Community
Lac-Simon Winter Party
Lac-SimonA Saturday in February · 2027 dates to be announcedSkating and sliding to music, a lit-up igloo, a DJ and fireworks to close. Free hot chocolate, coffee and popcorn. No alcohol sold on…
Town · MRC de Papineau
Lac-Simon
A lake with 74 km of shoreline, and a town built around it.
- Population
- 1 173 (2026)
- Area
- 121.92 km²
- Founded
- 1881 (canton de Hartwell); nom de Lac-Simon en 1965
- Town hall
- 544, chemin du Tour-du-Lac, Lac-Simon (Québec) J0V 1E0 · 819 428-3906
The lake is named for Simon Kanawato, a Cree man baptized at Oka in 1808 who settled on Île du Canard Blanc with his family around 1820. Settlers came in 1852 for land and timber, log drives fed the Hull mills, and the township of Hartwell became Lac-Simon in 1965. The town named its council chamber Salle Louise-Simon Minawasikekwé, with the opening announced for October 3, 2026.
These days cottage life drives things: campgrounds, rentals, B&Bs, the town beach, the paid boat launch in summer. But the municipal directory is also full of excavators, welders, cabinetmakers and firewood sellers. Both economies run side by side.
Go see the Denis-Papin lookout above Baie Creuse, Île du Canard Blanc with its little Lac des Étoiles, and Rocher Manitou on the west shore. In winter there's 16 km of ski and snowshoe trail and a lit skating loop in the woods.
Good to know
- Town hall: 544, chemin du Tour-du-Lac.
- Municipal beach; paid boat launch in season.
- Mini-golf, pétanque, pickleball, basketball, tennis and a dog park.
- Denis-Papin lookout near 2000, chemin du Tour-du-Lac.
- Winter: sliding hill, lit forest rink, 16 km of ski and snowshoe trails, winter beach party.
- Petite Nation River with the Pontbrin and Lockbow falls.
Events in Lac-Simon
Community
Easter at Lac-Simon
Lac-SimonEaster Saturday · 2027 dates to be announcedFace painting, crafts, hot chocolate and Easter surprises for the little ones. Nothing fancy, just a good morning in the village.
Holiday
Saint-Jean in Lac-Simon
Lac-SimonJune 23 or 24 · 2027 dates to be announcedLac-Simon marks the Fête nationale. Details on the municipality's Facebook event.
Places in Lac-Simon
Restaurants & cafés 1
IllustrationRestaurant
Casse-Croûte du Lac Simon
Seasonal snack bar steps from the lake, with burgers, fries and hot dogs after a swim.
Farms, sugar shacks & drinks 1
IllustrationFarm
La Ferme HLF
Organic baskets, salsa, pesto, pickles and jams made from the harvest, plus certified organic seedlings. Online shop.
Where to stay 22
Campground
Camping Domaine du Canard Blanc
Forty-five lakeside sites, open May to September, pets welcome.
IllustrationCampground
Camping Haut-des-Côtes
Family campground near Lac Simon with 127 sites, serviced and unserviced, and a 250-person community hall.
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IllustrationIllustrationIllustrationCampground
Camping le Pavillon
Campground on 4e Rang Sud, listed in the municipality's 2026 directory.
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IllustrationLodging
Chalet des 3 du Lac Simon
Renovated cottage in Baie Saint-Laurent with a 100-foot beach and sunsets over the water.
IllustrationIllustrationLodging
Chalets aux Crocollines
Six cottages named after birds, with 150 feet of private beach on Lac Simon.
IllustrationCampground
Domaine Dynastie
Co-owned campground on chemin du Tour-du-Lac, where lots change hands between members.
IllustrationIllustrationLodging
Domaine Lauzon/Verdon
Cottage on the shore of Lac Simon with a six-seat hot tub and a big gazebo.
IllustrationLodging
Domaine Lockbøw
Sixty acres of forest on the Petite Nation River, with the Lockbow falls right on the property. Unusual cabins and rustic camping.
IllustrationLodging
Horizon sur le Lac
Four-bedroom cottage sleeping 17, a short walk from Lac Simon. Hot tub, pets welcome.
IllustrationLodging
La Canardière
Large renovated cottage right on Lac Simon; both main bedrooms look out on the water.
IllustrationLodging
Le Chalet (lac Barrière)
Country house on a rise above Lac Barrière, with a sand beach at the bottom of 50 steps.
IllustrationIllustrationLodging
Le Scandinave 2
Three-storey Scandinavian-style cottage built in 2012 on Lac Simon, for about ten people.
IllustrationIllustrationLodging
Manoir du Lac-Simon
Six units on the lake with a heated indoor pool and hot tub, open all year. Built for groups.
IllustrationOutdoors 4
IllustrationLookout
Belvédère Denis-Papin
A lookout above Baie Creuse, named after a former mayor. The whole lake in one view, for free.
