Val-des-Sources
Val-des-Sources (French pronunciation: [val.de.suʁs]), meaning "Valley of the Springs", formerly known as Asbestos (pronounced [asbɛstoz]), is a town on the Nicolet River in the Estrie (Eastern Townships) region of southeastern Quebec, Canada. The town is the seat of Les Sources Regional County Municipality, formerly known as the Asbestos Regional County Municipality. The town covers an area of 30.25 square kilometres (11.5 sq mi), including land acquired due to the merger of the City of Asbestos with the Municipality of Trois-Lacs on December 8, 1999.
Val-des-Sources | |
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Seal Coat of arms | |
| Motto: Non deserit alta | |
Location within Les Sources RCM. | |
Val-des-Sources Location in southern Quebec. | |
| Coordinates: 45°46′N 71°56′W | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | Quebec |
| Region | Estrie |
| RCM | Les Sources |
| Constituted | December 8, 1999 |
| Name change | December 15, 2020 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Hugues Grimard |
| • Federal riding | Richmond—Arthabaska |
| • Prov. riding | Richmond |
| Area | |
| • Town | 31.70 km2 (12.24 sq mi) |
| • Land | 30.25 km2 (11.68 sq mi) |
| Population (2021) | |
| • Town | 7,088 |
| • Density | 234.3/km2 (607/sq mi) |
| • Urban | 5,623 |
| • Pop 2016-2021 | 4.5% |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Postal code(s) | |
| Area code | 819 |
| Highways | R-249 R-255 |
| Website | valdessources |
At the 2021 census, 7,088 people resided in the town. It is situated in the centre of a square formed by the cities of Drummondville, Sherbrooke and Victoriaville, and the Nicolet River to the north. It is the site of the Jeffrey mine, which used to be the world's largest asbestos mine, which has long been the town's largest employer, and of the now-closed Magnola magnesium refinery. It was the site of the 1949 Asbestos strike.
Due to the negative connotations of the name Asbestos, discussions took place around whether the town should be renamed. A municipal referendum held in October 2020 selected the Val-des-Sources as the new name. The change came into effect on December 15, 2020.