Rivière-BlancheGatineau
23,089 residents make their home in this neighbourhood in Gatineau. Of Gatineau’s 17 neighbourhoods, this is one.
Is Rivière-Blanche a good place to live?
Fewer journeys need a car (A). With a B overall, Rivière-Blanche is better than 58% of Canadian towns and ranks #302 of 499 in Quebec. Natural hazards weigh more here (D). Its remaining grades are unremarkable: B− for cost of living, B− for safety, B for health and B for jobs & income.
Rents here are the metro area's average, shared by every town and neighbourhood in it. Safety less sure: this is the whole city's figure, because the city doesn't publish open neighbourhood crime rates. 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.
What makes Rivière-Blanche stand out
The 3 things Rivière-Blanche does most differently from other towns.
How Rivière-Blanche grades
Each subject compares Rivière-Blanche 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 →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Rivière-Blanche.
For hazard risk, Rivière-Blanche gets a D
Radon is higher than usual: 13% of tested homes in the survey area topped the guideline, against 6.6% for the typical town. Rideau Valley Conservation Authority has mapped the flood hazard here, one of 6 studies on the national inventory. Earthquakes add more: NRCan’s model puts building losses at $0.12 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 | Rivière-Blanche | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radon tests above the guideline | 13% | 8.2% | 6.6% |
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.12 | $0.14 | $0.030 |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory · Radon tests: one figure for all of the Outaouais health region · Data for earthquake risk covers the city of Gatineau
Household incomes in Rivière-Blanche top those of 80% of Canadian towns
On average, the journey to work lasts 28 min. 88% of commuters drove, close to both Quebec’s towns (90%) and Canadian towns (89%).
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Rivière-Blanche | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 28 min | 27 min | 26 min |
| Car or van | 88% | 90% | 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.
For health, Rivière-Blanche gets a B
Area-wide: health survey and life expectancy, counted over the Région de l'Outaouais
By their own account, 55% of adults here are in very good or excellent health, lower than Quebec’s towns (56%) yet higher than Canadian towns (52%). Smoking is commoner than in the province: 17% of adults, against 12% for Quebec. Life expectancy in the region is 80.7 years (82.2 for women, 79.1 for men, 2022/2024). The town’s own part is the trip to care, and Rivière-Blanche’s is long: 6.9 km to a hospital on average, against 3.7 km typical.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Rivière-Blanche | 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
January in Rivière-Blanche bites harder than in 78% of Canadian towns
Between the last spring frost, 26 May, and the first in autumn, 22 September, lie 119 days. Frosty days number 179 in a normal year, higher than both Quebec’s towns (161) and Canadian towns (159). Snow peaks in January: 45 cm in a normal year. Rain and snow peak in June, at 95 mm.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Rivière-Blanche | 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)
26 public protected areas lie within 10 km of Rivière-Blanche
Within 10 km of the town, 5.8% of the land is protected, against 2.3% around a typical Canadian town. The largest named area nearby is Rideau Canal National Historic Site, 19,972 ha, 7.7 km away. A provincial park, Plaisance National Park (Québec), lies 23 km away. No national park lies within 100 km.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Rivière-Blanche | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 26 | 10 | 4 |
| Protected land within 10 km | 5.8% | 4.9% | 2.3% |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
More people in Rivière-Blanche speak English and French than in Quebec’s towns or Canadian towns: 62%
First Nations, Métis and Inuit people make up 5% of residents, above both Quebec’s towns (1.5%) and Canadian towns (2.8%). 11% of residents belong to a visible minority, between Quebec’s towns (3.5%) 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
50.7% of Rivière-Blanche’s residents are women
Here the census found 11,710 women and 11,370 men; across Canada the share of women is 50.9%.
| Rivière-Blanche | Quebec | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 21% | 17% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 67% | 62% | 64% |
| 65+ | 12% | 20% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 19% | 19% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 56% | 59% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Quebec and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
What November brings in Rivière-Blanche: −4°C at night, 5°C by day
Over the year, July is warmest at 26°C by day and January coldest at −17°C by night. Then December: −2°C by day, −11°C at night. About 16 cm of snow falls in a normal November. Precipitation in November averages 72 mm.
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
15,310 residents per council seat in Gatineau, a higher ratio than 99% of Quebec municipalities
City council runs Rivière-Blanche, and Gatineau’s mayor is Maude Marquis-Bissonnette.
