Thunder Bay, Ontario, maintains its position with the highest homicide rate in the nation, according to the most recent data released by Statistics Canada. The annual report on homicide trends, based on 2024 data, reveals that Thunder Bay’s homicide rate increased from 5.41 to 6.08 per 100,000 population that year, surpassing Chilliwack, British Columbia, (4.75) and Winnipeg (4.66) in the rankings.
In 2020, Thunder Bay recorded its fifth consecutive year as having the highest homicide rate in Canada. Although it briefly dropped to the second-highest rate in 2021, Thunder Bay reclaimed the top spot in 2022 and 2023. The report from Statistics Canada emphasizes the significance of the homicide rate as a crucial indicator for evaluating violence, community safety, and social well-being, with policymakers using this data to assess trends and formulate appropriate responses.
Despite a national decrease of four percent in the homicide rate in 2024, Thunder Bay’s numbers have remained steady. Between 2020 and 2025, Thunder Bay Police Service reported 53 homicides. In 2025, the city witnessed seven homicides and 295 sudden deaths, a slight decrease from the previous year’s eight homicides and 300 sudden deaths. The most recent sudden death occurred on Christmas Day on Regent Street in the city’s north end.
To address neighborhood safety concerns, the City of Thunder Bay is developing a new community safety and well-being plan, engaging the public through sessions and surveys throughout 2025. The police service introduced new safety initiatives, including a housing safety unit pilot project and received provincial funding for advanced forensic technology and a mental health and addictions program called the Integrated Mobile Police Assessment Crisis Team.
The Thunder Bay Police Service Board recently approved the police service’s operational budget request for 2026, totaling approximately $64 million, representing a nine percent increase from the previous year. The proposed capital budgets for 2026 and 2027 are around $3.2 million and $4.8 million, respectively. A citizen satisfaction survey is also available for public feedback on the Thunder Bay Police Service’s performance.