PessamitQuebec

2,523 people call this First Nations reserve in Quebec home. It grew by 8% between the 2016 and 2021 censuses.

Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0

Population

2,523

people, 2025 estimate

Median age

34.4

years · Quebec’s towns: 44.8

Postsecondary

43%

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

Walk, cycle, transit

12%

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

Is Pessamit a good place to live?

Pessamit’s best grade is for walkability (A−). The weak point is safety (D). Work and incomes lag (C−). It also trails on hazard risk (D−).

Reserves such as Pessamit stay out of the grades and the ranked lists. Statistics Canada publishes too little of their data, and what it does publish can’t be weighed fairly against 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. Wildfire lowers this town's Hazard risk Grade: a high share of the land around it has burned in the last 40 years. A First Nations reserve: subject grades only, with no overall grade and no place in ranked lists.

StrongestA⁻WalkabilityWeakestD⁻Hazard risk DSafety

How Pessamit grades

Each subject compares Pessamit 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

Reserves such as Pessamit stay out of the grades and the ranked lists. Statistics Canada publishes too little of their data, and what it does publish can’t be weighed fairly against other towns.

Hazard riskAmong the weakest of the towns comparedD⁻Open →SafetyGraded on crime per residentDOpen →Jobs & incomeIncomes and work trail most townsC⁻Open →WalkabilityAbove the middle of the towns comparedA⁻Open →HealthNear typical for the towns comparedB⁻Open →

Cost of livingNot graded: not enough data–

SchoolsThe schools grade is left out in Quebec, as the ministry publishes its success rates by school service centre, not school by school.–

How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →

What makes Pessamit stand out

The 3 things Pessamit does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data

Hazard risk

Behind 97%

of Canadian towns on hazard risk

Its hazard risk grade: D−.

Residents 65 and over

Who lives here

Only 11% are 65 or over

Next to 19%, the median among Canadian towns

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

Postsecondary certificate, diploma or degree

Education

43% have a postsecondary qualification

Canadian towns centre on 56%

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

The data

Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Pessamit.

Natural hazardsHazard risk D⁻

Pessamit is graded a D− for hazard risk

Highwildfire bandD⁻Hazard risk Grade

Area-wide: radon tests, counted over the Cote-Nord health region

4.7% of radon tests in the survey area came in above the guideline, below both Quebec’s towns (8.2%) and Canadian towns (6.6%). With 0.42% of the land around it burning each year, Pessamit sits in the high wildfire band (17% within 25 km since 1986). Shaking is a bigger worry than in most places, at $0.11 a year per $1,000 of building value ($0.030 typical).

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

Pessamit4.7%

Quebec’s towns8.2%

Canadian towns6.6%

Hazards	Pessamit	Quebec	Canada
Radon tests above the guideline	4.7%	8.2%	6.6%
Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year	$0.11	$0.14	$0.030

$0.11

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

High

wildfire band

8.7 km

to the nearest land burned since 1986

Full pagePessamit’s flood & hazards pageOpen the full Flood & hazards page

WildfireHigh wildfire band · 17% of the land within 25 km burned since 1986 FloodNo flood study on record Earthquakes$0.11 a year per $1,000 · Canadian towns: $0.030 Radon4.7% of tests above the guideline Be readyAlerts, FireSmart and radon tests

NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory

Climate

Summers stay cool in Pessamit: July afternoons reach 21.3°C, below Quebec’s towns and Canadian towns

21.3°CJuly afternoons

Some 323 cm of snow falls in a typical year, above both Quebec’s towns (217 cm) and Canadian towns (141 cm). January nights in Pessamit drop to −18.8°C on average. Between the last spring frost, 29 May, and the first in autumn, 21 September, lie 114 days. A normal July brings 111 mm of precipitation, more than any other month.

Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

Winter−6.2°C

Spring5.1°C

Summer20.1°C

Autumn9.1°C

Normals, 1991–2020	Pessamit	Quebec	Canada
July afternoon high	21.3°C	26.5°C	25.5°C
Snowfall a year	323 cm	217 cm	141 cm
January night low	−18.8°C	−14.7°C	−13.5°C
Days with frost a year	194	161	159

323 cm

of snow a year

194

days with frost a year

114

frost-free days, 29 May to 21 Sep

124

days with precipitation a year

Full pagePessamit’s climate pageOpen the full Climate page

The yearJuly highs 21.3°C, January lows −18.8°C Rain and snow966 mm a year · Canadian towns: 883 mm Snow323 cm of snow a year Weather station39 km to the station · Baie-Comeau

Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Baie-Comeau)

SafetySafety D

Violent crime weighs more on Pessamit than on Quebec’s towns or Canadian towns: a violent severity index of 348

140Crime Severity Index

Violent incidents came to 60.6 per 1,000 residents a year, above Quebec’s towns (12.4) and Canadian towns (12) alike. Thefts, break-ins and damage add up to 17.8 per 1,000 residents a year.

Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year

2023133

2024160

2025126

2023–2025	Pessamit	Quebec	Canada
Violent Crime Severity Index	348	88	86
Violent crime	60.6	12.4	12
Property crime per 1,000	17.8	16.6	31.2

non-violent Crime Severity Index

59%

of incidents cleared, 2023–25

Full pagePessamit’s safety reportOpen the full Safety report

Safety140 Crime Severity Index · The index weighs each crime Pessamit’s police recorded by how serious it is.Questions“Is Pessamit safe?”

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

Work & commuteJobs & income C⁻

Trips to work from Pessamit are shorter than from Quebec’s towns or Canadian towns: 16 min on average

12%walk, cycle or take transit

The car carried 85% of commuters at the census.

How working residents got to work · census 2021

Car or van85%

Walk10%

Public transit1%

Bicycle1%

Census 2021	Pessamit	Quebec	Canada
Average trip	16 min	27 min	26 min
Car or van	85%	90%	89%

$62,400

median household income, 2020

worked from home, May 2021

88%

of commuters work inside the municipality

Full pagePessamit’s work & commute pageOpen the full Work & commute page

Unemployment14% unemployed · Of the labour force · Canadian towns: 9.9%Getting to work12% walk, cycle or take transit Where people commute to10 commuters · The biggest flow out: to Québec

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.

Outdoors

Within 10 km of Pessamit, 24% of the land is protected

24%of the land within 10 km protected

OpenStreetMap shows one beach within 5 km, without a name. 1.6 km out lies the largest, Sector of Haute-Côte-Nord Territorial reserve for protected area purposes, at 156,917 ha. Protected areas open to the public, within 10 km of the town: 30, above Quebec’s towns (10) and Canadian towns (4) alike. Within 100 km there is no national park.

Protected land · of the land within 10 km

Pessamit24%

Quebec’s towns4.9%

Canadian towns2.3%

Outdoors	Pessamit	Quebec	Canada
Protected land within 10 km	24%	4.9%	2.3%
Public protected areas within 10 km	30	10	4

61 km

to Bic National Park (Québec)

beach within 5 km

public protected areas within 10 km

Full pagePessamit’s outdoors pageOpen the full Outdoors page

Protected landof the land within 10 km Protected areas32 protected areas within 10 km · Sector of Haute-Côte-Nord Territorial reserve for protected area purposes National & provincial parks61 km to a provincial park · Bic National Park (Québec)

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

Who lives here

More of Pessamit’s residents have an Indigenous identity than in Quebec’s towns or Canadian towns: 98%

34.4median age

Both official languages: 11% of residents, lower than Quebec’s towns (44%) yet higher than Canadian towns (7.5%).

PessamitQuebecCanada

QuebecCanada

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

24%

Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over

No certificate, diploma or degree44%

Postsecondary qualification43%

Women and men · all residents

52.7% of Pessamit’s residents are women

Census 2021 put women at 1,280 and men at 1,150; women are 50.9% of Canada.

Who lives in Pessamit
	Pessamit	Quebec	Canada
Under 15	24%	17%	16%
15 to 64	65%	62%	64%
65+	11%	20%	19%
No certificate, diploma or degree	44%	19%	16%
Postsecondary qualification	43%	59%	56%

Full pagePessamit’s Who lives here pageOpen the full Who lives here page

Ages34.4 median age · 11% are 65 or over Households820 households · 2.9 people per household English and French11% speak both · 86% speak French but not English

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

Schools

3 schools in and around Pessamit: 2 elementary schools and 1 secondary school

3schools within 3 km

Schools by system · Schools within 3 km

Other2

French public1

School	Level	Students	System
École Nussim du conseil de bande de BetsiamitesIn PessamitElementary	Elementary	–	Other
École secondaire Uashkaikan du conseil de bande de BetsiamitesIn PessamitSecondary	Secondary	–	Other

See all 3 schools →

0.7 km

to the nearest secondary school

Full pagePessamit’s schools pageOpen the full Schools page

Every school3 schools within 3 km · 2 elementary schools and 1 secondary school Language0 of 3 teach in English · 10% of schools in Quebec Questions“What schools are there in Pessamit?”

Provincial school lists and results, 2025-26 · Why no schools grade in Quebec? The ministry publishes its success rates by school service centre, not school by school.

