Asbestos, Quebec

The town in Quebec was once home to the biggest asbestos mine in the world. ALAMY. Eight years after it stopped mining the substance for which it was known, the town of Asbestos is close to choosing a new name. The Canadian community was once a boom town, home to the biggest open-pit asbestos mine in the world and meeting demand for the material that was lauded for its durability but is now proven to be potently carcinogenic.