Mesothelioma in Canada is an ongoing public health problem. Canada once led the world in mining and exporting asbestos. Despite the closing of the mines and a nearly total ban on asbestos, the number of mesothelioma deaths in Canada continues to rise.
Facts about Mesothelioma and Asbestos in Canada
Like the U.S., Canada has a long and troubled history with asbestos. Prized for its ability to insulate, fireproof, and add flexible strength to materials, asbestos was used in various industries. Canada also had a thriving asbestos mining industry that contributed significantly to exposure. These are some of the important facts about mesothelioma in Canada:[1]
- The number of diagnoses of mesothelioma and the number of deaths caused by mesothelioma continues to rise in Canada.
- Mesothelioma cases increased by 60% from 2000 to 2012.
- In 2019, the most recent year for statistics, 460 Canadians were diagnosed with mesothelioma.
- In 2022, 472 Canadians died from mesothelioma.
- Exposure to asbestos is a leading cause of occupational fatalities in Canada.[2]
- The prevalence of mesothelioma in Canada is highest in Quebec, where several asbestos mines operated for many years.
- The last asbestos mine in Canada closed in 2011 in Quebec.
- Another hot spot for mesothelioma is southwestern Ontario, where there are high numbers of industrial jobs, especially in petrochemical plants in Sarnia.
Products and Industries That Used Asbestos in Canada
For decades, several Canadian industries used asbestos. Asbestos lingers in older industrial sites, ships, homes, and commercial buildings. These structures may pose a risk to anyone working or residing in those locations.
Some industries in Canada that commonly used asbestos were:
- Construction
- Chemical manufacturing
- Shipbuilding
- Mining
- Textile production
- Insulation manufacturing
- Power generation
Nearly any type of industrial workplace was likely to have asbestos on the premises or in the materials they made.
Older buildings may still have asbestos. Components with a high probability of containing asbestos include insulation, roofing materials, flooring tiles, wallboard, cement board, and fireproofing materials.
Other possible sources of asbestos are heat-resistant materials, clutches, and brakes in cars. Naval ships also contained asbestos, such as insulation, boilers, turbines, gaskets, flooring, and ceiling materials.
Asbestos Mining in Canada
Canada’s use of asbestos in industries like construction, factories, and shipbuilding was similar to that of the U.S. However, Canada had a larger asbestos mining industry than the U.S.
At one time, Canada was one of the world’s leading asbestos exporters. This asbestos mining industry had a far-reaching, negative impact on mineworkers, their families, and residents living near mines. Canada’s first asbestos mine began operation in 1879. The last Canadian asbestos mine closed in 2011.
The fibers produced during the mining process caused exposure among the workers. Inhalation was the most common form of exposure; however, workers also brought fibers home on their clothing, putting their families at risk.
Fibers could easily become airborne as the wind carried them and potentially contaminated local soil and water sources. Residents who lived near mines were also likely to be exposed. As early as the 1920s, mine owners may have known the health risks caused by exposure, but many of them sat on the information.
Since the Canadian mining industry was so economically powerful, Canada was one of a handful of countries that actively advocated to prevent chrysotile asbestos from being added to a United Nations list of harmful substances. This occurred in 2008 at the Rotterdam Convention, decades after the health risks of asbestos were well known.[3]
The Canadian government also resisted complete bans on asbestos despite the World Health Organization’s recommendation. Since then, Quebec’s last asbestos mine has closed.
Canadians at Risk of Asbestos Exposure
Workers in a wide range of settings were at risk of asbestos exposure. Many are still at risk of developing long-latency illnesses like mesothelioma and asbestosis.
Anyone who worked in manufacturing, shipbuilding or repair, asbestos mines, or transporting or processing asbestos is potentially at risk. Workers in construction, demolition, auto mechanics, and other industrial settings also could have been exposed.
Many Canadians are still at risk today. Since large amounts of asbestos were used over the years, the dangerous mineral is still found aboard ships and in homes, factories, and mining areas.
Anyone living in an older home may be at risk of exposure, especially when repairing or renovating their home. People working on ships are still at risk, as are people who live near asbestos mines.
Asbestos Regulations and Laws
Canada long resisted the idea of a total ban on asbestos; however, the government has put regulations in place in an attempt to protect its citizens. The Hazardous Products Act regulates the manufacturing and sale of consumer products that contain asbestos.
The Canadian Environmental Protection Act regulates emissions and environmental exposure limits to asbestos.
Although there are currently no asbestos mines operating in Canada, efforts have been made to reopen them.
Is Asbestos Banned in Canada?
The Canadian government finally banned asbestos outright, effective in 2018. The law bans using, selling, and importing asbestos as well as manufacturing with asbestos.[4]
The law allows for a few exemptions for a restricted period of time. The military and the nuclear industry can continue to use asbestos for now but must phase it out by 2029. Chlor-alkali plants are allowed to keep using asbestos until 2030.[4]
Compensation for Exposure Victims
Canadians who got sick from asbestos exposure have options for seeking compensation. Although there are sources of compensation, including asbestos trusts, statistics show not even half of the qualified workers apply to receive money.
Ways people can get compensation include:
- WorkSafeBC Disability Pension
- Canada Pension Plan Disability
- Veterans Affairs Disability Pension
- Class action suit
- Personal injury lawsuit
- Wrongful death lawsuit
- Asbestos trust fund claims
Mesothelioma Treatment Centers in Canada
Victims of asbestos exposure need specialty medical care if they develop asbestosis or mesothelioma. Canadian citizens can get free medical treatment through the nationalized healthcare system, or they may choose to pay for private healthcare.
Some of the facilities in Canada offering cancer care and mesothelioma treatment include:
- Toronto Western Hospital
- McGill University Health Centre in Montreal
- London Regional Cancer Centre in London, Ontario
- Vancouver Cancer Centre
- Nova Scotia Cancer Centre in Halifax
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre
Mesothelioma Clinical Trials in Canada
Mesothelioma patients in Canada can talk to their medical teams about the possibility of participating in clinical trials. These are controlled studies that test new treatments and that often accept patients with rare and life-threatening diseases.
These are a few of the clinical trials currently recruiting patients with mesothelioma that have study sites in Canada:
- — SMARTEST Trial—. This trial is being led by mesothelioma specialist Dr. Marc de Perrot in Toronto. It is a trial of a combination of surgery, immunotherapy, and radiation therapy.[5]
- A Phase I Study of IAG933 in Patients With Advanced Mesothelioma and Other Solid Tumors. This trial of a novel compound includes a location at Novartis in Quebec.[6]
- MEDI5752 in Combination With Carboplatin Plus Pemetrexed in Unresectable Pleural Mesothelioma (eVOLVE-Meso). This is a phase II trial of a novel drug called Volrustomig. The study is using it with standard chemotherapy or immunotherapy for comparison. Study locations in Canada include Montreal, Quebec, and Ottawa, Ontario.[7]
If you live in Canada, have a mesothelioma diagnosis, and are interested in additional treatment options, talk to your doctors about the possibility of joining a clinical trial.
The use of asbestos has negatively impacted people around the world. In Canada, citizens have been affected by exposure to asbestos in industrial workplaces and the mining industry. They can now seek expert treatment and compensation.
