CANSO — Property-related crime in Canso has climbed over the past two years, even as similar offences across the rest of the Municipality of the District of Guysborough (MODG) continued to trend downward, according to recent RCMP figures.
The figures were provided to The Journal last week, following a request for municipal-level crime statistics over the past four years.
The data shows that Canso has seen saw a sharp increase in property-related crimes – specifically, “damage” and “obstruction of enjoyment of property” – in 2024, compared with the previous two years.
Recent incidents of vandalism have forced MODG to close the Canso waterfront public washrooms and shut off the lights and close the gate at the Queen St. basketball court.
Those incidents come at the same time several break and enters elsewhere in Guysborough County are under investigation. Even so, according to the latest police data, most property crime rates in the rest of MODG have remained stable or decreased, compared with 2022 and 2023.
The most significant shift in Canso involves incidents classified as mischief, which rose sharply in 2024. While mischief is often associated with vandalism, RCMP Guysborough County District Commander Sgt. Natasha Farrell said the category covers a broad range of behaviours.
“Mischief can be any act by a person that interferes with the lawful use and enjoyment of someone’s property,” she told The Journal last week. “Noise complaints, neighbours revving engines loudly and repeatedly, someone coming to visit while intoxicated and refusing to leave – these all fall under mischief. People’s homes are where they are supposed to feel safe and relax.”
She added that the legal definition also includes damaging or destroying property – rendering it unusable – or interfering with a person’s ability to use it.
Farrell cautioned that statistics should be interpreted carefully. Because officers enter files manually, she said, similar events may be categorized differently depending on the responding member. “Stats are great, but they don’t always paint a full picture,” she noted.
Canso recorded 25 vandalism and/or property-crime incidents in 2022, 28 in 2023, 42 in 2024 and 26 so far this year (ending Oct. 31), according to the RCMP data. Of this, mischief-related files specific to “damage to” and “obstruction of enjoyment of” property rose from 15 in 2022 and 14 in 2023 to 24 in 2024, with eight recorded to the end of October 2025.
Property-crime files in MODG – excluding Canso – were 176 in 2022, 200 in 2023, 154 in 2024 and 133 so far this year, showing a decline since 2023. Included in this were 65 mischief incidents in 2022, 73 in 2023 and 60 in 2024, with 53 recorded to the end of October this year.
Fraud under $5,000 remained one of MODG’s most frequent property-crime types, with 29 cases recorded in 2022, 30 in 2023, 33 in 2024 and 16 so far this year. Larger-value frauds were also present during the period, with six files in 2022, 17 in 2023, eight in 2024 and seven so far this year.
Break-and-enter files, meanwhile, fluctuated but remained relatively stable, with no major spikes this year or last. The statistics also show that arsons rose briefly in 2023 and 2024 before dropping to zero so far in 2025, and two forgery incidents were recorded this year after several years with none.
While the numbers highlighted a localized rise in certain offences, MODG officials say ongoing communication with police remains a priority.
“MODG continues to work closely with the RCMP and our police advisory board to share information and look at any additional steps that can help improve safety,” Warden Paul Long said in a statement to The Journal. “We will keep monitoring the situation and supporting our partners to ensure residents feel safe and supported.”
