Val-des-Sources | |
|---|---|
 Scene from Val-des-Sources | |
 Coat of arms  Logo | |
| Motto: Non deserit alta | |
 Location within Les Sources RCM. | |
  Val-des-Sources Location in southern Quebec | |
| Coordinates:45°46′N71°56′W / 45.767°N 71.933°W /45.767; -71.933[1] | |
| Country |  Canada |
| Province |  Quebec |
| Region | Estrie |
| RCM | Les Sources |
| Constituted | December 8, 1999 |
| Name change[2] | December 15, 2020 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Hugues Grimard |
| • Federal riding | Richmond—Arthabaska |
| • Prov. riding | Richmond |
| Area | |
• Town | 31.70 km2 (12.24 sq mi) |
| • Land | 30.25 km2 (11.68 sq mi) |
| Population (2021)[4] | |
• Town | 7,088 |
| • Density | 234.3/km2 (607/sq mi) |
| • Urban | 5,623 |
| • Pop 2016-2021 |  4.5% |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Postal code(s) | |
| Area code | 819 |
| Highways |  R-249 R-255 |
| Website | valdessources |
Val-des-Sources (French pronunciation:[valdesuʁs]), meaning "Valley of the Springs", formerly known asAsbestos (pronounced[asbɛstɔs]), is atown on theNicolet River in 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 (11.68 mi2), including land acquired due to the merger of the City of Asbestos with 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,Sherbrooke andVictoriaville, 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]
The environs were not favourable for agriculture but the town grew around theJeffrey Mine, named afterWilliam Henry Jeffrey. The mine was the world’s largest source of asbestos and its dominant employer. It expanded so extensively over the decades that it physically encroached upon and reshaped the surrounding streets, neighbourhoods, and infrastructure.[7][8][9][10]
The town was the site of the 1949Asbestos strike.
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 Magnolamagnesium refinery began operation. The project was the brainchild ofNoranda Inc, to repurpose waste asbestos tailings a proprietaryelectrolytic process.[11] By 2011 it had been shuttered.[12]
In summer of 2011, mayor Christian Lefrançois authorized the construction of two new asbestos mines, including at the infamous Jeffrey mine, known for its effects on the local residents’ health. However, in late 2011, the mine halted operations.[13] 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.[14] Before the loan funds were delivered, theParti Québécois defeated theQuebec Liberal Party in the September 2012Quebec provincial election. The Parti Québécois followed through with an election promise to halt asbestos mining, cancel the loan, and fund economic diversification in the area.[15][16]
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;[17] however, past proposals often failed, with people involved in the debate noting, since the mineral is referred to asamiante rather thanasbestos in French, its predominantly Francophone residents do not typically associate the town's name with the stigma around the mineral.[18]
A name change plan was approved by the municipal council in November 2019, with the new name chosen by a public poll.[19] 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.[20] The choices were not well received, and more names were added to the list. A 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.[21] The referendum results were announced on October 19, 2020. 51.5% of voters chose the name Val-des-Sources in the third round of apreferential ballot.[22] In Quebec, a municipal name change must be proposed to theCommission de toponymie du Québec and then approved by theMinistry of Municipal Affairs and Housing before it takes effect,[23] 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 Post required until April 19, 2021, to complete the necessary changes in its postal addressing system.[24]
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.[25] MinisterAndrée Laforest rejected the petition and approved the name change,[24] which came into effect on December 15, 2020.[2]
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1901 | 783 | — |
| 1911 | 2,224 | +184.0% |
| 1921 | 2,189 | −1.6% |
| 1931 | 4,396 | +100.8% |
| 1941 | 5,711 | +29.9% |
| 1951 | 8,190 | +43.4% |
| 1956 | 8,969 | +9.5% |
| 1961 | 11,083 | +23.6% |
| 1966 | 10,534 | −5.0% |
| 1971 | 10,254 | −2.7% |
| 1976 | 9,075 | −11.5% |
| 1981 | 7,967 | −12.2% |
| 1986 | 6,961 | −12.6% |
| 1991 | 6,487 | −6.8% |
| 1996 | 6,271 | −3.3% |
| 2001 | 6,580 | +4.9% |
| 2006 | 6,819 | +3.6% |
| 2011 | 7,096 | +4.1% |
