not crime experts. According to the analysis, Toronto emerges as the top choice for residents, boasting just 286.9 offences per 100,000 residents in various crime categories such as arson, robbery, impaired driving, and burglary, using the Canadian Crime Index.
Compared to other hot beds of criminal activity, Toronto experiences five times fewer breaking and entering crimes than Lethbridge, which stands as the city most affected by crime in Canada with a whopping 1,190 instances per 100,000 population.
The top 10 list of Canada’s safest areas is as follows:
- Toronto – 286.9 offenses per 100,000
- Quebec – 301 offenses per 100,000
- Ottawa-Gatineau, QC – 318.8 offenses per 100,000
- Sherbrooke – 327.4 offenses per 100,000
- Ottawa-Gatineau, ON – 333.9 offenses per 100,000
- Montreal – 356.7 offenses per 100,000
- Barrie – 356.7 offenses per 100,000
- Trois-Rivières – 366.2 offenses per 100,000
- Saguenay – 396.3 offenses per 100,000
- Hamilton – 420.6 offenses per 100,000
So, according to those at Money.ca, Toronto is the safest place to live in Canada, with the city experiencing the lowest instances of breaking and entering at 150.8 per 100,000 population in 2021. Additionally, Toronto is ranked in the top 10 Canadian cities least likely to witness arson and impaired driving offences.
We are all worried about nothing. What a relief.
“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,” said a spokesperson for Money.ca. “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.”
Quebec City secures the second spot in terms of safety, with only 301 offences per 100,000 population. The city demonstrates the lowest number of robbery cases at 12.2 violations in 2021, and it ranks second in breaking and entering occurrences, following Toronto, with 161.2 instances.
Ottawa-Gatineau, which clearly ranks as one of the worst for hockey teams, claims the third position on the safety scale, registering 318.8 offences per 100,000 population. The city is among the top 10 least likely to experience robbery and breaking and entering incidents.
According to another study, Toronto ranks sixth behind leader Quebec City and other cities. And this one has Toronto fourth, and another has Toronto not even cracking the top 10.
So, it’s good to top any list, but take it for what it’s worth. Not much.
