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Val-des-Sources

Coordinates:45°46′N71°56′W/ 45.767°N 71.933°W/45.767; -71.933
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Val-des-Sources
Town
Coat of arms of Val-des-Sources
Coat of arms
Official logo of Val-des-Sources
Logo
Motto:
Non deserit alta
Location within Les Sources RCM.
Location within Les Sources RCM.
Val-des-Sources is located in Southern Quebec
Val-des-Sources
Val-des-Sources
Location in southern Quebec.
Coordinates:45°46′N71°56′W/ 45.767°N 71.933°W/45.767; -71.933[1]
CountryCanada
ProvinceQuebec
RegionEstrie
RCMLes Sources
ConstitutedDecember 8, 1999
Name change[2]December 15, 2020
Government
[3]
• MayorHugues Grimard
•Federal ridingRichmond—Arthabaska
•Prov. ridingRichmond
Area
[3][4]
•Town31.70 km2(12.24 sq mi)
• Land30.25 km2(11.68 sq mi)
Population
(2021)[4]
•Town7,088
• Density234.3/km2(607/sq mi)
•Urban
5,623
• Pop2016-2021
Increase4.5%
Time zoneUTC−5(EST)
• Summer (DST)UTC−4(EDT)
Postal code(s)
J1T
Area code819
HighwaysR-249
R-255
Websitevaldessources.ca
Canada's biggest power shovel loading anore trainwith asbestos at the Jeffrey Mine, Johns-Manville Co., Asbestos, Quebec, June 1944.
Dimensions of the mine in August 2011: width 2 km (1 mile), depth 370 metres (1200').

Val-des-Sources(French pronunciation:[val.de.suʁs]), meaning "Valley of the Springs", formerly known asAsbestos(pronounced[asbɛstɔs]), is atownon theNicolet Riverin theEstrie(Eastern Townships) region of southeasternQuebec,Canada.[5]The town is the seat ofLes 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 theCity of Asbestoswith the Municipality of Trois-Lacs on December 8, 1999.

At the2021 census,7,088 people resided in the town. It is situated in the centre of a square formed by the cities ofDrummondville,SherbrookeandVictoriaville,and the Nicolet River to the north.

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.[6]The change came into effect on December 15, 2020.[2]

History

[edit]

The town was the site of the 1949Asbestos strike.

The town is near to the site of the Jeffrey mine, which used to be the world's largestasbestosmine,[7]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 artistDenis Juneau,as well as some ceramic pieces in the church by famed ceramistClaude Vermette.

In 2000 the Magnolamagnesiumrefinery began operation. The project was the brainchild ofNoranda Inc,to repurpose waste asbestos tailings a proprietaryelectrolyticprocess.[8]By 2011 it had been shuttered.[9]

In late 2011, one of the last two remaining asbestos mines in Canada, the Jeffrey mine, halted operations.[10]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.[11]In September 2012, before the loan funds were delivered, theParti Québécoisdefeated theQuebec Liberal Partyin theQuebec 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.[12][13]

Name change

[edit]

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;[14]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 asamianterather thanasbestosin French, its residents do not typically associate the town's name with the stigma around the mineral.[15]

A name change plan was approved by the municipal council in November 2019, with the new name chosen by a public poll.[16]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.[17]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.[18]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.[19]In Quebec, a municipal name change must be proposed to theCommission de toponymie du Québecand then approved by theMinistry of Municipal Affairs and Housingbefore it takes effect,[20]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, andCanada Postrequired until April 19, 2021 to complete the necessary changes in its postal addressing system.[21]

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.[22]MinisterAndrée Laforestrejected the petition and approved the name change,[21]which came into effect on December 15, 2020.[2]

Places of interest

[edit]

Close to downtown Val-des-Sources, outdoor enthusiasts can take advantage of theTrois Lacsresort, thegolfclub or the cycle path. Also, the Festival des Gourmands is the main festive event in the city. Music is a big part of the city thanks to the Harmonie d'Asbestos, an institution long recognized throughout the region during the years 1945-60 and the Camp musical d'Asbestos, which welcomes young musicians from all over Quebec.

Economy

[edit]

Transportation

[edit]

The two most important roads entering Val-des-Sources areRoad 249,connecting Val-des Sources toMagog,viaSherbrookeandRoad 255connectingBaie-du-FebvretoBurywhile passing through Val-des-Sources andSaint-Cyrille-de-Wendover.

