LairdOntario
A town in Ontario, home to 1,221 people. It grew by 7% between the 2016 and 2021 censuses.
Is Laird a good place to live?
Laird’s strongest subject is safety (A). Health outcomes fall short of most towns (D). It also trails on walkability (D−). Natural hazards are less of a worry than in most Canadian towns (A).
An overall grade comes at 2,500 residents for Canadian towns; Laird has its subject grades alone.
Health is graded on the health region's survey figures and life expectancy, with the distance to hospital giving the town its own spread.
How Laird grades
Each subject compares Laird with Canadian towns of 2,500 or more, ordered by how far it is from the middle. Towns in other countries are graded separately.
An overall grade comes at 2,500 residents for Canadian towns; Laird has its subject grades alone.
How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →
What makes Laird stand out
The 3 things Laird does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Laird.
Laird is graded an A for safety
Property crime accounts for 11.4 incidents per 1,000 residents a year. Police recorded 5.2 violent incidents per 1,000 residents a year, below both Ontario’s towns (10.5) and Canadian towns (12).
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Laird | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crime per 1,000 | 11.4 | 30.5 | 31.2 |
| Violent crime | 5.2 | 10.5 | 12 |
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 57 | 76 | 86 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
Health in Laird trails 89% of Canadian towns
Measured across the The District of Algoma Health Unit: health survey and life expectancy
The survey counts 17% of adults as smokers, higher than both Ontario’s towns (10%) and Canadian towns (12%). Adults here are less upbeat about their health than the province: 46% very good or excellent, against 51% in Ontario. Statistics Canada puts the region’s life expectancy at 77.9, women 80.4 and men 75.6 (2022/2024). Closer to home, a hospital is 9.2 km from the average resident of Laird, further than the usual 3.7 km.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Laird | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy at birth | 77.9 | 82.8 | 81.5 |
| Smokers | 17% | 10% | 12% |
| Chronic conditions (average share) | 20% | 17% | 17% |
| Very good or excellent health | 46% | 51% | 52% |
Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities
Hazard risk in Laird is lower than in 86% of Canadian towns
NRCan’s model puts the yearly earthquake loss at $0.005 per $1,000 of building value, lower than Ontario’s towns ($0.043) and near Canadian towns ($0.030). Laird’s survey area, 8.6% over the radon guideline, is close to the typical town’s 6.6%. The national flood inventory has no study of the town.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Laird | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radon tests above the guideline | 8.6% | 4% | 6.6% |
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.005 | $0.043 | $0.030 |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory
Summers stay cool in Laird: July afternoons reach 24.2°C, below Ontario’s towns and Canadian towns
For the wettest month, look to October: 111 mm on average. Snow totals 325 cm over the year, above both Ontario’s towns (146 cm) and Canadian towns (141 cm). In January, overnight lows in Laird settle at −14.5°C. Between the last spring frost, 28 May, and the first in autumn, 29 September, lie 123 days.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Laird | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snowfall a year | 325 cm | 146 cm | 141 cm |
| July afternoon high | 24.2°C | 26.7°C | 25.5°C |
| Days with frost a year | 175 | 139 | 159 |
| January night low | −14.5°C | −9.1°C | −13.5°C |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Sault Ste Marie)
Commuters in Laird travel further than in Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns, 32 min on average
99% of commuters drove, above both Ontario’s towns (88%) and Canadian towns (89%).
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Laird | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 32 min | 29 min | 26 min |
| Car or van | 99% | 88% | 89% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · Census day was in May 2021, mid-pandemic, so commuting and work figures carry the lockdowns’ mark.
More households own their home in Laird than in Ontario’s towns or across Canadian towns: 96%
Nearly one in ten households spent 30% or more of their income on shelter, below both Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (18%). A year’s rent came to 17% of the median household income, below both Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (20%).
