BristolQuebec

It is part of Pontiac, a census division. Home to 1,151 people, this town lies in Quebec.

5 places within 19 kmMap →

Photo: P199 · CC BY-SA 3.0

Population

1,151

people, 2025 estimate

Median age

51.6

years · Quebec’s towns: 44.8

Postsecondary

46%

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 Bristol a good place to live?

Crime is low (B). Homes were valued at a median $230,000 at the 2021 census, 3.4 times the typical household’s income. Work and incomes lag (D−). Natural hazards weigh more here (D).

Figures: home values and income: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Bristol has subject grades but no overall grade: Canadian towns get one from 2,500 residents.

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 is the Sûreté du Québec unit's figure for the whole MRC. Crime here is counted against the people who live here, but many visitors or second-home owners add to it, so the rate per resident runs higher than residents' own risk. No School Grade: this province doesn't publish comparable results school by school. Health is graded on the health region's survey figures and life expectancy, with the distance to hospital giving the town its own spread.

WeakestD⁻Jobs & income DHazard risk

How Bristol grades

Each subject compares Bristol 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

Bristol has subject grades but no overall grade: Canadian towns get one from 2,500 residents.

Jobs & incomeAmong the weakest of the towns comparedD⁻Open →Hazard riskBased on earthquake losses and radon in homes; a high wildfire risk can pull it downDOpen →WalkabilityMost errands need a carC⁺Open →SafetyAhead of most towns comparedBOpen →HealthAbout average among the towns comparedBOpen →Cost of livingGraded on home prices against local incomesB⁻Open →

SchoolsWith no open results to compare (the ministry publishes its success rates by school service centre, not school by school), there’s no schools grade in Quebec.–

How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →

What makes Bristol stand out

The 3 things Bristol does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data

Immigrants

Who lives here

3% are immigrants

The midpoint across Canadian towns is 6%

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

Jobs & income

Behind 96%

of Canadian towns on jobs & income

Its jobs & income grade: D−.

Population growth, 2016 to 2021

Growth

+16% more people than in 2016

For the middle of Canadian towns, 4%

Statistics Canada, Census 2016 and 2021

The data

Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Bristol.

Work & commuteJobs & income D⁻

Commuters in Bristol travel further than in Quebec’s towns or Canadian towns, 46 min on average

7%walk, cycle or take transit

93% of commuters drove, close to Quebec’s towns (90%) and above Canadian towns (89%).

How working residents got to work · census 2021

Car or van93%

Walk4%

Public transit3%

Census 2021	Bristol	Quebec	Canada
Average trip	46 min	27 min	26 min
Car or van	93%	90%	89%

$67,500

median household income, 2020

22%

worked from home, May 2021

20%

of commuters work inside the municipality

Full pageBristol’s work & commute pageOpen the full Work & commute page

Unemployment6.9% unemployed · Of the labour force · Canadian towns: 9.9%Getting to work7% walk, cycle or take transit Where people commute to90 commuters · The biggest flow out: to Shawville

Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · Census day was in May 2021, mid-pandemic, so commuting and work figures carry the lockdowns’ mark.

Natural hazardsHazard risk D

Bristol faces more hazards than 88% of Canadian towns

Lowwildfire bandDHazard risk Grade

Radon is higher than usual: 13% of tested homes in the survey area topped the guideline, against 6.6% for the typical town. The national inventory holds 2 flood maps for it, the newest from Municipalité de Pontiac. Earthquakes add more: NRCan’s model puts building losses at $0.11 a year per $1,000 of value, against $0.030 for the typical town.

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

Bristol13%

Quebec’s towns8.2%

Canadian towns6.6%

Hazards	Bristol	Quebec	Canada
Radon tests above the guideline	13%	8.2%	6.6%
Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year	$0.11	$0.14	$0.030

$0.11

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

Low

wildfire band

11 km

to the nearest land burned since 1986

flood studies on the national inventory

Full pageBristol’s flood & hazards pageOpen the full Flood & hazards page

WildfireLow wildfire band · No land burned within 25 km since 1986 Flood2 flood studies on record Earthquakes$0.11 a year per $1,000 · Canadian towns: $0.030 Radon13% 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 · Data for radon tests covers the Outaouais health region

Schools

Teaching in English: 3 of Bristol’s 3 schools

3schools within 3 km

1,700 students attend the 2 elementary schools and 1 secondary school in or within 3 km of Bristol. From the middle of town, the first elementary school is 9.8 km off, above both Quebec’s towns (0.5 km) and Canadian towns (0.5 km).

