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Alberta among highest homicide rates in Canada in 2015: Statistics Canada

Homicide detectives investigate at a Mac's convenience store in Edmonton on Friday, December 18, 2015. A 13-year-old cried as he appeared briefly in youth court accused of killing two convenience store clerks.The boy, who cannot be identified, faces charges that include first-degree murder and robbery.THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Ulan.
Homicide detectives investigate at a Mac's convenience store in Edmonton on Friday, December 18, 2015. A 13-year-old cried as he appeared briefly in youth court accused of killing two convenience store clerks.The boy, who cannot be identified, faces charges that include first-degree murder and robbery.THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Ulan. THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Ulan

Alberta had the third highest homicide per capita in Canada last year among all provinces, according to Statistics Canada.

Statistics Canada’s numbers showed Alberta’s homicide rate was 3.17 per 100,000 population in 2015, and the province had 27 more homicide victims last year compared to 2014.

The rate was higher in Saskatchewan and Manitoba, where the population is lower.

READ MORE: Saskatoon has 2nd highest homicide rate in Canada during 2015

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Saskatchewan reported the highest homicide rate among provinces at 3.79 victims per 100,000 people, followed by Manitoba with 3.63 homicides per 100,000.

In 2015, the population in Saskatchewan was 1.1 million people, and in Manitoba was 1.3 million. By comparison, 4.2 million people called Alberta their home that year.

READ MORE: Regina had the highest homicide rate among big Canadian cities in 2015

Edmonton had the third highest homicide rate among metropolitan areas with 2.87 victims per 100,000 or 39 homicides in 2015, while Regina and Saskatoon had the two highest rates.

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Calgary had the fifth highest rate with 2.70 victims per 100,000 people or 39 victims last year.

Nationally, Canadian police services reported 604 homicides in 2015, which was 83 more than the previous year, according to Statistics Canada. That represented a homicide rate increase of 15 per cent up to 1.68 victims per 100,000 population.

Statistics Canada said 25 per cent of the victims were Aboriginal. Aboriginal people accounted for five per cent of the Canadian population in 2015.

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