Editing Val-des-Sources (section)

==History==
The town was the site of the 1949 [[Asbestos strike]].

The town is near to the site of the Jeffrey mine, which used to be the world's largest [[asbestos]] mine,<ref name="Book">{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zNicdkuulE4C&pg=PA196 |page=196 |title=Industrial minerals & rocks: commodities, markets, and uses |isbn=978-0-87335-233-8 |author=Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration (U.S.)|date=March 5, 2006}}</ref> which was once the town's largest employer.

During the 1960s the town was thriving and could afford to expand and invest in its infrastructure and municipal architecture. It built a new modern town hall whose main hallway was adorned with a mural by the artist [[Denis Juneau]], as well as some ceramic pieces in the church by famed ceramist [[Claude Vermette]].

In 2000 the Magnola [[magnesium]] refinery began operation. The project was the brainchild of [[Noranda Inc]], to repurpose waste asbestos tailings a proprietary [[electrolytic]] process.<ref name="ayres00">{{cite news |first=John |last=Ayres |publisher=Environment Canada |url=https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2016-02/documents/conf00_ayres_paper.pdf |title=Canadian Perspective on SF6 Management from Magnesium Industry |date=2000}}</ref> By 2011 it had been shuttered.<ref name="cim11">{{cite book |editor-last1=Kapusta |editor-first1=Joël |editor-last2=Mackey |editor-first2=Phillip |editor-last3=Stubina |editor-first3=Nathan |title=The Canadian Metallurgical & Materials Landscape 1960 - 2011 |url=https://store.cim.org/en/commemorative-book-the-canadian-materials-landscape-1960-2011 |publisher=Canadian Institute of Metallurgy |date=2011 |chapter=Magnesium Metal Production in Canada |first1=D. |last1=Creber |first2=B. |last2=Davis |first3=S. |last3=Kashani-Nejad}}</ref>

In summer of 2011, mayor at the time Christian Lefrançois had authorized the construction of 2 new asbestos mine including the infamous Jeffrey mine, known for its effects on the local residents’ health. In late 2011, one of the last two remaining asbestos mines in Canada, the Jeffrey mine, halted operations.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/asbestos-mining-stops-for-first-time-in-130-years-1.1103672|title=Asbestos mining stops for first time in 130 years|access-date=February 6, 2017}}</ref> In June 2012, a $58-million loan was promised by the Quebec government to restart and operate the Jeffrey mine for the next 20 years.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://thechronicleherald.ca/canada/112512-asbestos-mine-reboot-with-quebec-cash-sparks-criticism|title=Asbestos mine reboot with Quebec cash sparks criticism|date=April 14, 2014|access-date=February 6, 2017}}</ref> In September 2012, before the loan funds were delivered, the [[Parti Québécois]] defeated the [[Quebec Liberal Party]] in the [[2012 Quebec general election|Quebec provincial election]]. The Parti Québécois followed through with an election promise to halt asbestos mining and to cancel the loan, and put funding toward economic diversification in the area.<ref>[https://ottawacitizen.com/news/Quebec+Budget+Finance+Minister+Nicolas+Marceau+tightens/7586017/story.html Quebec Budget: Finance Minister Nicolas Marceau tightens spending, levies new taxes]  {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121129012206/http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Quebec%2BBudget%2BFinance%2BMinister%2BNicolas%2BMarceau%2Btightens/7586017/story.html |date=November 29, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/canada-won-t-oppose-asbestos-limits-1.1254033|title=Canada won't oppose asbestos limits|access-date=February 6, 2017}}</ref>

