Asbestos Dangers – The Real Stats

A recent incident reported by police in the Delta area of British Columbia says it all. A routine traffic stop this summer netted a driver a number of tickets. First, there were 12 people stuffed into a van meant to hold six. On top of that, in the cargo box next to two of the…

Read More

Vermiculite – the hidden danger in your attic

If you have an older home, you may have a hidden problem in your attic—vermiculite insulation that is tainted with asbestos. Vermiculite Insulation Vermiculite insulation was widely used, typically in attic spaces, in North America between the 1940s and 1980s, and was used right up till the 1990s in some areas. Vermiculite is fire-resistant, and…

Read More

Asbestos Under the Ground

The Pan Am/Parapan Games have brought crowds, traffic and at least some of that economic spin-off they promised us taxpayers to the city. The Games also brought a slew of construction projects to Toronto and the GTA, including the Pan Am Athletics Stadium at York University. In that situation, unfortunately, it looks like the taxpayers…

Read More

Asbestos in Historic Sites

Another of Canada’s historic sites has fallen victim to old age and the cumulative effects of problems associated with older buildings – including asbestos. The fifth-floor kitchen in Ottawa’s Government Conference Centre is now gone, along with the rest of the building. What made an unassuming kitchen a site of historic significance? It was the…

Read More

Home renovations can create asbestos dangers

Asbestos is fairly common in older homes in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).  Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that is linked to several serious ailments, such as lung cancer, asbestosis and mesothelioma, which is a deadly and aggressive lung cancer. If asbestos is left alone if might pose little danger, but when it’s disturbed…

Read More