Asbestos in Quebec Shortlists Four New Names to Get Fresh Start
- Residents from age 14 will rank monikers in October vote
- Town wants to shake off deadly mineral image, lure investments
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The town of Asbestos, Quebec, stopped mining the deadly mineral it’s named after several years ago. Now it’s preparing to shed the name itself.
At a meeting Monday evening, the town’s council presented residents with four choices ahead of a vote next month. The options, narrowed down from 1,000 suggestions, range from the last name of the mine’s first operator, Jeffrey, to a turtle species, Apalone. They also include Phénix, a reference to the mythical bird, and Trois-Lacs, a neighborhood of Asbestos.