Municipal government

[edit]

In the 2021 municipal elections, Hugues Grimard was reelected unopposed as mayor of Val-des-Sources. Grimard was initially elected in 2009, defeating the incumbent mayor Jean-Philippe Bachand with 52% of the votes. Bachand tried unsuccessfully to unseat Grimard and regain his former seat in the 2013 election but Grimard was re-elected with 60% of the votes. In the 2017 elections, Bachand finally return to city council by winning a seat as a councillor but he was unseated in 2021 when Isabelle Forcier won his councillor seat with 60% of the votes.[23][24]

Current Government[when?]

Mayor: Hugues Grimard

Councillors:

  1. Isabelle Forcier
  2. Andréanne Ladouceur
  3. René Lachance
  4. Caroline Prayer
  5. Jean Roy
  6. Pierre Benoit

Demographics

[edit]
Historical populations
YearPop.±%
19966,793—
20016,580−3.1%
20066,819+3.6%
20117,096+4.1%
20166,786−4.4%
20217,088+4.5%
[25]

In the2021 Census of Populationconducted byStatistics Canada,Val-des-Sources had a population of7,088living in3,460of its3,691total private dwellings, a change of4.5% from its 2016 population of6,786.With a land area of 30.25 km2(11.68 sq mi), it had a population density of234.3/km2(606.9/sq mi) in 2021.[26]

Canada census – Val-des-Sources community profile
2011
Population7,096 (+4.1% from 2006)
Land area29.67 km2(11.46 sq mi)
Population density239.1/km2(619/sq mi)
Median age51.1 (M: 48.4, F: 53.5)
Private dwellings3,467 (total)
Median household income$36,994
Notes: Population in 1996: 6,793[27](+4.7% from 1991) - Population in 1991: 6,487[27]
Includescorrections and updates for 1996.
References: 2011[28]earlier[29][30]

Religion (2001)[31]

Religion Population Percentage % (of total in Quebec)
Catholic 6,135 95.5% 0.10%
No religious affiliation 210 3.3% 0.05%
Protestant 65 1.0% 0.02%
Buddhist 10 0.2% 0.02%
Canada 2016 Census Population % of Total Population
Visible minoritygroup
Source:[32]
Black 35 0.5
Filipino 10 0.2
Latin American 20 0.3
Arab 10 0.2
Total visible minority population 75 1.2
Aboriginalgroup
Source:[32]		 First Nations 210 3.3
Métis 10 0.2
Inuit 0 0
Total Aboriginal population 220 3.4
White 6,115 95.4
Total population 6,410 100

In terms ofmother tongue,the2016 censusfound that, including multiple responses, almost 98% of residents spokeFrench,and about 2% of residents spokeEnglish.The next most commonly reported first languages learned wereSpanish,ArabicandGerman.[33]

Mother Tongue Population (2011) Percentage (2011) Population (2016) Percentage (2016)
French 6,775 97.3% 6,505 97.2%
English 115 1.7% 90 1.3%
English and French 40 0.6% 40 0.6%
French and a non-official language 5 0.1% 0 0.0%
English, French and a non-official language 5 0.1% 5 0.1%
Arabic 5 0.1% 10 0.1%
German 5 0.1% 10 0.1%
Portuguese 5 0.1% 0 0.0%
Slovak 5 0.1% 0 0.0%
Spanish 5 0.1% 15 0.1%
Tagalog 0 0.0% 5 0.1%
Polish 0 0.0% 5 0.1%
Ukrainian 0 0.0% 5 0.1%
Italian 0 0.0% 5 0.1%
Mandarin 0 0.0% 5 0.1%
Canada Census Mother Tongue - Val-des-Sources, Quebec[25]
Census Total
French
English
French & English
Other
Year Responses Count Trend Pop % Count Trend Pop % Count Trend Pop % Count Trend Pop %
2011
6,955
 6,775 Increase4.9% 97.41% 115 Increase43.8% 1.65% 40 Increase60.0% 0.58% 25 Decrease73.7% 0.36%
2006
6,660
 6,460 Increase2.1% 97.00% 80 Decrease11.1% 1.20% 25 Increase150.0% 0.38% 95 Increase850.0% 1.43%
2001
6,435
 6,325 Increase5.8% 98.29% 90 Increase5.9% 1.40% 10 Increasen/a% 0.16% 10 Decrease66.7% 0.16%
1996
6,095
 5,980 n/a 98.11% 85 n/a 1.39% 0 n/a 0.00% 30 n/a 0.49%