| 2016 | 6,786 | −4.4% |
| 2021 | 7,088 | +4.5% |
| [26] | ||
In the2021 Census of Population conducted byStatistics Canada, Val-des-Sources had a population of7,088 living in3,460 of its3,691 total 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.[27]
| 2021 | 2016 | 2011 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 7.088 (+4.5% from 2016) | 6,786 (-4.4% from 2011) | 7,096 (+4.1% from 2006) |
| Land area | 30.25 km2 (11.68 sq mi) | 30.41 km2 (11.74 sq mi) | 29.67 km2 (11.46 sq mi) |
| Population density | 234.3/km2 (607/sq mi) | 223.1/km2 (578/sq mi) | 239.1/km2 (619/sq mi) |
| Median age | 55.2 (M: 52.4, F: 57.6) | 54.0 (M: 51.8, F: 56.2) | 51.1 (M: 48.4, F: 53.5) |
| Private dwellings | 3,691 (total) | 3,503 (total) | 3,467 (total) |
| Median household income | $48,000 | $41,301 | $36,994 |
Religion (2021)[32]
| Religion | Population | Percentage | % (of total in Quebec) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Catholic | 4,970 | 74.3% | 0.11% |
| No religious affiliation | 1,285 | 19.2% | 0.06% |
| Protestant | 110 | 1.6% | 0.40% |
| Muslim | 25 | 0.4% | 0.006% |
| Canada 2021 Census | Population | % of Total Population | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visible minority group Source:[33] | |||
| Latin American | 50 | 0.7 | |
| Arab | 25 | 0.4 | |
| Chinese | 15 | 0.2 | |
| South Asian | 10 | 0.1 | |
| Total visible minority population | 125 | 1.9 | |
| Indigenous group Source:[33] | First Nations | 95 | 1.4 |
| Métis | 50 | 0.7 | |
| Total Aboriginal population | 145 | 2.2 | |
| White | 6,425 | 96.0 | |
| Total population | 6,695 | 100 | |
In terms ofmother tongue, the2021 census found that, including multiple responses, almost 97% of residents spokeFrench, and about 3% of residents spokeEnglish. The next most commonly reported first languages learned wereSpanish,Arabic andItalian.[34]
| Mother Tongue | Population (2016) | Percentage (2016) | Population (2021) | Percentage (2021) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| French | 6,505 | 97.2% | 6,650 | 96.1% |
| English | 90 | 1.3% | 140 | 2.0% |
| English and French | 40 | 0.6% | 60 | 0.9% |
| English, French and a non-official language | 5 | 0.1% | 5 | 0.1% |
| French and a non-official language | 0 | 0.0% | 5 | 0.1% |
| Multiple non-official languages | 0 | 0.0% | 5 | 0.1% |
| Spanish | 15 | 0.1% | 25 | 0.4% |
| Arabic | 10 | 0.1% | 5 | 0.1% |
| German | 10 | 0.1% | 5 | 0.1% |
| Italian | 5 | 0.1% | 5 | 0.1% |
| Mandarin | 5 | 0.1% | 5 | 0.1% |
| Tagalog | 5 | 0.1% | 0 | 0.0% |
| Polish | 5 | 0.1% | 0 | 0.0% |
| Ukrainian | 5 | 0.1% | 0 | 0.0% |
| Canada Census Mother Tongue - Val-des-Sources, Quebec[26] | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Total | French | English | French & English | Other | |||||||||||||
| Year | Responses | Count | Trend | Pop % | Count | Trend | Pop % | Count | Trend | Pop % | Count | Trend | Pop % | |||||
| 2021 | 6,920 | 6,650 | 2.2% | 96.1% | 140 | 55.6% | 2.0% | 60 | 20.0% | 0.9% | 55 | 22.2% | 0.8% | |||||
| 2016 | 6,695 | 6,505 |  4.0% | 97.2% | 90 | 21.7% | 1.3% | 40 |  0.0% | 0.6% | 45 | 80.0% | 0.7% | |||||
| 2011 | 6,955 | 6,775 | 4.9% | 97.4% | 115 | 43.8% | 1.7% | 40 | 60.0% | 0.6% | 25 | 73.7% | 0.4% | |||||
| 2006 | 6,660 | 6,460 | 2.1% | 97.0% | 80 | 11.1% | 1.2% | 25 | 150.0% | 0.4% | 95 | 850.0% | 1.4% | |||||
| 2001 | 6,435 | 6,325 | 5.8% | 98.3% | 90 | 5.9% | 1.4% | 10 | n/a% | 0.2% | 10 | 66.7% | 0.2% | |||||
| 1996 | 6,095 | 5,980 | n/a | 98.1% | 85 | n/a | 1.4% | 0 | n/a | 0.0% | 30 | n/a | 0.5% | |||||
The two most important roads entering Val-des-Sources areRoad 249, connecting Val-des Sources toMagog, viaSherbrooke andRoad 255 connectingBaie-du-Febvre toBury while passing through Val-des-Sources andSaint-Cyrille-de-Wendover.
Close to downtown Val-des-Sources, outdoor enthusiasts can take advantage of theTrois Lacs resort, thegolf club 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.
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.[35][36]
Current Government[when?]
Mayor: Hugues Grimard
Councillors:
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
Adjacent Municipal Subdivisions | |
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| Subdivisions ofLes Sources Regional County Municipality | |
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| Cities | |
| Municipalities | |
| Townships | |
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| International | |
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| National | |
| Geographic | |
