Lac-SimonQuebec
Home to 1,159 people, this town lies in Quebec. Statistics Canada places it in the Papineau census division.
Is Lac-Simon a good place to live?
Work and incomes lag (D−). It also trails on walkability (D−). Owners valued their homes at a median $348,000 in 2021, which is 4.9 years of the typical household’s pay. Elsewhere it is close to typical: B− for safety and B− for health.
Figures: home values and income: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. An overall grade comes at 2,500 residents for Canadian towns; Lac-Simon has its subject grades alone.
This town's rent is the 2021 census rent scaled to 2025 by its province's ratio of surveyed to census rents: no rental survey covers it, so its Cost Grade is less sure. Safety is the Sûreté du Québec unit's figure for the whole MRC. Crime here is counted against the people who live here, but many visitors or second-home owners add to it, so the rate per resident runs higher than residents' own risk. 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 Lac-Simon stand out
The 3 things Lac-Simon does most differently from other towns.
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.
An overall grade comes at 2,500 residents for Canadian towns; Lac-Simon has its subject grades alone.
How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Lac-Simon.
Trips to work from Lac-Simon take longer than from Quebec’s towns or Canadian towns: 37 min on average
The car took 93% of commuters, near Quebec’s towns (90%) and higher than Canadian towns (89%).
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Lac-Simon | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 37 min | 27 min | 26 min |
| Car or van | 93% | 90% | 89% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · The 2021 census was taken in May 2021, during COVID-19 restrictions: more people than usual worked from home or were off work.
Flood mapping exists for Lac-Simon: 2 on record, latest by Gouvernement du Québec
Radon is higher than usual: 13% of tested homes in the survey area topped the guideline, against 6.6% for the typical town. Shaking is a bigger worry than in most places, at $0.095 a year per $1,000 of building value ($0.030 typical). Lac-Simon doesn’t get its own radon tests figures; the ones here come from the Outaouais health region.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Lac-Simon | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radon tests above the guideline | 13% | 8.2% | 6.6% |
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.095 | $0.14 | $0.030 |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory
More people in Lac-Simon speak English and French than in Quebec’s towns or Canadian towns: 47%
1.4% of residents belong to a visible minority, below Quebec’s towns (3.5%) and Canadian towns (15%) alike. Immigrants make up 3.8% of residents, higher than Quebec’s towns (2.6%) yet lower than 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
45.5% of Lac-Simon’s residents are women
Census 2021 put women at 480 and men at 575; women are 50.9% of Canada.
| Lac-Simon | Quebec | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 10% | 17% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 56% | 62% | 64% |
| 65+ | 35% | 20% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 17% | 19% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 60% | 59% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Quebec and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
Lac-Simon has colder winters than Quebec’s towns or Canadian towns: January lows of −18.3°C
The warmest stretch brings July afternoons of 25.3°C, below Quebec’s towns (26.5°C) and close to Canadian towns (25.5°C). Between the last spring frost, 28 May, and the first in autumn, 15 September, lie 110 days. January is the snowiest month, with 56 cm on average. October is the wettest month, with 120 mm of rain and snow on average.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Lac-Simon | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Days with frost a year | 196 | 161 | 159 |
| January night low | −18.3°C | −14.7°C | −13.5°C |
| Precipitation a year | 1,178 mm | 1,041 mm | 883 mm |
| Snowfall a year | 218 cm | 217 cm | 141 cm |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (St-Jovite)
In and around Lac-Simon, 2 schools: 1 elementary school and 1 school for every grade
Elementary school is 4.4 km away at the nearest, above both Quebec’s towns (0.5 km) and Canadian towns (0.5 km). The nearest secondary school is 13 km away, above Quebec’s towns (1.2 km) and Canadian towns (1.2 km) alike.
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| École Adrien-GuillaumeIn Lac-SimonElementary | Elementary | – | French public |
| École Namur EnglishIn Lac-SimonAll grades | All grades | – | English public |
Schools by system · Schools within 3 km
| Schools within 3 km | Lac-Simon | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nearest secondary school | 13 km | 1.2 km | 1.2 km |
| Nearest elementary school | 4.4 km | 0.5 km | 0.5 km |
| School boards | 2 | 2 | 3 |
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.
Lac-Simon in November: highs near 5°C, lows near −5°C
A typical November adds 17 cm of snow. A normal November brings 93 mm of rain and snow. By December, a normal day reaches −3°C and a night falls to −13°C. Normal highs peak at 25°C in July; nights bottom out at −18°C in January.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | −4°C | −16°C | 262 mm |
| Spring | 10°C | −4°C | 262 mm |
| Summer | 24°C | 10°C | 327 mm |
| Autumn | 12°C | 0°C | 327 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (St-Jovite); the forecast is on the Weather page
Fewer than 97% of Québec’s local municipalities spend as much per resident as Lac-Simon
The mayor of Lac-Simon is Sylvie Potvin, who sits with 6 councillors.
