Northerners Face Higher Risk of Accidental Death

Northerners Face Higher Risk of Accidental Death

Tuesday, March 22, 2011 at 13:43

A recent study says northerners face a much higher chance of accidental death than those living in Southern Canada.

The Conference Board of canada released a study that says, in the most extreme case, that a person living in northeastern manitoba is nearly 6 times as likely to die in an accident as someone living in Laval, Quebec.

Gilles Rheaume, Vice-President of Public Policy, says one contributing factor could be that jobs in the resource sector, which are very prevalent in the North, often come with more risks and chance of injury. He says the traditional lifestyle of fishing, trapping and hunting in remote areas can also lead to more accidental deaths.

Others could be how long it takes to get medical attention, the condition the roads are in or the weather, says Rheaume.

Northern Manitoba had 84 accidental deaths per 100,000 population; Northern Quebec had 78, Northern Saskatchewan 72, Northern BC 69 and Nunavut had 62.

The lowest rates in the country were Laval with 15, Richmond, BC and Montreal with 16, and Ottawa with 17.