Homicide rate in Calgary on the rise since 2010

The number of homicides in Calgary is steadily rising, according toStatistics Canada figures.

Calgary had 31 homicides in 2014 more than twice the figure for 2010.There have already been 31homicidesin Calgary this year.

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The figures show a steady year-over-year climb, as opposed to a spike.

Calgary's homicide rate per 100,000 people in 2013 was 1.75. In 2014, the figure rose to 2.19.

Alberta stands out at the provincial level for a few reasons.

There were 82 homicides in the province in 2013 and 104 last year the biggest increasein the country, based on homicides per 100,000 population.

In Ontario, the number of homicides went down from 168 to 155 in the same period.

Aboriginals6 times more likely to be killed

The data also shows the proportion of aboriginal victims in Alberta is very high and happensix times more often than non-aboriginal people.In 2014, 29 per cent of thevictims of manslaughter and murder were aboriginal.

Police believe Jimmy Crowshoe's son isone of those victims.

His 18-year-old son Colton was found dead in a northeast Calgary retention pond in July 2014.

"It was hard when it happened with Colton and I am still thinking about it,"Crowshoe said Wednesday.

"I am wondering, what happened?" he added.

Colton's death remains unsolved.

Manitoba tops list for 8th consecutive year

Alberta's rate is second only to Manitoba.

"The overrepresentation of aboriginal people as homicide victims was greatest in Manitoba, where the rate was nine times higher than the rate for non-aboriginal people," Statistics Canada said on its website.

Doug King, who teaches Justice Studies at Mount Royal University, says such figuresshould come as no surprise.

"It just goes to give more credence to the notion that we have to take aboriginal victimization within the criminal justice system a heck of a lot more seriously than we have been," he said.

"The fact that we haven't had a public inquiry into missing aboriginal people in Canada is offensive, and we have to start dealing with these issues."

The Statistics Canada report also reveals that adisproportionate number of indigenous people are accused of homicide in Alberta.

In 2014, almost 43 per cent of those accused of manslaughter and murder were aboriginal.

• See an interactive map of homicides by province and city across Canada