Illustration
IllustrationPark
Parc de l'Amitié (mini-golf de Lac-Simon)
An 18-hole mini-putt and a handful of courts. Good for after the beach, when the kids still have energy to burn.
IllustrationSki & snowshoe
Sentiers de ski de fond et de raquette de Lac-Simon
16 km of ski and snowshoe trail on private land that owners open up for the winter. Stay on the trails, that's what keeps them open.
Lakes, beaches & marinas 5
IllustrationMarina
Centre nautique Lac Simon
The Lac Simon marina: fill up, rent a pontoon for the day, and leave your boat there for the winter.
IllustrationLake
Lac des Étoiles (île du Canard Blanc)
A small lake hidden on White Duck Island, said to be a meteorite crater. Get there by boat, then walk in on the Sentier de l'Aube.
IllustrationLake
Lac Simon
The big lake of La Petite-Nation. Lake trout here has a 55 cm minimum size, and the season shuts on December 20, so no ice fishing on Simon.
IllustrationBeach
Plage municipale de Lac-Simon
The village beach, with three lifeguards from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and free parking. The self-serve kayaks and boards are booked from your phone.
IllustrationBoat launch
Quai public et débarcadère du lac Simon
Lac-Simon's municipal launch. Boat washing is mandatory before every launch, at the station at 105 chemin du Parc.
Culture & heritage 2
IllustrationHeritage
Lac-Simon history trail
Panels at the marina tell the lake's story, and on Île du Canard Blanc an interpretive trail leads to Lac des Étoiles. There are docks on both sides…
IllustrationHeritage
Rocher Manitou
On the west shore, a rock sacred to the Algonquin, with red ochre paintings. You see it from the water. Look, don't touch.
Shops & makers 2
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IllustrationShop
Services Récréatifs St-Onge
Dealer for Smokercraft boats, JYS pontoons and pedal boats and Suzuki motors, with service and storage.
Services 4
IllustrationIllustrationService
Écocentre de Lac-Simon
Serves Lac-Simon and Chénéville. The regional plan lists it as open Thursday to Monday in season. Check current hours with the municipality.
IllustrationService
Municipalité de Lac-Simon
Municipal office on chemin du Tour-du-Lac. Lots of cottagers come through for permits and lake rules.
IllustrationArena & sports
Sentier de patin en forêt de Lac-Simon
An ice trail winding through the woods, lit up at night, with a sliding hill next to it and a heated hut for lacing up.
Groups & organizations
Lake association · Ripon
Association des propriétaires du lac Viceroy (APLV)
One of the oldest lake associations in the Outaouais, founded in 1973. Lac Viceroy, shared by Ripon and Lac-Simon, is known for very clear water, and the association has tracked its quality for decades.
Lake association · Lac-Simon
Lac Simon Property Owners' Association
Non-profit incorporated in 1995 for property owners on Lac Simon and Lac Barrière, with 100 to 200 members a year. Lately it has been front and centre in the fight against the proposed mine in the area. Membership is $25.
Community · Lac-Simon
Lac-Simon Bridge Club
Lac-Simon's bridge players meet at the council hall. The club runs 'bridge en folie' afternoons where partners are drawn at random, so you can sign up on your own.
Community · Lac-Simon
Lac-Simon coffee drop-in and walking club
On Wednesday afternoons the municipality hosts either a drop-in coffee or a group walk followed by coffee, alternating weeks. You don't have to walk to come for the chat.
Wednesdays, 1 to 4 p.m., council hall (walks leave at 1 p.m. from the pavilion by the town hall)
Sports & recreation · Chénéville
Vallée de la Nation Snowmobilers' Association
Snowmobile club 771 (Region 13), with an address on rue Albert-Ferland in Chénéville. Buy your FCMQ trail pass through the club and the money stays in local trail upkeep.
Health & support · Chénéville
Friends of Mutual Aid, North Petite-Nation
Mutual-aid non-profit for the northern Petite-Nation, listed in Chénéville's directory of local groups.
Sports & recreation · Montpellier
Lac Croche outdoor recreation site
Day-use outdoor site 14 km from the village via chemin de la Baie-de-l'Ours: 30 km of trails, fishing in a stocked lake, skiing and snowshoeing in winter and a big wood-heated pavilion. Local ATV riders make it their meeting spot year-round.
Magazine
Our perfect summer day in La Petite-Nation, from market to beach
Ripon's Saturday market, a Chénéville picnic, a lifeguarded beach on Lac Simon, mini-golf, the lookout at golden hour and soft serve to finish the day.
Where to stay in La Petite-Nation, from inns to teepees
A log château, an 1898 Victorian full of artists, an old post office, teepees next to the wolves. Our rundown of the ways to spend the night out here.
Winter in La Petite-Nation, from cross-country skis to snowmobiles
Free ski trails behind the high school, 40 km groomed by volunteers for $15, hundreds of kilometres of snowmobile and ATV trail. Your winter guide, club by club.
Nearby: Chénéville · Montpellier · Namur · Saint-Émile-de-Suffolk · Ripon