Val-des-Sources

Val-des-Sources is the most populous town in the MRC des Sources, in the Eastern Townships, with 7,088 residents in the 2021 census. Known as Asbestos until 2020, it is about 45 minutes from both Sherbrooke and Drummondville, and about 2 hours from Montreal. It suits families who want the services of a small town and a lake close by.

Living in Val-des-Sources

The town offers the services of a regional hub: de la Passerelle and de la Tourelle elementary schools, École secondaire de l’Escale, vocational training at CFP Expé, and the Centre multiservices de santé et de services sociaux des Sources, with a CLSC (local community health centre) and an emergency department. Since the Jeffrey mine closed in 2012, the town has been reinventing its surroundings. Place de la Traversée, opened in 2021, offers a terrace overlooking the former open pit, where the Vendredis au Bord du Pit bring residents together in summer.

Outdoors and nature in Val-des-Sources

The Trois-Lacs sector, merged with the town in 1999, is organized around Lac Trois-Lacs, a widening of the Nicolet Sud-Ouest River covering about 249 hectares. It is home to Parc de l’Oiseau bleu, and the town offers a public swimming area and a boat launch. The Quatre-Saisons trails can be explored on foot or on snowshoes, and the Club de golf Val-des-Sources, an 18-hole course designed in 1967, makes way for cross-country skiing in winter. Parc régional du Mont-Ham, in Ham-Sud, is about 30 minutes away.

Culture and local flavours

The mine pit observation site, on boulevard Saint-Luc, is free to visit and shows the scale of the former operation. The Foire minéralogique, held in August, and the Festival Gourmand liven up the town. At the table, the Moulin 7 microbrewery serves its beers in a resto-pub on boulevard Saint-Luc, and the Fromages Latino cheese dairy, known for its Rumba brand, has a shop on boulevard Industriel.

Real estate in Val-des-Sources

Val-des-Sources offers single-family homes in established neighbourhoods, duplexes and triplexes near the centre, properties and cottages on Lac Trois-Lacs, and lots on the outskirts. It attracts young families, retirees who want services nearby, cottagers in the Trois-Lacs sector and plex investors. An address’s value depends mostly on proximity to schools and services, and on lake access.

Frequently asked questions about Val-des-Sources

Why is Asbestos now called Val-des-Sources?

Residents of Asbestos chose the name Val-des-Sources in a vote held in October 2020, made official in December 2020. The name evokes water, Lac Trois-Lacs and the community as a source of development.

How far is Val-des-Sources from Sherbrooke?

Val-des-Sources is about 55 km from Sherbrooke, roughly a 45-minute drive. Drummondville is a similar distance away, Victoriaville about 40 minutes and Montreal about 2 hours.

Is there an emergency department in Val-des-Sources?

Yes. The Centre multiservices de santé et de services sociaux des Sources, on 3e Avenue, houses a CLSC and an emergency department that are part of the Estrie health network.

Is the Trois-Lacs sector calling you, or are you thinking of selling your property in Val-des-Sources? See our properties for sale, request a free home estimate or talk to a broker at BEAU, the real estate team.

Photo: Richard Coté, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons