CantleyQuebec
With 12,291 residents, it is a town in Quebec. The population grew 7% between 2016 and 2021.
Is Cantley a good place to live?
Strong in places, weak in others. Cantley grades A overall, better than 93% of Canadian towns. In the ranking it comes #80 of 499 in Quebec. It is a safe place by the numbers (A+). A median home here was worth $448,000 at the census, or 3.4 times what the middle household earns in a year. What holds it back is hazard risk (C−). Its other grades sit near the middle: B for health and C+ for walkability.
Figures: home values and income: Statistics Canada, Census 2021.
Rents here are the metro area's average, shared by every town and neighbourhood in it. Safety is the regional police service's figure, shared with its other towns. 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.
How Cantley grades
Each subject compares Cantley 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 TownRatings grades Canadian towns →
What makes Cantley stand out
The 3 things Cantley does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Cantley.
The force covering Cantley records less serious violence than Quebec’s towns or Canadian towns, at 52
Property crime in the area its police cover: 7.2 per 1,000 people a year. Its police area recorded 8.4 violent incidents per 1,000 residents a year, below both Quebec’s towns (12.4) and Canadian towns (12). For Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000, the only official count covers all of the Collines-de-l'Outaouais Region service area, Cantley included.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Cantley | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crime per 1,000 | 7.2 | 16.6 | 31.2 |
| Crime Severity Index | 29 | 56 | 67 |
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 52 | 88 | 86 |
| Violent crime | 8.4 | 12.4 | 12 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
Flood mapping exists for Cantley: 1 on record, latest by Gouvernement du Québec
Area-wide: radon tests, counted over the Outaouais health region
13% of radon tests in the survey area came in above the guideline, above Quebec’s towns (8.2%) and Canadian towns (6.6%) alike. Earthquakes add more: NRCan’s model puts building losses at $0.080 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
| Hazards | Cantley | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radon tests above the guideline | 13% | 8.2% | 6.6% |
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.080 | $0.14 | $0.030 |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory
Households in Cantley have higher incomes than those in 98% of Canadian towns
Commutes averaged 29 min, above both Quebec’s towns (27 min) and Canadian towns (26 min). 93% of commuters drove to work at the census.
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Cantley | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 29 min | 27 min | 26 min |
| Car or van | 93% | 90% | 89% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · Counted in May 2021, under pandemic rules: fewer commutes and more people between jobs than in a normal year.
Most households in Cantley own their home: 93%, more than in Quebec’s towns and across Canadian towns
Rent took 13% of household income, lower than both Quebec’s towns (18%) and Canadian towns (20%). Shelter took 30% or more of income for 8% of households, below Quebec’s towns (13%) and Canadian towns (18%) alike.
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Cantley | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households owning their home | 93% | 70% | 74% |
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 8% | 13% | 18% |
| Rent as a share of income | 13% | 18% | 20% |
| Median home value, 2021 | $448,000 | $300,000 | $406,000 |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; CMHC Rental Market Survey via Statistics Canada · Values come from owners at the 2021 census and incomes from 2020, so they predate the later rise in rates. · Rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom: one figure for all of the Ottawa-Gatineau metro area
Smoking runs high around Cantley: 17% of adults, the typical Canadian town 12%
Health survey and life expectancy for the Région de l'Outaouais
Statistics Canada puts life expectancy at 80.7, below both Quebec’s towns (82.5) and Canadian towns (81.5). The survey puts the region’s share in very good or excellent health at 55%; Quebec as a whole is at 57%. Measured from where Cantley’s residents live, the nearest hospital is 8.1 km away, beyond the typical 3.7 km.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Cantley | 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% |
Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities
Winter nights in Cantley are colder than in 78% of Canadian towns
Snow peaks in January: 45 cm in a normal year. The frost-free season runs from 26 May to 22 September, 119 days. Frosty days number 179 in a normal year, higher than both Quebec’s towns (161) and Canadian towns (159). The most precipitation falls in June: 95 mm in a normal year.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Cantley | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Days with frost a year | 179 | 161 | 159 |
| Snowfall a year | 185 cm | 217 cm | 141 cm |
| January night low | −16.5°C | −14.7°C | −13.5°C |
| July afternoon high | 26.2°C | 26.5°C | 25.5°C |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Angers)
More people in Cantley speak English and French than in Quebec’s towns or Canadian towns: 68%
First Nations, Métis and Inuit people make up 5.2% of residents, above both Quebec’s towns (1.5%) and Canadian towns (2.8%). Immigrants make up 5.4% of residents, between Quebec’s towns (2.6%) and Canadian towns (6.4%).
