As Canada approaches it's 150ᵀᴴ birthday celebration, Journal Of Commerce has an on-going written series capturing the evolution of our workplace and force - the article found at Building Canada 150 - Asbestos: from miracle material to malefactor covers the history of asbestos within each of these categories.

Please visit our web page for all asbestos testing and concerns www.niagara-environmental.com

Bill 88 Update and Asbestos Ban in Ontario

In case you were wondering if Bill 88 (ban on the use, reuse, importing, transporting or sale of asbestos in Ontario) is in effect, the answer is no - but definitely on it's way. You can read more about Bill 88's complete composition and check it's status on the Legislative Assembly of Ontario's website: Bill 88

Please visit our web page for all asbestos concerns www.niagara-environmental.com

Backwards or forwards, which one is it? - Federal labour minister says she will "consider" asbestos ban.

Money, health, and industry -this is what it seems to have come down to for Canadians and asbestos. Click here to read this article on what our labour minister has to say. Written by Julie Ireton of CBC News.

Please visit our web page for all asbestos concerns www.niagara-environmental.com

Asbestos Awareness +1, Big Business -1: Concordia prof under pressure to denounce colleague's pro-asbestos paper

Maintaining our country's identity as a leader in health-awareness and healthcare -we are glad that more Canadians are educating themselves on asbestos and speaking up on issues like this in the link below. Lets not downplay the health concerns asbestos can cause, shame on you big business!. Click here for full article written in the Montreal Gazette.

"Make sure the home inspector you hire has the knowledge needed to do the job right"

Please, when hiring a home inspector, make sure he/she has experience. Anyone can go write the test and claim to be a professional. Too many times have we seen awful home inspectors missing key concerns, and costly ones such as vermiculite asbestos. Again, if you hire someone make sure he/she is credible with plenty of experience. Here is a quick run down with Mike Holmes. Click here for full article.

Winter is coming.... Protect your home.

Here is a good write up on how to prepare your home for winter, by Garth Haslem an experienced home inspector. Click here for full article.

Asbestos toys and crayons imported to the U.S. from China

This is awful! Seeing as our company is based in a border town, we know how easy this merchandise could make it into Canada.

"A consumer group has triggered an alert after asbestos was found in children's crayons and a toy lab kit. The products were imported into the U.S. from China and not checked by a range of major retail outlets."

"Crayons: Amscan Crayons, Disney Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Nickelodeon Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Crayons, Power Rangers Super Megaforce."

The toy science kits were: Edu Science Deluxe Forensics Lab Kit, Inside Intelligence Secret Spy kit."

Click here for the full story

ACM Shingles... All gone!

It took some elbow grease and sunny skies, but we wrapped this one up in a hurry.

Vermiculite, Home Inspection, Analysis

Here is a small informational and link below about vermiculite. We run into this stuff on occasion when people are either trying to sell or buy a home. Furthermore, when your/their home inspector says "you have asbestos vermiculite in your attic", don't let him or her assume that for you. You could save thousands of dollars by getting it tested before you proceed to remove it. We have seen this 4 times in 2015 throughout Niagara.

http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/diseases/vermiculite.html

Please call us today for accredited sample analysis. We have the quickest turnaround in the Niagara Region.

Abatement Nostalgia

Here is an oldie but goodie. In this picture we were summoned to tidy up the Telesis, a Drill Ship docked in Port Colborne, Ontario. April, 1993.

"Danger to city dogs after asbestos kills labrador despite treatment costing £20,000"

Very sad, let's not only keep our friends and family protected -but our fur-balls as well.

http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/581397/Danger-city-dogs-asbestos-kills-labrador-despite-treatment-costing-20-000

Really???: Public Works held back documents on asbestos in tax centre building

Ooops?

"The federal Public Works department kept documents secret about an Ottawa building where concerns have been raised about employees being exposed to asbestos, newly released documents show."

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/politics/public-works-held-back-documents-on-asbestos-in-tax-centre-building

Asbestos exporting, emission denying, Canada.

Here is an interesting blog post about Canada's world role on the exportation of asbestos, our emission status, and the Harper government. Written by Dr. Trevor Hancock; a professor and senior scholar at the University of Victoria’s school of public health and social policy.

http://www.timescolonist.com/opinion/columnists/trevor-hancock-note-for-politicians-first-do-no-harm-1.1940508/

SK Public Asbestos Registry is Live!

This is great news. Saskatchewan has finally rolled out their Public Asbestos Registry. Found in the link below is the Saskatchewan government's website to "report asbestos" anywhere within the province. Of course this doesn't help the rest of us directly, but hopefully some of the powers that be will start to make similar changes to the rest of Canada. We need to minimize the potential risks there are with living and working around these carcinogenic materials -It's 2015!

https://asbestosregistry.saskatchewan.ca/

New Demo Regulations For Control of Chemical and Biological Exposure

"Currently construction is the only sector exempt from Regulation 833 – Control of Exposure to Biological or Chemical Agents."

Big news and opportunities for people in the environmental, as well as the health and safety world if this regulation is successful.

Let's put a stop to workplace hazards and occupational disease.

Click here for the full story.

Saskatchewan: Leader of Asbestos Registration

Saskatchewan is leading Canada in developing an official asbestos registry. It's about time all provinces follow suit! Let's protect our loved ones from harm that can be avoided.

Click here for the full story.

According to this news article, Canada shows no signs of slowing down the import of Asbestos products... IT'S 2015!!!

A snippet of the article... ""Brake mechanics, along with construction workers and shipyard workers, are among those most at risk of exposure to asbestos at work, according to the Ontario Workplace Safety and Insurance Board. A tally by Carex Canada, a research project funded by the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer, showed 4,300 people in auto repair and maintenance are exposed to asbestos in the workplace." -The Globe and Mail

Click here for the full story

"Asbestos registry demanded for federal public buildings"

Eventually N.E.D. would like to see ALL buildings on a registered list should they contain asbestos building materials. But with that said, here could be some important first steps towards achieving that goal.

Let's protect our friends, families, and co-workers.  Here is a CBC News article detailing a few whistle blowers attempts at achieving an asbestos registry required in federal public buildings.

Link is here to CBC's news article: Asbestos Registry Demanded for Federal Public Buildings

Nostalgic?

Here are some photos I dug up at our HQ of some work we completed for former Vincor Canada (circa 1991), now referred to as Constellation Brands.

We do not support Harper's double standard on asbestos in the international market!

Here at Niagara Environmental Dynamics, we do not support Harper's double standard on asbestos in the international market.

"Chrysotile asbestos is a hazardous substance under Canadian law. But the Canadian government won’t support its listing as a hazardous substance under international law. Chrysotile asbestos, apparently, is hazardous to Canadians but not to folk overseas."

This does not represent our kind, do-gooder national identity. The Harper government should be ashamed of themselves. Full link to Toronto Star's article can be found here http://www.thestar.com/opinion/commentary/2015/02/27/canada-is-on-the-sidelines-when-it-comes-to-banning-the-asbestos-trade.html