Val-des-Sources

Val-des-Sources (French pronunciation: [val de suʁs]), meaning "Valley of the Springs", formerly known as Asbestos (pronounced [asbɛstɔs]), is a town on the Nicolet River in the Estrie (Eastern Townships) region of southeastern Quebec, Canada. The town is the seat of Les 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 the 2021 census, 7,088 people resided in the town. It is situated in the centre of a square formed by the cities of Drummondville, Sherbrooke and Victoriaville, 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 Val-des-Sources as the new name. The change came into effect on December 15, 2020.