Top 5 Worst Places to Live in Canada

Gourvi gupta
Gourvi gupta Lifestyle Places to Visit
18 Min Read
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For the last several years, Canada has seen a decrease in crime, maintaining its position as one of the safest nations in the world. When it comes to area, Canada is just second to Russia. With a nation of this scale, you would think there would be at least a few different places to choose from when picking where to live.

But since anything has its pluses and minuses, Canada also has a number of the worst areas to reside. Among the world’s nicest nations is Canada, which has earned this distinction.

However, since every penny has two aspects, there are also some undesirable locations in Canada that you should stay away from. Who wouldn’t want to move somewhere where the cost of living is way lower than it is in the US? Rental and medical coverage costs will be less expensive for you.

Canada has superior health, higher maternity pay, and other welfare programs. Due to its relatively low crime rate and quiet well, approachable, and responsive police force, Canada is recognized as one of the world’s safest tourist sites. So avoid living in these most dangerous towns in Canada.

Canada ranked 9th worldwide in the 2020 HSBC Expat Explorer Study, and first for culture and values, as one of the finest nations to relocate to. In 2020, Canada was ranked first in the world for the best quality of life and Canada has that standard of living in bunches.

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5 Worst Places to Live in Canada 

You rarely think about whether a town or city is a nice place to reside when you are growing up there. But as you age older, you realize that there are distinct factors that impact whether a particular area is a good location to dwell or not.

Numerous people desire to reside in Canada because it is one of the most picturesque nations, and the housing market shows that there is a huge requirement for houses here. While other regions of the globe are some of the most gorgeous, Canada is home to a number of America’s most famous vistas and monuments.

Regrettably, Canada has some drawbacks because there are several worst places to live in Canada, and some areas are rougher than others.

When trying to evaluate the most undesirable and greatest areas to live in any nation, individuals equate factors like the safety of an area, the quality of public schools, the variety of job opportunities, and if there is a fantastic choice of entertainment and recreational options in the neighborhood.

On the grounds of their crime severity scale, assault weapons offenses percentage, murder rate, operational police department, violent crimes, drug smuggling, rapes and assaults rate, burglary percentage, cumulative crime levels, percentage of violent crime, occurrences in past years, massive unemployment, and many others, the worst areas to live in Canada have now been narrowed down.

1. Port Alberni in Vancouver Island

Port Alberni is a major coastal city in the Alberni Valley, at the top of Vancouver Island’s biggest inlet, the Alberni Inlet. It is a small city on Vancouver Island in the British Columbia dominion of Canada. The inhabitants of Port Alberni are 17,678, with a statistical urban area of 25,112. Nevertheless, it has a spot on the list of worst places in Canada is Port Alberni.

The World Fishing Network has named Port Alberni the Ultimate Fishing Port and the Salmon Hub of the World. Neptune Canada’s 800-kilometer electrical fiber optic cable has a shore station in Port Alberni.

The low cost of living is one of the reasons people choose to live in Port Alberni. But, as the saying goes, even safety has a cost.

Most Dangerous Place on Vancouver Island

With an alarming prevalence of impaired driving, young criminality, and fraud, Port Alberni is the highest-ranking Vancouver Island city on the list. Maclean also mentions that it is the only city that has a massive issue with break-ins and assaults and both crime rates are more than double the national norm.

While there were reduced assaults in the city and around city hall, the rate of sexual assault increased after numerous occurrences were registered. The figures aren’t surprising to those who work at Alberni’s Women’s Shelter.

The mayor of the city stated that crime is a concern in the community and that a task force is being formed to look into the serious matter that is often associated with drug problems. He claims that some criminals are flocking to Port Alberni in search of lower-cost accommodation.

The Crime Severity Index (CSI), a Department of statistics measure of police-reported crimes that combines both quantity and seriousness, is used to rank the worst places to live according to the crime rate in the report. The CSI score for Port Alberni is 137, whereas the national average is 70.

2. Thompson in Manitoba

Thompson is the biggest city in Manitoba’s North District, located 761 kilometers (473 miles) north of Winnipeg alongside the Burntwood Stream. Thompson, which began as a mining town in 1956, currently functions as the ‘Hub of the North’, supplying products and services to the surrounding villages such as healthcare and retail industries.

