Jeffrey Mine

Where It Is
Jeffrey Mine is located in Val-des-Sources, in the Estrie region of southeastern Quebec, Canada, about 45 minutes from Sherbrooke and 2 hours from Montreal. It's nestled in the Appalachian Mountains, surrounded by natural beauty and residential areas.

Surprising Detail: Name Change
Interestingly, the town was previously called Asbestos but was renamed Val-des-Sources in 2020 to distance itself from the mineral's negative health associations, reflecting a community in transition.

What It Produced
The mine is famous for chrysotile asbestos, but also yielded exceptional grossular garnet and vesuvianite, considered some of the world's finest by collectors.

Geological Context
It's situated in ultramafic rocks, like peridotite, altered to form serpentine hosting asbestos, with rodingite dikes rich in garnet and vesuvianite, adding to its mineralogical diversity.

Mining History
Opened in 1879 by farmer W.H. Jeffry, it peaked in 1976 with 600,000 tons of asbestos, but closed in 2012 due to health concerns. It saw significant labor strikes in 1949 and 1992, impacting Quebec's labor movement.

Local Culture
Val-des-Sources, formerly Asbestos, has a mining legacy, with the mine now a tourist attraction. The 1949 strike was pivotal, and the town's name change symbolizes a new identity, embracing tourism and natural beauty.

Climate
The area has a humid continental climate, with cold winters and warm summers, typical of Quebec.

Ecological Impact
Mining activities, especially asbestos, have environmental impacts, with ongoing remediation efforts to address contamination and protect the local ecology.