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Asbestos in Canada

Asbestos use in Canada has a long history, beginning with the opening of the first asbestos mine in Quebec in 1879. The event marked the first step towards a close relationship between the country and asbestos, the so-called miracle mineral that soon became known as "Canada's Gold."

The Impact of Asbestos

As the 19th century slid into the 20th century, an increasing number of asbestos mines were opened in Canada, taking advantage of the large deposits of the mineral found in provinces that included Quebec, Newfoundland, British Columbia and the Yukon. Companies such as Johns-Manville arrived, taking advantage of the asbestos mines to manufacture a variety of asbestos-containing products that would be used in Canada and worldwide.

What everyone was beginning to notice, however, was that while the asbestos industry was booming and mine owners and company executives were making plenty of money, workers were getting sick – coughing up blood, suffering from breathing difficulties, and dying at a young age. As a matter of fact, the mortality rate among miners was studied as early as the 1920s, but few listened to the warnings and data concerning potential health risks. There is evidence that company executives intentionally withheld negative reports from both their employees and the public.

In 1949, the Canadian Asbestos Strike marked a small turning point for the asbestos industry. During that labor upset, miners in the town of Asbestos, Quebec, demanded action in regards to addressing the lung ailments from which the large majority of miners were suffering. Greatly affecting the profits reaped by the asbestos industry at the time, the often-violent strike lasted four months. While some attention focused on the toxicity of asbestos following the strike, most historians maintain that few changes were actually carried out at the time, and certainly not enough changes to make a difference.

Asbestos Exposure in Canada

By 1966, Canada was producing 40 percent of the world’s chrysotile asbestos. By the 1970s, doctors had declared the asbestos mining towns in Canada to be among the most dangerous in the world, with rates of mesothelioma and other asbestos diseases shockingly high and increasing.

In the meantime, Canadian houses were being constructed with asbestos-containing cement and other materials. At one point, the vast majority of homes in Canada contained any number of asbestos-laden products ranging from shingles and siding to insulation. Those involved in the construction industry were almost always exposed to the hazardous mineral, and, as a result, rates of asbestos-related diseases are now extremely high among construction workers. In addition, at least 4,000 household products used by Canadians during much of the 20th century contained asbestos in varying amounts.

Chrysotile Exports from Canada

Since the early days of mining, Canada has defended the safety of chrysotile asbestos, though the country did recommend a ban on the amosite and crocidolite varieties in the mid-1980s. While countries in the European Union and around the rest of the world have banned all types of asbestos, Canada continues to fight a universal ban on chrysotile, holding on to the last thread of the asbestos mining industry in the country. Canada continues to export thousands of tons of asbestos to developing countries each year, encouraging yet another legacy of asbestos contamination.

 

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