Ages · Share of residents in each age group, Census 2021
Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over
Women and men · all residents
49.1% of Cantley’s residents are women
Women numbered 5,620 and men 5,830 in 2021, next to a 50.9% share of women for Canada.
| Cantley | Quebec | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 21% | 17% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 68% | 62% | 64% |
| 65+ | 11% | 20% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 16% | 19% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 65% | 59% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Quebec and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
In Cantley, November normally means 5°C afternoons and −4°C nights
Snowfall in a normal November: 16 cm. A normal December brings highs of −2°C, lows of −11°C. Precipitation in November averages 72 mm. Also worth knowing: the year peaks in July (26°C) and bottoms out in January (−17°C).
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | −4°C | −14°C | 191 mm |
| Spring | 11°C | −1°C | 223 mm |
| Summer | 25°C | 12°C | 275 mm |
| Autumn | 13°C | 2°C | 249 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Angers); the forecast is on the Weather page
The council of Cantley is led by its mayor, Nathalie Bélisle
For the National Assembly of Québec, Cantley belongs to Gatineau, held by David Logue (Quebec Liberal Party) as MNA (Member of the National Assembly, Québec’s legislature).
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
Cantley has one public library, Bibliotheque De Cantley
From the centre of Cantley, it is 1.3 km away.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
Cantley has 2 independent schools among its 11
3 boards run its schools. The nearest secondary school is 6.9 km away, higher than both Quebec’s towns (1.2 km) and Canadian towns (1.2 km). Counting a 3 km margin, Cantley has 9 elementary schools and 2 secondary schools.
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| École de l'Orée-des-BoisIn CantleyElementary | Elementary | – | French public |
| Collège Saint-Alexandre de la Gatineau IndependentNearest secondary school, 1.9 kmSecondary | Secondary | – | Independent |
| École primaire Chelsea EnglishTeaches in EnglishElementary | Elementary | – | English public |
Schools by system · Schools within 3 km
| Schools within 3 km | Cantley | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nearest secondary school | 6.9 km | 1.2 km | 1.2 km |
| School boards | 3 | 2 | 3 |
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.
Around Cantley, 21% of the land is set aside for nature
Within 100 km there is no national park. CPCAD lists 32 protected areas within 10 km. Biggest among them: Parc de la Gatineau White-Tailed Deer Yard, 1,610 ha, 9.8 km off. Fitzroy Provincial Park is the closest provincial park, at 29 km.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Cantley | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 21% | 4.9% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 12 | 10 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
Everything we know about Cantley
Mont Cascades Ski and 11 more in and around Cantley
Sights in Cantley and close by, ordered by how widely each is known.
Ski hillCamp Fortune4.8 km outside town, to the southwest
Ski hillSommet Edelweiss2.6 km outside town, to the northwest
MuseumFairbairn House3.9 km outside town, to the northwestWater parkWater parkMont Cascades Waterparkin townSki hillSki hillVorlage4.5 km outside town, to the northwestPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (3)
- Camp Fortune: Fil.Al, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Sommet Edelweiss: Seguins613, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Fairbairn House: Amqui, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Famous people from around Cantley
One notable person was born in Cantley; with them, the best known born in the towns around it.
Photo credits
Denis Savard: Unknown author, Public domain
About Cantley
Town in Quebec
TownRatings counts Cantley as Statistics Canada does, as one municipality in Quebec; 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
- 12,291 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Quebec
- Census division
- Les Collines-de-l'Outaouais
- Metro area
- Ottawa - Gatineau (partie du Québec / Quebec part)
- Census subdivision
- 2482020
Cantley’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cantley | 12,291 | — | A | B+ | A+ | B |
| Chelsea | 8,998 | 5.2 | A | B+ | A+ | B |
| Les Rapides | 15,090 | 6.9 | A− | A− | B− | B |
| Hautes-Plaines | 6,353 | 8.7 | B+ | C+ | B− | B+ |
| La Cité | 30,930 | 9.1 | B− | C− | B− | B+ |
| Des Vallées | 3,575 | 10 | A− | A− | B− | B |
| Rivière-Gatineau | 14,875 | 10 | C− | D | B− | B+ |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Cantley
Do people in Cantley speak French?
It is a French-speaking town: 26% know French alone, and 68% can talk in English too, against 8% for the median of Canadian towns.
Who are the people of Cantley?
At the 2021 census, 5% were immigrants and 4% belonged to a visible minority (Canadian towns’ median: 15%). 5% identify as First Nations, Métis or Inuit.
What kind of homes are in Cantley?
Single-detached houses make up 88% of the homes here, where Canadian towns sit at 64%; 0% are in high-rise apartments. 15% of households are one person, and the average is 2.8.
Is Cantley a young town or an old one?
At 40, its median age compares with 45.2 across Canadian towns. Children make up 21% of the population and seniors 11%.
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).