Lac SimonQuebec

It is a First Nations reserve of 1,403 residents in Quebec. Statistics Canada counts it in the Val-d'Or metro area.

Photo: P199 · Public domain

Population

1,403

people, 2025 estimate

Median age

24.8

years · Quebec’s towns: 44.8

Postsecondary

24%

of residents 15 and over hold a postsecondary certificate, diploma or degree · Canadian towns: 56%

Walk, cycle, transit

40%

walk, cycle or take transit to work · Canadian towns: 8%

Is Lac Simon a good place to live?

Walking, cycling and public transport work well here (A−). The weak point is safety (D−). Natural hazards are less of a worry than in most Canadian towns (A−). It also trails on jobs & income (C−).

Lac Simon is a First Nations reserve, so it has no overall grade and no place in ranked lists: Statistics Canada suppresses or doesn’t collect much of a reserve’s data, and its grades couldn’t be set fairly beside 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. A First Nations reserve: subject grades only, with no overall grade and no place in ranked lists.

StrongestA⁻Walkability A⁻Hazard riskWeakestD⁻Safety C⁻Jobs & income

How Lac Simon grades

Each subject compares Lac Simon 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

SafetyNear the bottom of the towns comparedD⁻Open →WalkabilityGraded on how easily people get around without a carA⁻Open →Jobs & incomeIncomes and work are among the weakest comparedC⁻Open →Hazard riskBetter than most of the towns comparedA⁻Open →HealthGraded on how healthy residents areC⁺Open →

Cost of livingNot graded: not enough data–

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 Lac Simon stand out

The 3 things Lac Simon does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data

Residents 65 and over

Who lives here

Only 3% are 65 or over

For the middle of Canadian towns, 19%

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

Postsecondary certificate, diploma or degree

Education

24% have a postsecondary qualification

Next to 56%, the median among Canadian towns

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

Walk, cycle or transit to work

Getting around

40% walk, cycle or take transit

Canadian towns centre on 8%

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

The data

Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Lac Simon.

SafetySafety D⁻

Violent crime weighs more on Lac Simon than on Quebec’s towns or Canadian towns: a violent severity index of 1,940

794Crime Severity Index

Property crime ran at 135.1 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, above both Quebec’s towns (16.6) and Canadian towns (31.2). The violent crime rate is 294.1 per 1,000 residents a year.

Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year

2023753

2024917

2025712

2023–2025	Lac Simon	Quebec	Canada
Violent Crime Severity Index	1,940	88	86
Violent crime	294.1	12.4	12
Property crime per 1,000	135.1	16.6	31.2

343

non-violent Crime Severity Index

91%

of incidents cleared, 2023–25

Full pageLac Simon’s safety reportOpen the full Safety report

Safety794 Crime Severity Index · The index weighs each crime Lac Simon’s police recorded by how serious it is.Questions“Is Lac Simon safe?”

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

Who lives here

More of Lac Simon’s residents have an Indigenous identity than in Quebec’s towns or Canadian towns: 100%

24.8median age

34% speak both English and French, below Quebec’s towns (44%) but above Canadian towns (7.5%).

Lac SimonQuebecCanada

QuebecCanada

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

36%

Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over

No certificate, diploma or degree63%

Postsecondary qualification24%

Women and men · all residents

Women make up 50.8% of Lac Simon

Here the census found 655 women and 635 men; across Canada the share of women is 50.9%.

Who lives in Lac Simon
	Lac Simon	Quebec	Canada
Under 15	36%	17%	16%
15 to 64	61%	62%	64%
65+	3.1%	20%	19%
No certificate, diploma or degree	63%	19%	16%
Postsecondary qualification	24%	59%	56%

Full pageLac Simon’s Who lives here pageOpen the full Who lives here page

Ages24.8 median age · 3% are 65 or over Households345 households · 3.7 people per household English and French34% speak both · 63% speak French but not English

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

Work & commuteJobs & income C⁻

Commuters in Lac Simon have a short way to work, 14 min on average, less than in both Quebec’s towns and Canadian towns

40%walk, cycle or take transit

How working residents got to work · census 2021

Car or van56%

Walk40%

Census 2021	Lac Simon	Quebec	Canada
Average trip	14 min	27 min	26 min

$57,200

median household income, 2020

worked from home, May 2021

71%

of commuters work inside the municipality

Full pageLac Simon’s work & commute pageOpen the full Work & commute page

Unemployment12% unemployed · Of the labour force · Canadian towns: 9.9%Getting to work40% walk, cycle or take transit Where people commute to20 commuters · The biggest flow out: to Saguenay

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.

