Asbestos

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.

A protest against Canada's continued export of asbestos was held at the Canadian Embassy in Washington, D.C., on Workers' Memorial Day, Saturday, April 28, 2007. April 28th is the international day of action on work-related injuries and deaths.