Asbestos

The outgoing Charest government in Quebec received a lot of flack over the summer for offering a $58-million loan to an industry that was on its last breath — the mining and export of asbestos. But now that the PQ will be taking over the reins in the National Assembly there may be no resuscitation for the Jeffrey mine.

Quebec's struggling asbestos industry has been left in an increasingly precarious position as two long-time supporters, the Quebec labour council CSN (Conseil des syndicats nationaux) and the Canadian government, began to change their tune.

Québec. A forest in Australia, a cemetery in India? If Quebeckers felt proud to have an Australian forest named after Québec Premier Jean Charest for his actions to address climate change, how would they feel if, one day, a cemetery in India was named after their Premier to commemorate the victims of Québec asbestos?

Asbestos is a mineral based fibre that has been widely used all over the world due it its resistance to heat and corrosive chemicals. Typically asbestos appears as a whitish, fibrous material, known as chrysotile asbestos. Asbestos has been used in over 3000 products, everything from brake linings to children's toys. Asbestos has been widely used to fireproof ceilings, walls, tiles, and beams. It has also been used as insulation on pipes, broilers, and has been sprayed on walls. Breathing in asbestos fibres can cause asbestosis and cancer.