Asbestos, Quebec Revealed New Name Options After Residents Roasted The Last Batch

Hard to imagine there were less popular names than Asbestos.
Senior Editor

An infamous Quebec city is giving its name change process another go after residents ridiculed its first batch of suggestions. Asbestos, Quebec revealed four new name options on Friday morning: L’Azur-des-Cantons, Jeffrey-sur-le-Lac, Larochelle, and Val-des-Sources.

They join Phénix and Trois-Lacs, which made the cut from the first proposals, as the list of six finalists.

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It was important for the municipal council to listen to the population, which is why we quickly got back on the drawing board.

Hugues Grimard, Mayor of Asbestos

The city ditched the more dubious choices of Jeffrey and Abalone, the name of a local turtle species.

In a Facebook post, Mayor Hugues Grimard said the city selected these new names using "focus groups with citizens of various backgrounds and ages to test the population's pulse on certain names."

"Some names from the original list have been retained, some have been changed and some new ones have been added, so I'm confident that everyone will benefit," he added.

The city stated it's aware that the names won't receive unanimous approval. It's also hoping for more "respectful" discussions this time around.

Asbestos residents will now select the new name through a novel "vote by car" system at the local Connie-Dion Arena between October 14 to 18.

  • Thomas MacDonald
  • Senior Editor

    Thomas MacDonald was the Senior Editor of MTL Blog. He received a B.A. with honours from McGill University in 2018 and worked as a Writer and Associate Editor before entering his current role. He is proud to lead the MTL Blog team and to provide its readers with the information they need to make the most of their city.

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