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Martlets, Sports, Volleyball

Martlet volleyball beats UdeM in three sets

by Kaja Surborg on

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On Nov. 2, the McGill Martlets (5-0) won in three sets against their crosstown rival Université de Montréal (UdeM) Carabins (4-1) and took their fifth consecutive victory in front of a crowd of nearly 300 fans. With the win, they stayed atop the RSEQ and cemented their number six spot in the U Sports national rankings.

After dropping the first set 25-18 and narrowly winning the second set 25-23, the Martlets dominated the third 25-15.

“We know that the Carabins are a really offensive team,” third-year power hitter Claire Vercheval said. “We knew that we would have to be patient […] and do our own thing […], and that worked.”

Defence was vital in the win. Vercheval, fifth-year power hitter Emilie Matte De Grasse, had nine digs and fourth-year libero Lea-Marie Duguay had eight digs for the game. First-year middle blocker Charlene Robitaille led McGill with four blocks throughout the evening.

Matte De Grasse, who scored a Martlet-high 11 points, noted that their teamwork was a deciding factor.

“Today, we showed up as a whole team and worked really well together,” Matte De Grasse said. “We were really ready for it today.”

Vercheval had nine points of her own, with six kills and two aces. She agreed that team chemistry played a significant part in the win.

“We really worked as a team and really concentrated on trying to bring all of our skills [together],” Vercheval said. “[We didn’t want] to be individuals on the court.”

Beyond teamwork, McGill Head Coach Rachele Beliveau also emphasized the development of many of the Martlets.

“The majority of the group are only third-years, and, when they came in, they had a lot of potential,” Beliveau said. “They are getting better and better, and, hopefully, we can keep improving.”

With 14 games left in the season, the Martlets will look to keep improving and extend the winning streak as the season progresses.

“[We need to] improve decision making,” Beliveau said. “It’s getting better, and we saw some good digs tonight. Staying sharp on the game plan and knowing when to execute [is also important], and we’re always working on skills.”

Matte De Grasse also emphasized the mental component of their game.

“We’re [working on] our attitude and how we show up on the court,” Matte De Grasse said. “We know we have the skills to win, so we want to build a consistent team that plays well together to be able to go to nationals.”

Moment of the Game:

The Martlets came out firing in the final set, taking the first five points. They went into the technical timeout with a lead of 16-4, and won the set 25-15.

Quotable:

“We knew there were going to be big plays and that they would be strong, but we had to do our own thing on our own side, and we knew it was going to work.” – Claire Vercheval on how the team’s mentality affected play.

Stats Corner:

McGill’s 33 kills dominated the Carabins’ 21.

Campus Spotlight, Student Life

Letters for resistance: Writing to sexual violence survivors

by Sophia White on

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On Oct. 29, the McGill Women’s Health Advocacy Club (MWHAC) hosted an open letter-writing campaign for students to voice solidarity with survivors who have publicly come forward with accusations of sexual violence. The event was prompted by the recent confirmation of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court. At the event, disheartened students wrote to public figures such as Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, Anita Hill, and Andrea Constand to express their support. Attendees were encouraged to express their concerns and engage in a broader dialogue about sexual violence in a supportive environment.

The primary aim of the event was to uplift sexual violence survivors, and the organizers urged attendees to recognize the hardships that survivors face when telling their stories. Iris Kim, U3 Physiology and president of MWHAC, expressed her frustration with the public’s frequent hasty dismissal of survivors’ accusations.

“Any society, and any environment, really, that turns a blind eye to sexual harassment, sexual assault, and sexual violence is an environment that refuses to acknowledge the importance of survivors’ wellbeing, including their mental health,” Kim said.

The organizers also extended a personal invitation to all survivors of sexual violence at the event to write letters to themselves as a part of their healing process. Listeners from McGill’s Office for Sexual Violence Response, Support and Education (O-SVRSE) were present to help facilitate discussion and provide support for anyone in need.

The gathering was initially politically-motivated and intended to be held earlier this academic year before Kavanaugh was confirmed to the Supreme Court. However, the O-SVRSE suggested that it would be better to wait and focus on building support for survivors instead, many of whom are not offered spaces to heal after their assaults. Tori Ford, U3 Arts  and Head of Events for O-SVRSE, explained that the focus of the event was modified to celebrate the bravery of survivors who come forward with their accusations.

“I find that, when sexual violence enters the news cycle, survivors can often feel isolated and alone,” Ford said. “I thought it would be a nice event to have people come together where they can really voice their concerns in a safe environment.”

In recent months, many students may have felt frustrated and unsure of how they could speak up and make a difference during the hearing. Though international activism can be intimidating, Kim stressed the need for advocacy.

“Sexual violence is everywhere, and it doesn’t really matter whether it’s in the news cycle for some prominent case,” Kim said. “It’s always happening. So, in that sense, it absolutely makes a difference for us to be advocating for survivors, wherever and whenever.”

Kim and Ford both highlighted the importance of believing survivors, as well as the need for fundamental societal change in how the public responds to survivors’ accusations.

“Despite the progress that has been made in terms of women’s advocacy, we have to acknowledge how difficult it is still for a woman to come forward and all of the different factors at play, such as privilege, race, and education status,” Kim said. “We can’t blame women for not coming forward immediately or ever, but, [when they do come forward], we need to provide support in the ways they want to be supported.”

Survivors of sexual violence seeking support can contact O-SVRSE and the Sexual Assault Center of the McGill Students Society (SACOMSS).

Private, Science & Technology

Fantastic alien microbes and how to find them

by Kimberly Johnston on

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The 2015 discovery of water on Mars, an essential for life on Earth, sparked theories of thriving Martian life. Ideas of interstellar travel to find extracellular beings were suddenly within reach. The second Montreal Space Symposium on Oct. 18 to 19, offered a forum for the future of space exploration, where speakers shared their passion for the next frontier.

Surface formations on Mars indicate that water may have swept up sediment and debris, before being flushed underground and sequestered away for billions of years in lava-formed rock passages. These Martian lava tubes now serve as stores for icy water and would provide a protective environment to microbes that may may exist within the rocks. These possible alien microbes would explain the persistent traces of methane in Mars’ atmosphere.

The Martian subsurface matches Earth’s own, where a thin film of water lies in lava tubes between ice and rock. Despite this harsh environment, Earth’s microorganisms thrive in large populations in lava tubes at oxygen concentrations very similar to those on Mars. They have adapted to using iron or other inorganic compounds as sources of energy.

“What this tends to indicate to us is that there could be a broad range of metabolisms as well as survival strategies,” Brady O’Connor, a Master’s student in the Department of Natural Resource Sciences, said in an interview with The McGill Tribune. “From a habitability standpoint and an astrobiology standpoint, this is encouraging.’’

Samples of these Earth-residing microbial communities reveal a diverse variety of organisms, providing an encouraging sign for the existence of similar life on Mars.

Theorizing life via analogy is promising, but scientists at the Space Symposium were eager to discuss how to find real evidence of life on Mars, which would be no easy task.

Such a mission would first require aerial surveillance for laval chutes into which robots could be lowered. After making it underground, there are more challenges. The uneven and unpredictable terrain of the caves could shred the wheels of the exploration rover in minutes. To circumvent the difficult geography, the mission would need to use robots that hop or rovers better adapted to the terrain.

Mars is only one of many planets to explore, however, and Andrew Higgins, associate professor in mechanical engineering,  has set his sights on interstellar flight.

The bulk of stars and exoplanets surrounding Earth is at least 10 lightyears, or 100 trillion kilometres, away. Speed aside, it would be impossible to reach these celestial bodies with rocket fuel because the sheer amount of chemical propellant required would have a greater mass than the entire known universe.  

Based on the American physicist Robert L. Forward’s conception of interstellar travel,  Higgins suggested leaving engine-powered spaceships aside and instead hitching a ride on a laser sail spaceship. The laser on the spaceship provides thrust by shining light—made up of photons and carrying momentum—on the sail to apply pressure. The light would shine with the help of photovoltaic mirrors focusing a  light beam on a metre-large ultra thin glass sail. It would take a contraption of this type just three minutes to reach 30 per cent of the speed of light, at which it could reach the nearest star, Proximus Centauri, in 10 years. With only a three minute launch time, it would be possible to send super lightweight micro-data-collecting devices to all nearby stars of interest.

Higgins’ research coincides with NASA’s new interest in interstellar missions.

“We are in the interstellar age,’’ Higgins said. “This really is a project for a century.”

Plenty of questions have yet to be answered, such as how a micron thick sail would hold up under laser thrust and what would happen if the sail hit a grain of interstellar dust. However, scientists at the Space Symposium believe that interstellar travel is a very real possibility.

Baseball, Sports

Point-counterpoint: Mets hire Brodie Van Wagenen as GM

by Mitch Bannon, Alden Tabac on

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The New York Mets hired Brodie Van Wagenen, a former agent and co-head of the baseball division at the Creative Artists Agency, to be their new general manager. Will his lack of front office experience and background as an agent pay off or fail him?

Brodie Van Wagenen will prove his critics wrong

Alden Tabac

The process of hiring a general manager has traditionally focused on front office experience. Most of today’s GMs have worked their way up from lower positions in a professional sporting organization. Brodie Van Wagenen’s experience as an agent brings unique qualities to the job that other GMs who have followed the typical path do not have. His time as a player agent representing Mets stars Yoenis Céspedes, Todd Frazier, and Jacob deGrom gives him a personal connection with three of the team’s leaders. Moreover, Van Wagenen got to understand the general manager position from the other side of the conference table, from his several successful negotiations with current GMs. His well-rounded understanding of player and front office dialogue gives him the advantage of being a more shrewd negotiator than GMs of other teams.

