Photo: Franky-Doo-Dy · CC BY-SA 3.0La Minerve’s hazards at a glance: a low wildfire record and 10% of area homes over the radon guideline
Around La Minerve, wildfire is practically absent from the record: 0% within 25 km since 1986, 0.001% a year. Shaking is a bigger worry than in most places, at $0.072 a year per $1,000 of building value ($0.030 typical). Hazard risk gives La Minerve a grade of C, from earthquakes and radon alone.
What stands out about La Minerve’s hazards
For La Minerve, from NRCan’s seismic model, Health Canada’s radon survey, the national burned-area record and the flood map inventory.
What La Minerve faces
Each hazard against its own yardstick; meters run from low to high on that yardstick.
Wildfire
Earthquakes
Radon
Flood study
La Minerve grades C for hazard risk
Two inputs always count for La Minerve, earthquakes and radon; the third, wildfire, counts only against a town.
How sure: Earthquake losses are a model’s expectation over many years, not a forecast for any one. Only 78 homes were tested in the survey area, so the radon share is rough. The burned-area record misses fires under about 10 ha and most grass and farm fires.
Few fires near La Minerve: 0% within 5 km, 0% within 25 km
Past fire around La Minerve’s homes, from the national burned-area record, with the fuel within 5 km.
Low by Canadian standards: 0.001% of the land a year around La Minerve, 0.000% for the typical Canadian town.
Since 1986 the nearest fire to La Minerve’s homes came within 7.0 km, never inside 5 km.
Forest fuel covers 23% of the land close to La Minerve and 30% across 25 km.
Shares of land within 5 and 25 km of populated blocks: burned at least once in 1986–2025 (CWFIS burned-area composite), forest fuel and grass (fire behaviour fuel types, 2026, 250 m grid).
Burn rate a year, towns in Quebec · highest of 514
La Minerve burns at 0.001% a year, 136th of 514 towns in Quebec; the leader, Mistissini, reaches 0.31%.
Each bar: the yearly average share of land within 25 km of a town’s homes that burned, 1986–2025 (CWFIS); the seven highest towns of 2,500 people or more.
Some fire is mapped around La Minerve, but not enough to leave the low band, where 92% of Canada’s 2,610 towns are; 7.5% rank higher.
Bands of the yearly burn rate: low under 0.05%, moderate under 0.25%, high under 1%, very high 1% or more; towns of 2,500 people or more.
Fire danger and active fires (CWFIS)
Canadian Wildland Fire Information System: National Burned Area Composite 1986–2025 and fire behaviour fuel types (2026), Natural Resources Canada. Measured within 25 km and 5 km of each populated dissemination area; past fire, not a forecast.
No flood study is listed for La Minerve
What Canada’s Flood Map Inventory lists for La Minerve: who studied flooding and where to see their maps.
The inventory has nothing for La Minerve, but a local or conservation-authority map may still exist.
Towns with a flood study on file
Flood maps are thinner in Quebec, 45% of towns against 58% nationally, and La Minerve has none.
NRCan Canada Flood Map Inventory: a study footprint touching the town’s boundary; towns of 2,500 people or more.
The grade leaves flood out, since a study area says nothing about how many of La Minerve’s homes are at risk.
The inventory’s own caution (NRCan): “The Canada Flood Map (CFM) does not include every flood hazard map in Canada and may be incomplete or contain inaccuracies. It should not be relied upon as the official source of flood mapping information. Furthermore, if a map appears to be missing, this does not necessarily mean that the area has never been mapped. For the official version of a map, updated information, or confirmation of applicable regulations, please contact the local authority responsible for flood mapping.”
Earthquakes cost buildings in La Minerve $0.072 per $1,000 a year
Expected yearly building losses from earthquakes, from Natural Resources Canada’s model.
At $0.072 per $1,000, La Minerve carries roughly 2.4 times the typical Canadian town’s earthquake risk ($0.030).
Shaking damage a year per $1,000 of building value
At $0.072, La Minerve is below the typical town in Quebec ($0.14); La Pocatière is highest at $0.48.
NRCan seismic risk model (2022): mean yearly building loss per $1,000 of value; medians of towns of 2,500 people or more.
La Minerve sits above most of Canada’s 2,611 towns on earthquake risk; 28% are higher.
Each column: the share of Canada’s towns of 2,500 people or more in that range of yearly loss per $1,000 (NRCan, 2022).
For La Minerve the model prices shaking damage to buildings, nothing more.
Natural Resources Canada, Canada’s Seismic Risk Model (2022), by census subdivision (2016 boundaries; a few 2021 subdivisions take their residents’ mean).
