White Fish Lake 128Alberta

Between 2016 and 2021, its population shrank by 17%. A First Nations reserve of 1,122 in Alberta.

Population

1,122

people, 2025 estimate

Median age

years · Alberta’s towns: 40.8

Postsecondary

40%

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%

Is White Fish Lake 128 a good place to live?

Where it does best is hazard risk (A). Health outcomes fall short of most towns (D−). It also trails on jobs & income (C+). Walkability is weaker too (C+).

White Fish Lake 128 is a First Nations reserve, so it has no overall grade and no place in ranked lists: Statistics Canada suppresses or doesn’t collect much of a reserve’s data, and its grades couldn’t be set fairly beside other towns’.

No Safety Grade: no police service publishes a crime rate for this place on its own. Health is graded on the health region's survey figures and life expectancy, with the distance to hospital giving the town its own spread. A First Nations reserve: subject grades only, with no overall grade and no place in ranked lists.

StrongestAHazard riskWeakestD⁻Health

What makes White Fish Lake 128 stand out

The 3 things White Fish Lake 128 does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data

Residents 65 and over

Who lives here

Only 8% are 65 or over

The median of Canadian towns: 19%

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

Unemployment rate, Census 2021

Work

22% unemployment

The median of Canadian towns: 10%

43% of residents 15 and over were in work, May 2021.

Health

Behind 96%

of Canadian towns on health

Its health grade: D−.

How White Fish Lake 128 grades

Each subject compares White Fish Lake 128 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

HealthHealth outcomes are among the weakest comparedD⁻Open →Hazard riskIn the top fifth of the towns comparedAOpen →Jobs & incomeBased on what households earn, poverty and workC⁺Open →WalkabilityMost errands need a carC⁺Open →

Cost of livingNot graded: not enough data–

SafetyNot graded: not enough data–

SchoolsNot graded: not enough data–

How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →

The data

Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in White Fish Lake 128.

HealthHealth D⁻

White Fish Lake 128 is graded a D− for health

Shared with the rest of the North Zone: health survey and life expectancy

For White Fish Lake 128 itself the measure is access, and it lags: 29 km to the nearest hospital, where 3.7 km is typical. The region has more smokers than Alberta, 17% of adults to 11%. A child born in the region can expect 78.3 years, lower than both Alberta’s towns (81.2) and Canadian towns (81.5). In the health survey, 48% of adults in the region rate their health very good or excellent, fewer than Alberta’s 53%.

48%very good or excellent healthD⁻Health Grade

Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised

White Fish Lake 12848%

Alberta’s towns51%

Canadian towns52%

Health	White Fish Lake 128	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

48 km

from homes to a pharmacy, on average

Full pageWhite Fish Lake 128’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 48 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

Who lives here

More of White Fish Lake 128’s residents have an Indigenous identity than in Alberta’s towns or Canadian towns: 99%

25median age

White Fish Lake 128AlbertaCanada

AlbertaCanada

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

33%

Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over

No certificate, diploma or degree31%

Postsecondary qualification40%

Women and men · all residents

48.2% of White Fish Lake 128’s residents are women

By the 2021 count the town had 525 women and 565 men, while Canada has 50.9% women.

Who lives in White Fish Lake 128
	White Fish Lake 128	Alberta	Canada
Under 15	33%	18%	16%
15 to 64	60%	67%	64%
65+	7.8%	15%	19%
No certificate, diploma or degree	31%	15%	16%
Postsecondary qualification	40%	54%	56%

Full pageWhite Fish Lake 128’s Who lives here pageOpen the full Who lives here page

Ages25 median age · 8% are 65 or over Households280 households · 3.8 people per household English and French1% speak both · 0% speak French but not English

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

Natural hazardsHazard risk A

Few places are as safe from hazards as White Fish Lake 128: it beats 86% of Canadian towns

Area-wide: radon tests, counted over the Aspen Regional Health Authority

Earthquakes matter little: NRCan’s model puts building losses at $0.004 a year per $1,000 of value, against $0.030 for the typical town. The burn rate around White Fish Lake 128 is 0.05% a year (2.1% of the land within 25 km since 1986), a moderate band. Also worth knowing: about as many homes carry radon around White Fish Lake 128 as elsewhere, 9.6% over the guideline where the typical town has 6.6%.

Moderatewildfire bandAHazard risk Grade

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

White Fish Lake 1289.6%

Alberta’s towns7.5%

Canadian towns6.6%

Hazards	White Fish Lake 128	Alberta	Canada
Radon tests above the guideline	9.6%	7.5%	6.6%
Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year	$0.004	$0.013	$0.030

$0.004

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

Moderate

wildfire band

7.7 km

to the nearest land burned since 1986

Full pageWhite Fish Lake 128’s flood & hazards pageOpen the full Flood & hazards page

WildfireModerate wildfire band · 2.1% of the land within 25 km burned since 1986 FloodNo flood study on record Earthquakes$0.004 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

Climate

White Fish Lake 128 has colder winters than Alberta’s towns or Canadian towns: January lows of −19.1°C

Gardeners get 118 frost-free days, from 22 May to 17 September. The thermometer drops below freezing on 202 days a year, close to Alberta’s towns (193) and above Canadian towns (159). Midsummer afternoons in White Fish Lake 128 peak at about 23.1°C.

