Lesser Slave River No. 124Alberta

In Alberta, this town has 2,980 residents. It is part of Division No. 17, a census division.

Population

2,980

people, 2025 estimate

Median age

48.8

years · Alberta’s towns: 40.8

Postsecondary

42%

of residents 15 and over hold a postsecondary certificate, diploma or degree · Canadian towns: 56%

Walk, cycle, transit

walk, cycle or take transit to work · Canadian towns: 8%

TownGrade

D⁻

#2,524 of 2,556

Is Lesser Slave River No. 124 a good place to live?

The data are hard on it. Lesser Slave River No. 124 grades D− overall and ranks #466 of 473 in Alberta. On that grade it does better than 3% of Canadian towns. Health outcomes fall short of most towns (D−). It lags on safety as well (D). Natural hazards weigh more here (D−). Owners valued their homes at a median $360,000 in 2021, which is 3.6 years of the typical household’s pay. Work and incomes are strong (A−).

Figures: home values and income: Statistics Canada, Census 2021.

This town's rent is the 2021 census rent scaled to 2025 by its province's ratio of surveyed to census rents: no rental survey covers it, so its Cost Grade is less sure. Safety less sure: no police service names this town, so its crime figure is the nearest police detachment's, shared with a wider area. Health is graded on the health region's survey figures and life expectancy, with the distance to hospital giving the town its own spread. Wildfire lowers this town's Hazard risk Grade: a high share of the land around it has burned in the last 40 years.

StrongestA⁻Jobs & incomeWeakestD⁻Hazard risk D⁻Health

What makes Lesser Slave River No. 124 stand out

The 3 things Lesser Slave River No. 124 does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data

Hazard risk

Behind 98%

of Canadian towns on hazard risk

Its hazard risk grade: D−.

Walk, cycle or transit to work

Getting around

3% walk, cycle or take transit

Compare 8% for the median of Canadian towns

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

Health

Behind 96%

of Canadian towns on health

Its health grade: D−.

How Lesser Slave River No. 124 grades

Each subject compares Lesser Slave River No. 124 with Canadian towns of 2,500 or more, ordered by how far it is from the middle. Towns in other countries are graded separately.

How grading works

Hazard riskBased on earthquake losses and radon in homes; a high wildfire risk can pull it downD⁻Open →HealthHealth outcomes are among the weakest comparedD⁻Open →SafetyIn the bottom fifth of the towns comparedDOpen →WalkabilityGraded on how easily people get around without a carC⁻Open →Jobs & incomeIncomes and work beat most townsA⁻Open →SchoolsBehind most towns comparedCOpen →Cost of livingAbout average among the towns comparedB⁻Open →

How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →

The data

Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Lesser Slave River No. 124.

Natural hazardsHazard risk D⁻

Natural hazards around Lesser Slave River No. 124

Measured across the Aspen Regional Health Authority: radon tests

Wildfire is a real hazard for Lesser Slave River No. 124: 24% of the land within 25 km has burned since 1986, 0.67% a year, in the high band. In Health Canada’s survey, 9.6% of homes tested in the town’s area exceeded 200 Bq/m³, close to the typical 6.6%. Earthquakes matter little: NRCan’s model puts building losses at $0.005 a year per $1,000 of value, against $0.030 for the typical town. Government of Alberta has mapped the flood hazard here, one of 2 studies on the national inventory.

Highwildfire bandD⁻Hazard risk Grade

Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³

Lesser Slave River No. 1249.6%

Alberta’s towns7.5%

Canadian towns6.6%

Hazards	Lesser Slave River No. 124	Alberta	Canada
Radon tests above the guideline	9.6%	7.5%	6.6%
Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year	$0.005	$0.013	$0.030

$0.005

expected earthquake loss a year per $1,000 of buildings

High

wildfire band

0.1 km

to the nearest land burned since 1986

flood studies on the national inventory

Full pageLesser Slave River No. 124’s flood & hazards pageOpen the full Flood & hazards page

