Quebec asbestos registry reveals hidden danger in 3,000 public buildings

A new registry launched by Quebec's Asbestos Victims Association (AVAQ) shows that more than 3,000 public buildings in the province contain asbestos.

"Asbestos is such a toxic material and very low doses of exposure can cause huge problems," says epidemiologist Norman King.

The registry compiled data from different sources, including provincial government reports and access-to-information requests.

King, who is also a scientific adviser with AVAQ, says the biggest risk with asbestos is mesothelioma — a rare cancer of the lining of the lung.

"It has nothing to do with tobacco smoke. Amazingly enough, the only known cause for mesothelioma is asbestos exposure," King said. 

He adds construction workers are especially at risk.

That's a concern for workers in the industry, says Simon Lévesque, an occupational health and safety coordinator with FTQ Construction. 

"The main cause of work-related death for construction workers is due to asbestos," he says.

About 100 Quebecers die from mesothelioma every year. The cancer takes several decades to develop after asbestos exposure.

"Everyone must be protected to avoid that one person gets sick 20, 30, 40 years later," says King. "It's a debilitating and very fatal disease."

In Quebec, annual testing is required in buildings where workers are exposed to asbestos. The concentration of airborne asbestos dust must be measured at least once a year.

In June 2023, the building that housed Batshaw Youth and Family Centres's head office in Westmount was evacuated, when part of a ceiling broke off revealing the presence of asbestos.

L'Alliance du personnel professionnel et technique de la santé et des services sociaux (APTS), the union representing the workers at the building, says it's still concerned about the effects the exposure might've had on employees.

"[Employers] need to prevent those kind of respiratory disease or health consequences by doing the renovation, so that we can put asbestos behind us," says APTS spokesperson Josée Asselin.

King says materials containing asbestos were widely used by the construction industry between 1930 and 1990.

Although they aren't added to new constructions today, Lévesque says exposure to asbestos continues.

"These health concerns have long been downplayed," he says. "The regulations put in place and employers are not taking serious enough measures to protect workers."

For AVAQ, the hope is the registry will bring more awareness to the issue and lead to better prevention.