Natural hazardsHazard risk A⁻

Lac Simon’s hazards at a glance: a moderate wildfire record and 4.3% of area homes over the radon guideline

Moderatewildfire bandA⁻Hazard risk Grade

Measured across the Abitibi-Temiscamingue health region: radon tests

Earthquakes are expected to cost $0.035 a year for every $1,000 of buildings, lower than Quebec’s towns ($0.14) and near Canadian towns ($0.030). Fire reaches the land around Lac Simon now and then: 2.5% within 25 km since 1986 (0.06% a year), below the high band. No one has filed a flood map for Lac Simon on the national inventory.

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

Lac Simon4.3%

Quebec’s towns8.2%

Canadian towns6.6%

Hazards	Lac Simon	Quebec	Canada
Radon tests above the guideline	4.3%	8.2%	6.6%
Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year	$0.035	$0.14	$0.030

$0.035

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

Moderate

wildfire band

11 km

to the nearest land burned since 1986

Full pageLac Simon’s flood & hazards pageOpen the full Flood & hazards page

Radon4.3% of tests above the guideline WildfireModerate wildfire band · 2.5% of the land within 25 km burned since 1986 FloodNo flood study on record Earthquakes$0.035 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

Climate

Winter nights bite in Lac Simon: January lows of −22.2°C, colder than Quebec’s towns or Canadian towns

23.8°CJuly afternoons

In July the thermometer climbs to 23.8°C by day, below both Quebec’s towns (26.5°C) and Canadian towns (25.5°C). Gardeners get 107 frost-free days, from 31 May to 16 September. The most precipitation falls in September: 102 mm in a normal year.

Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

Winter−8.3°C

Spring7.1°C

Summer22.7°C

Autumn9.0°C

Normals, 1991–2020	Lac Simon	Quebec	Canada
January night low	−22.2°C	−14.7°C	−13.5°C
July afternoon high	23.8°C	26.5°C	25.5°C
Days with frost a year	202	161	159
Precipitation a year	868 mm	1,041 mm	883 mm

202

days with frost a year

107

frost-free days, 31 May to 16 Sep

135

days with precipitation a year

Full pageLac Simon’s climate pageOpen the full Climate page

The yearJuly highs 23.8°C, January lows −22.2°C Rain and snow868 mm a year · Canadian towns: 883 mm Weather station33 km to the station · Val-d'Or

Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Val-d'Or)

HealthHealth C⁺

The nearest hospital is 33 km from the average home in Lac Simon

57%very good or excellent healthC⁺Health Grade

About as many adults call their health very good or excellent here as across Quebec, 57% against 57%. Life expectancy at birth in the region is 79.5 years, below both Quebec’s towns (82.5) and Canadian towns (81.5). At 15%, the share of adults who smoke tops the 12% for Quebec.

Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised

Lac Simon57%

Quebec’s towns56%

Canadian towns52%

Health	Lac Simon	Quebec	Canada
Life expectancy at birth	79.5	82.5	81.5
Smokers	15%	12%	12%
Very good or excellent health	57%	56%	52%
Chronic conditions (average share)	15%	15%	17%

79.5

years of life expectancy, 2022/2024

33 km

from homes to a hospital, on average

15%

of adults smoke, age-standardised

33 km

from homes to a pharmacy, on average

Full pageLac Simon’s health pageOpen the full Health page

Getting careA pharmacy 33 km away on average Health survey57% very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised The wider areaLife expectancy: women 81.6, men 77.6 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 · Area behind the health survey and life expectancy figures: the Région de l'Abitibi-Témiscamingue

Outdoors

Protected land is scarce around Lac Simon: 0.5% within 10 km

0.5%of the land within 10 km protected

9.1 km out lies the largest, Caribous-de-Val-d'Or Biodiversity Reserve, at 43,419 ha. No national park lies within 100 km.

