Harrisonasa

Hi all.
I was hoping to get some personal views rather than just going by informative websites etc.
My husband and I are pretty much settled on Canada to move to and it is just a matter of getting the ball rolling now.
I wanted to pick the brains of those who have already made the move.
How safe would you say it is there? As a whole I guess but we are specifically looking ag Alberta and maybe one day B.C.
I ask because we have only been in the UK a year having been living in the Canary Islands for several years and there is not a day goes by here that there is a murder/arson/assaults/robberies etc. I hate it and, while I realise crime is everywhre, I get the distinct impression that Canada doesn't suffer terribly with it.
In your view would this be an accurate statement?

Also we will be moving with young children and I wonder what the child friendly scene is like there. Mum and tot groups, days out, avtivities etc?

Thanks so much

christmasoompa

Hi, and welcome to BE.

If you look at crime stats there are more murders per capita in Canada than the UK. If you let the crimes reported in the media affect you, then that's going to happen anywhere tbh.

I'll move this to the main Canada forum as it has nothing to do with visas, and hopefully you'll get some more input there, but personally the only place I've ever been a victim of crime is Canada, and in the UK I regularly leave my doors unlocked, car unlocked, kids bikes or tractor mower outside etc, and feel very safe here - but I'm in rural Berkshire and I'm sure I'd feel very differently if I lived in a city centre.

Maybe the answer is to stop watching the news and reading newspapers if it's really affecting you?

Good luck with your decision.

Harrisonasa

Hi. Thanks. Appreciate the reply. Unfortunately all of the listed have affected me personally as well as being near enough on my doorstep (Bournemouth) hence me wanting to be somewhere safe. More for my child than anything else. Thanks again. Also didn't realise there wan another secrtion, Im quite new to posting on here

christmasoompa

That's ok, have another read of the Newbies sticky thread (link in my signature and on main forum page) and it gives you info on what part of the forum is for what.

Sorry to hear that all of them have affected you personally, that's terrible. I guess that being in a city will make it more likely but even so that's horrid. Is a move to a safer/more rural area of the UK an option maybe? Even if it's just in the interim whilst you wait for your move to Canada.

I'm not sure that moving to Canada will be any 'safer', as I said above the crime stats are very similar (tends to be more major crimes per capita i.e. murder in Canada, but less minor ones i.e. shoplifting/mugging than in the UK). Both are pretty safe countries.

Good luck.

Harrisonasa

Thanks. I think the UK has pretty much run it's course for me. As I say, I had been living in the Canaries for several years as I didn't like the UK much anyway, but my experience with this country has more than put me off. And I'm not sure I like the direction the country is heading....without being too specific.
Thanks for the link, I shall look now. So much to read . I thought I had it in the bag with all the wiki section etc Thanks again

scrubbedexpat091

Been in North America 35 years now, 25 in the US and 10 in Canada mostly in the Lower Mainland of BC, and a bit in Edmonton, and I have yet to ever experience any crime personally. Obviously crime happens, but its not at a level where you have to be scared or nervous.

dbd33

I haven't been the subject of a violent crime in Canada (lots of theft but that shouldn't be a cause of fear). But then, my mother, brother, daughter, umpteen nieces and nephews haven't been the subject of a violent crime either and they all live in the UK. And, hold on to your hats, I know lots of Americans in American who haven't been victims either.

The possibility of being the victim of a violent crime is perhaps the worst differentiator between the UK and Canada I've yet seen mentioned on this board; if you're keen enough for a beating you'll find it in either country. Most people don't. Statistically, you're more likely to be murdered in Canada, less likely to suffer a violent but survivable attack but these numbers are tiny. If you want a reason to fear being in Canada look at the driving.

confused_uk

I think the thing to remember is you will get nutjobs all over the world, some people are just wired up in a way where they think murder/rape/theft etc is a perfectly reasonable way to behave, you can never escape this sort. Then you also get the crimes of passion, wife/husband abuse etc everywhere too. I think you get less of the gang culture & the stabbings amongst the teens, & pickepocketing/mugging (which seem to mainly stem from certain type of Europeans) but that's about it.

