Canada’s national homicide rate increased for a third consecutive year in 2021, with nearly one-quarter of the killings connected to gangs.
Statistics Canada’s latest homicide report noted the 2021 gang-related murder rate was the highest recorded in Canada — 0.48 per 100,000 population — since comparable data was first collected in 2005.
The data revealed 184 of 788 murders in the country were gang-related, up from 151 in 2020, which represented about 20 per cent of all the deaths.
Canada’s overall homicides were up three per cent year over year – the highest rate since 2005.
Ontario’s gang-related homicides were also up in 2021, to 65, which was 13 more than those counted in 2020.
Hamilton accounted for just seven of those gang-related deaths, one more than recorded in 2021.
In terms of overall murders, Ontario had 37 more, 277 total, in 2021 compared to 2020.
Hamilton was up two more year over year to 20 homicides in 2021.
Ontario had 114 gun-related homicides last year, with just eight of those in Hamilton.
The province with the highest rate of homicides is Saskatchewan, with 5.93 murders per 100,000 population in 2021.
Ontario has a rate of 1.87, while Hamilton is above the provincial average, checking in at 2.57 per 100,000 people.
Saskatchewan also had the highest rate of gang-related killings, 25, representing 35.7 per cent of its homicides recorded in 2021.
Homicides in general in Canada are still rare, according to the StatCan report, with murders accounting for less than 0.2 per cent of all police-reported violent crimes.
As many as 32 street gangs operating in Niagara Region
Just days before the release of the StatCan numbers, Niagara’s police board painted a picture of how street gangs operate in southern Ontario, documenting 159 members travelling regularly between Niagara and Toronto.
In all, it estimates there are 32 gangs operating in the region.
Niagara regional police Staff Sgt. Matt Hodges told the board Friday the gangs primarily originate from the GTA, with a small number tied to Montreal and Nova Scotia.
Hodges said their “transient” nature is “challenging” since it’s harder for the service to track members.
“But these are things we’re trying to deal with through the joint force operation,” Hodges said.
“With increased cooperation between all the police services through southern Ontario, led by the OPP, it’s really improving the communication.”
He went on to say membership is increasing within the two main motorcycle gangs in the region — Hells Angels and Outlaws Motorcycle Club — with much of the “criminality” committed by “puppet clubs.”
Hodges said drug trafficking, human trafficking and firearm-related matters are the primary activities the gangs are involved in on a day-to-day basis.
Where violence is concerned, robberies and takeovers of drug houses have led to major assaults, as have home invasions and shooting incidents.
Although Niagara police say gangs were connected with some 20 shooting incidents since 2017, the latest StatCan numbers are not connecting any of them with homicides in the region since 2020.
Overall, Niagara Region had six homicides in 2021, up from one in 2020.
Four of the cases were firearm-related, according to StatCan.