Vue aérienne - Lac Saint-Joseph 2023 (1)

Fossambault-sur-le-LacQuebec

The town, home to 2,505 people, lies in Quebec. It sits within the Québec census metropolitan area.

6 places within 19 kmMap →

Photo: Gabriel Picard · CC BY-SA 4.0

Population

2,505

people, 2025 estimate

Median age

42.4

years · Quebec’s towns: 44.8

Postsecondary

68%

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%

TownGrade

#132 of 2,556

Is Fossambault-sur-le-Lac a good place to live?

At A overall, Fossambault-sur-le-Lac is better than 93% of Canadian towns and ranks #79 of 499 in Quebec. Police record less crime here than in most towns (A+). Residents are healthier than most (A+). The trade-off is walkability (D−). Homes were valued at a median $340,000 at the 2021 census, 3.3 times the typical household’s income. It also trails on hazard risk (C).

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 Sûreté du Québec unit's figure for the whole MRC. 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.

StrongestA⁺Safety A⁺HealthWeakestD⁻Walkability

What makes Fossambault-sur-le-Lac stand out

The 3 things Fossambault-sur-le-Lac does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data

Immigrants

Who lives here

2% are immigrants

Against 6% in the median of Canadian towns

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

Walkability

Behind 98%

of Canadian towns on walkability

Its walkability grade: D−.

Population growth, 2016 to 2021

Growth

+19% more people than in 2016

The median of Canadian towns: 4%

Statistics Canada, Census 2016 and 2021

How Fossambault-sur-le-Lac grades

Each subject compares Fossambault-sur-le-Lac 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

WalkabilityAmong the weakest of the towns comparedD⁻Open →SafetyBased on crimes reported per residentA⁺Open →HealthAmong the healthiest places comparedA⁺Open →Cost of livingAbove the middle of the towns comparedB⁺Open →Hazard riskGraded on two hazards, earthquakes and radon, with nearby wildfire counted only against itCOpen →Jobs & incomeIncomes and work beat most townsB⁺Open →

SchoolsBecause the ministry publishes its success rates by school service centre, not school by school, towns in Quebec aren’t graded on schools.–

How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →

The data

Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Fossambault-sur-le-Lac.

SafetySafety A⁺

The police who cover Fossambault-sur-le-Lac record less serious crime than Quebec’s towns or Canadian towns: a Crime Severity Index of 28

The force’s area logs 8.8 thefts, break-ins and acts of damage per 1,000 residents a year. For violence alone, its police area’s index was 47, below Quebec’s towns (88) and Canadian towns (86) alike. Add to that, violent crime in the area its police cover: 6.8 per 1,000 people a year. For Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000, the only official count covers all of Jacques-Cartier MRC, Fossambault-sur-le-Lac included.

28Crime Severity Index

Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year

202329

202429

202527

2023–2025	Fossambault-sur-le-Lac	Quebec	Canada
Crime Severity Index	28	56	67
Property crime per 1,000	8.8	16.6	31.2
Violent Crime Severity Index	47	88	86
Violent crime	6.8	12.4	12

non-violent Crime Severity Index

48%

of incidents cleared, 2023–25

Full pageFossambault-sur-le-Lac’s safety reportOpen the full Safety report

Safety28 Crime Severity Index · The index weighs each crime Fossambault-sur-le-Lac’s police recorded by how serious it is.Questions“Is Fossambault-sur-le-Lac safe?”

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

HealthHealth A⁺

Few places match Fossambault-sur-le-Lac for health: it beats 96% of Canadian towns

Adults here are more upbeat about their health than the province: 62% very good or excellent, against 57% in Quebec, but the region has fewer smokers than Quebec, one in ten adults to 12%. The three chronic conditions the survey tracks average 14% of adults, below both Quebec’s towns (15%) and Canadian towns (17%). A baby born in the region can expect 82.9 years, 84.7 for a girl and 81.1 for a boy (2022/2024). Fossambault-sur-le-Lac shares its health survey and life expectancy numbers with the rest of the Région de la Capitale-Nationale.

