Trisha Shetty (Editor)

Asbestos, Quebec

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Country
  
Canada

Time zone
  
EST (UTC−5)

Highways
  
Route 249 Route 255

Population
  
7,096 (2011)

Local time
  
Sunday 5:09 AM

Constituted
  
December 8, 1999

Postal code(s)
  
J1T

Area
  
31.7 km²

Province
  
Québec

Area code
  
819

Asbestos, Quebec wwwhotelroomsearchnetimcityasbestoscanada1jpg

Website
  
www.ville.asbestos.qc.ca

Weather
  
-1°C, Wind W at 29 km/h, 82% Humidity

RCM
  
Les Sources Regional County Municipality

Asbestos is a town in the Estrie region of southeastern Quebec, Canada on the Nicolet River. Asbestos is the seat of Les Sources Regional County Municipality, formerly known as the Asbestos Regional County Municipality. The town covers an area of 29.67 square kilometres (11.46 sq mi), including land acquired due to the merger of the City of Asbestos with the Municipality of Trois-Lacs on Dec 8, 1999.

Contents

Map of Asbestos, QC, Canada

At the 2011 census, 7,096 people resided in Asbestos. 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. It is the site of the Jeffrey mine, until recently the world's largest asbestos mine, which has long been the town's largest employer, and of the now-closed Magnola magnesium refinery. It was the site of the famous 1949 Asbestos Strike.

History of Asbestos, Quebec

During the 1960s, as the town was thriving, it could afford to expand and invest in its infrastructure and artistic patrimony. As such, it provided itself with a new modern town-hall, adorned with a grand mural in the main hallway by the artist Denis Juneau, as well as some ceramic pieces in the church by the famed ceramist Claude Vermette.

In late 2011, Canada's remaining two asbestos mines (both in the Province of Quebec), including the Jeffrey mine, halted operations. 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. In September 2012, before the loan funds were delivered, the Parti Québécois defeated the Quebec Liberal Party in the Quebec provincial election. The Parti Québécois followed through with an election promise to halt asbestos mining and to cancel the $58 million loan, and put funding toward economic diversification in the area.

References

Asbestos, Quebec Wikipedia