===Name change===
At various times since the decline of asbestos mining, residents and politicians in the area have proposed changing the town's name due to its negative connotations;<ref>[https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/five-years-after-asbestos-mine-closure-quebec-town-seeks-new-identity/article31569391/ "Five years after asbestos mine closure, Quebec town seeks new identity"]. ''[[The Globe and Mail]]'', August 25, 2016.</ref> however, past proposals often failed, with people involved in the debate noting that because the town is predominantly francophone and the mineral is referred to as ''amiante'' rather than ''asbestos'' in French, its residents do not typically associate the town's name with the stigma around the mineral.<ref>Amy Luft, [https://montreal.ctvnews.ca/tired-of-being-linked-to-toxic-substance-the-quebec-town-of-asbestos-is-changing-its-name-1.4705362 "Tired of being linked to toxic substance, the Quebec town of Asbestos is changing its name"]. [[CFCF-DT|CTV News Montreal]], November 27, 2019.</ref>

A name change plan was approved by the municipal council in November 2019, with the new name chosen by a public poll.<ref>{{cite news |last=Olson |first=Isaac |date=November 27, 2019 |title=Town of Asbestos, Que., changing its name |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/asbestos-quebec-change-name-1.5375703 |work=CBC News |access-date=November 28, 2019}}</ref> On September 14, 2020, the mayor announced that residents would be able to vote to rename the town to either Apalone, Jeffrey, Phénix or Trois-Lacs.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Lowrie |first1=Morgan |title=Asbestos halts name change process after residents say they hate the alternatives |url=https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/city-of-asbestos-name-change-process-hits-snag-residents-hate-the-alternatives |access-date=18 October 2020 |agency=Canadian Press |publisher=Montreal Gazette |date=September 18, 2020}}</ref> The choices were not well received, and more names were added to the list. The referendum was held in October to allow the townspeople to choose from among six names: L'Azur-des-Cantons, Jeffrey-sur-le-Lac, Larochelle, Trois-Lacs, Val-des-Sources, or Phénix.<ref>{{cite news |last=Leavitt |first=Sarah |date=October 18, 2020 |title=Set to be renamed, Asbestos, Que., grapples with history, identity |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/asbestos-quebec-renamed-history-1.5765156 |work=CBC News |access-date=October 18, 2020}}</ref> The referendum results were announced on October 19, 2020. 51.5% of voters chose the name Val-des-Sources in the third round of a preferential ballot.<ref>Jérémy Bernier, [https://www.journaldequebec.com/2020/10/19/adieu-asbestos-bienvenue-a-val-des-sources-1 "Asbestos devient Val-des-Sources"]. ''[[Le Journal de Québec]]'', October 19, 2020.</ref> In Quebec, a municipal name change must be proposed to the [[Commission de toponymie du Québec]] and then approved by the [[Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing (Quebec)|Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing]] before it takes effect,<ref>[https://montrealgazette.com/news/quebec/town-of-asbestos-chooses-new-name-val-des-sources "Town of Asbestos chooses new name: Val-des-Sources"]. ''[[Montreal Gazette]]'', October 20, 2020.</ref> which occurred on December 17, 2020. For most purposes the name change took immediate effect, although the town's rebranding of its own billboards was not expected to take place until January 2021, and [[Canada Post]] required until April 19, 2021, to complete the necessary changes in its postal addressing system.<ref name="official">[https://montreal.ctvnews.ca/town-of-asbestos-officially-renamed-to-val-des-sources-1.5235546 "Town of Asbestos officially renamed to Val-Des-Sources"]. [[CFCF-DT|CTV News Montreal]], December 17, 2020.</ref>

Some residents who remained opposed to the name change organized a petition drive calling on the Ministry of Municipal Affairs to deny its approval, on the grounds that not enough of the town's residents participated in the referendum, and that the referendum did not include any option to express a preference for maintaining the existing name.<ref>Michel Saba, [https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/citizens-had-illusory-power-in-renaming-says-man-behind-asbestos-petition "Citizens had 'illusory power' in renaming, says man behind Asbestos petition"]. ''[[Montreal Gazette]]'', October 22, 2020.</ref> Minister [[Andrée Laforest]] rejected the petition and approved the name change,<ref name=official/> which came into effect on December 15, 2020.<ref name=namechange/>