62%very good or excellent healthA⁺Health Grade

Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised

Fossambault-sur-le-Lac62%

Quebec’s towns56%

Canadian towns52%

Health	Fossambault-sur-le-Lac	Quebec	Canada
Very good or excellent health	62%	56%	52%
Chronic conditions (average share)	14%	15%	17%
Smokers	9.6%	12%	12%
Life expectancy at birth	82.9	82.5	81.5

82.9

years of life expectancy, 2022/2024

16 km

from homes to a hospital, on average

9.6%

of adults smoke, age-standardised

4.7 km

from homes to a pharmacy, on average

Full pageFossambault-sur-le-Lac’s health pageOpen the full Health page

Health survey62% very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised Getting care16 km to a hospital · A pharmacy 4.7 km away on average The wider areaLife expectancy: women 84.7, men 81.1 Conditions and habits14% with chronic conditions · adults, age-standardised

Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities

HousingCost of living B⁺

Most households in Fossambault-sur-le-Lac own their home: 91%, more than in both Quebec’s towns and Canadian towns

Area-wide: rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom, counted over the Québec metro area

9% of households spent 30% or more of their income on shelter, below both Quebec’s towns (13%) and Canadian towns (18%). A year’s rent came to 15% of the median household income, lower than both Quebec’s towns (18%) and Canadian towns (20%).

$340,000median home value, 2021B⁺Cost of living Grade

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

Fossambault-sur-le-Lac$340,000

Quebec$300,000

Canadian towns$406,000

Census 2021	Fossambault-sur-le-Lac	Quebec	Canada
Households owning their home	91%	70%	74%
Households spending 30%+ on shelter	9%	13%	18%
Rent as a share of income	15%	18%	20%

$1,276

monthly rent for a two-bedroom

$1,310

median monthly shelter cost for owners, 2021

Full pageFossambault-sur-le-Lac’s cost of living pageOpen the full Cost of living page

Owners and renters91% own their home Cost of living3.3 times household income · The median owner’s estimate, $340,000, against the median household income Renting$1,276 a month · A two-bedroom apartment, CMHC’s survey

Statistics Canada, Census 2021; CMHC Rental Market Survey via Statistics Canada · These are 2021 census values, as owners judged them, set against household income in 2020.

Natural hazardsHazard risk C

Fossambault-sur-le-Lac’s hazards at a glance: a low wildfire record and 8.8% of area homes over the radon guideline

The radon tests numbers here cover the Capitale-Nationale health region

The expected yearly loss to earthquakes is $0.10 for each $1,000 of buildings, between Quebec’s towns ($0.14) and Canadian towns ($0.030). The national flood inventory has no study for Fossambault-sur-le-Lac.

Lowwildfire bandCHazard risk Grade

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

Fossambault-sur-le-Lac8.8%

Quebec’s towns8.2%

Canadian towns6.6%

Hazards	Fossambault-sur-le-Lac	Quebec	Canada
Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year	$0.10	$0.14	$0.030
Radon tests above the guideline	8.8%	8.2%	6.6%

$0.10

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

Low

wildfire band

15 km

to the nearest land burned since 1986

Full pageFossambault-sur-le-Lac’s flood & hazards pageOpen the full Flood & hazards page

Radon8.8% of tests above the guideline WildfireLow wildfire band · No land burned within 25 km since 1986 FloodNo flood study on record Earthquakes$0.10 a year per $1,000 · Canadian towns: $0.030 Be readyAlerts, FireSmart and radon tests

NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory

Work & commuteJobs & income B⁺

Trips to work from Fossambault-sur-le-Lac take longer than from Quebec’s towns or Canadian towns: 33 min on average

97% of commuters drove, above both Quebec’s towns (90%) and Canadian towns (89%).

0%walk, cycle or take transit

How working residents got to work · census 2021

Car or van97%

Census 2021	Fossambault-sur-le-Lac	Quebec	Canada
Average trip	33 min	27 min	26 min
Car or van	97%	90%	89%

$103,000

median household income, 2020

24%

worked from home, May 2021

of commuters work inside the municipality

Full pageFossambault-sur-le-Lac’s work & commute pageOpen the full Work & commute page

Unemployment5.2% unemployed · Of the labour force · Canadian towns: 9.9%Getting to work0% walk, cycle or take transit Where people commute to380 commuters · The biggest flow out: to Québec

Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · These are May 2021 figures, gathered while COVID-19 kept many people home or out of work.