School	Level	Students	System
Walter Zadow Public School EnglishLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades JK–8	Elementary · Grades JK–8	555	English public
Arnprior District High School EnglishLargest secondary schoolSecondary · Grades 9–12	Secondary · Grades 9–12	700	English public
St Joseph's Separate School EnglishTeaches in EnglishElementary · Grades JK–8	Elementary · Grades JK–8	445	English Catholic

Schools by system · Schools within 3 km

English public2

English Catholic1

Schools within 3 km	Bristol	Quebec	Canada
Nearest elementary school	9.8 km	0.5 km	0.5 km
Nearest secondary school	9.8 km	1.2 km	1.2 km
School boards	2	2	3

1,700

students at the schools within 3 km, 2025-26

9.8 km

to the nearest secondary school

9.8 km

to the nearest elementary school

Full pageBristol’s schools pageOpen the full Schools page

Language3 of 3 teach in English · 10% of schools in Quebec Every school3 schools within 3 km · 2 elementary schools and 1 secondary school The boards2 school boards · Renfrew County DSB Questions“What schools are there in Bristol?”

Provincial school lists and results, 2025-26 · The schools grade is given only where results are open; in Quebec, the ministry publishes its success rates by school service centre, not school by school.

Outdoors

More of the land around Bristol is protected than around 8 in 10 Canadian towns

7.9%of the land within 10 km protected

A drive of 99 km reaches Thousand Islands National Park, the nearest national park. The nearest provincial park, Fitzroy Provincial Park, is 5.2 km away. Biggest among them: Parc de la Gatineau White-Tailed Deer Yard, 1,610 ha, 9.4 km off. Protected areas open to the public, within 10 km of the town: 19, above Quebec’s towns (10) and Canadian towns (4) alike.

Protected land · of the land within 10 km

Bristol7.9%

Quebec’s towns4.9%

Canadian towns2.3%

Outdoors	Bristol	Quebec	Canada
Protected land within 10 km	7.9%	4.9%	2.3%
Public protected areas within 10 km	19	10	4

99 km

to Thousand Islands National Park

5.2 km

to Fitzroy Provincial Park

beaches within 5 km

public protected areas within 10 km

Full pageBristol’s outdoors pageOpen the full Outdoors page

Protected landof the land within 10 km Protected areas37 protected areas within 10 km · Parc de la Gatineau White-Tailed Deer Yard National & provincial parks99 km to a national park · Thousand Islands National Park

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

SafetySafety B

Bristol’s grade for safety: a B

56Crime Severity Index

Measured across Pontiac MRC: Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000

Its police area recorded 16.9 violent incidents per 1,000 residents a year, above Quebec’s towns (12.4) and Canadian towns (12) alike. The index for the force that serves it came to 56, about level with Quebec’s towns (56) and below Canadian towns (67).

Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year

202358

202455

202554

2023–2025	Bristol	Quebec	Canada
Property crime per 1,000	12.5	16.6	31.2
Violent crime	16.9	12.4	12

non-violent Crime Severity Index

63%

of incidents cleared, 2023–25

Full pageBristol’s safety reportOpen the full Safety report

Safety56 Crime Severity Index · The index weighs each crime Bristol’s police recorded by how serious it is.Questions“Is Bristol safe?”

Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average

Climate

Bristol has colder winter nights than four in five Canadian towns

26.4°CJuly afternoons

There are 178 days of frost in a typical year, above Quebec’s towns (161) and Canadian towns (159) alike. Frost usually lifts by 23 May and returns around 19 September: 118 days without it. A normal January brings 53 cm of snow, the most of any month. For the wettest month, look to June: 99 mm on average.

Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

Winter−4.3°C

Spring10.8°C

Summer25.1°C

Autumn12.5°C

Normals, 1991–2020	Bristol	Quebec	Canada
January night low	−16.9°C	−14.7°C	−13.5°C
Days with frost a year	178	161	159
Snowfall a year	193 cm	217 cm	141 cm
July afternoon high	26.4°C	26.5°C	25.5°C

193 cm

of snow a year

178

days with frost a year

118

frost-free days, 23 May to 19 Sep

137

days with precipitation a year

Full pageBristol’s climate pageOpen the full Climate page

The yearJuly highs 26.4°C, January lows −16.9°C Rain and snow968 mm a year · Canadian towns: 883 mm Snow193 cm of snow a year Weather station18 km to the station · Charteris

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

HealthHealth B

Smoking runs high around Bristol: 17% of adults, the typical Canadian town 12%

55%very good or excellent healthBHealth Grade

Expected years of life at birth: 80.7, below both Quebec’s towns (82.5) and Canadian towns (81.5). Self-rated health is ordinary for Quebec: 55% of the region’s adults say very good or excellent, the province 57%. Closer to home, a hospital is 9.1 km from the average resident of Bristol, further than the usual 3.7 km. For health survey and life expectancy, the only official count covers all of the Région de l'Outaouais, Bristol included.

Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised

Bristol55%

Quebec’s towns56%

Canadian towns52%

Health	Bristol	Quebec	Canada
Smokers	17%	12%	12%
Life expectancy at birth	80.7	82.5	81.5
Chronic conditions (average share)	15%	15%	17%
Very good or excellent health	55%	56%	52%

80.7

years of life expectancy, 2022/2024

9.1 km

from homes to a hospital, on average

17%

of adults smoke, age-standardised

9.5 km

from homes to a pharmacy, on average

Full pageBristol’s health pageOpen the full Health page

Health survey55% very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised Getting care9.1 km to a hospital · A pharmacy 9.5 km away on average The wider areaLife expectancy: women 82.2, men 79.1 Conditions and habits15% 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 Bristol’s residents have an Indigenous identity than in Quebec’s towns or Canadian towns: 12%

51.6median age

Both official languages: 39% of residents, between Quebec’s towns (44%) and Canadian towns (7.5%). 27% of residents have reached 65. Children under 15 count for 15% of the people here.

BristolQuebecCanada

QuebecCanada

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

27%

Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over

No certificate, diploma or degree25%

Postsecondary qualification46%

Women and men · all residents

Women make up 49.2% of Bristol

Here the census found 610 men and 590 women; the figure for women across Canada is 50.9%.

Who lives in Bristol
	Bristol	Quebec	Canada
Under 15	15%	17%	16%
15 to 64	58%	62%	64%
65+	27%	20%	19%
No certificate, diploma or degree	25%	19%	16%
Postsecondary qualification	46%	59%	56%

Full pageBristol’s Who lives here pageOpen the full Who lives here page

Immigrants3% are immigrants · 2% belong to a visible minority Ages51.6 median age · 27% are 65 or over Households545 households · 2.2 people per household English and French39% speak both · 3.3% speak French but not English

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

Weather

What November brings in Bristol: −4°C at night, 5°C by day

5°Ca normal November afternoon

Hour-by-hour figures come from ECCC’s Renfrew forecast, on the Weather page. Into December, the normals move to −3°C and −11°C. Snow is normal by November, about 16 cm over the month. Precipitation in November averages 74 mm.

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

November5°C

December−3°C

January−6°C

February−4°C

Season	High	Low	Rain and snow
Winter	−4°C	−15°C	215 mm
Spring	11°C	−2°C	216 mm
Summer	25°C	12°C	292 mm
Autumn	13°C	2°C	246 mm

−4°C

a normal November night

74 mm

of rain and snow in a normal November

Full pageBristol’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 (Charteris); the forecast is on the Weather page

Town hall

Each seat on Bristol’s council speaks for just 160 residents, fewer than in 92% of Quebec municipalities

Valerie Twolan-Graham leads Bristol as mayor, alongside 6 councillors.

Full pageBristol’s town hall & politics pageOpen the full Town hall & politics page

Member of ParliamentSophie Chatel council seats7

Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada

Library & civic lifeCivic life grade B⁻

Bristol has one public library, Bibliothèque De Bristol

It stands 2.9 km from the centre of Bristol.