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
Bibliothèque de Chénéville is Lac-Simon’s public library
From the centre of Lac-Simon, it is 4.3 km away.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
A hospital trip from Lac-Simon means 27 km on average, in a straight line
A child born in the region can expect 80.7 years, lower than both Quebec’s towns (82.5) and Canadian towns (81.5). At 17%, the share of adults who smoke tops the 12% for Quebec. Across the region, 55% of adults say their health is very good or excellent, much as in Quebec (57%).
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Lac-Simon | 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 · Data for health survey and life expectancy covers the Région de l'Outaouais
Lac-Simon gets a B− for safety
Violence across its police area runs at 17.5 per 1,000 residents a year. For violence alone, its police area’s index was 107, above Quebec’s towns (88) and Canadian towns (86) alike. The force’s area logs 13.9 thefts, break-ins and acts of damage per 1,000 residents a year.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Lac-Simon | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crime per 1,000 | 13.9 | 16.6 | 31.2 |
| Violent crime | 17.5 | 12.4 | 12 |
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 107 | 88 | 86 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average · Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000: one figure for all of Papineau MRC
Lac-Simon touches 07251R015 Biological Refuge
National parks are all over 100 km off. 27 km from town is Plaisance National Park (Québec), the nearest provincial park. Mashkiki Land set aside (3,450 ha) is the biggest, 5.9 km from town. For a swim, Plage du Lac Simon is the nearest of 10 beaches within 5 km.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Lac-Simon | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 13 | 10 | 4 |
| Protected land within 10 km | 2.3% | 4.9% | 2.3% |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
Rent takes less of local pay in Lac-Simon than in Quebec’s towns or Canadian towns: 15% of household income
Owners make up 85% of households, above both Quebec’s towns (70%) and Canadian towns (74%). Shelter took 30% or more of income for just over one in ten households, lower than both Quebec’s towns (13%) and Canadian towns (18%).
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Lac-Simon | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent as a share of income | 15% | 18% | 20% |
| Households owning their home | 85% | 70% | 74% |
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 12% | 13% | 18% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; CMHC Rental Market Survey via Statistics Canada · The 2021 census asked owners what their home was worth; those values, and 2020 incomes, are what this compares.
Lac-Simon has 1 historic place on the registers
Before 1961 is when 23% of the homes went up, above Quebec’s towns (21%) and Canadian towns (18%) alike.
Historic places by designation · inside the town
Among them
| Heritage | Lac-Simon | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1961 | 23% | 21% | 18% |
Canadian Register of Historic Places, Directory of Federal Heritage Designations, Québec’s Répertoire du patrimoine culturel, Wikidata; Census 2021 homes by period
Jeux d'eau and 5 more within 40 km
One place to visit is mapped within 5 km of Lac-Simon; with it, the best known within 40 km.
ZooParc Omega27 km southeast
ZooPapanack Park Zoo39 km south
National historic site · Parks CanadaGranary32 km southeast
Historic houseManoir Papineau32 km southeastPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (4)
- Parc Omega: Guerinf, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Papanack Park Zoo: Ber'Zophus, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Granary: Rodjameswilliam, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Manoir Papineau: Fralambert, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Everything we know about Lac-Simon
Lac-Simon’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lac-Simon | 1,159 | — | — | B− | B− | B− |
| Montpellier | 1,253 | 9 | — | C+ | B− | B− |
| Ripon | 1,835 | 14 | — | B+ | B− | B− |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Lac-Simon
Do people in Lac-Simon speak French?
It is a French-speaking town: 52.1% know French alone, and 47% can talk in English too, against 8% for the median of Canadian towns.
Has Lac-Simon grown?
Between the 2016 and 2021 censuses it went from 944 to 1,057 residents (up 12%; Canadian towns’ median: 4.1%), and Statistics Canada now estimates 1,159.
Who are the people of Lac-Simon?
At the 2021 census, 4% were immigrants and 1% belonged to a visible minority (Canadian towns’ median: 15%). 3% identify as First Nations, Métis or Inuit.
What kind of homes are in Lac-Simon?
Single-detached houses make up 96% of the homes here, where Canadian towns sit at 64%; 0% are in high-rise apartments. 38% of households are one person, and the average is 1.9.
About Lac-Simon
Town in Quebec
Statistics Canada treats Lac-Simon as a single census subdivision in Quebec, and TownRatings keeps to that line.
Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.
- Population
- 1,159 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Quebec
- Census division
- Papineau
- Census subdivision
- 2480095
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).