Being someone with an out of the ordinary name, I’ve lived the experience of having to explain it, getting weird looks, all of it, so I can understand why the town of Asbestos decided to rename the municipality. I dreamed of that opportunity as a kid, and, while I don’t have to deal with foreign investments turning me away because of my name, it’s still a struggle to this day when everyone; and I mean everyone, makes a pronunciation or spelling mistake. The questions of ‘what does it mean’, ‘why would your parents name you that’, seem applicable here… I mean, why WOULD you name a town to be synonymous with cancer causing minerals? The new name seems more fitting. Naming things is important, without it we’d all be a little bit lost, but at least the people of Quebec won’t end up in Asbestos.
What’s in a name? My Take by Reann Fournier
