Asbestos, the dangerous fibre that has been described as the "silent killer", has come up against a vocal opponent in the Saskatchewan Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (SADAO).
SADAO recently launched “Public Enemy!” a postcard campaign calling on the government to create a publicly accessible registry of all schools, and public and commercial buildings that contain asbestos, and the condition of asbestos within those buildings.
The International Labour Organization and the World Health Organization have calculated that over 107,000 people suffer premature deaths from asbestos-related cancers and diseases annually.
One of those premature deaths was Brother Howard Willems, longtime PSAC member, health and safety activist, and co-founder of SADAO. Howard was diagnosed with with mesothelioma (an asbestos related cancer of the lungs) and succumbed to the disease on November 8, 2012.
Speaking with PSAC just weeks before his death, Howard explained the campaign and his hopes for where it might lead in the future.
The point of the registry, according to Howard, is to identify all public buildings, including government buildings, schools, senior care homes, hospitals, etc., that have asbestos in them. However, he noted, this is not meant to push the government for removal or containment, but simply to identify them so the public know and can make informed decisions.
“When the public is going into these buildings, or parents are enrolling their kids in school, or families are looking for care homes for their aging parents, they’ll know if these buildings contain asbestos,” explained Howard.
Another major concern of SADAO is establishing appropriate licensing for asbestos abatement contractors and licensing for asbestos waste removal sites. Currently Saskatchewan has neither, one of the few provinces without these provisions already established.
“It’s being mishandled once it leaves work sites. It’s being thrown into dumpsters and not disposed of in the appropriate manner. This has to stop because it’s contaminating neighbourhoods. You don’t notice the immediate effect, but the long term effect can be devastating.”
Advocates of the cause have already made good progress in Saskatoon. Currently, the city is cataloguing their buildings, including which buildings have had asbestos removed. The city will hire an asbestos contractor to establish a registry and prioritize appropriate abatement and removal. They are also committed to long-term training for staff, employees and OHS committees. This project is scheduled for completion by early 2014.
But the fight is far from over. SADAO is encouraging concerned citizens to sign the postcard and demonstrate that this is a public health issue that is of concern to our health and our families safety.
For Howard, this campaign can be easily multipled with help from other organizations and provinces.
“This isn’t a political issue, it’s a public health issue,” he explained. “I’d love for any other person from any province to add to this challenge and talk to officials on the importance of asbestos awareness. Let’s show the government that the public does care.”
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 Download and print the "Public Enemy!" postcard | 117.03 KB |