The town of Asbestos, Quebec, has been renamed. Moving forward, the town will be known as Val-des-Sources, or valley of the springs, rather than the mineral that was mined in the town.
Eighty miles east of Montreal, the town has decided on a new name after the title became considered something of a liability in recent years. The town was named as such in the 19th century, after the mine that the town grew around.
The mineral has been seen limited use since 1973, when the United States Environmental Protection Agency enacted a ban on specific uses. Canada only enacted a ban on the substance in 2018.
“Once upon a time, we have been very proud of that name, but now it’s very difficult because asbestos means a fibre that people are afraid of,” Louise Moisan-Coulombe, the town’s former mayor explained.
“Every time you say, especially in the United States, that you are coming from Asbestos, or they read Asbestos on a package, they are always afraid that it will be poison.”
The new name for the town was chosen from a short-list of options, and local residents were encouraged to vote on it. The change will officially be enacted in December.
“This is truly a historic moment we are living. I thank the people for voting in large numbers,” Mayor Hugues Grimard said in a statement. “The council and I are proud to see that the process was able to rally the citizens. We can thus affirm that the name Val-des-Sources is one to which citizens adhere.”