North Battleford was rated highest for overall crime in this year's Maclean's magazine rankings for Canada's Most Dangerous Places. (File photo/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Angela Brown

Crime Rating

Local advocates says plenty of positives despite NB high crime stats

Nov 22, 2019 | 6:21 PM

Local advocates say the community faces challenges but progress is being made despite North Battleford’s continued high crime numbers reported again this year in the Maclean’s magazine article Canada’s Most Dangerous Places.

Maclean’s listed North Battleford first on its list of Canada’s most dangerous places, based on Statistics Canada’s Crime Severity Index (CSI) report from 2018 data. North Battleford had the highest rating for overall crime, followed by Thompson, Man., in second place. North Battleford had the second highest rating for violent crime, following Thompson Man., in first place. Portage la Prairie, Man., came in third, and Prince Albert and area fourth.

Battlefords lawyer Benedict Feist said he is not surprised to see North Battleford continue to be in the top of the rankings unfortunately, but he knows the government and people in the community continue to work to bring down the numbers and make the community safer.

He said many of North Battleford’s challenges relate to some of the social determinants of crime, namely poverty, unemployment and addiction.

“I think we have been pretty vocal on, and I think there is acknowledgment even on the part of the RCMP and our local government, with regard to poverty feeding these issues in our community, and particularly First Nations’ poverty in the surrounding communities,” said Feist who is also a local advocate. “Those are issues we need to start looking at, and I think we are starting to address in different ways in the community.”

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Battlefords Chamber of Commerce Chair Dallan Oberg is dismayed the Maclean’s article did not show any of the positive initiatives that take place in North Battleford.

“From the business side of things, we see a great involvement from our business community into the schools,” he said, adding by supporting children’s growth and education, as well as local non profit organizations helps to combat some of the community’s other challenges.

He said it is an aspect of the community Maclean’s magazine continues to miss.

Oberg said while crime statistics need to be reported, the positive statistics and the “wonderful things that happen” do not make the headlines unfortunately.

He mentioned how the Battlefords business community and residents provide a great deal to support to local initiatives such as the Boys and Girls Club’s work to benefit children, which “shows the greatness” of the Battlefords people to help overcome many of the difficulties the community faces.

The RCMP declined comment. Mayor Ryan Bater could not be reached by battlefordsNOW for comment.

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angela.brown@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @battlefordsNOW