Facebook Twitter
Sunday, September 24, 2023 | 
U.S. & World

Canadian town called Asbestos is getting a new name

Asbestos will rebrand after 7.000 people voted for a change.

By Herb Scribner Herb Scribnerhscribner@deseretnews.com
SHARE Canadian town called Asbestos is getting a new name
This Feb. 18, 2010, file photo shows a sample of tremolite in Libby, Mont. A long-delayed risk study released Monday, Dec. 8, 2014 for the Montana mining town where hundreds have died from asbestos exposure concludes that even a minuscule amount of the substance can lead to lung problems.

This Feb. 18, 2010, file photo shows a sample of tremolite in Libby, Mont. A long-delayed risk study released Monday, Dec. 8, 2014 for the Montana mining town where hundreds have died from asbestos exposure concludes that even a minuscule amount of the substance can lead to lung problems.

Rick Bowmer, Associated Press

The Canadian town of Asbestos has decided to mine out a new name, sources recently said.

The Quebec town Asbestos, which has a population of 7,000 people, will rebrand as “Val-des-Sources,” according to BBC News.

  • “It’s a name that represents our area, and especially, it’s inspiring for the future,” said the Quebec town’s mayor, Hugues Grimard, according to The Guardian.

History:

The original name came from the town’s mining history, according to BBC News. And that makes sense since asbestos is a mineral that causes mesothelioma. The town is also home to the world’s largest asbestos mine. So, yeah.

  • However, officials said the link between the mineral and the town name made it hard for the town to see any foreign investment, according to BBC News.
  • “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, mayor of the town from 1997 to 2002, told CBC. “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.”
Related

What happened:

The town started a competition in November 2019 for a new name. It was newly announced this week after town residents voted. People as young as 14 years old were allowed to vote for the new name.

The other options available: L’Azur-des-Cantons, Jeffrey-sur-le-Lac, Larochelle, Phénix and Trois-Lacs.