Full pageBristol’s library & civic life pageOpen the full Library & civic life page

The libraries1 Libraries Places to belong4.3 charities per 1,000 residents

Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada

HousingCost of living B⁻

More households own their home in Bristol than in Quebec’s towns or across Canadian towns: 92%

$230,000median home value, 2021B⁻Cost of living Grade

Shelter took 30% or more of income for 7% of households, lower than both Quebec’s towns (13%) and Canadian towns (18%).

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

Bristol$230,000

Quebec$300,000

Canadian towns$406,000

Census 2021	Bristol	Quebec	Canada
Households spending 30%+ on shelter	7%	13%	18%
Households owning their home	92%	70%	74%
Median home value, 2021	$230,000	$300,000	$406,000
Rent as a share of income	18%	18%	20%

$680

monthly rent for a two-bedroom

$568

median monthly shelter cost for owners, 2021

Full pageBristol’s cost of living pageOpen the full Cost of living page

Owners and renters92% own their home Cost of living3.4 times household income · The median owner’s estimate, $230,000, against the median household income Renting$680 a month · The median rent at the 2021 census

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.

History

An older town: 44% of Bristol’s homes predate 1961

44%built before 1961

44%

of homes built before 1961 · Canadian towns 18%

Heritage	Bristol	Quebec	Canada
Homes built before 1961	44%	21%	18%

Full pageBristol’s history pageOpen the full History page

Older homes44% built before 1961 · Canadian towns: 18%Questions“How many historic places does Bristol 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 Bristol

15pages on Bristol

The big questions

SafetyBCrime Severity Index 56 Housing & costB⁻Homes 3.4 × income Property pricesSchools3 schools within 3 km HealthBLife expectancy 80.7 in its region Work & commuteD⁻48% of adults in work Natural hazardsDWildfire band: low

Out and about

Outdoors7.9% of the land within 10 km protected AttractionsClimateJuly afternoons around 26°C WeatherECCC’s forecast, beside the normals

The story

Who lives hereMedian age 51.6 HistoryTown hallFamous people

Nearby attractions

Arnprior & District Museum and 2 more in and around Bristol

From museums to parks and historic sites: Bristol’s places to visit and those just beyond its edge, most famous first.

All attractions →

MuseumMuseumArnprior & District Museum2.5 km outside town, to the southeast MuseumMuseumPontiac Museum4.3 km outside town, to the northwest MuseumMuseumArmstrong Heritage Farm3.5 km outside town, to the northwest

Famous people from around Bristol

No notable person born in Bristol is on our list; these were born in the towns around it.

How we find them →

Bryan MurrayCanadian ice hockey coach and executive · born in Shawville · 1942–2017

Genevieve MorrisonCanadian wrestler · born in Shawville · born 1988

Terry MurrayCanadian ice hockey player and coach · born in Shawville · born 1950

Erwin ChamberlainCanadian ice hockey player · born in Shawville · 1915–1986

Evan MilwardCanadian soccer player · born in Arnprior · born 1984

Randy PierceCanadian ice hockey player · born in Arnprior · born 1957

Photo credits

Evan Milward: Djuradj Vujcic, CC BY 2.0

About Bristol

Town in Quebec

TownRatings follows Statistics Canada’s map: Bristol is one municipality in Quebec, figures and all.

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

Population: 1,151 (people, 2025 estimate)
Province or territory: Quebec
Census division: Pontiac
Census subdivision: 2484005

Bristol’s neighbours

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

ArnpriorShawvilleMcNab/BraesideHortonClarendonBristol

How the neighbours grade

Town	People	km	Overall	Cost	Safety	Health
Bristol	1,151	—	—	B⁻	B	B
Arnprior Ontario	11,459	10	C⁺	D	B⁺	C⁺
Shawville	1,729	12	—	C⁻	B	B⁺
McNab/Braeside Ontario	8,340	13	C	C⁻	B⁺	C
Horton Ontario	3,550	14	B	C⁺	A⁺	C⁺
Clarendon	1,442	18	—	C	B	B

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

Questions about Bristol

Do people in Bristol speak French?

French is the common language here.

Is Bristol growing?

Between the 2016 and 2021 censuses it went from 1,036 to 1,199 residents (up 15.7%; Canadian towns’ median: 4.1%), and Statistics Canada now estimates 1,151.

What kind of homes are in Bristol?

98% 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 2.2 people; 38% are one person living alone.

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).