Hazard risk in Professors Lake is lower than in 89% of Canadian towns
Around Professors Lake, wildfire is practically absent from the record: 0% within 25 km since 1986, 0.000% a year. Seismic risk in Professors Lake sits near the middle: $0.030 of expected damage per $1,000 of buildings a year, the typical town $0.030. In Health Canada’s survey, just 0% of homes tested in the area exceeded 200 Bq/m³ (6.6% typical). Hazard risk gives Professors Lake a grade of A, from earthquakes and radon alone.
What stands out about Professors Lake’s hazards
For Professors Lake, from NRCan’s seismic model, Health Canada’s radon survey, the national burned-area record and the flood map inventory.
What Professors Lake faces
Each hazard against its own yardstick; meters run from low to high on that yardstick.
Wildfire
Earthquakes
Radon
Flood study
Professors Lake grades A for hazard risk
The grade weighs Professors Lake’s seismic risk and radon equally, and wildfire is one-sided: a high band counts against a town, a low one earns nothing.
Its place: #105 of 866 in Ontario and #417 of 2,589 Canadian towns.
How sure: The seismic figure is a long-run average from NRCan’s model, not a prediction. The burned-area record misses fires under about 10 ha and most grass and farm fires.
Little of the land around Professors Lake has burned: 0% within 5 km, 0% within 25 km since 1986
Fires mapped since 1986 around where Professors Lake’s residents live, and the fuel next to their homes.
In a typical year 0.000% of the land near Professors Lake burns; the typical Canadian town sees 0.000%, and both are low.
Around Professors Lake the forest is thin or far off: 0.7% of the land within 5 km and 4.6% within 25 km is forest fuel.
Shares of land within 5 and 25 km of populated blocks: burned at least once in 1986–2025 (CWFIS burned-area composite), forest fuel and grass (fire behaviour fuel types, 2026, 250 m grid).
Burn rate a year, towns in Ontario · highest of 871
Near-zero burning puts Professors Lake with 638 of the 871 towns in Ontario, far below Sioux Lookout at 0.16%.
Each bar: the yearly average share of land within 25 km of a town’s homes that burned, 1986–2025 (CWFIS); the seven highest towns of 2,500 people or more.
Like most of Canada’s 2,610 towns (92%), Professors Lake is in the low band, with a burn rate of zero to three decimals; 7.5% rank higher.
Bands of the yearly burn rate: low under 0.05%, moderate under 0.25%, high under 1%, very high 1% or more; towns of 2,500 people or more.
Fire danger and active fires (CWFIS)
Canadian Wildland Fire Information System: National Burned Area Composite 1986–2025 and fire behaviour fuel types (2026), Natural Resources Canada. Measured within 25 km and 5 km of each populated dissemination area; past fire, not a forecast.
Toronto Regional Conservation Authority has mapped flooding for Professors Lake (1 study)
Flood studies whose area touches Professors Lake, from NRCan’s inventory, each linked to its owner.
One study on the inventory touches Professors Lake, Toronto Regional Conservation Authority’s from 2021, and its area can be large, so it says a map exists, not that the town floods.
| Study | By | Year | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toronto Floodline Consolidation | Toronto Regional Conservation Authority | 2021 | final |
Towns with a flood study on file
69% of towns in Ontario have a flood study, more than Canada’s 58%; Professors Lake has one too.
NRCan Canada Flood Map Inventory: a study footprint touching the town’s boundary; towns of 2,500 people or more.
Flood is shown here, never graded: a study says where a map exists, not how many of Professors Lake’s homes stand in a flood zone.
The inventory’s own caution (NRCan): “The Canada Flood Map (CFM) does not include every flood hazard map in Canada and may be incomplete or contain inaccuracies. It should not be relied upon as the official source of flood mapping information. Furthermore, if a map appears to be missing, this does not necessarily mean that the area has never been mapped. For the official version of a map, updated information, or confirmation of applicable regulations, please contact the local authority responsible for flood mapping.”
Natural Resources Canada, Canada Flood Map Inventory; links go to each study’s owner.
Ordinary seismic risk in Professors Lake: $0.030 per $1,000 of buildings a year
NRCan’s seismic risk model: the damage shaking is expected to do to buildings each year, on average over many years.
Professors Lake’s $0.030 matches the typical town’s $0.030.
Professors Lake shares its earthquake risk numbers with the rest of the city of Brampton.
Shaking damage a year per $1,000 of building value
At $0.030, Professors Lake is below the typical town in Ontario ($0.043); Alexandria is highest at $0.21.
NRCan seismic risk model (2022): mean yearly building loss per $1,000 of value; medians of towns of 2,500 people or more.
Neither high nor low for Canada: 48% of the 2,611 towns expect more damage than Professors Lake.
Each column: the share of Canada’s towns of 2,500 people or more in that range of yearly loss per $1,000 (NRCan, 2022).
For Professors Lake the model prices shaking damage to buildings, nothing more.
Natural Resources Canada, Canada’s Seismic Risk Model (2022), by census subdivision (2016 boundaries; a few 2021 subdivisions take their residents’ mean).