Weather

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

3°Ca normal November afternoon

Precipitation in November averages 87 mm. By December, a normal day reaches −4°C and a night falls to −13°C. About 31 cm of snow falls in a normal November. Over the year, July is warmest at 21°C by day and January coldest at −19°C by night.

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

November3°C

December−4°C

January−8°C

February−7°C

Season	High	Low	Rain and snow
Winter	−6°C	−17°C	203 mm
Spring	5°C	−4°C	212 mm
Summer	20°C	9°C	275 mm
Autumn	9°C	0°C	276 mm

−5°C

a normal November night

87 mm

of rain and snow in a normal November

Full pagePessamit’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 (Baie-Comeau); the forecast is on the Weather page

Town hall

Côte-Nord—Kawawachikamach—Nitassinan, which takes in Pessamit, is held by Marilène Gill (Bloc Québécois)

Pessamit sends one MNA (Member of the National Assembly, Québec’s legislature) to the National Assembly of Québec from René-Lévesque, though no open record we can reuse gives the name.

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

Who runs itIndian Reserve

Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada

Library & civic lifeCivic life grade D⁻

Pessamit has no public library of its own; the nearest is Bibliothèque De Colombier, 16 km away

The next is Bibliothèque De Ragueneau (Ragueneau), 20 km away.

Full pagePessamit’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

HealthHealth B⁻

More adults feel healthy around Pessamit: 61% say very good or excellent (52% for the typical Canadian town)

61%very good or excellent healthB⁻Health Grade

Across the region, life runs to 79.4 years on average: women 82.1, men 77.0, in 2022/2024. At 15%, the share of adults who smoke tops the 12% for Quebec. Homes here are 39 km from a hospital on average, above Quebec’s towns (5.3 km) and Canadian towns (3.7 km) alike.

Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised

Pessamit61%

Quebec’s towns56%

Canadian towns52%

Health	Pessamit	Quebec	Canada
Very good or excellent health	61%	56%	52%
Life expectancy at birth	79.4	82.5	81.5
Smokers	15%	12%	12%
Chronic conditions (average share)	15%	15%	17%

79.4

years of life expectancy, 2022/2024

39 km

from homes to a hospital, on average

15%

of adults smoke, age-standardised

40 km

from homes to a pharmacy, on average

Full pagePessamit’s health pageOpen the full Health page

Health survey61% very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised Getting care39 km to a hospital · A pharmacy 40 km away on average The wider areaLife expectancy: women 82.1, men 77.0 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 · Health survey and life expectancy: one figure for all of the Région de la Côte-Nord

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Pessamit

15pages on Pessamit

The big questions

SafetyDCrime Severity Index 140 Housing & costProperty pricesSchools3 schools within 3 km HealthB⁻Life expectancy 79.4 in its region Work & commuteC⁻41% of adults in work Natural hazardsD⁻Wildfire band: high

Out and about

Outdoors24% of the land within 10 km protected AttractionsClimateJuly afternoons around 21°C WeatherECCC’s forecast, beside the normals

The story

Who lives hereMedian age 34.4 HistoryTown hallFamous people

Famous people from Pessamit

4 notable people were born in Pessamit.

See all 4 →

Josephine BaconCanadian poet and documentary filmmaker · born 1947

Natasha Kanapé FontaineCanadian poet and actress · born 1991

Ghislain PicardCanadian Innu activist · born 1955

Marcelline Picard-KanapéCanadian politician · born 1941

Photo credits

Josephine Bacon: Florencecassisi, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Natasha Kanapé Fontaine: Thérèse Ottawa, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Ghislain Picard: Lead Now Canada, CC BY 2.0

About Pessamit

First Nations reserve in Quebec

Pessamit is a First Nations reserve in Quebec, which Statistics Canada treats as a census subdivision of its own.

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

Population: 2,523 (people, 2025 estimate)
Province or territory: Quebec
Census division: Manicouagan
First Nation: Bande des Innus de Pessamit
Census subdivision: 2496802

Questions about Pessamit

What kind of homes are in Pessamit?

92% of homes are single-detached houses, against 64% for the median of Canadian towns, and 0% are in apartment buildings of five storeys or more. A household averages 2.9 people; 21% are one person living alone.

Do people in Pessamit speak French?

Almost everyone does. 11% are bilingual, where the median of Canadian towns is 8%, and 86.1% speak French and no English.

Is Pessamit growing?

Between the 2016 and 2021 censuses it went from 2,256 to 2,428 residents (up 7.6%; Canadian towns’ median: 4.1%), and Statistics Canada now estimates 2,523.

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).