Regrettably, it was found in the 1950s that this once-mining community is on the list of the poor places to live in Canada, although, it is now the biggest city in northern Manitoba and a bustling gateway to a few of the province’s sceneries.

Thompson currently has an estimated population of 13,678 inhabitants. Thompson’s population is expanding at a pace of 0.21 percent per year. It was on rank 2 on the Crime Severity Index in Canada for both 2018 and 2019.

Toronto Cityscape Waterfront Park View
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High Sexual Assault Rate

Thompson has been named Canada’s most dangerous city in Maclean’s annual list of the country’s most unsafe cities for the past three years. Therefore, it is one of the most dangerous places to live in. The conclusion is based on statistics from Statistics Canada, which analyses police data from all Canadian cities with populations of more than 10,000 people.

Thompson got a score of 570 on the Violent Crime Canadian average, whereas the national average is 82.44- rose by 111.08 percent in the last five years. It was pushed to position 2 on the list due to a rise in serious offenses such as sexual assaults, gun offenses, an increase in impaired driving as well as some marijuana possession.

Many believe that most of the violent crime that takes place in this small town are gang initiations because some of those accused were as young as 12 years old.

3. North Battleford in Saskatchewan

North Battleford is a small city but one of the most dangerous cities in Saskatchewan, and one of the poorest places to live, located in the west-central part of the province. It is the region’s seventh-largest city, located directly across the Northern Saskatchewan River from the Battleford.

The climate in North Battleford is humid and has long summer months with bad weather, making it a very unlikable place to live in Canada.

To add more to the list of reasons why Battleford is the worst place to live, Battleford has also faced downtime. The infections of roughly 6,280 people with cryptosporidiosis were caused by a malfunction with the city’s water supply; a lawsuit claiming several multimillion dollars worth of damage was initiated. Diarrhea afflicted between 5,800 and 7,100 persons, with 1,907 cases of cryptosporidiosis verified.

North Battleford was named Canada’s most hazardous place for overall crime by Maclean’s magazine in 2018.

Crime Severity Index Much Above than National Average

North Battleford has not blossomed into a historic little community or a charming tourism stop. Unfortunately, there is not much to do, and existing businesses, such as Walmart, are the exception.

North Battleford, just like every other place in Canada, has its upsides and downsides, but in North Battleford, these disparities are severe. North Battleford is amongst the worst areas to live even if it is a small town with a population of about 13,888 inhabitants. North Battleford also has one of the least average household incomes in the nation.

Altogether, the city’s CSI violent crime rating of 554.83 has been the highest in 20 years. North Battleford, which has had one of the nation’s highest crime rates over the years, received an overall rating of 437.70 in 2019, the highest since 2004. It has risen by 13.42 percent over last year. In 2021, the city had a 46.87 percent spike in violent crimes and a considerably smaller ( 1.7 percent) growth in non-violence.

4. Kitchener in Ontario

Kitchener is a small city in southeastern Ontario, Canada with a humid subtropical climate and a warm summer phase. There are significant seasonal changes, with hot and very humid summers and chilly to very frigid winters. Approximately, 260,000 people reside in this city of Ontario.

Manufacturing is at the heart of Kitchener’s economy. As a tribute to the city’s manufacturing history, industrial artifacts can be found in public spaces across the city.

Attractions like the museum’s dynamic art and science displays are located in the heart of the city. The Joseph Schneider Haus, located in Victoria Park, is a living-history exhibit that recreates life in the nineteenth century. The Doon Heritage Village, which is part of the Waterloo Region Museum, recreates early 1900s life with country houses and a blacksmith store.

Purchasing a property in Kitchener is still very reasonable when compared to most other urban centers in Southern Ontario. Victoria Park is still one of the worst places to live. Though it attracts a few tourists to the scene of major outdoor venues in the downtown core, it is Kitchener’s very well-known landmark.

urban green park cityscape view
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Hate Crimes and Drugs Consumption

Cedar and Eby are the worst neighborhoods in Kitchener because of prostitution, drugs, as well as low-income flats built on top of storefronts.