WildfireHigh wildfire band · 24% of the land within 25 km burned since 1986 Flood2 flood studies on record Earthquakes$0.005 a year per $1,000 · Canadian towns: $0.030 Radon9.6% of tests above the guideline Be readyAlerts, FireSmart and radon tests

NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory

HealthHealth D⁻

Lesser Slave River No. 124 earns a D− for health

Measured from where people live, the nearest hospital is 29 km away, above both Alberta’s towns (3.1 km) and Canadian towns (3.7 km). At 17%, the share of adults who smoke tops the 11% for Alberta. The survey puts the region’s share in very good or excellent health at 48%, behind the 53% for Alberta. Lives in the region last 78.3 years on average (2022/2024): 80.9 for women, 76.1 for men.

48%very good or excellent healthD⁻Health Grade

Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised

Lesser Slave River No. 12448%

Alberta’s towns51%

Canadian towns52%

Health	Lesser Slave River No. 124	Alberta	Canada
Chronic conditions (average share)	21%	18%	17%
Smokers	17%	12%	12%
Life expectancy at birth	78.3	81.2	81.5
Very good or excellent health	48%	51%	52%

78.3

years of life expectancy, 2022/2024

29 km

from homes to a hospital, on average

17%

of adults smoke, age-standardised

32 km

from homes to a pharmacy, on average

Full pageLesser Slave River No. 124’s health pageOpen the full Health page

Health survey48% very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised Getting care29 km to a hospital · A pharmacy 32 km away on average The wider areaLife expectancy: women 80.9, men 76.1 Conditions and habits21% with chronic conditions · adults, age-standardised

Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities · Health survey and life expectancy: one figure for all of the North Zone

SafetySafety D

Crime runs heavier where Lesser Slave River No. 124 is policed than in Alberta’s towns or Canadian towns, at an index of 171

No police detachment reports under Lesser Slave River No. 124’s name, so these are the nearest detachment’s figures, not the town’s own

Where it is policed, thefts, break-ins and damage came to 69.6 per 1,000 a year, above Alberta’s towns (45) and Canadian towns (31.2) alike. Its police area records 20.9 violent incidents per 1,000 residents a year.

171Crime Severity Index

Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year

2023160

2024215

2025138

2023–2025	Lesser Slave River No. 124	Alberta	Canada
Crime Severity Index	171	110	67
Property crime per 1,000	69.6	45	31.2
Violent crime	20.9	14.2	12

197

non-violent Crime Severity Index

26%

of incidents cleared, 2023–25

Full pageLesser Slave River No. 124’s safety reportOpen the full Safety report

Safety171 Crime Severity Index · The index weighs each crime Lesser Slave River No. 124’s police recorded by how serious it is.Questions“Is Lesser Slave River No. 124 safe?”

Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average · Area behind the Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000 figures: the Slave Lake detachment area

Work & commuteJobs & income A⁻

Commuters in Lesser Slave River No. 124 travel further than in Alberta’s towns or Canadian towns, 29 min on average

3%walk, cycle or take transit

How working residents got to work · census 2021

Car or van95%

Walk3%

Census 2021	Lesser Slave River No. 124	Alberta	Canada
Average trip	29 min	26 min	26 min

$99,000

median household income, 2020

17%

worked from home, May 2021

12%

of commuters work inside the municipality

Full pageLesser Slave River No. 124’s work & commute pageOpen the full Work & commute page

Unemployment8.8% unemployed · Of the labour force · Canadian towns: 9.9%Getting to work3% walk, cycle or take transit Where people commute to730 commuters · The biggest flow out: to Slave Lake

Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · The 2021 census was taken in May 2021, during COVID-19 restrictions: more people than usual worked from home or were off work.

SchoolsSchools C

Results around Lesser Slave River No. 124 lean low: 3 of 4 schools in the lower two fifths in Alberta

Secondary school means a trip of 9.9 km at the nearest, above both Alberta’s towns (0.7 km) and Canadian towns (1.2 km). 2 of the 5 are Catholic, more than the 18% in Alberta. Within 3 km of Lesser Slave River No. 124 are 2 elementary schools, 1 secondary school and 2 schools for every grade, teaching 1,544 students.

5schools within 3 kmCSchools Grade

School	Level	Students	System
C J Schurter Elementary SchoolLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades K–3	Elementary · Grades K–3	384	English public
Roland Michener Secondary School Bottom fifth in AlbertaLargest secondary schoolSecondary · Grades 7–12	Secondary · Grades 7–12	631	English public
St. Mary Catholic School CatholicResults in the top fifth in AlbertaAll grades · Grades K–9	All grades · Grades K–9	297	English Catholic

See all 5 schools →

Schools by system · Schools within 3 km

English public3

English Catholic2

Schools within 3 km	Lesser Slave River No. 124	Alberta	Canada
Nearest elementary school	10 km	0.5 km	0.5 km
Nearest secondary school	9.9 km	0.7 km	1.2 km
School boards	4	3	3

1,544

students at the schools within 3 km, 2025/26

9.9 km

to the nearest secondary school

10 km

to the nearest elementary school

Full pageLesser Slave River No. 124’s schools pageOpen the full Schools page

Results1 of 4 in the top two fifths · of the schools with results, placed against every school in Alberta Every school5 schools within 3 km · 2 elementary schools, 1 secondary school and 2 schools for every grade Language0 of 5 teach in French · 2% of schools in Alberta The boards4 school boards · The High Prairie School Division Questions“What schools are there in Lesser Slave River No. 124?”

Provincial school lists and results, 2025/26

Climate

Summers stay cool in Lesser Slave River No. 124: July afternoons reach 21.8°C, below Alberta’s towns and Canadian towns

In January the thermometer sinks to −18.2°C overnight, below both Alberta’s towns (−14.7°C) and Canadian towns (−13.5°C). Between the last spring frost, 26 May, and the first in autumn, 16 September, lie 112 days. Rain and snow peak in July, at 77 mm. Snow peaks in January: 20 cm in a normal year.

21.8°CJuly afternoons

Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

Winter−6.8°C

Spring8.3°C

Summer20.8°C

Autumn7.6°C

Normals, 1991–2020	Lesser Slave River No. 124	Alberta	Canada
July afternoon high	21.8°C	23.5°C	25.5°C
Precipitation a year	422 mm	431 mm	883 mm
January night low	−18.2°C	−14.7°C	−13.5°C
Days with frost a year	202	193	159

93 cm

of snow a year

202

days with frost a year

112

frost-free days, 26 May to 16 Sep

days with precipitation a year

Full pageLesser Slave River No. 124’s climate pageOpen the full Climate page

The yearJuly highs 21.8°C, January lows −18.2°C Rain and snow422 mm a year · Canadian towns: 883 mm Snow93 cm of snow a year Weather station11 km to the station · Slave Lake

Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Slave Lake)

Weather

In Lesser Slave River No. 124, November normally means −1°C afternoons and −10°C nights

In November, the normal is 19 mm of rain and snow. Then December: −7°C by day, −17°C at night. Over the year, July is warmest at 22°C by day and January coldest at −18°C by night. For today and the week ahead, the Weather page carries ECCC’s Slave Lake forecast.

−1°Ca normal November afternoon

Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

November−1°C

December−7°C

January−8°C

February−5°C

Season	High	Low	Rain and snow
Winter	−7°C	−17°C	48 mm
Spring	8°C	−4°C	77 mm
Summer	21°C	10°C	209 mm
Autumn	8°C	−2°C	89 mm

−10°C

a normal November night

19 mm

of rain and snow in a normal November

Full pageLesser Slave River No. 124’s weather pageOpen the full Weather page

Next 24 hoursTemperature and chance of rain, hour by hour The week aheadECCC’s days ahead, beside the normals The yearWarmest July, coldest January

ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Slave Lake); the forecast is on the Weather page

Town hall

Arnold Viersen won Peace River—Westlock by 23,467 votes in 2021, a wider lead than in 95% of Canada’s ridings

Because the Legislative Assembly of Alberta’s boundaries come with non-commercial terms, this page doesn’t say which riding Lesser Slave River No.