Notable people from Val-des-Sources

[edit]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^"Banque de noms de lieux du Québec:Reference number 2261 ".toponymie.gouv.qc.ca(in French).Commission de toponymie du Québec.
  2. ^abc"Interim List of Changes to Municipal Boundaries, Status and Names: From January 2nd, 2016 to January 1st, 2021"(PDF).Statistics Canada.November 21, 2021. p. 35.RetrievedDecember 5,2021.
  3. ^ab"Répertoire des municipalités:Geographic code 40043 ".www.mamh.gouv.qc.ca(in French). Ministère des Affaires municipales et de l'Habitation.
  4. ^ab"Data table, Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population - Val-des-Sources, Ville (V) [Census subdivision], Quebec;Asbestos [Population centre], Quebec".9 February 2022.
  5. ^"Asbestos" inThe New Encyclopædia Britannica.Chicago:Encyclopædia Britannica Inc.,15th edn., 1992, Vol. 1, p. 613.
  6. ^"Quebec town of Asbestos votes to change name to Val des Sources".CityNews,October 19, 2020.
  7. ^Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration (U.S.) (March 5, 2006).Industrial minerals & rocks: commodities, markets, and uses.p. 196.ISBN978-0-87335-233-8.{{cite book}}:CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  8. ^Ayres, John (2000)."Canadian Perspective on SF6 Management from Magnesium Industry"(PDF).Environment Canada.
  9. ^Creber, D.; Davis, B.; Kashani-Nejad, S. (2011). "Magnesium Metal Production in Canada". In Kapusta, Joël; Mackey, Phillip; Stubina, Nathan (eds.).The Canadian Metallurgical & Materials Landscape 1960 - 2011.Canadian Institute of Metallurgy.
  10. ^"Asbestos mining stops for first time in 130 years".RetrievedFebruary 6,2017.
  11. ^"Asbestos mine reboot with Quebec cash sparks criticism".April 14, 2014.RetrievedFebruary 6,2017.
  12. ^Quebec Budget: Finance Minister Nicolas Marceau tightens spending, levies new taxesArchivedNovember 29, 2012, at theWayback Machine
  13. ^"Canada won't oppose asbestos limits".RetrievedFebruary 6,2017.
  14. ^"Five years after asbestos mine closure, Quebec town seeks new identity".The Globe and Mail,August 25, 2016.
  15. ^Amy Luft,"Tired of being linked to toxic substance, the Quebec town of Asbestos is changing its name".CTV News Montreal,November 27, 2019.
  16. ^Olson, Isaac (November 27, 2019)."Town of Asbestos, Que., changing its name".CBC News.RetrievedNovember 28,2019.
  17. ^Lowrie, Morgan (September 18, 2020)."Asbestos halts name change process after residents say they hate the alternatives".Montreal Gazette. Canadian Press.Retrieved18 October2020.
  18. ^Leavitt, Sarah (October 18, 2020)."Set to be renamed, Asbestos, Que., grapples with history, identity".CBC News.RetrievedOctober 18,2020.
  19. ^Jérémy Bernier,"Asbestos devient Val-des-Sources".Le Journal de Québec,October 19, 2020.
  20. ^"Town of Asbestos chooses new name: Val-des-Sources".Montreal Gazette,October 20, 2020.
  21. ^ab"Town of Asbestos officially renamed to Val-Des-Sources".CTV News Montreal,December 17, 2020.
  22. ^Michel Saba,"Citizens had 'illusory power' in renaming, says man behind Asbestos petition".Montreal Gazette,October 22, 2020.
  23. ^"Hugues Grimard sollicitera un quatrième mandat à la mairie de Val-des-Sources".23 May 2021.
  24. ^"Jean-Philippe Bachand sollicitera de nouveau la confiance des électeurs de Val-des-Sources".
  25. ^abStatistics Canada:1996,2001,2006,2011census
  26. ^"Population and dwelling counts: Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), Quebec".Statistics Canada.February 9, 2022.RetrievedAugust 29,2022.
  27. ^ab"Electronic Area Profiles".Canada 1996 Census.Statistics Canada.RetrievedMay 11,2013.
  28. ^"2011 Community Profiles".2011 Canadian census.Statistics Canada. March 21, 2019.RetrievedJanuary 28,2014.
  29. ^"2006 Community Profiles".2006 Canadian census.Statistics Canada. August 20, 2019.
  30. ^"2001 Community Profiles".2001 Canadian census.Statistics Canada. July 18, 2021.
  31. ^Canada. 2002. 2001 Community Profiles. Released June 27, 2002.
  32. ^ab"Asbestos, Quebec (City) Census Subdivision".Community Profiles,Canada 2016 Census.Statistics Canada. 8 February 2017.
  33. ^"Asbestos, V".Detailed Mother Tongue (103), Knowledge of Official Languages (5), Age Groups (17A) and Sex (3) for the Population of Canada, Provinces, Territories, Census Divisions and Census Subdivisions, 2006 Census - 20% Sample Data.Statistics Canada. 2017-11-29.Retrieved2022-05-11.
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