Two Saskatchewan cities have been ranked high on the list of Canada’s most dangerous places by Maclean’s magazine.
When it comes to violent crime, North Battleford and Prince Albert rank in the top five on the magazine’s annual list released on Nov. 19.
North Battleford is the second-highest centre, while the Prince Albert region is the fourth highest.
When it comes to all crime, North Battleford is first and Prince Albert is sixth.
Both cities have been on the list in previous years; North Battleford topped the list in 2018 while Prince Albert ranked fourth.
The magazine used Statistics Canada data to set the list and used a formula based on each area’s population.
There are a number of community groups that offer services in North Battleford, like Battlefords Agency Tribal Chiefs (BATC).
“We continue to grow in the Battlefords and we know that all of these efforts are making far more impact than this one-sided narrative,” said an email from the organization.
“We are a unique place, full of amazing people who consistently pull together to address the needs of our communities.”
Global News reached out to several groups and people including the Battlefords RCMP and the city’s mayor. They either declined to comment or didn’t respond before the deadline.
“There is a lot of good work being done in those cities. We hear about the crime that happens. We don’t hear about the crime that doesn’t happen,” said John Howard Society of Saskatchewan CEO Shawn Fraser.
“It’s not to say that there’s not good work happening in those communities, but ultimately people need the resources to pull their lives together. I think there’s always more work we can do.”
Fraser added many services are available in Saskatoon and Regina, and not all of those are easy to access in smaller communities.
“A lot of those people end up falling through the cracks,” he said.
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