Nextdoor’s Annual Treat Map is Back to Keep Families Safe this Halloween

New data from Nextdoor Canada and Angus Reid reveal parents are searching for additional safety measures, especially on the roads, during Halloween 2025

Spooky season has arrived, and for many little ghosts and ghouls, Halloween is one of the most magical nights of the year, but for parents, running around the neighbourhood comes with some concerns. 

To help address some of Canadian parents’ top concerns and find fun and safe ways to trick-or-treat locally, Nextdoor’s annual Treat Map is returning for the sixth consecutive year! Treat Map is the essential guide to making Halloween fun, safe, and easy. By connecting neighbours directly with verified households, the Treat Map highlights the best decorated homes, festive events, and safe trick-or-treat routes.

From now through October 31, neighbours can place a pin on the Treat Map to share their plans, signalling whether they will be handing out treats or showcasing spooktacular decorations. To help trick-or-treaters plan their perfect night, neighbours can add photos and notes to their pins, sharing details like candy offerings (including king-sized bars!), allergy-friendly treat options, or neighbours working together to create safety zones.

To better understand the top concerns for Canadians ahead of Halloween this year, Nextdoor Canada partnered with Angus Reid to survey more than 1,500 adults nationwide. The findings confirm what we’ve long heard from neighbours, with an emphasis on community safety, inclusion, and of course, FUN!

Key Takeaways: 

• Nearly 6 in 10 Canadians want additional safety measures during Halloween, with road safety (63%) and safety around other people (36%) topping the list of concerns.
• Other top safety concerns for Canadians this Halloween include weather conditions (40%), food safety (31%), and bullying (25%).
  • British Columbia (68%), Atlantic Canada (67%), and Ontario (64%) are the provinces most concerned about road safety nationally.
  • Alberta (51%) ranks as the province most concerned about weather safety nationally. 
• The majority of Canadians (59%) want safety measures in place, such as more police patrols (32%), temporary road closures (25%), and designated safe trick-or-treat zones (24%).
• 67% of Canadians perceive their neighbourhood as just as safe as it was 5 years ago, while 16% say it has become less safe.

Regional Insights

Also, the call for community-specific voices and solutions has never been clearer, as concerns varied from province to province. 

• British Columbia: 68% felt road safety was the top concern in the province (highest nationally), followed by safety around other people at 41%, and weather at 30% (lowest nationally).
• Alberta: 55% of Albertans ranked road safety as the top concern, followed by weather with 51% (highest nationally), and bullying with 27%. 
• Prairies (Saskatchewan & Manitoba): The prairies ranked weather as the top concern at 48%, followed by food safety at 39%, and costume safety around 16-19%. 
• Ontario: Road safety is the top concern for Ontarians at 64%, followed by weather at 40%, and bullying at 28%. 
• Quebec: Quebec ranked food safety as a main concern at 36%, people safety at 33%, and costume safety at 17%. 
• Atlantic Canada: Road safety is a top concern on the east coast at 67%, followed by weather at 34%, and costume safety at 23%. 

Trick-or-Treating Tips

No matter where you are in Canada, there are a few ways to ensure kids have the best Halloween yet, including: 

• Plan The Ultimate Trick-or-Treating Route with Treat Map

Use Nextdoor’s Treat Map to see which neighbours are handing out candy, and plan a walkable route that hits the most festive spots. This helps avoid long walks with little payoff and makes the evening more efficient — especially with younger kids.

• Stay Updated on Safety

Before heading out, Nextdoor’s new Alerts Map and neighbourhood posts real-time updates on crime, suspicious activity, closures, and other community safety information to help ensure a secure night of trick-or-treating.

• Haunt Your Block and Pin Your House to the Treat Map

Pin your home now!

Survey Methodology 

These findings are from a survey conducted by Nextdoor Canada from September 23rd to September 25th, 2025, among a representative sample of 1501 online adult Canadians who are members of the Angus Reid Forum. The survey was conducted in English and French. For comparison purposes only, a probability sample of this size would carry a margin of error of +/-2.53 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.