Climate

Precipitation in Fossambault-sur-le-Lac tops that of 87% of Canadian towns: 1,173 mm a year

Winter lows average −16.7°C in January, below both Quebec’s towns (−14.7°C) and Canadian towns (−13.5°C). July is the wettest month, with 119 mm of rain and snow on average. Between the last spring frost, 10 May, and the first in autumn, 5 October, lie 148 days. Also worth knowing: the warmest afternoons come in July, at around 25.0°C in Fossambault-sur-le-Lac.

25.0°CJuly afternoons

Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

Winter−5.1°C

Spring8.7°C

Summer23.8°C

Autumn11.3°C

Normals, 1991–2020	Fossambault-sur-le-Lac	Quebec	Canada
Snowfall a year	299 cm	217 cm	141 cm
Precipitation a year	1,173 mm	1,041 mm	883 mm
July afternoon high	25.0°C	26.5°C	25.5°C
January night low	−16.7°C	−14.7°C	−13.5°C

299 cm

of snow a year

170

days with frost a year

148

frost-free days, 10 May to 5 Oct

135

days with precipitation a year

Full pageFossambault-sur-le-Lac’s climate pageOpen the full Climate page

Rain and snow1,173 mm a year · Canadian towns: 883 mm The yearJuly highs 25.0°C, January lows −16.7°C Snow299 cm of snow a year Weather station20 km to the station · Québec Jean Lesage (Airport)

Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Québec Jean Lesage (Airport))

Weather

In Fossambault-sur-le-Lac, November normally means 4°C afternoons and −4°C nights

For today and the week ahead, the Weather page carries ECCC’s Donnacona forecast. In November, the normal is 91 mm of rain and snow. About 24 cm of snow falls in a normal November. By December, a normal day reaches −3°C and a night falls to −11°C.

4°Ca normal November afternoon

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

November4°C

December−3°C

January−7°C

February−5°C

Season	High	Low	Rain and snow
Winter	−5°C	−15°C	249 mm
Spring	9°C	−2°C	264 mm
Summer	24°C	13°C	342 mm
Autumn	11°C	2°C	318 mm

−4°C

a normal November night

91 mm

of rain and snow in a normal November

Full pageFossambault-sur-le-Lac’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 (Québec Jean Lesage (Airport)); the forecast is on the Weather page

Town hall

Fossambault-sur-le-Lac spends more per resident than nine in ten Québec’s local municipalities do

Fossambault-sur-le-Lac has 6 councillors and a mayor, Jacques Poulin.

Full pageFossambault-sur-le-Lac’s town hall & politics pageOpen the full Town hall & politics page

Member of ParliamentJoël Godin council seats7

Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada

Library & civic lifeCivic life grade D⁻

No public library stands in Fossambault-sur-le-Lac: the closest, Bibliothèque Anne-Hébert, is 4.3 km away

The next is Bibliothèque Municipale De Shannon (Shannon), 7.2 km away.

Full pageFossambault-sur-le-Lac’s library & civic life pageOpen the full Library & civic life page

Places to belong0.4 charities per 1,000 residents

Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada

Who lives here

A town of families: 20% of people in Fossambault-sur-le-Lac are under 15, more than in both Quebec’s towns and Canadian towns

Both official languages: 46% of residents, about level with Quebec’s towns (44%) and above Canadian towns (7.5%). People 65 and over make up 18% of the town.

42.4median age

Fossambault-sur-le-LacQuebecCanada

QuebecCanada

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

20%

Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over

No certificate, diploma or degree12%

Postsecondary qualification68%

Women and men · all residents

48.5% of Fossambault-sur-le-Lac’s residents are women

Of the 2021 count, 1,130 were women and 1,200 men (women across Canada: 50.9%).

