At Last, Asbestos, Quebec Has Officially Chosen A New Name

After a long and at-times tumultuous process, Asbestos, Quebec has officially unveiled its new name: Val-des-Sources.

The city shared the results of a public vote on Monday. 

Val-des-Sources received 51.5% of the vote after three rounds, according to a statement.

Editor's Choice: SNL's Bowen Yang Responded To The 'Uproar' After The Montreal Skit & Roasted Us Even More

2,796 Residents voted

48.2% of the eligible population cast a vote, the city said.

Mayor Hugues Grimard called the announcement a "historic moment."

"The council and I are proud to see that the process was able to rally the citizens."

But it wasn't without complications. The city had to scrap the first set of name options, which included Jeffrey and Apalone, a local species of turtle, after public backlash.

The statement explained that with a resolution from the municipal council, the legal name change process is already underway.

That resolution will now go to Quebec's Toponymy Commission, "which will have a maximum of 60 days to give its opinion on the chosen name."

"Once the notice has been received," the city said, "the municipality will forward its official name change request to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing," who will make a final decision.

In a Facebook post, the City of Asbestos says that the name Val-des-Sources represents both the landscape, including the water that flows from a local lake, and the "roots" of the settlement.

"Together we will be the source of the development of our city and the growing quality of our living environment."