Hamilton makes top ten ‘safest’ list on most dangerous places in Canada survey

It’s a dangerous world out there, but despite the rise in gunplay and violent crime in Hamilton, the city ranked among the safest big cities in Canada according to the results of a recent study.

Financial services and news site Money.ca analyzed the Canadian Crime Index and ranked cities with more than 100,000 people based on crime statistics – both violent and non-violent – to determine the most dangerous places in the country.

The top ten was top-heavy with western cities, with Lethbridge and Regina at 1-2 (1,190 and 1,113.5 offences per 100,000 population, respectively) and western Canadian cities taking six of the top seven spots on the list. Ontario didn’t make the list until Sudbury at #8, with 779 offences per 100,000 people.

Hamilton’s overall crime index score of 65 and 420.6 offences per 100,000 people meant there were 25 big cities in Canada considered to have worse crime than the Steel City.

Hamilton instead made the good list, coming as the tenth safest large city in Canada. Toronto, surprisingly, took the #1 spot on the list at 286.9 offences per 100,000 population.

Here are the top 10 safest cities in Canada, according to Money.ca:

• Toronto (286.9 offences per 100,000 people)
• Quebec City (301)
• Gatineau (318.8)
• Sherbrooke (327.4)
• Ottawa (333.9)
• Montreal (356.7)
• Barrie (356.7)
• Trois-Rivières (366.2)
• Saguenay (396.3)
• Hamilton (420.6)

Another study released last month looked at driving habits in Ontario cities and Hamilton didn’t fare as well, although its place on the ‘naughty’ top ten list for the most dangerous places to drive in the province was at the back end at number nine.

The study from insurance comparison site MyChoice looked at data from accidents, driving infractions and insurance claims to come up with a weighted average score to declare the most dangerous place to drive in Ontario.

At #1 was Brantford – located just 40 kilometres west of Hamilton – with a score of 0.7 out of 5, followed by Ajax, Kingston, Bolton, Burlington, St. Catharines, Barrie, Windsor, Hamilton and Kitchener.