Who lives in Fossambault-sur-le-Lac
	Fossambault-sur-le-Lac	Quebec	Canada
Under 15	20%	17%	16%
15 to 64	63%	62%	64%
65+	18%	20%	19%
No certificate, diploma or degree	12%	19%	16%
Postsecondary qualification	68%	59%	56%

Full pageFossambault-sur-le-Lac’s Who lives here pageOpen the full Who lives here page

Ages42.4 median age · 18% are 65 or over Households995 households · 2.3 people per household Immigrants2% are immigrants · 1% belong to a visible minority English and French46% speak both · 54% speak French but not English

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

Outdoors

From Fossambault-sur-le-Lac, Jacques-Cartier National Park (Québec) is the nearest provincial park (28 km)

Biggest among them: Tourbière-de-Shannon Ecological Reserve, 169 ha, 1.9 km off. Of the country within 10 km, 1.3% lies in protected areas; the median Canadian town has 2.3%. For a national park, La Mauricie National Park is 87 km away.

1.3%of the land within 10 km protected

Protected land · of the land within 10 km

Fossambault-sur-le-Lac1.3%

Quebec’s towns4.9%

Canadian towns2.3%

Outdoors	Fossambault-sur-le-Lac	Quebec	Canada
Protected land within 10 km	1.3%	4.9%	2.3%
Public protected areas within 10 km	5	10	4

87 km

to La Mauricie National Park

28 km

to Jacques-Cartier National Park (Québec)

beaches within 5 km

Full pageFossambault-sur-le-Lac’s outdoors pageOpen the full Outdoors page

Protected landof the land within 10 km Protected areas15 protected areas within 10 km · Tourbière-de-Shannon Ecological Reserve National & provincial parks87 km to a national park · La Mauricie National Park

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

Schools

4 schools serve Fossambault-sur-le-Lac, 3 elementary schools and 1 school for every grade

Elementary school is 2.1 km away at the nearest, above Quebec’s towns (0.5 km) and Canadian towns (0.5 km) alike.

4schools within 3 km

School	Level	Students	System
École Jacques-Cartier - Saint-Denys-Garneau (Jacques-Cartier, pavillon I, La Gaillarde)Nearest elementary school, 1.8 kmElementary	Elementary	–	French public
École Jacques-Cartier - Saint-Denys-Garneau (Saint-Denys-Garneau, secondaire)Nearest secondary school, 0.3 kmAll grades	All grades	–	French public

See all 4 schools →

Schools within 3 km	Fossambault-sur-le-Lac	Quebec	Canada
Nearest elementary school	2.1 km	0.5 km	0.5 km
Nearest secondary school	2.1 km	1.2 km	1.2 km

2.1 km

to the nearest secondary school

Full pageFossambault-sur-le-Lac’s schools pageOpen the full Schools page

Every school4 schools within 3 km · 3 elementary schools and 1 school for every grade Language0 of 4 teach in English · 10% of schools in Quebec Questions“What schools are there in Fossambault-sur-le-Lac?”

Provincial school lists and results, 2025-26 · Ungraded on schools in Quebec, because the ministry publishes its success rates by school service centre, not school by school.

History

Fossambault-sur-le-Lac: 1 historic place on Canada’s heritage registers

At the 2021 census, 11% of homes dated from before 1961, below Quebec’s towns (21%) and Canadian towns (18%) alike.

1historic place

Historic places by designation · inside the town

Highest designations0

Other federal designations0

Provincial and local listings1

Among them

Chapelle Saint-Joseph-du-Lac de Fossambault-sur-le-Lac 1902

1902

oldest construction date on the record

11%

of homes built before 1961 · Canadian towns 18%

Heritage	Fossambault-sur-le-Lac	Quebec	Canada
Homes built before 1961	11%	21%	18%

Full pageFossambault-sur-le-Lac’s history pageOpen the full History page

On the registersOne historic place inside the town Older homes11% built before 1961 · Canadian towns: 18%Questions“How many historic places does Fossambault-sur-le-Lac have?”

Canadian Register of Historic Places, Directory of Federal Heritage Designations, Québec’s Répertoire du patrimoine culturel, Wikidata; Census 2021 homes by period

Nearby attractions

Parc d'eau and 13 more within 40 km

2 places to visit are mapped within 5 km of Fossambault-sur-le-Lac; with them, the best known within 40 km.

