The Boilermakers National Director of Health & Safety, Jason McInnis, reports that an important step was taken on December 15, 2016 - a full federal asbestos ban along with a change to the codes and regulations by 2018. More work will be required at the provincial level to ensure the provinces follow the federal government's lead to ban asbestos in all its uses and to ensure the federal government follows through on its commitments. As the former NDP Member of Parliament Pat Martin noted: "If we were a world leader in the production and the export and even the promotion of asbestos, we have a moral obligation to be a world leader in diagnosis and treatment of asbestos-related disease."

It has been known for decades that exposure to asbestos can cause significant negative health effects, including asbestosis, mesothelioma and lung cancer. In the 1960s pivotal research concretely linked health risks associated with asbestos. In Canada the estimation is that 2000 people die annually from asbestos exposure. The World Health Organization estimates as many as 100,000 people die from asbestos worldwide. We have spent millions to remove asbestos from parliament buildings, schools and industries across Canada. Hypocritically during the same time, Canada has long championed the importation and exportation of asbestos.

Read more: Full asbestos ban, changed codes and regulations expected by 2018 (CBC)

Brother Clem Côté

On July 21, 2016, former Boilermaker Clem Côté passed away from mesothelioma - a deadly cancer caused by asbestos. His family, including daughter Michelle Côté, live with the possibility that they may have been exposed to asbestos second-hand. Asbestos is the leading cause of work-related death in Canada, accounting for over 2,000 deaths each year. Check out a youtube video that was made on behalf of the family below:

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