Full pageLesser Slave River No. 124’s town hall & politics pageOpen the full Town hall & politics page

Who runs itMunicipal District

Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada

Library & civic lifeCivic life grade B⁺

Smith Library is Lesser Slave River No. 124’s public library

It stands 39 km from the centre of Lesser Slave River No.

Full pageLesser Slave River No. 124’s library & civic life pageOpen the full Library & civic life page

The libraries1 Libraries Places to belong0.7 charities per 1,000 residents

Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada

Who lives here

More of Lesser Slave River No. 124’s residents have an Indigenous identity than in Alberta’s towns or Canadian towns: 18%

People 65 and over make up 21% of the town, above Alberta’s towns (15%) and Canadian towns (19%) alike. Children under 15 make up 17% of residents.

48.8median age

Lesser Slave River No. 124AlbertaCanada

AlbertaCanada

Ages · Share of residents in each age group, Census 2021

21%

Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over

No certificate, diploma or degree27%

Postsecondary qualification42%

Women and men · all residents

Women make up 46.7% of Lesser Slave River No. 124

In 2021 there were 1,335 women to 1,525 men; Canada as a whole is 50.9% women.

Who lives in Lesser Slave River No. 124
	Lesser Slave River No. 124	Alberta	Canada
Under 15	17%	18%	16%
15 to 64	63%	67%	64%
65+	21%	15%	19%
No certificate, diploma or degree	27%	15%	16%
Postsecondary qualification	42%	54%	56%

Full pageLesser Slave River No. 124’s Who lives here pageOpen the full Who lives here page

Immigrants6% are immigrants · 1% belong to a visible minority Ages48.8 median age · 21% are 65 or over Households1,170 households · 2.4 people per household English and French3% speak both · 0% speak French but not English

Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Alberta and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+

HousingCost of living B⁻

Most households in Lesser Slave River No. 124 own their home: 89%, more than in Alberta’s towns or across Canadian towns

A year’s rent came to 17% of the median household income, below both Alberta’s towns (20%) and Canadian towns (20%). 15% of households spent 30% or more of their income on shelter, below Alberta’s towns (21%) and Canadian towns (18%) alike.

$360,000median home value, 2021B⁻Cost of living Grade

What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census

Lesser Slave River No. 124$360,000

Alberta$400,000

Canadian towns$406,000

Census 2021	Lesser Slave River No. 124	Alberta	Canada
Households owning their home	89%	74%	74%
Households spending 30%+ on shelter	15%	21%	18%
Rent as a share of income	17%	20%	20%

$1,210

monthly rent for a two-bedroom

$1,240

median monthly shelter cost for owners, 2021

Full pageLesser Slave River No. 124’s cost of living pageOpen the full Cost of living page

Owners and renters89% own their home Cost of living3.6 times household income · The median owner’s estimate, $360,000, against the median household income Renting$1,210 a month · The median rent at the 2021 census

Statistics Canada, Census 2021; CMHC Rental Market Survey via Statistics Canada · The 2021 census asked owners what their home was worth; those values, and 2020 incomes, are what this compares.

Outdoors

Lesser Slave River No. 124 borders Cross Lake Provincial Park

The 10 km around town hold 25 protected areas. There is no national park within 100 km of the town. Parks and reserves take up 2.4% of the ground within 10 km, higher than Alberta’s towns (0.4%) and near Canadian towns (2.3%).

2.4%of the land within 10 km protected

Protected land · of the land within 10 km

Lesser Slave River No. 1242.4%

Alberta’s towns0.4%

Canadian towns2.3%

Outdoors	Lesser Slave River No. 124	Alberta	Canada
Public protected areas within 10 km	9	2	4
Protected land within 10 km	2.4%	0.4%	2.3%

At the edge

to Cross Lake Provincial Park

public protected areas within 10 km

Full pageLesser Slave River No. 124’s outdoors pageOpen the full Outdoors page

Protected landof the land within 10 km Protected areas25 protected areas within 10 km · Grizzly Ridge Wildland Provincial Park National & provincial parksAt the edge to a provincial park · Cross Lake Provincial Park

Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches

History

A younger housing stock: 94% of Lesser Slave River No. 124’s homes are from 1961 on

6%built before 1961

of homes built before 1961 · Canadian towns 18%

Heritage	Lesser Slave River No. 124	Alberta	Canada
Homes built before 1961	6%	4.5%	18%

Full pageLesser Slave River No. 124’s history pageOpen the full History page

Older homes6% built before 1961 · Canadian towns: 18%Questions“How many historic places does Lesser Slave River No. 124 have?”

Canadian Register of Historic Places, Directory of Federal Heritage Designations, Québec’s Répertoire du patrimoine culturel, Wikidata; Census 2021 homes by period

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Lesser Slave River No. 124

15pages on Lesser Slave River No. 124

The big questions

SafetyDCrime Severity Index 171 Housing & costB⁻Homes 3.6 × income Property pricesSchoolsC5 schools within 3 km HealthD⁻Life expectancy 78.3 in its region Work & commuteA⁻60% of adults in work Natural hazardsD⁻Wildfire band: high

Out and about

Outdoors2.4% of the land within 10 km protected AttractionsClimateJuly afternoons around 22°C WeatherECCC’s forecast, beside the normals

The story

Who lives hereMedian age 48.8 HistoryTown hallFamous people

Famous people from around Lesser Slave River No. 124

One notable person was born in Lesser Slave River No. 124; with them, the best known born in the towns around it.

Their page →

Raymond MerrickPolitician · born 1939

Nicolas Aubé-KubelCanadian ice hockey player · born in Slave Lake · born 1996

Omar MouallemCanadian rapper and journalist · born in Slave Lake · born 1985

Scott CyrCanadian politician · born in Slave Lake · born 1972

Gordon KruppkeCanadian ice hockey defenceman · born in Slave Lake · born 1969

Lane CaffaroCanadian ice hockey defenceman · born in Slave Lake · born 1984

Photo credits

Nicolas Aubé-Kubel: TheAHL, CC BY 2.0 · Omar Mouallem: Omouallem, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Scott Cyr: Chris Bolin, CC BY-SA 3.0

Lesser Slave River No. 124’s neighbours

The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada

Slave LakeLesser Slave River No. 124

How the neighbours grade

Town	People	km	Overall	Cost	Safety	Health
Lesser Slave River No. 124	2,980	—	D⁻	B⁻	D	D⁻
Slave Lake	7,334	11	C	B⁻	D	C⁻

People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.

Questions about Lesser Slave River No. 124

Who are the people of Lesser Slave River No. 124?

At the 2021 census, 6% were immigrants and 1% belonged to a visible minority (Canadian towns’ median: 15%). 18% identify as First Nations, Métis or Inuit.

What kind of homes are in Lesser Slave River No. 124?

Single-detached houses make up 78% of the homes here, where Canadian towns sit at 64%; 0% are in high-rise apartments. 24% of households are one person, and the average is 2.4.

Is Lesser Slave River No. 124 growing?

Yes: the census counted 2,803 in 2016 and 2,861 in 2021, a rise of 2.1%, against 4.1% for the median of Canadian towns. The 2025 estimate is 2,980.

About Lesser Slave River No. 124

Town in Alberta

For Lesser Slave River No. 124, TownRatings uses Statistics Canada’s census-subdivision boundary in Alberta, and every figure on its pages covers that whole area.

Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.

Population: 2,980 (people, 2025 estimate)
Province or territory: Alberta
Census division: Division No. 17
Census subdivision: 4817033

Sources: Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2021 · population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155) and 2021 census boundaries · Uniform Crime Reporting Survey 2023–25 (35-10-0026, 35-10-0183 to 35-10-0190) · CMHC rents as published by Statistics Canada (34-10-0133) · grades by TownRatings. Under the Statistics Canada Open Licence.

Adapted from Statistics Canada (Census of Population 2021, population estimates 2025, 2021 census boundaries) under the Statistics Canada Open Licence; this does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada. Neighbourhood names in some cities © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).