23.1°CJuly afternoons

Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

Winter−7.1°C

Spring8.7°C

Summer21.9°C

Autumn7.8°C

Normals, 1991–2020	White Fish Lake 128	Alberta	Canada
January night low	−19.1°C	−14.7°C	−13.5°C
Precipitation a year	388 mm	431 mm	883 mm
July afternoon high	23.1°C	23.5°C	25.5°C
Days with frost a year	202	193	159

202

days with frost a year

118

frost-free days, 22 May to 17 Sep

days with precipitation a year

Full pageWhite Fish Lake 128’s climate pageOpen the full Climate page

The yearJuly highs 23.1°C, January lows −19.1°C Rain and snow388 mm a year · Canadian towns: 883 mm Weather station50 km to the station · Lac la Biche

Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Lac la Biche)

Work & commuteJobs & income C⁺

Trips to work from White Fish Lake 128 are shorter than from Alberta’s towns or Canadian towns: 22 min on average

At the census, 95% of commuters went by car.

7%walk, cycle or take transit

How working residents got to work · census 2021

Car or van95%

Public transit3%

Walk3%

Census 2021	White Fish Lake 128	Alberta	Canada
Average trip	22 min	26 min	26 min
Car or van	95%	88%	89%

$81,000

median household income, 2020

worked from home, May 2021

76%

of commuters work inside the municipality

Full pageWhite Fish Lake 128’s work & commute pageOpen the full Work & commute page

Unemployment22% unemployed · Of the labour force · Canadian towns: 9.9%Getting to work7% walk, cycle or take transit Where people commute to10 commuters · The biggest flow out: to Cold 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.

Weather

Expect November days around −1°C in White Fish Lake 128, nights around −10°C

December follows at −7°C by day and −17°C by night. The year peaks in July (23°C) and bottoms out in January (−19°C). ECCC’s forecast for Lac La Biche is on the Weather page, hour by hour.

−1°Ca normal November afternoon

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

November−1°C

December−7°C

January−9°C

February−5°C

Season	High	Low	Rain and snow
Winter	−7°C	−18°C	47 mm
Spring	9°C	−4°C	86 mm
Summer	22°C	10°C	181 mm
Autumn	8°C	−2°C	75 mm

−10°C

a normal November night

17 mm

of rain and snow in a normal November

Full pageWhite Fish Lake 128’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 (Lac la Biche); the forecast is on the Weather page

Town hall

Shannon Stubbs won Lakeland by 30,730 votes in 2021, a wider lead than in 98% of Canada’s ridings

The Legislative Assembly of Alberta’s riding map carries non-commercial terms, so White Fish Lake 128 isn’t placed in a riding here.

Full pageWhite Fish Lake 128’s town hall & politics pageOpen the full Town hall & politics page

Who runs itIndian Reserve

Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada

Library & civic lifeCivic life grade C⁺

White Fish Lake 128 has no public library of its own; the nearest is Mallaig Public Library, 33 km away

The next is Stuart MacPherson Public Library (Lac la Biche County), 49 km away.

Full pageWhite Fish Lake 128’s library & civic life pageOpen the full Library & civic life page

Places to belong0 charities per 1,000 residents

Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada

Outdoors

Lakeland Provincial Park, 31 km away, is the closest provincial park to White Fish Lake 128

3 areas within 10 km are protected for nature. The closest of Canada’s national parks is Elk Island National Park, at 86 km. The protected share within 10 km is 0.2%, where a typical Canadian town has 2.3%.

0.2%of the land within 10 km protected

Protected land · of the land within 10 km

White Fish Lake 1280.2%

Alberta’s towns0.4%

Canadian towns2.3%

Outdoors	White Fish Lake 128	Alberta	Canada
Protected land within 10 km	0.2%	0.4%	2.3%
Public protected areas within 10 km	0	2	4

86 km

to Elk Island National Park

31 km

to Lakeland Provincial Park

Full pageWhite Fish Lake 128’s outdoors pageOpen the full Outdoors page

Protected landof the land within 10 km Protected areas3 protected areas within 10 km National & provincial parks86 km to a national park · Elk Island National Park

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

Keep exploring

Everything we know about White Fish Lake 128

15pages on White Fish Lake 128

The big questions

SafetyHousing & costProperty pricesSchoolsHealthD⁻Life expectancy 78.3 in its region Work & commuteC⁺43% of adults in work Natural hazardsAWildfire band: moderate

Out and about

Outdoors0.2% of the land within 10 km protected AttractionsClimateJuly afternoons around 23°C WeatherECCC’s forecast, beside the normals

The story

Who lives hereMedian age 25 HistoryTown hallFamous people

Questions about White Fish Lake 128

Is White Fish Lake 128 growing?

No: the census counted 1,310 in 2016 and 1,093 in 2021, 16.6% fewer, against growth of 4.1% for the median of Canadian towns. The 2025 estimate is 1,122.

What kind of homes are in White Fish Lake 128?

Mostly 93% single-detached houses (the median of Canadian towns: 64%), with 0% of homes in buildings of five or more storeys. Households hold 3.8 people on average, and 14% have just one.

Is White Fish Lake 128 a young town or an old one?

The median resident is 25 years old, against 45.2 for the median of Canadian towns. 33% are under 15 and 8% are 65 or over.

About White Fish Lake 128

First Nations reserve in Alberta

White Fish Lake 128 is a First Nations reserve in Alberta, counted by Statistics Canada as its own census subdivision.

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

Population: 1,122 (people, 2025 estimate)
Province or territory: Alberta
Census division: Division No. 12
First Nation: Whitefish Lake
Census subdivision: 4812808

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