City of North Vancouver joins national push to ban asbestos
Posted December 7, 2016 4:29 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
NORTH VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – A national campaign to ban asbestos in Canada has just picked up some high-profile local support.
The City of North Vancouver has joined dozens of groups nationwide, led by the Canadian Labour Congress, in pushing the federal government to banning the substance.
A letter calling for the ban, signed by 68 organizations, including unions, nurses, and teachers’ groups, was submitted to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau today.
This comes as more research show asbestos still is, by far, the top workplace killer in Canada.
The City of North Vancouver plans to vote on the issue at its next regular meeting. A motion from Councillor Craig Keating is on the council agenda for Monday December 12th.
“I think our council will vote for it unanimously,” explains Mayor Darrell Mussatto. “And I think that we’ll ask other municipalities across the Lower Mainland and British Columbia to do so and hopefully the federal government will hear our call.”
Mussatto says the time to act is now.
“So, we’re really, basically asking the federal government in parliament to ban asbestos from being used in Canada and the importation of asbestos products.”
Mussatto points out many other countries, led by Australia, have banned asbestos and he feels it’s time Canada did the same.
