Manitoba’s murder rate is up, according to 2018 data released by Statistics Canada on Wednesday.
Last year, the province recorded 55 homicides – almost 16 per cent higher per capita compared to 2017.
Although there were more murders in 2018, the number of gun-related homicides dropped, following a national trend.
With the city of Winnipeg currently tied for its all-time record number of murders, it’s likely that 2019’s murder numbers will be even higher for Manitoba.
Although the Statistics Canada data showed a nationwide decrease in gang-related killings, one in every 10 murders in 2018 still had a gang connection.
Indigenous people were also over-represented in homicide data, accounting for 22 per cent of victims and 30 per cent of accused. The study said the murder rate for Indigenous people in 2018 was five times higher than that for the general Canadian population.
The data was collected from police sources across the country, as part of an annual survey that Stats Can has created since 1974.
Infographic from Statistics Canada: