A Town Called Asbestos

In Quebec, Canada, there's a town called Asbestos. It's an alarming name, one that conjures up images of lung disease and mesothelioma. So why haven't they changed it? [Update, October 2020: they've changed it! It's now Val-Des-Sources. www.npr.org/20... ]
Dr Jessica van Horssen's book, "A Town Called Asbestos", was invaluable for my research. Its ISBN is 9780774828420, and it can be ordered from most libraries and bookstores.
Her five-part KZbin series starts here: • EHTV Episode06: A Town...
The Story of Asbestos (1922): archive.org/de...
According to Plan: The Story of Modern Sidewalls for the Homes of America (1952): archive.org/de...
The Gruen Transfer: How To Sell Asbestos, Canada: • How to sell Asbestos, ...
USGS public domain microscopy of asbestos: usgsprobe.cr.u...
The Canadian parliament quote is an official Hansard translation from the original French: www.collections...
🟥 MORE FROM TOM: www.tomscott.com/
(you can find contact details and social links there too)
📰 WEEKLY NEWSLETTER with good stuff from the rest of the internet: www.tomscott.c...
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👥 THE TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES: / techdif

[@mr.boppin1200]

"No one from the town wants to talk to me," relatable

[@h4724-q6j]

No one from the planet wants to talk to me.

[@agenthambo]

No one from the galaxy wants to talk to me.

[@bonecanoe86]

They're just being French

[@theotherwalt]

No, that is how people from Quebec behave, they ignore English speakers.

[@Sammie1053]

Is that a goddamn Oney Plays reference I see

[@rawb]

The empathy and thought that went into this small video is fantastic Tom.

[@cbum76]

Ok

[@anders7416]

@@cbum76 ok

[@VoidHeart1]

@@anders7416 ok

[@Gusttafa]

c-c-c-combo breaker

[@test-cp8uz]

@@Gusttafa ok

[@jmcbresilfr]

UPDATE: The town of Asbestos just changed its name for Val-des-Sources.

[@StevenRides]

Glad I'm not the only one who thought to tell him. Also posted the video on CBC's article.

[@jmcbresilfr]

@@StevenRides I felt a responsibility to do it since me saying that will never happen is one of the top comment... Oups!

[@johnprocrastinator]

Interesting

[@QqJcrsStbt]

Careful! The population have voted for a new name by a narrow margin (51.5%)., on or about 19/10/20. The Name is not official until a higher regional/state authority approves the change which may not be until nearer the end of the year. It remains Asbestos until then.

[@daydodog]

@@QqJcrsStbt provincial, the word is provincial

[@Vanspecial]

An update: on October 19th, 2020 the townspeople of Asbestos voted 51.5 % (after three rounds) in favour of changing the towns name to Val-de-Sources. Now the town council will propose to the Quebec government for approval.

[@gam3rmom3nt3]

Goodbye

[@kourii]

*Val-des-Sources, that is

[@theredeyther7502]

There’s a Russian town called Asbestos, they still mine it there and there’s no sign of it stopping.

[@andrzejszafran9128]

Really? Interesting.

[@Brainless420]

@@andrzejszafran9128 And they sell most of it to china.. Health isnt such a hassle over there :D

[@kabhes9040]

@@Brainless420 hopefully it doesn't end up in their products

[@kabhes9040]

@Max Smith problem is we buy their products.

[@tinglydingle]

@Max Smith lots of stuff is "literally radioactive" but it doesn't mean it's dangerous.

[@lucianolizana446]

I really love how that ''O'' in Asbestos is like a happy rainbow

[@abyssstrider2547]

It looks like the pictures app icon on Android

[@abyssstrider2547]

Well its called a gallery but whatever

[@BingQilin]

it looks like the mac loading icon aka the "pinwheel of doom"

[@DisturbedVette]

Edin743 you seem like you’re too young to have a KZbin account

[@Preinstallable]

Its because if you or a loved one was diagnosed with Mesothelioma you may be entitled to financial compensation. Mesothelioma is a rare cancer linked to asbestos exposure. Exposure to asbestos in the Navy, shipyards, mills, heating, construction or the automotive industries may put you at risk. Please don't wait, call 1-800-99 LAW USA today for a free legal consultation and financial information packet. Mesothelioma patients call now! 1-800-99 LAW USA

[@pylthescientist]

I'm from Quebec and I must add that another reason for not changing the name is that we simply speak French. For many of us, the word asbestos means nothing. The French word for it is Amiante. Although the whole region is named L'amiante

[@FOLIPE]

Asbestos is amianto?! Well, I just learned something. I was watching the video completely unaware of why the city's name would be at all weird.

[@Mykasan]

still most of us do learn what it means :P

[@sion8]

Now, I have to look up what asbestos is in Spanish, because I have only heard of asbestos in English. *EDIT* It can go by both _asbesto_ (without the final ‹S›) and _amianto_ in Spanish.

[@tam-eremaime6299]

Bin tabarnack

[@bloomingiris]

Je suis complètement d’accord avec toi, c’est très sensé. Asbestos n’est rien de plus que le nom d’une ville pour la plupart des gens que je connais

[@MisterAppleEsq]

This totally got me. I saw the title and expected an interesting look at a town with a strange name. And I got that, but also an even more interesting look on people reporting on the town with the strange name. One of my favourite Tom Scott videos in a while.

[@FloydBunsen]

hello again!

[@lubostankosky736]

Well, my own opinion is... the video wasn't that great... obviously the quality is amazing, but something with the content makes me feel not satisfied... i don't know.

[@MisterAppleEsq]

+Floyd Bunsen Hello!

[@JanneSala]

Some people use the phrase "you're everywhere" lightly, I don't. You're everywhere.

[@earthbjornnahkaimurrao9542]

well who will report on the people reporting on the town?!?!?!?!?

[@nakenmil]

On the other hand, the town of Hell in Norway is a really nice place!

[@youkofoxy]

except when rains, or clime happens. otherwise is really a nice town, to bad it is featured in 72 dangerous place to live. but hey, so is any town below sea level or near a body of water.

[@nakenmil]

If you can't handle rain, you shouldn't travel to Norway.

[@catatonicbug7522]

There's a Hell in Michigan too. It freezes over regularly.

[@Blue-Maned_Hawk]

There's also Hell, Michigan, which like most of michigan regularly freezes over.

[@n3rdy11]

Putting a visit one of these Hell's on by bucket-list, just for bragging rights

[@Nijht]

I mean absolutely no exaggeration when I say that I believe the world would be a better place if more people were more like you, Tom. No one has foresight, but the hindsight in this video and your presentation on many other topics shows that you carry a great sense of respect towards all of the places you visit, people you talk with, and things you discover. Keep enlightening us all, one bit (or byte) at a time.

[@GameRevo]

A surprisingly meta video from you this time. The respect I have for you now is through the roof.

[@naughtiusmaximus789]

Game Revo wait, is Tom diagnosed with cancer!?! 😱

[@roderickwhitehead]

Game Revo - I could not have said it any better. Immediately after watching, the words "meta video" were in my head as well.

[@Ozzianman]

Naughtius Maximus wat

[@naughtiusmaximus789]

TheNekOz I thought that the _"meta"_ element is supposed to be that Tom got lung cancer or something from asbestos especially since OP congratulates him since it has increased his/her respect for him 😅😅😅

[@NipunChamikaraWeerasiri]

Naughtius Maximus 😂😂😂😂

[@y_fam_goeglyd]

My nextdoor neighbour died of "the dust" (pneumoconiosis) when I and his youngest son were 6, he wasn't the only one. Yet our village and the neighbouring ones mourned the death of the mines. I feel for the people of Asbestos - I get it. It's not easy for someone brought up outside a similar situation. Thanks for your sympathetic report, I'll bet they will appreciate it too.

[@AtmosPres]

No, you must act like a real human and say Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanioconiosis

[@MURDERPILLOW.]

​​@@AtmosPres what the hell?

[@AtmosPres]

@@MURDERPILLOW. pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis

[@techno1561]

@@AtmosPres On the other hand, it has nothing to do with volcanic dust, this is something else entirely.

[@AtmosPres]

@@techno1561 please correct me if im wrong, but pneumoconiosis is a synonym of pneumonocoltramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis

[@12799MaDeuce]

Aside from the "tourism" attention [for lack of a better term] , and the fact that it's such a huge part of their history, I think one could also argue that keeping the town's name and thus garnering attention helps keep alive the memory of this massive industrial f-up. We have a nasty habit of forgetting stuff like that.

[@pluto8404]

12799MaDeuce why was it an f-up? There was great benefit from asbestos. The industrial and economic benefits may have been alot greater than the cost.

[@pendlera2959]

It was an F-up because once they found it was harmful, they hid and denied it. Scary to think about what other miracle technologies are harming us right now that are being hidden from us. If you wonder why there are so many anti-science conspiracy nuts: things like this are what drive them into it.

[@jaihayes9647]

It's still an f-up. If they were making a new material these days they would have to test it for how dangerous it is as well. Back then there would be one check box "Does it resist fire" in which they were like, yep. It caused more damage than it's worth

[@pluto8404]

Jai Hayes think about how many schools would have been closed, never built, or burned down if they didnt have this. Then think about those school kids that went on to be doctors and such, and saved lives. I dont think it is black and white.

[@jaihayes9647]

Pulto Albsolutely not black and white no. But you gotta acknowledge all of the kids who would've also died because of the asbestos. Not to mention that better non lethal forms of fire prevention would've been delayed in their creation because we already had "Perfectly Good" insulation. It managed to take lives as well as save them, which is not something the creators were intending on, which makes an f-up overall imo

[@misterorangejuice5517]

Anything Australian: * is mentioned * Australians: ʸᵃʸ

[@dat581]

Unfortunately Wil Anderson is one of the biggest wankers we have down here. A very unfunny comedian with no shame.

[@willmoldrich6272]

@@dat581 Definitely not the biggest.

[@TheElvisnator]

*ʎɐʎ

[@johnmanthorpe4640]

@@dat581 none of our comedians are any good

[@masansr]

@@johnmanthorpe4640 Adam Hills? Tim Minchin? Probably a few others I've forgotten.

[@nicflatterie7772]

Thanks for understanding and presenting their perspective. I have relatives that lived there (and died of amiantose). It was indeed their lives for generations. Well done on your part. Merci, from Québec.

[@TomScottGo]

Pull down the description for all the references and sources I used in this video! And do research the history of Canada and asbestos; there's some quite dark decisions made there. [Update, October 2020: the name has been changed, it's now Val-Des-Sources! www.npr.org/2020/10/20/925820680/the-town-of-asbestos-quebec-chooses-a-new-less-hazardous-name ]

[@skyeplaysgames6734]

Hopper Daddy private playlist for patreons

[@unstablepc5913]

I really appreciate that you shared your references! More KZbinrs need to start doing the same.

[@TheSpaghettiKnight]

why does it say this was posted a week ago?

[@nands4410]

TheSpaghettiKnight it was uploaded a week ago and made public today

[@hollytaylor932]

When you were at York Uni, did people still chant "Derwent has asbestos"?

[@LazerLord10]

Yeah, my highschool had asbestos ceiling tiles. They didn't help much with insulation as it got up to 85F regularly inside, but yeah. That building is gone now.

[@Cassandria]

LazerLord10 my high school still has asbestos. they can’t afford to destroy the building and it doesn’t even have air conditioning.

[@momouppa]

Skylar Pcola Plenty of asbestos building mate I wouldn't worry, just dangerous when it breaks.

[@slome815]

It was used for just about anything. Many roofs here used to have corrugated asbestos plates. It doesn't matter that much, unless you have to cut a hole in it for a new chimney or something like that. As long as it's bound it's safe.

[@richardemms3050]

Quite often asbestos in old buildings is 'contained'. They keep it in place and protect it and document where it is, so anyone who does any work on the building has to check whether their work will disturb it. Especially when there is nothing that will give the same fire protection.

[@danearl8328]

But no fires and the heat was punishment.

[@patrickhanft]

What a great twist and deep second layer your video has here. I think it is a great observation and shows a lot of empathy to appreciate the perspective of those who lived and worked there and what the history of their town means to them. Great video, thank you!

[@RideAlongside]

Patrick Hanft I agree. Well done Tom.

[@HansderWahre]

I had something like this in mind but couldnt find the right words. Bu you did. thums up.

[@eric45]

It means alot to us this is true. It's to bad he wasn't there for the festival des gourment in late June

[@bruceboa6384]

+

[@Zorro9129]

I wasn't expecting such a respectful overview. Thank you for covering this fairly.

[@Jabersson]

I know this is 2 years late but I just wanna say I had grandparents who lived in Asbestos and I frequently visited the town. In all my time there, seeing the mine and visiting museums, it had never occurred to me why people didn't change the name or why it was bad. This video paints an unfortunate truth about the town, that even I never picked up on in all my years at the place, and it leaves me feeling sort of bittersweet. I guess you really gotta see things from an outside perspective sometimes... Good video though!

[@mercster]

You mean inside.

[@elrichjr301]

Over here, in Belarus (basically Russia, but smaller and more communist), we have a city, where potassium salt is mined. It's called "Soligorsk". Soli and gorsk are Russian for salts and city, together making something like "Salt town". All Russian cs go players are from here

[@MerleTrains]

basically, its the last active dictatorship in europe.

[@dickjohnson4447]

There is a Salzburg in Austria (salt fortress) and Russia has a town called Asbest

[@mkultrasoldier]

Elrich Jr gg

[@richardemms3050]

And Salt Lake City

[@joshuahunt3032]

Elrich Jr I learned the existence of a new country today, and also got a geography lesson when I looked up Belarus. I thought you guys were part of Poland before I realized there was extra space between Poland and Russia, so please forgive me for my ignorance.

[@OtusAsio]

A big "thank you" for this one... for us, the name of the place represent the people not the mine itself. I live in Drummondville, a city not very far from the town and we all know (I think) at leat one person in the place and respect the hard work they had to make when the mine was closed...as I see they are doing quite well.

[@eric45]

Pierre Plante Bonsor de la par des Saucier

[@unemilifleur]

Yes Drummondville isn’t far from Asbestos hahahaha, it’s about an hour away. Asbestos is between Sherbrooke and Victoriaville.

[@hyakugame]

Drummond Gang!

[@OtusAsio]

@@hyakugame What do you mean ?

[@jacksonsmith2955]

@@OtusAsio I realize this answer is a year late, but [X gang] is a slang term that's gotten popular on the internet for identifying yourself as part of a particular group, usually a figurative and poorly defined group but in this case a literal, geographic group (implying they live in Drummond as well).

[@Orikron]

Imagine a place called "Amazon.” It just chills me to think about the possibility.

[@Romandy13]

Álvaro Lopes Amazon rainforest? Amazon river?

[@maaaybegreat]

What if instead of a place it was a forest?

[@Orikron]

What a stupid name for a forest.

[@the_sad_wallet1553]

Waterhurts Enderman what if instead of a serious comment it was a joke?

[@MovieVertigo]

It'd probably end up covered in trees!

[@KAFNOR]

This is why I've subscribed to your channel. You educate without cheap laughs or sarcasm, and you show respect for your subject. Thank you, Tom!

[@raphaelbelanger6764]

Yesterday, monday the 19th of October, residents of Asbestos voted to change it's name to Val-des-Sources. They used a preferential voting system and the new name was selected with a 51.5% majority.

[@electron8262]

Kudos for using preferential voting

[@jmcbresilfr]

As a Québécois, if you tell me "Asbestos", I think of the town, not the english name for the mineral called «amiante». I don't think the name will ever change.

[@onionsknight9125]

Highly doubt it, unless they fill up the mine

[@luissoco]

No one cares, on one side the health damage is not evident until late in life, on the other the economy on the region doesn't depend exclusively on the mine, is made mostly by agricultural and manufacturing, with towns not further than 5 miles away one from the other.

[@aimelle3]

The region L'amiante was renamed "MRC des Appalaches" in 2009. Which just goes to show that the language argument is probably correct. "L'amiante" got renamed. "Asbestos" did not.

[@rengab137]

Didn't know I lived that close to that town haha!

[@cubejaune]

@@ragnkja It changed... in 2008...

[@Kachow]

I've lived and Quebec all my life, and this just goes to show that even if you know a place really well, you can learn something new everyday

[@jomialsipi]

The fact that we call Asbestos "Amiante" doen't help. It took me years to realize that the town has the English name for the stuff.

[@Mads026p]

YOU MAY BE ENTITLED TO FINANCIAL COMPENSATION

[@TheWkc19]

HAHAHAHA

[@TheSpaghettiKnight]

I can hear that commercial in my brain now, thanks

[@DanB-sh3wt]

I THOUGHT I KNEW THE WORD "MESOTHELIOMA" FROM SOMEWHERE

[@eric45]

Asbestos is only dangerous after its been refined. In rock form it is relatively safe. You gain more exposure from your brake pads every day

[@imveryangryitsnotbutter]

+ Eric Saucier This is terrible! We have to ban brake pads to save as many lives as possible!

[@sebastienboisvert8561]

Thank you for being respectful of the history and the citizens.

[@louish39]

Another well crafted piece of legitimate journalism. Thanks as always Tom

[@cartoon.raccoon]

I never fail to be taken in by how you manage to communicate your own personal feelings about this place wordlessly yet so effectively. Keep up the good work Tom, your channel is amazing.

[@louischo2701]

I knew the video would not completely be about the name Asbestos, but touching on the history of the town, the mineral itself, previous documentation of the place and the ideas of loyalty to something potentially harmful in a 4-minute video is quite amazing. Thank you!

[@yuvalne]

“They were polite, of course, they are Canadian.” OMG

[@eccentricorbiter1390]

Yuval Nehemia That sounds unlikely, they're Quebecers

[@TheKurtkapan34]

It's just a joke that you know he will make because it's a no brainer but still gets a chuckle.

[@jessegilbert4857]

Quebecers aren't Canadian. You won't find much politeness there.

[@Mykasan]

Quebecois are canadians.

[@joekennedy4093]

The French cancels out the Canadian.

[@WiresDawson]

Love the twist in this one, and I have respect for your humility too. Thank you for such a deep video.

[@Lachm83]

Only just coming across this years later, what a respectful way to tackle the topic. Respect for you has gone way up mate

[@jamesschardt]

Thank you for going as in depth as you did to cover not just the town, but the very human element behind the name.

[@paulgrimmond6296]

There is an song by the Australian band called 'Blue Sky Mine' - which is a real place in Australia and it is a story of the conundrum that asbestos miners had when the dangers of the mineral became known. Worth a listen. Probably worth a story too next time you are in Australia.

[@x9x9x9x9x9]

This is why I like Tom. He not only has the proper tone here, he also give credit to the people who covered this before him, while also making fun of himself, all while making you feel weird inside.

[@paulbeaumont7485]

Watching in 2021, and it did! Welcome to Val-des-sources. This is one of your best videos Tom, I visited the town myself in 2012, stayed overnight, the people there are as you say, typically Canadian.

[@stevedoe1630]

Could not get much through interviews, so able to still make a video based on a “desk review.” Turned a bushel of lemons into lemonade. Was respectful towards the locals of the town. Was still insightful, just in a different way. My two cents...keep developing these newer skills. Will make Tom Scott far more valuable for than just doing the same thing over-and-over. The display of “empathy” in this project is simultaneously refreshing, humbling, and educational. BZ

[@leumgui]

In 2019, it was decided that the town needed a new name. There will be a vote in 2020, after the pandemic, to decide the new name of the town.

[@hannibalburgers477]

What do you think to name it, any popular ideas?

[@safe-keeper1042]

After the pandemic? So now they might name it Corona :)

[@leumgui]

@@hannibalburgers477 I don't live there so I have not really thought about a name, but I'm sure there are already many good suggestions

[@lucasthemycologist]

@@safe-keeper1042 I like it, replace a cause of lung disease with another.

[@hurrdurrmurrgurr]

They should name it something nice like Amiante.

[@karasu9]

This video is surprisingly somber and contemplative for an "Amazing Places". Well done, Tom, I think this is one of your best.

[@894Penguins]

So, wild coincidence, the very same day I watched this video, Asbestos was on the news here in Canada. As it turns out, the people just recently voted to rename the town; it's new name will be Val-des-Sources, or Valley of the Springs. Great video as always, Tom :)

[@TheWaross]

And the spring brings cancer 😢

[@ScratchRockLTD]

A genuinely thoughtful piece of content; shinning light on something I wouldn't have otherwise thought about twice. Cannot praise the approach and execution enough.

[@camrenwick]

It's nice the way you show respect and politeness

[@hens0w]

I don't get why everone is insistant on name changes so often. History need not be forgot so easly

[@MatrixExpress]

Agree .. They should not change the Name ever!

[@junehanabi1756]

Getting things mixed up, changing a name is not overwriting history. Overwriting history is pretending the town never had the name and removing all references to it (Censorship). Simply changing the name just changes the present name onward but doesn't in any way overwrite or erase history or prevent it from being taught. That's like saying the many countries in history who have fallen centuries ago or who went through a name change meant the country and/or name never existed and it's history overwritten when none of that is true. Even if Asbestos changed it's name it will still proudly be remembered for it's old name and legacy and there'd be nothing wrong with having a new name as many people, countries, companies, etc... throughout time have done this quite happily and successfully while still actively holding onto their roots and history.

[@brokenpk]

Maybe some times it’s about moving on not erasing it but maybe not being reminded or constantly thinking about it when someone says the name, either way it should be up to the people involved

[@Cicelyqed]

PETA has been after my hometown of Fishkill, NY to change their name for years.

[@Game_Hero]

because of the trauma associated with the name. But at the same time, history must not be forgotten (same with the Asbestos Strikes)

[@linkh200]

When doing some asbestos training, the teacher asked "what's the best way for you to remove asbestos? ... Asbestos you can!" That was one of the most entertaining classes I had attended.

[@fasol1998]

In the Urals there also is a town called Асбест because asbestos was mined there as well.

[@SyntheticFuture]

Great video Tom. Not just the story about the town but even more the story about the people reporting about the town. Very self aware!

[@AliceQuinnRose]

I think the people who live there would be really thankful with the respect that you payed them in this video.

[@cheaterman49]

It's interesting how they seem to call it Asbestos, or use the mineral name, instead of the French "Amiante". It could be a regional thing - many of the words and expressions used by Québécois are inspired by English. Great video in any case, and interesting point about why we should maybe stop talking about it altogether and let the locals do their grievance.

[@ve2dmn]

Like I commented before, it was probably due to the fact that a lot of large companies were English owned and operated

[@ConfuSomu]

Oh, thank you. I didn't know that asbestos is amiante in french. I thought that it was something else.

[@jmcbresilfr]

We say "amiante" in Québec, but the mostly english mining companies would call it asbestos, hence the name.

[@eric45]

The mine was run by English folk and at one time there were alot of English people living in town working at the mine

[@implicitmatrix1312]

That is probably one of the reasons the name hasn't changed. I live relatively near the town, and many people don't even know that asbestos means "amiante". If you use the word asbestos in French, everyone just assumed your talking about the town.

[@Resuarus]

It's interesting how asbestos safety is a conversation that is still going. When I was in undergrad about 10 years ago, I had a course on environmental geology from a professor who literally wrote a textbook on mineralogy. We specifically talked about Chrysotile and why it wasn't as dangerous as the others (or potentially not even dangerous at all). Now it seems that consensus has evolved to "not as bad but definitely still bad." It's so crucial to keep an open mind to push the debate and collective human knowledge forward.

[@Astfgl]

I learned about the existence of Asbestos last year when I flew over it on a flight from Saint John NB to Montreal. The mine pit is very clearly visible from the sky and it piqued my curiosity. Fascinating to learn about the history of the town and the mine, and what it means to the people who live there.

[@LennoxMatt1]

I grew up one town over. Dr Van Horsen was one of my university professors. Many family members worked in the mine and died as a result. People can freak out about it all they want, for us ut was a fact of life

[@emilyrose5350]

I got an ad about surviving mesothelioma before this video.

[@bananamanasaur]

Reminds me of Rare Earth's video The People Who Hate Us, but instead of chasing after you with a broom they're politely declining interviews

[@ChadMojito]

Amusingly, the town motto is "To Live Healthy"

[@evy2031]

Top ten biggest oofs

[@fireandwater345]

"pleinement" means fully, not healthily

[@dalzy25]

Ooooof

[@noahm.7541]

Are you not exploding fish shitposting and drivel

[@firei11]

That's entirely inaccurate. "Asbestos, une ville pour y vivre pleinement!" roughly translates to "Asbestos, a city where to live life to the fullest!"

[@julujay9999]

I was astonished to see so much interest in my small town!! And now it is officially called Val-Des-Sources. The transition will start in next January. There was a lot discussion when the mayor decided to change the name. People didn't like it at all. Here, we are proud of our town. Many people still don't understand why. But we had to change the name in order to attract bigger companies.When the mine closed, it hurt us a lot money wise, so now the mayor is trying to bring companies to our town (the taxes are lower her) Whenever we say Asbestos, we think of the town. In french, asbestos, means "amiante" so people never realized the problem. With time, people here will calm down, but many of us will still call our place, Asbestos.

[@pabloschrute]

Thats great👍 Love from Ireland♥️

[@pascha4527]

I loved the town as a kid. The big orange mine truck was always a pleasure to see.

[@SD-vx7bq]

I really enjoy your videos. You are a rare gem in the swamp of KZbin.

[@BangersAndMash98]

Could be worse, in Ontario, there's a town named "Swastika"

[@generalmanyara]

Wow

[@RealLuckless]

Which predates the symbols usage in Germany...

[@briangonigal3974]

I would not be a bit surprised if we see a video from there before this little Canadian jaunt is over.

[@agilemind6241]

Like Asbestos they held a vote about changing the name after WW2 which failed. Though I think people now pronounce it as Swas-TEE-ka rather than as SWAS-tick-a

[@davidliddelow5704]

Canada also has a town called Hell.

[@jomialsipi]

It's also called "Amiante" here, so the name doesn't ring a bell as bas as everywhere.

[@TheDatolo97]

"Amianto" is asbestos in Italian

[@darkbielz]

so it is in portuguese too, "Amianto".

[@evanallaire2829]

HELL MICHIGAN ISN'T THAT BAD

[@no1fanofthepals]

@@evanallaire2829 did you mean: hell; michigan isn't that bad or hell, michigan isn't that bad

[@evanallaire2829]

no1fanofthepals I dont know anymore

[@Kriscor01]

Great video! I think you should also have mentioned that they are french speakers, and in french Asbestos is "Amiante" which is also propably a reason why for them it's not alarming. I went there as a kid and it's only much later i would learn about the word asbestos.

[@Cedvig]

just so you know, they changed it a couple of years ago for Val-des-Sources meaning "Valley of the Springs"

[@treeoflibertydefense8612]

Wait..........this mine closed in 2012!?!?!?!?!?? I have been seeing mesothelioma lawsuit commercials in the US since like 2007. That is wild.

[@KPTHR3]

There’s another town called asbest, in Eastern Europe or Russia,after the asbestos mine which is still active I think.

[@AnthonyBrusca]

KayPeaThree 3 still VERY active

[@thomasandrews9355]

KayPeaThree 3 vice did a documentary on it

[@ExEBoss]

Well, Russia is partially in Eastern Europe.

[@jimmysgameclips]

What the devil do people still use it for??

[@sshep86]

Russians use it as snuff!

[@raustaklass]

It's since been renamed to Val-des-Sources

[@davidlivermore5392]

This town was just renamed 'Val-des-Sources'.

[@electron8262]

What does the new name mean?

[@sfgdragoon]

@@electron8262 what do you think.... 😂

[@jacob-cs5fx]

Scotty, this was a nice vidya honer! Please meh real fine. Thanks for this quality and keep it UP. . . this is whats we need good vid !

[@FabbrizioPlays]

The thing I learn from your videos is never the thing I expect to learn going in, and yet I find I'm enriched by them all the same.

[@unemilifleur]

Got this in my feed. ''a town name Asbestos'' Me: Yeah what about Asbestos? I'm from Québec, Canada xD I never realised how weird the name is. I never even linked it to the toxic substance because asbestos is amiante is French, it doesn't sound the same at all.

[@sagoot]

another comment said the region is called L'amiante

[@unemilifleur]

Sagie Solomon perhaps, but I live 45-60 min away from Asbestos and I’ve never refered to a region called L’amiante... I just looked it up, the region is called Les Appalaches, it hasn’t been called L’amiante since 2008.

[@fezaozenc]

There is also a town called Asbest in Sverdlovsk Oblast, Russia. It has a very similar history although this mine is still operational.

[@Lhorez]

If you want another oddly named town you should go east a bit to Dildo Newfoundland. (It’s named after a boat.) It’s also about an hour’s drive to Conception Bay according to Google maps which I find hard to believe because when I drove my wife from Dildo to Conception it well … took a lot longer than an hour.

[@mychemicalbromance97]

Newfoundland has a lot of interesting names. My best friend lives in CBS and I had mentioned Port Blandsford as being an amusing name (it doesn't sell itself for being very interesting) and he started listing off a load of places with odd and unusual and amusing names.

[@Evan-xp9uh]

About an hour away from me is intercourse, PA.

[@danielh7487]

@@Evan-xp9uh I'm not that far away from Inception, Missouri.

[@clayel1]

@@danielh7487 inception isnt the same as conception, sorry lad

[@karynbrunton3218]

I can’t get over how a lot of Tom’s videos have an unexpected lesson hidden underneath the curiosity of the title.

[@jeremieplourde332]

They changed the name to Val-des-Sources two years later, in reference to the multiple streams and rivers in the region.

[@AceHawk37]

Hey wait, I just watched a video on a town called Asbestos in Russia! What a coincidence!

[@dickjohnson4447]

Sam Shelton the town you're referring to is called Asbest

[@Volodimar]

What means "asbestos".

[@mihan2d]

And they still mine asbestos by the way, but only for export. They now use protective gear of course and machinery but this shows despite everything there is still a demand.

[@Volodimar]

Also they mine only chrisotile-asbestos, which far less dangerous.

[@leongkinwai9709]

"Do it Asbest you can" im so sorry

[@wich1]

I can think of one simple reason not to rename the town, which is that to rename it is to ignore history, or worse pretend that it wasn't so. This is happening way too often in many parts of the world. For example tearing down statues of people once revered but now looked down upon. Tearing down such statues is as to pretend that the reverence didn't happen. Now, of course I'm not advocating continued celebration of fallen heroes, instead it would grace humanity to acknowledge its history and leave such statues in place and add a plaque or such documenting the history and the reasons for why said person is no longer revered.

[@captainahab5522]

Statues like the ones you are talking about should be remembered for a different time or put in a museum to preserve the moment in history and never forget the past

[@bobemmerson1580]

Nice Archive clips from "Jam" Handy. He sounds dammed handy.

[@darth_yoda]

Tom I just love these little vids of yours. I always learn something new when watching them!!! :)

[@TechJockeyHD]

Such dedication for providing solid information from this Individual is amazing. funny because i have Been doing my own research on this topic and your video comes up. awesome!

[@layoverbear]

Hold on. This is in my province! Hello! I didn’t expect that. I hear the name all the time and i forgot asbestos was so toxic. Well it’s fun to see Québec on your channel. And it’s nice to see the story behind it xx

[@miseltoe1]

The gruen factor is hilarous !! Can't believe it made it into a tom scott video

[@Joshlama]

Apart from the fact that he took the clip out of context

[@Samu888888]

The town is now called Val-des-sources since today

[@eltoutnu]

They change the name in 2022 if my memory is good. It’s now called Val-Des-Sources

[@alexandergutierrez6521]

Literally before I watched this video I got an ad for a guy who had survived the type of cancer you get from asbestos for 20 years

[@eric45]

This is my dad's fam city, omg! So nice to see town my nana still lives there

[@eric45]

Had I known u wanted to talk to someone I could have sent you to my nana, my grand father worked in the mine for 35 years and we still own a house in the small part of town on the other side of the mine were you filmed. I grew up visiting listing to the blast horn at noon when they'd set charges off in the mine

[@kyraxx]

The city just announced that they're changing their name to "Val-des-Sources"!

[@AxcelleratorT]

Actually, there are a lot of different minerals which can form asbestos fibers. Some are much more deadly than others. I believe at that mine, the asbestos forming mineral was chrysotile. It isn't good for you but certainly not the worst of the bunch.

[@pixlplague]

I'm from Quebec, not close but not far from there, and another factor to remember is that the word asbestos means nothing in French... It's just the name of a small town! It took a long, long time for Quebec to dissociate from asbestos the material;; even when the Federal government had banned it and classified it as a dangerous substance, the province fought to keep the industry alive. It was a huge source of income. When I was in grade school in the late 80s, I remember teachers bringing out asbestos so we could see it, and it was very much touted as a miracle substance... I know withwr no one will read this or I'll be trolled with stuff like "that's why Quebecers are stupid" but this one really got to me, and I had to share. That was one hell of a video Tom...

[@MichaelJenkins910]

A fantastic, sensitive video. Well done, Mr. Scott. I just did a quick Google search and apparently the name change took effect in December 2020 and the town is now called Val-des-Sources. The full "rebrand" will take place over the course of 2021.

[@Hario338]

You could claim compensation for mesothelioma.

[@tommihommi1]

ah yes, compensation for dying

[@battleskorpionYT]

@@tommihommi1 *you or a loved one

[@jomialsipi]

Hey Tom! You where just 50km away from here! Would have love to meet you but I understand you have a tight schedule. Have fun on the West coast!

[@wolfbd5950]

Just how happy were you that you could use footage from Jam Handy Productions?

[@daveys]

Fascinating, and interesting how it’s been treated very differently to Wittenoom, Australia, which has been quite literally wiped off the map and an exclusion zone placed around it.

[@Luigi1000]

As someone who lives in Quebec I had no idea we actually had a town called asbestos until I saw this video then looked it up. Interesting to learn about it after seeing this and informing other locals about it.

[@ActualGoatUnicorn]

Imagine growing up in a peaceful town, one called Asbestos... then when you grow older and start to become more independent, maybe browsing the internet a little more by yourself, then as a fun gag you google your home town, Asbestos. Then looking through all the articles in horror as you just found out you live a very dangerous place.

[@Scintillate9]

of course I got a mesothelioma commercial on this

[@robertofontiglia4148]

So the town is called "Asbestos" even if the majority of the mine workers were Québécois francophones, and today most francophones say "amiante". But back in the day, even though the workers might've been speaking french, the management of the mine certainly didn't. The bosses spoke english, and so most workers learnt the english word for what they did, or they were used to saying the english word more than the french, anyways. That's why we borrow a lot of english words to speak about work, machinery, jobs, etc. Words like "boss", "foreman", "job", and all sorts of words relating to all industries. For a long time, the businesses were owned by a mostly anglophone elite, and english was the language you had to speak at work. Up until the 1950s and even into the '60s, it was a common ocurrence for a french speaking employee to be told by their boss to "speak white" (a rude way to ask them to speak english).

[@Jay-et6zd]

Adding a year later for the curious, french canadians were referred by many derogatory terms, including one shared with the Irish that I do not need to write, hence the "speak white". Also for all the anglos out there, please, Québec is pronounced kay-beck, and not kou-hay-beck.

[@pogchampapplebeesfortnite]

A "do you have mesothelioma" commercial ran before the start of your video. Perfect

[@DJignyte]

Oh wow ceased mining in 2012?! Did not expect that fact. Good on ya, Tom. We appreciate the work you do.