Test for radon in La Minerve: 10% of area homes were over the guideline
Long-term radon tests in homes across the survey area, against Health Canada’s guideline. · Measured across the Laurentides health region: radon tests
the typical Canadian town has 6.6% over the guideline; La Minerve’s area has 10%.
Tested homes over 200 Bq/m³
Over 600 Bq/m³
More homes top the guideline around La Minerve (10%) than in the typical town in Quebec (8.2%); 1.3% went over 600.
Health Canada radon survey (2009–2011), by 2007 health region; medians of towns of 2,500 people or more.
La Minerve is in the 10–20% band, with 22% of Canada’s 2,611 towns; only 4.6% are higher.
Each bar: the share of Canada’s towns of 2,500 people or more whose survey area had that share of tests over 200 Bq/m³.
A low area share in La Minerve doesn’t clear a house, nor does a high one condemn it: test.
Health Canada, Cross-Canada Survey of Radon Concentrations in Homes (2009–2011).
Where to get warnings in La Minerve
Environment and Climate Change Canada issues the weather alerts for La Minerve; Alert Ready carries the urgent ones to phones, radio and TV.
| Alert | What it means |
|---|---|
| Warning | Severe weather is happening or about to: act now. |
| Watch | Conditions favour severe weather: be ready. |
| Advisory | Weather that is less severe but could disrupt the day. |
| Special weather statement | Unusual weather worth knowing about. |
| Special air quality statement | Poor air, often wildfire smoke. |
Smoke and fire warnings for La Minerve come through Environment Canada and Alert Ready; the fire map is CWFIS’s.
Weather alerts (ECCC) · Alert Ready · Fire danger and active fires (CWFIS)
How La Minerve’s neighbours compare on hazards
Wildfire band, earthquake risk, radon and flood studies for each place nearby.
| Town | Wildfire | Quake $/1,000 | Radon | Flood study |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Minerve | Low | $0.072 | 10% | None listed |
| Labelle 2,861 · 16 km | Low | $0.071 | 10% | Yes |
| Nominingue 2,290 · 16 km | Low | $0.080 | 10% | None listed |
| Rivière-Rouge 4,882 · 18 km | Low | $0.076 | 10% | None listed |
Among its neighbours La Minerve has the most fire on record (low); Labelle follows (low).
Radon is the survey area’s figure, so neighbours in one area share it.
Get ready for what La Minerve faces
What to do about the hazards La Minerve faces, and what to ask before you buy.
- Test for three months in winter.
- Over 200 Bq/m³: fix it.
- Kits are cheap; pros test too.
- Never drive through floodwater.
- Move papers and medicines upstairs.
- Ask whether your street is mapped.
- Clear needles and wood nearby.
- Keep a grab-and-go bag ready.
- In smoke, stay in; filter air.
- Has it had a radon test?
- Ask the municipality for flood maps.
- Are flood and wildfire insured?
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Earthquakes are modelled. The earthquake figure is an expected loss, not a forecast, worked out by NRCan for each census subdivision, La Minerve’s included.
- Wildfire counts one way. Burned land within 25 km of where people live, averaged over 1986–2025 and checked for fuel near homes, is the measure; it looks back, not ahead, and only ever counts against La Minerve.
- Flood studies aren’t flood zones. The flood inventory points to maps; it is incomplete and not the official source, so ask the municipality about any street in La Minerve.
- Radon is a survey. Health Canada’s survey tested some 14,000 homes over three months; until postal-area boundaries are loaded, La Minerve takes its 2007 health region’s share.
Questions about flooding and hazards in La Minerve
Is La Minerve at risk of wildfire?
Less than most of Canada: 0% of the land within 25 km of La Minerve has burned since 1986, the last in 2022, a low band that leaves Risk alone.
Is radon a problem in La Minerve?
In Health Canada’s survey, 10% of 78 homes tested in La Minerve’s area were above 200 Bq/m³, though only a test tells you about one house.
How is La Minerve’s Hazard risk Grade worked out?
Hazard risk gives La Minerve C, weighing earthquakes and radon and counting wildfire only against it.
Does La Minerve flood?
Nothing is listed for La Minerve on the national inventory (0); local maps may still exist with the municipality.
How big is the earthquake risk in La Minerve?
In NRCan’s seismic model, La Minerve’s buildings lose $0.072 per $1,000 of value in an average year.
Seismic risk: Natural Resources Canada. Radon: Health Canada. Wildfire: Canadian Wildland Fire Information System. Flood studies: Natural Resources Canada, Canada Flood Map Inventory. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada.
Sources: NRCan, Canada’s Seismic Risk Model 2022 · Health Canada, Cross-Canada Survey of Radon Concentrations in Homes · CWFIS, National Burned Area Composite and FBP fuel types · NRCan, Canada Flood Map Inventory. 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).