Asbestos chooses new ‘inspiring’ name

TORONTO: Residents of the town of Asbestos in the Canadian province of Quebec have voted to rename their community in a move to distance it from the onceubiquitous mineral now recognised as being extremely poisonous and linked to lung and other cancers.

The town, formerly home to one of the world’s largest asbestos mines, voted 51.5% in favour of changing its name to Valdes-Sources over five other options, according to results announced yesterday from a fourday referendum.

‘‘It’s a name that represents our area and, especially, it’s inspiring for the future,’’ the town’s mayor, Hugues Grimard, said yesterday.

The new name, which translates to ‘‘valley of the sources’’ in English, refers to the community’s location at the confluence of three lakes and represents ‘‘the fusion of our history and our roots’’, according to the town’s description.

Residents of Asbestos, 150km east of Montreal and home to about 7000 people, concluded the balloting on Monday, in which anyone over the age of 14 was allowed to vote, the town said.

Mr Grimard said he hoped the new name would be made official before December.

The town was built in the late 1870s after the discovery of a deposit of asbestos nearby led to the creation of the mine.

Asbestos was for years considered essential as fireproof insulation, among other uses in construction.

But by the early 1970s, asbestos was widely recognised as the primary cause of mesothelioma among workers involved in producing it and in industries that used it in their products.

The mine in Asbestos ceased operations in 2011.

‘‘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,’’ former mayor Louise MoisanCoulombe said. — Reuters