Crime rate will always be higher in the cities, so sticking to rural areas in whichever country will be reasonably safe.

scrubbedexpat091

I am more concerned about bears then any crime perpetrated by another human. Bears in this area are a larger threat to humans then another human is.

But the chance of being attacked by a bear is fairly small as well, but they roam through town spring til fall, so never know when you will come across one, or a bob cat which has sent a few dogs to the vet recently.

SchnookoLoly

I can't say I've ever felt unsafe. I was born and raised in Canada, then lived in the UK for 5 years, and just moved back in December.

Thinking back on crime I've experienced:

1) Canada: My parents' house was burgled twice when they were living in Brampton. However, it was later found to be a neighbour's son. My parents had given the neighbour a key to our place while we were on holiday; the son made a copy without them knowing and used it to rob us when we were out. Twice.

2) Canada: When my dad was in the hospital having surgery in 2005, some asshat went around the floor stealing purses, they got mine and my mom's, as well as a few other people on our floor. (Seriously, how low do you need to be to steal from a hospital?!)

3) UK: Had my wallet pickpocketed while at a bar shortly after I moved. I got a call from my credit card company after they used my chipless Canadian card (that I had not yet cancelled) to run up £2500 at a chinese takeaway. Perhaps not the brightest.

4) Canada: My dad had his car broken into, must have been around 1995 or so... he left his brand new (giant) cell phone sitting on the passenger seat.

5) Canada: My student apartment in Kingston (basement apartment with crap locks - cheap landlords...) was broken into and my laptop stolen, though it was retrieved by someone a month later (yay humanity!).

So one incident in the UK in 5 years, and 4 incidents in Canada in 25 years... yeah I'm not too concerned.

Harrisonasa

Thanks for your replies. I'm sorry if my question appeared stupid or irrational but to me it is something to take into consideration. I am fully aware crime happens everywhere, that is a fact of life, but obviously in some countries it is more rife than others and I was just after people's own experiences be they personal or not.
When living in the Canaries I gradually saw crime increase (petty crime and thefts mainly) as the economy got worse and thus would say this if people asked on forums when they were considering the move. (This is not the reason we left, work just dried up for my husband). I want somewhere good and safe for my son.
Here in the UK where we are at the moment it is constant with criminal activity. The high street we live just off has seen 2 murders in just a year. That is quite a lot. I experienced a murder just up the road from here too and also was assaulted on the same high street just mentioned.
We were, broken into a robbed just a few weeks ago and now have cctv fitted around our house. A girl was mugged with a knife to her throat up the road from us the other day. etc etc etc etc
Bournemouth is, in my opinion, not a particularly safe place to live. And the fact that my husband is wary of me going out alone speaks volumes as he is normally incredibly blasé about things like that.
Sorry, I'm rambling.......Im not out looking for a beating, I just was interested to hear how everyone felt. I don't expect people to say they leave their doors unlocked but you kind of get a feel for a place on how safe it feels, if you get my drift.

Thanks again and I really do appreciate all the input

dbd33

When I sold a house I'd lived in for years, I had to have new locks installed so the agent could open the door with a key. I'd lost the keys years before. The agent thought security concious viewers would find the lack of key odd.

Thinking about it, we haven't locked the current house since early in the winter when the locks froze; we've fallen out of the habit.

Harrisonasa

Haha, ok maybe I am expecting people to say they leave their doors unlocked Thanks!

MountainHiker

Was about to type the same thing, were we live crime is rare, we don't lock our house, we don't even know were the key is, my truck is unlocked with the keys in it all day. Then again I did the same thing in the UK too.

Had bears break into my shed twice though looking for garbage.

christmasoompa

I've already said that above. But I'm in the UK.