Protected land · of the land within 10 km

Lac Simon0.5%

Quebec’s towns4.9%

Canadian towns2.3%

Outdoors	Lac Simon	Quebec	Canada
Protected land within 10 km	0.5%	4.9%	2.3%
Public protected areas within 10 km	1	10	4

public protected area within 10 km

Full pageLac Simon’s outdoors pageOpen the full Outdoors page

Protected landof the land within 10 km Protected areas1 protected area within 10 km · Caribous-de-Val-d'Or Biodiversity Reserve

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

Schools

Around Lac Simon, 1 elementary school and 1 secondary school: 2 schools in all

2schools within 3 km

School	Level	Students	System
Conseil de l'Éducation du Lac-Simon (préscolaire-primaire)In Lac SimonElementary	Elementary	–	Other
Conseil de l'Éducation du Lac-Simon (secondaire)In Lac SimonSecondary	Secondary	–	Other

0.3 km

to the nearest secondary school

Full pageLac Simon’s schools pageOpen the full Schools page

Every school2 schools within 3 km · 1 elementary school and 1 secondary school Language0 of 2 teach in English · 10% of schools in Quebec Questions“What schools are there in Lac Simon?”

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.

Weather

Lac Simon in November: highs near 1°C, lows near −7°C

1°Ca normal November afternoon

ECCC’s forecast for Val-d'Or is on the Weather page, hour by hour. In November, the normal is 75 mm of rain and snow. December follows at −6°C by day and −16°C by night. The year peaks in July (24°C) and bottoms out in January (−22°C).

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

November1°C

December−6°C

January−10°C

February−8°C

Season	High	Low	Rain and snow
Winter	−8°C	−20°C	150 mm
Spring	7°C	−6°C	181 mm
Summer	23°C	10°C	278 mm
Autumn	9°C	0°C	259 mm

−7°C

a normal November night

75 mm

of rain and snow in a normal November

Full pageLac Simon’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 (Val-d'Or); the forecast is on the Weather page

Town hall

Lac Simon’s MP is Mandy Gull-Masty (Liberal Party of Canada), for Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou

The Liberal Party of Canada has 44 of the 78 MPs elected in Quebec.

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

Who runs itIndian Reserve Provincial legislatureAbitibi-Est

Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada

Library & civic lifeCivic life grade D⁻

Lac Simon has no public library of its own; the nearest is Bibliothèque de Val-d’Or, 33 km away

After it comes Bibliotheque De Sullivan (Val-d'Or), 36 km away.

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

Places to belong0 charities per 1,000 residents

Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Lac Simon

15pages on Lac Simon

The big questions

SafetyD⁻Crime Severity Index 794 Housing & costProperty pricesSchools2 schools within 3 km HealthC⁺Life expectancy 79.5 in its region Work & commuteC⁻31% of adults in work Natural hazardsA⁻Wildfire band: moderate

Out and about

Outdoors0.5% of the land within 10 km protected AttractionsClimateJuly afternoons around 24°C WeatherECCC’s forecast, beside the normals

The story

Who lives hereMedian age 24.8 HistoryTown hallFamous people

About Lac Simon

First Nations reserve in Quebec

Lac Simon is a First Nations reserve in Quebec, counted by Statistics Canada as its own census subdivision.

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

Population: 1,403 (people, 2025 estimate)
Province or territory: Quebec
Census division: La Vallée-de-l'Or
Metro area: Val-d'Or
First Nation: Nation Anishnabe du Lac Simon
Census subdivision: 2489804

Questions about Lac Simon

Do people in Lac Simon speak French?

Almost everyone does. 34% are bilingual, where the median of Canadian towns is 8%, and 63.4% speak French and no English.

What kind of homes are in Lac Simon?

Single-detached houses make up 91% of the homes here, where Canadian towns sit at 64%; 0% are in high-rise apartments. 20% of households are one person, and the average is 3.7.

How old are the people of Lac Simon?

The median resident is 24.8 years old, against 45.2 for the median of Canadian towns. 36% are under 15 and 3% are 65 or over.

Is Lac Simon growing?

It went from 1,380 people in 2016 to 1,285 in 2021, down 6.9%, while the median of Canadian towns grew 4.1%. StatCan’s 2025 estimate is 1,403.

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).