According to a recent study from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, it is one of the poorest places to live and the least secure places for women are Kitchener, Waterloo, and Cambridge. Sexual abuse and intimate relationship violence reports were among the highest in the cities as per investigation.

Kitchener was also listed at position 20 out of 26 cities in the research for its frequency of partner abuse, which was 452.9 per 100,000 inhabitants, according to the research. Kitchener police recorded a crime rate of 5,493 offenses per 100,000 people, which is 34% more than the statewide average.

In Kitchener, there were 3,398 property offenses per 100,000 people reported by police. The problem of drug users and dealers had a rating of 61.42 %.

5. Quesnel in British Columbia

Quesnel is a city in British Columbia, Canada, based in the Cariboo Regional Region and situated at the intersection of the Fraser and Quesnel River. It is a much-avoided city by women as it is on the list of the worst areas to live. It lies on the main highway to the Yukon and the northern British Columbia, almost halfway from Prince George and Williams Lakes.

The urban area of Quesnel has a census of 23,146 people, making it the largest city between Kamloops and Prince George. Due to coastal airflows from the Pacific, Quesnel’s humid subtropical climate is warm by Canadian standards, despite being inland and near the 53rd degree north.

The annual snowfall in Quesnel varies greatly depending on the season. From October 17 to March 25, the snowy season lasts for 5.3 months, with a typical 31-day snowfall at a minimum of 1.0 inches.

vancouver coal harbour autumn scenery
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Most Dangerous City in British Columbia

According to Maclean’s magazine’s assessment on Canada’s 20 most unsafe cities, Quesnel is by far the most violent city in British Columbia and the third-highest unsafe city in Canada, relying on its total Crime Severity Index.

To combat crime and remove itself from the roster of the worst places to live, the City of Quesnel has recruited additional city ordinance law enforcers. It still had 1 homicide, 15 sexual assaults, 127 assaults, and two firearms offenses, according to the figures in the investigation process.

The percentages of homicide, assaults, and sexual abuse rose while the rates of gun offenses fell. There were 20 burglary incidents, 183 breaking and entering offenses, and 123 scam cases reported. All of the incident types’ levels per 100,000 people grew.

According to statistics, there were 57 cases of drink and drive, two cases of cannabis smuggling or manufacturing, three cases of cocaine smuggling or manufacturing, and 14 cases of other controlled drugs smuggling or manufacturing. Cases of drink and drive, cannabis trafficking, and manufacturing went down, but cocaine and other prohibited narcotics went up.

Maclean’s looked at the statistics of violent crimes including homicide, sexual abuse, harassment, as well as non-violent offenses like breaking and entering, embezzlement, and driving while intoxicated. In a city with a relatively small population, such as Quesnel, where fewer people reside, single homicide per 100,000 people is a rate of 9.72. With such a rate of 265, Quesnel is placed sixth in the Violent Crime Severity Index.

chutes provincial park
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Closing Thoughts

Canada is ranked first in a variety of categories, including the 5th most costly nation in the world, among the most loved nations in the world, and has several of the best universities in the world. It also has the world’s greatest life expectancy rate. In other words, for many people, Canada is a perfect nation.

Canada is also blessed with delectable cuisines, beautiful natural beauty, over-the-top friendliness, sports, and excellent healthcare.

If you really want to relocate here, you must undoubtedly seek the most cost-effective places in Canada that are also safe and secure. Everything must be evaluated. Therefore, most people would be shocked to learn that residing in Canada may be relatively affordable when broken down into specifics.

If you are considering relocating to Canada, the sheer expanse of the country may be intimidating. Scoop Canada is here to give you a breath of fresh air and a list of the worst places to live in Canada to make your selection a little easier. Toronto, Calgary, Vancouver, Montréal, and Ottawa are the best places to live in Canada because all five cities have a great quality of life, are safe, and are reasonably priced as well.

Last Updated on by Sanjana

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1 Comment
  • This is a joke. Canada in general is a terrible place to live. Winters are terrible, Healthcare is so overrated and the summers pretty much don’t exist. You might get 3 months and the mosquitoes are awful. The cost of living is insane and it’s a nightmare to get anywhere from Canada. Flights are very high and hardly any direct outside of Saskatchewan.

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