Radon runs low around Professors Lake: 0% of tested homes over the guideline
Health Canada’s survey of long-term home tests: the share above the 200 Bq/m³ guideline.
A lower share than most: 0% of tested homes around Professors Lake, the typical Canadian town 6.6%.
Tested homes over 200 Bq/m³
Over 600 Bq/m³
Professors Lake’s area, at 0%, is below the median in Ontario (4%).
Health Canada radon survey (2009–2011), by 2007 health region; medians of towns of 2,500 people or more.
Radon rarely tops the guideline around Professors Lake, as for 37% of Canada’s 2,611 towns; 63% see more.
Each bar: the share of Canada’s towns of 2,500 people or more whose survey area had that share of tests over 200 Bq/m³.
Radon varies from house to house in Professors Lake, so the survey is a reason to test, not a result for yours.
Health Canada, Cross-Canada Survey of Radon Concentrations in Homes (2009–2011). · Not measured by town: radon tests (the Peel Regional Health Unit)
Where to get warnings in Professors Lake
Environment and Climate Change Canada issues the weather alerts for Professors Lake; Alert Ready carries the urgent ones to phones, radio and TV.
| Alert | What it means |
|---|---|
| Warning | Severe weather is happening or about to: act now. |
| Watch | Conditions favour severe weather: be ready. |
| Advisory | Weather that is less severe but could disrupt the day. |
| Special weather statement | Unusual weather worth knowing about. |
| Special air quality statement | Poor air, often wildfire smoke. |
In fire season, check CWFIS for danger and active fires around Professors Lake, and listen to local authorities for orders.
Weather alerts (ECCC) · Alert Ready · Fire danger and active fires (CWFIS)
Hazards in the places around Professors Lake
The same four hazards for the places next door.
| Town | Wildfire | Quake $/1,000 | Radon | Flood study |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Professors Lake | Low | $0.030 | 0% | Yes |
| G-Section (bramalea) 8,224 · 1.6 km | Low | $0.030 | 0% | Yes |
| M-Section (bramalea) 9,901 · 1.6 km | Low | $0.030 | 0% | Yes |
| Sandalwood West (sunny Meadow) 27,171 · 2.2 km | Low | $0.030 | 0% | Yes |
| Deerfield 13,090 · 2.2 km | Low | $0.030 | 0% | Yes |
| Woodhill 6,386 · 2.7 km | Low | $0.030 | 0% | Yes |
| Sandalwood East (mountainash) 21,801 · 2.8 km | Low | $0.030 | 0% | Yes |
None of the places around has more fire nearby than Professors Lake (low); G-Section (bramalea) comes closest (low).
Radon is the survey area’s figure, so neighbours in one area share it.
Get ready for what Professors Lake faces
What to do about the hazards Professors Lake faces, and what to ask before you buy.
- Test for three months in winter.
- Over 200 Bq/m³: fix it.
- Kits are cheap; pros test too.
- Never drive through floodwater.
- Move papers and medicines upstairs.
- Ask whether your street is mapped.
- Clear needles and wood nearby.
- Keep a grab-and-go bag ready.
- In smoke, stay in; filter air.
- Has it had a radon test?
- Check the address on the flood map.
- Are flood and wildfire insured?
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Wildfire counts one way. Burned land within 25 km of where people live, averaged over 1986–2025 and checked for fuel near homes, is the measure; it looks back, not ahead, and only ever counts against Professors Lake.
- Earthquakes are modelled. The earthquake figure is an expected loss, not a forecast, worked out by NRCan for each census subdivision, Professors Lake’s included.
- Radon is a survey. The radon share comes from about 14,000 long-term home tests in 2009–2011, pooled for now by the 2007 health region Professors Lake sits in.
- Flood studies aren’t flood zones. A study’s area can be a whole watershed or province, so being on the inventory says a map exists, not that a home in Professors Lake floods.
Questions about flooding and hazards in Professors Lake
Does Professors Lake flood?
Professors Lake’s area has been studied for flooding, and the owner’s map shows which streets lie in a zone; the grade leaves flood out.
Is radon a problem in Professors Lake?
In Health Canada’s survey, 0% of 90 homes tested in Professors Lake’s area were above 200 Bq/m³, though only a test tells you about one house.
How big is the earthquake risk in Professors Lake?
Expected earthquake damage in Professors Lake comes to $0.030 a year for each $1,000 that buildings are worth.
How is Professors Lake’s Hazard risk Grade worked out?
Professors Lake’s Hazard risk grade is A, built on earthquakes and radon with a one-sided wildfire input.
Is Professors Lake at risk of wildfire?
Very little by the national record: Professors Lake’s band is low, with 0% of the land within 25 km burned since 1986, so wildfire doesn’t change its grade.
Seismic risk: Natural Resources Canada. Radon: Health Canada. Wildfire: Canadian Wildland Fire Information System. Flood studies: Natural Resources Canada, Canada Flood Map Inventory. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada.
Sources: NRCan, Canada’s Seismic Risk Model 2022 · Health Canada, Cross-Canada Survey of Radon Concentrations in Homes · CWFIS, National Burned Area Composite and FBP fuel types · NRCan, Canada Flood Map Inventory. 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).