Asbestos: The Extra Step in Renovations

The construction methods and tenets of decades past continue to haunt the present when it comes time for needed changes. Whether it concerns a private home, public or private institution, the presence of asbestos is adding an extra step to renovations and even simple building maintenance.

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CCS to Study Workplace Cancers – Including Mesothelioma

From asbestos to lead paint and beyond, the Canadian Cancer Society is putting $1 million towards a long term study of 44 cancer causing materials in the workplace. With prevention as a goal, the four-year study looks to provide data that links workplace exposure to those known or suspected cancer causing agents and 27 forms of cancer.

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Home Inspection Standards & Asbestos

The province of Ontario is looking to follow the example of Alberta and British Columbia in creating a universal set of standards for home inspectors to follow. As pointed out in a recent column by Mike Holmes, the current non-system results in a situation where home buyers may not really know what it is they’re getting even after they’ve paid for a home inspection. Unfortunately, it can result in house buyers who get an unpleasant surprise when it comes to the presence of asbestos in their homes.

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Rock Reject: New Novel Looks at Working in an Asbestos Mine

More and more artists and filmmakers are joining the voices that keep asbestos and its residual effects in the news. Rock Reject is a novel by author Jim Williams recently released on the Fernwood imprint. The story depicts life in a northern British Columbia asbestos mining town and the book has been called “disturbing, haunting” in a review.

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Asbestos in Luxury Properties

Much of the time, when a news story concerns asbestos found in a building, it’s dealing with an industrial or government property or an apartment complex. When we see luxury properties, we’re shown how fabulous the rooms and décor look after a renovation. It’s not often we get a glimpse into the ‘before’ side of the picture when it comes to the haunts of the rich and famous.

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