Ministry of Public Services: Asbestos banned

For years we have known that asbestos is really bad for your health. This knowledge has led to the banning of its use in many countries, unfortunately, not in Canada. In spite of this knowledge, the Canadian government has continued to allow the use of asbestos-containing materials in construction and renovation projects in Canadian federal buildings.

The CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) revealed in February this year that building products containing the asbestos were still being used in new construction of federal buildings in Canada. Asbestos, a well known carcinogen, should be banned.

Several organizations in Canada have asked to get asbestos banned, without any luck so far. We are on par with the United States, one of the few developed countries in the world where asbestos hasn’t been banned. Asbestos mining has stopped, but its use in construction is still legal and is still happening.

It is a good sign of things to come that at least one government department has decided to ban the use of this dangerous toxin. Hopefully, this will be a trend that repeats itself in the future and our government finally does the right thing by banning such harmful product.