The ban, to be implemented by 2018, as reported by The Globe and Mail's Tavia Grant, comes after decades of urging from health advocates, labour groups and those affected by asbestos-caused diseases, prominent among which are lung cancer, mesothelioma and asbestosis.
In Canada, more than 2,000 people a year are diagnosed with asbestos-related cancers, the Occupational Cancer Research Centre says, and The Globe recently reported that asbestos is the top cause of workplace deaths in Canada, accounting for 5,614 accepted workplace fatality claims since 1996.
Over the years,
The Globe has reported on the asbestos industry in Canada, and the substance's deadly legacy. The images below by photojournalist
Louie Palu are a haunting reminder of how asbestos has affected - and continues to affect - Canadians.
A doctor and a director at the OHCOW (Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers) clinic in Sarnia point to a “Body Map” in March 2004 which is used to pinpoint clusters of health issues in any particular industry area. This map is for the building trades in the Sarnia, Ont., area. Each dot represents a case of occupational disease or an injury from the workplace.