All attractions →

Water parkWater parkParc d'eau3.7 km outside town, to the northeast

MuseumMusée national des beaux-arts du Québec31 km east · 324K visitors a year

MuseumMusée de la civilisation32 km east · 497K visitors a year

CastleQuébec Citadel32 km east

CathedralNotre-Dame Roman Catholic Cathedral32 km east

WaterfallMontmorency Falls36 km east

Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).

Photo credits (5)

Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec: colros, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Musée de la civilisation: Claude Gagnon, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Québec Citadel: chensiyuan, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Notre-Dame Roman Catholic Cathedral: Pierre-Olivier Fortin, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Montmorency Falls: Jean-Christophe BENOIST, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Fossambault-sur-le-Lac

15pages on Fossambault-sur-le-Lac

The big questions

SafetyA⁺Crime Severity Index 28 Housing & costB⁺Homes 3.3 × income Property pricesSchools4 schools within 3 km HealthA⁺Life expectancy 82.9 in its region Work & commuteB⁺64% of adults in work Natural hazardsCWildfire band: low

Out and about

Outdoors1.3% of the land within 10 km protected AttractionsClimateJuly afternoons around 25°C WeatherECCC’s forecast, beside the normals

The story

Who lives hereMedian age 42.4 HistoryOne place on the heritage registers Town hallFamous people

Famous people from around Fossambault-sur-le-Lac

No notable person born in Fossambault-sur-le-Lac is on our list; these were born in the towns around it.

How we find them →

Katerine SavardCanadian swimmer · born in Pont-Rouge · born 1993

Luc PlamondonFrench-Canadian lyricist, music executi… · born in Saint-Raymond · born 1942

Audrey LacroixCanadian swimmer, Olympic athlete, Comm… · born in Pont-Rouge · born 1983

Joé JuneauIce hockey player · born in Pont-Rouge · born 1968

Marc-André BédardCanadian biathlete · born in Saint-Gabriel-de-Valcartier · born 1986

Alexandre VachonCanadian Roman Catholic priest and theo… · born in Saint-Raymond · 1885–1953

Photo credits

Katerine Savard: JD Lasica from Pleasanton, CA, US, CC BY 2.0 · Audrey Lacroix: JD Lasica from Pleasanton, CA, US, CC BY 2.0 · Joé Juneau: Tsunami330, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Marc-André Bédard: Mef.ellingen, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Alexandre Vachon: Not mentioned in the source, Public domain

Fossambault-sur-le-Lac’s neighbours

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

Sainte-Catherine-de-la-Jacques-CartierShannonVal-BélairSaint-Gabriel-de-ValcartierPont-RougeSaint-RaymondFossambault-sur-le-Lac

How the neighbours grade

Town	People	km	Overall	Cost	Safety	Health
Fossambault-sur-le-Lac	2,505	—	A	B⁺	A⁺	A⁺
Sainte-Catherine-de-la-Jacques-Cartier	9,830	4	A⁺	B⁺	A⁺	A⁺
Shannon	7,088	7.5	A⁺	A⁻	A⁺	A⁺
Val-Bélair	30,003	15	A	B⁺	B⁻	A⁺
Saint-Gabriel-de-Valcartier	3,400	15	A	A⁻	A⁺	A⁺
Pont-Rouge	11,339	15	A⁺	B⁺	A⁻	A
Saint-Raymond	11,951	15	A	A⁻	A⁻	A⁺

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

Questions about Fossambault-sur-le-Lac

Has Fossambault-sur-le-Lac grown?

It added people: 1,960 in 2016, 2,327 in 2021, 18.7% more, where the middle of Canadian towns grew 4.1%. Statistics Canada’s 2025 estimate is 2,505.

What kind of homes are in Fossambault-sur-le-Lac?

86% 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 2.3 people; 26% are one person living alone.

Is Fossambault-sur-le-Lac a young town or an old one?

Half its people are older than 42.4 (the middle of Canadian towns: 45.2); children under 15 make up 20%, people 65 and over 18%.

About Fossambault-sur-le-Lac

Town in Quebec

TownRatings counts Fossambault-sur-le-Lac 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: 2,505 (people, 2025 estimate)
Province or territory: Quebec
Census division: La Jacques-Cartier
Metro area: Québec
Census subdivision: 2422010

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).