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
More visits per person served than 89% of Quebec’s town libraries: Bibliothèque Docteur-Jean-Lorrain counts 8.4
Rivière-Blanche is served by Bibliothèque Docteur-Jean-Lorrain, the library of all of Gatineau, so the figures here are the city’s, for 302,616 people.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
For safety, Rivière-Blanche gets a B−
Source area for Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000: the Gatineau service area
The violent index for its police area came to 100, above both Quebec’s towns (88) and Canadian towns (86). The force’s area logs 14.9 violent incidents per 1,000 residents a year. Its police area records 20.9 property incidents per 1,000 residents a year.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Rivière-Blanche | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crime per 1,000 | 20.9 | 16.6 | 31.2 |
| Violent crime | 14.9 | 12.4 | 12 |
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 100 | 88 | 86 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
Only 11% of households in Rivière-Blanche spend 30% or more of their income on shelter, against 18% in the typical Canadian town
A year’s rent came to nearly a fifth of the median household income, about level with Quebec’s towns (18%) and below Canadian towns (20%). 72% of households are owner-occupiers. For rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom, the only official count covers all of the Ottawa-Gatineau metro area, Rivière-Blanche included.
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Rivière-Blanche | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 11% | 13% | 18% |
| Rent as a share of income | 19% | 18% | 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.
Rivière-Blanche has 14 English-language schools among its 36
The schools around it answer to 6 boards, above both Quebec’s towns (2) and Canadian towns (3). In or within 3 km of Rivière-Blanche: 31 elementary schools, 3 secondary schools and 2 schools for every grade.
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| École élémentaire catholique La Vérendrye CatholicLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades JK–6 | Elementary · Grades JK–6 | 540 | French Catholic |
| Colonel By Secondary School EnglishLargest secondary schoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Secondary · Grades 9–12 | 1,140 | English public |
| Cairine Wilson Secondary School EnglishTeaches in EnglishSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Secondary · Grades 9–12 | 775 | English public |
Schools by system · Schools within 3 km
| Schools within 3 km | Rivière-Blanche | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| School boards | 6 | 2 | 3 |
| Nearest secondary school | 2.2 km | 1.2 km | 1.2 km |
Provincial school lists and results, 2025-26 · Towns in Quebec aren’t in the schools rankings: the ministry publishes its success rates by school service centre, not school by school.
Vintage Wings of Canada and 4 more in and around Rivière-Blanche
The best-known places to visit in and around Rivière-Blanche come first; the full list is on the Attractions page.
MuseumVintage Wings of Canadain town
MuseumCanada Aviation and Space Museum2.4 km outside town, to the southwestAttractionAttractionRCMP Musical Ride Stables3.2 km outside town, to the southwestMuseumMuseumVanier Museopark4.5 km outside town, to the southwestMuseumMuseumInterpretation Centre2.6 km outside town, to the eastPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (2)
- Vintage Wings of Canada: Armchair Aviator's, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Canada Aviation and Space Museum: Ahunt at English Wikipedia, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
Everything we know about Rivière-Blanche
Rivière-Blanche’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rivière-Blanche | 23,089 | — | B | B− | B− | B |
| Convent Glen - Orleans Woods Ontario | 14,118 | 4.7 | A | C− | A | A |
| Du Moulin | 30,364 | 4.8 | C | C− | B− | B+ |
| Rothwell Heights - Beacon Hill North Ontario | 10,985 | 5.2 | A | C− | A+ | A |
| Des Vallées | 3,575 | 5.3 | A− | A− | B− | B |
| Waterridge Village Ontario | 2,737 | 6.5 | C | D− | C | A+ |
| Beacon Hill South - Cardinal Heights Ontario | 7,746 | 6.6 | B+ | D | A− | A |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Rivière-Blanche
Do people in Rivière-Blanche speak French?
French comes first: 34.9% speak it alone, while 62% manage both languages (Canadian towns: 8%).
How old are the people of Rivière-Blanche?
The typical resident is 37.1 (Canadian towns: 45.2), with seniors at 12% of the population and under-15s at 21%.
About Rivière-Blanche
Neighbourhood in Gatineau
TownRatings splits Gatineau into neighbourhoods drawn from census dissemination areas; Rivière-Blanche is one of them, named from the city’s map or OpenStreetMap.
Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.
- Population
- 23,089 (people, 2021 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Quebec
- City
- Gatineau
- Census subdivision
- 2481017
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).