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Gun crime has fallen sharply in last few years, new StatsCan figures show

A sample of the firearms seized as part of Project Traveller, a police operation aimed at curbing the flow of illegal guns and drugs.

First the good news: Gun-related violent crime is falling in Canada, down by more than 25 per cent between 2009 and 2012, according to Statistics Canada data released Wednesday.

But if you're living on the Prairies, we've got some bad news. The firearms-related violent crime rate in Saskatchewan and Manitoba is the highest in the country. (Quebec was not included because of problems with data quality.)

And when it comes to bigger cities, Halifax and Moncton top the rankings, followed by Saskatoon and Hamilton, Ont.

The stats cover not just actual shootings but any crime where a gun is involved, from homicide and attempted murder to sexual assault, robbery and uttering threats.

Overall, the figures point to a sharply declining trend.

"Although violent crime is generally decreasing, the rate of firearm-related violent crime has fallen at a faster pace than that of non-firearm-related violent crime," StatsCan says in its summary.

[ Related: A closer look at falling crime statistics ]

The numbers paint a strikingly different picture from the lurid crime stories in the media and highlighted by Conservative doomsayers who seem invested in the idea that tough measures are need to keep thugs packing heat from ruling our streets. Canada's actually a pretty safe place, especially compared with our neighbours to the south.

Statistics don't mean anything if you've been a victim of gun crime but in general Canadians don't need to spend much time looking over their shoulders.

Nationally, police reported 5,600 victims of firearm-related violent crime in 2012, down 1,800 from 2009. It translates to a rate of 21 victims per 100,000 population, compared with 29 in 2009.

By contrast, the rate in Saskatchewan was 34 victims per 100,000, and Manitoba 32. The safest province? Good old Prince Edward Island at 11.

Among cities, Halifax ranked highest at 41. It also had the highest rate of violence involving handguns at 16 per 100,000. St. John's was the safest city, at four gun-crime victims per 100,000.

Pistols are more commonly used in cities, StatsCan said, and Toronto holds the dubious honour of having the highest proportion – 82 per cent of all firearm-related violent offences.

Another sobering stat: Gun homicides rose eight per cent between 2009 and 2012 (including Quebec), but looking at it in glass-half-full mode, StatsCan notes the gun-death rate in 2012 was 61 per cent lower than in the peak year of 1975. However, guns accounted for a third of all homicides and about half of those were gang-related.

Not surprisingly, young men between the ages of 18 and 24 are most likely to be accused of gun-related crime. Sadly, that's followed by teens aged 12 to 17 who account for about one fifth of all persons accused of criminal use of a firearm. It suggests a new generation of punk is getting comfortable with guns.

[ Related: Saskatchewan still the most dangerous province: Stats Canada ]

But here's an interesting number for those who worry someone's going to stick a shootin' iron in their face. Firearm-related violent crime accounted for just two per cent of all victims of violent crime in 2012, while knives or blunt instruments figured in 17 per cent of violent offences.

The vast majority of violent crimes – 81 per cent – involved no weapon at all.

This changes sharply if you head south of the 49th parallel. Although violent crime rates are dropping in the United States, StatsCan notes Canada's gun homicide rate is seven times lower.

The FBI's report on crime in 2012 shows guns were used in more than two-thirds of all murders (half the Canadian percentage), 41 per cent of robberies and more than a fifth of aggravated assaults.

The complete StatsCan, available here, makes fascinating reading.