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Laird | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 9% | 22% | 18% |
| Households owning their home | 96% | 76% | 74% |
| Rent as a share of income | 17% | 22% | 20% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; CMHC Rental Market Survey via Statistics Canada · Home values are owners’ own estimates at the May 2021 census, and incomes are for 2020. · Rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom: one figure for all of the Sault Ste. Marie metro area
More of Laird’s residents have an Indigenous identity than in Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 8.5%
People 65 and over make up nearly a quarter of the town. Visible minorities make up 0.9% of the population, below both Ontario’s towns (26%) and Canadian towns (15%).
Ages · Share of residents in each age group, Census 2021
Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over
Women and men · all residents
46.7% of Laird’s residents are women
600 men and 525 women lived here in 2021, against a share of women of 50.9% for Canada.
| Laird | Ontario | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 15% | 15% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 63% | 65% | 64% |
| 65+ | 23% | 19% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 13% | 15% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 54% | 56% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Ontario and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
A normal November in Laird runs from −3°C to 5°C
Precipitation in November averages 89 mm. By December, a normal day reaches −1°C and a night falls to −9°C. About 44 cm of snow falls in a normal November. Over the year, July is warmest at 24°C by day and February coldest at −15°C by night.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | −3°C | −13°C | 181 mm |
| Spring | 9°C | −3°C | 192 mm |
| Summer | 23°C | 11°C | 234 mm |
| Autumn | 12°C | 3°C | 308 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Sault Ste Marie); the forecast is on the Weather page
Laird’s council spends less per resident than 96% of Ontario’s single-tier municipalities
Terry Sheehan (Liberal Party of Canada) is the MP for Sault Ste.
| Turnout | Laird | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Municipal election, 2022 | 42% | 31% | 31% |
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
Laird has no public library of its own; the nearest is Township of St. Joseph Public Library, 12 km away
After it comes Arthur Wishart Library / West Wing (Sault Ste.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
From Laird, North Channel Islands - la Cloche Provincial Park Addition is the nearest provincial park (25 km)
The nearest national park is more than 100 km away. 3 protected areas lie within 10 km. OpenStreetMap shows 3 unnamed beaches within 5 km.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Laird | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 0% | 2.3% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 0 | 4 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
Everything we know about Laird
Precious Blood Cathedral and 5 more within 40 km
Nothing to visit is mapped within 5 km of Laird; these are the best known within 40 km.
CathedralPrecious Blood Cathedral22 km northwest
MuseumCanadian Bushplane Heritage Centre22 km northwest
Art galleryArt Gallery of Algoma22 km northwest
Museum · Parks CanadaSault Ste. Marie Canal24 km northwest
National historic site · Parks CanadaPower House24 km northwestPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (5)
- Precious Blood Cathedral: Fungus Guy, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre: P199, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Art Gallery of Algoma: Fungus Guy, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Sault Ste. Marie Canal: P199, CC BY-SA 2.5, Wikimedia Commons
- Power House: Fungus Guy, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
About Laird
Town in Ontario
TownRatings counts Laird as Statistics Canada does, as one municipality in Ontario; the census, crime and housing figures all follow that boundary.
Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.
- Population
- 1,221 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Ontario
- Census division
- Algoma
- Metro area
- Sault Ste. Marie
- Census subdivision
- 3557011
Laird’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laird | 1,221 | — | — | B | A | D |
| Macdonald, Meredith and Aberdeen Additional | 1,771 | 10 | — | B+ | D− | C− |
| St. Joseph | 1,560 | 14 | — | C+ | D− | C− |
| Garden River 14 | 1,205 | 18 | — | — | — | D |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Laird
What kind of homes are in Laird?
100% of homes are single-detached houses, against 64% for the median of Canadian towns, and 0% are in apartment buildings of five storeys or more. A household averages 2.4 people; 20% are one person living alone.
Is Laird growing?
It added people: 1,047 in 2016, 1,121 in 2021, 7.1% more, where the middle of Canadian towns grew 4.1%. Statistics Canada’s 2025 estimate is 1,221.
Is Laird a young town or an old one?
The typical resident is 50.4 (Canadian towns: 45.2), with seniors at 23% of the population and under-15s at 15%.
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).