MataneQuebec

Few places match Matane for health: it beats 89% of Canadian towns

Measured across the Région du Bas-Saint-Laurent: health survey and life expectancy

In the health survey, 60% of adults in the region rate their health very good or excellent, more than Quebec’s 57%. Statistics Canada puts the region’s life expectancy at 81.7, women 83.1 and men 80.3 (2022/2024). Chronic conditions run at 15% of adults, age-standardised, higher than Quebec’s towns (15%) yet lower than Canadian towns (17%). What sets Matane apart within its region is a short trip to hospital, 2.3 km for the average resident (3.7 km typical).

Matane faces more hazards than 86% of Canadian towns

Gouvernement du Québec has mapped the flood hazard here: one study on the national inventory. More homes than usual carry radon here, 14% over the guideline where the typical town has 6.6%. Shaking is a bigger worry than in most places, at $0.078 a year per $1,000 of building value ($0.030 typical). Nobody publishes radon tests for Matane alone, so this card uses the figure for the Bas-Saint-Laurent health region.

Matane has cooler summers than Quebec’s towns or Canadian towns: July highs of 23.8°C

There are 207 days of frost in a typical year, above both Quebec’s towns (161) and Canadian towns (159). In January, overnight lows in Matane settle at −19.2°C. Snow peaks in January: 72 cm in a normal year. For the wettest month, look to October: 97 mm on average.

Fewer households own their home in Matane than in Quebec’s towns or across Canadian towns: 60%

Rent took 17% of household income, below Quebec’s towns (18%) and Canadian towns (20%) alike. Shelter took 30% or more of income for 13% of households, about level with Quebec’s towns (13%) and below Canadian towns (18%). Figures for rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom are published for the Matane metro area as a whole, not for Matane alone.

Matane gets a B for safety

Violent incidents in its police area came to 15.3 per 1,000 residents a year, above Quebec’s towns (12.4) and Canadian towns (12) alike. For every 1,000 residents of its police area, 13.6 property crimes are reported each year.

20% of Matane’s residents speak English and French (Quebec’s towns: 44%; Canadian towns: 7.5%)

Visible minorities make up 1.6% of the population, lower than both Quebec’s towns (3.5%) and Canadian towns (15%). First Nations, Métis and Inuit people make up 2% of residents, higher than Quebec’s towns (1.5%) yet lower than Canadian towns (2.8%).

Trips to work from Matane are shorter than from Quebec’s towns or Canadian towns: 13 min on average

The car took 89% of commuters, near both Quebec’s towns (90%) and Canadian towns (89%).

The 9 schools of Matane: 7 elementary schools and 2 secondary schools

None of them teaches in English, though 10% of schools in Quebec do.

A normal November in Matane runs from −5°C to 3°C

The year peaks in July (24°C) and bottoms out in January (−19°C). November usually brings some 31 cm of snow. Next comes December, with normal highs of −4°C and lows of −13°C. Rain and snow over a typical November come to 74 mm.

Matane has one council seat for every 2,030 residents, more than 87% of municipalities in Quebec

In the National Assembly of Québec, Matane belongs to Matane-Matapédia; who holds it as MNA (Member of the National Assembly, Québec’s legislature) isn’t on an open record, so no one is named.

Matane has one public library, Bibliothèque municipale Fonds de solidarité FTQ

Bibliothèque municipale Fonds de solidarité FTQ serves 14,436 people from a single building.

Matane has more protected land around it than nearly 9 in 10 Canadian towns

The largest named area nearby is Sector of Matane-Les Méchins Territorial reserve for protected area purposes, 31,628 ha, 2.1 km away. For a provincial park, Gaspésie National Park (Québec) lies 48 km off. There is no national park within 100 km of the town. Swimmers have 9 beaches within 5 km, Plage du Parc des Îles the nearest.

3 historic places on the heritage registers in Matane

The earliest construction date, 1887, belongs to Presbytère de Saint-Jérôme-de-Matane. Among the places are 2 municipal citations and a Recognized Federal Heritage Building. At the 2021 census, 29% of homes dated from before 1961, higher than both Quebec’s towns (21%) and Canadian towns (18%).