Van Wagenen is a progressive thinker who has used sabermetrics to assist clients in signing lucrative contracts: Before entering negotiations with the Mets to sign Céspedes, Van Wagenen used analytics to find Céspedes’ monetary value based on the revenues he produced on and off the field. With similar methods, the new GM can find players with the best dollar-per-production value and field a team whose performance matches its payroll.

Sports teams that have strayed from traditional methods have reaped the rewards. For example, the current Golden State Warriors dynasty was built by agent-turned-GM Bob Myers, and, without any previous managerial experience, New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone just led his team to a 100-win season. Although Van Wagenen cannot get the Mets to a World Series next season, his critics will come around to his hiring.

Mets Strike Out On General Manager Hire

Mitch Bannon

Brodie Van Wagenen’s ‘crossing the aisle’ to become a GM poses obvious dilemmas even though the Mets claim that there are provisions in Van Wagenen’s contract to deal with potential conflicts of interest. As an agent, he worked for several of his new employees, including pitcher Jacob deGrom, outfielder Yoenis Céspedes, and quarterback-turned-baseball-prospect Tim Tebow. Now employing the players he once represented and advocated for, it’s unclear whether he can move past his personal relationships with those players and act in the best interest of the franchise.

Agents are privy to all sorts of information. For example, with critical contract negotiations coming up for DeGrom, there are worries that Van Wagenen could exploit this information. All corners of the industry have noticed the potential problems Van Wagenen’s appointment may cause. Players Association Executive Director Tony Clark noted the many calls and texts of concern he has received following Van Wagenen’s hiring. Agent Scott Boras underscored the importance of an agent’s commitment to their clients, insinuating that Van Wagenen’s former Mets clients could feel betrayed depending on his actions as GM.

Van Wagenen may scout and manage talent well, but previous sports agents’ attempts to hold one of baseball’s most coveted positions have gone poorly. Most recently, the hiring of Dave Stewart—a former player and agent—resulted in some of the worst personnel moves in Arizona Diamondbacks history, and he was fired two years later.

Beyond the controversy surrounding his past profession, Van Wagenen’s incompetencies are already showing. He claimed the lowly 77-win Mets—and their bottom five farm system—can avoid a rebuild. With ample dissention and no sign of competent managerial practice to compensate, the Mets will need a miracle to save themselves from wasting the primes of Jacob DeGrom, Noah Syndergaard, and even Tim Tebow.

Editors’ pick

It is a savvy hire. Van Wagenen got to this position by way of his acumen in baseball and business. The salesmanship abilities he developed as agent will be put to good use, and he has a headstart on getting his former clients to buy in to the role change.

 

Science & Technology

Myers-Briggs’ evolution into the personality gospel

by Morgan Sweeney on

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“Throughout college, I was always someone who thought that who you were was a function of what you accomplished,” Merve Emre, associate professor of English at the University of Oxford and author of the book The Personality Brokers, said.

Emre, a former assistant professor at McGill, is not alone in thinking this. Her new book tells the story of the mother-daughter duo Katharine Cook Briggs and Isabel Briggs Myers, and revolutionized the tendency to quantify a person’s value as a function of their productivity. Personality testing rose in popularity in twentieth-century America as the perfect tool to categorize people in an increasingly-specialized, newly-industrialized society. Defining people’s identities in the context of their work had the additional benefit of motivating them to work harder for the illusion of self-fulfillment. Unaccredited psychological associations manufactured test after test, and people were assessed, measured, and hired or fired based on their results.

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) stood out from other tests since there were no wrong answers to the assessment; the different results simply indicated different types of people who could use their skills in unique ways. The creation of a user-friendly test that asked everyday questions such as, “Are you generally: (a) a ‘good mixer;’ or (b) rather reserved in company?” transformed the Indicator into a multimillion dollar industry.  

“What’s so interesting to me about the language of the Type Indicator is that it doesn’t care about what you’ve accomplished, it tells you ‘here is who you are,’” Emre said. “The Indicator promises people a story about themselves [….It] offers a sort of unthreatening form of self-discovery in which all types are created equal.”

In The Personality Brokers, Emre integrates elements of the personal and political into the captivating story of the two protagonists who created the inventory. As two women with no formal psychological training, Myers and Briggs serve in stark contrast to other psychologists of the early 20th century; however, their fierce devotion to the gospel of personality revolutionized psychological assessment.

The book begins with Briggs: An intelligent and scientifically-minded mother whose dedication to homemaking was surpassed only by her obsession with Carl Jung, the Freudian disciple whose theories of analytic psychology would later form the basis of the MBTI. Her daughter, Isabel Briggs Myers, grew up under her mother’s tutelage and carried her infatuation with analytical psychology into her late 80s, working tirelessly to create a way for the public to use her mother’s Jungian teachings.

Isabel considered each of Jung’s three pairs of personality qualities: Introversion (I) and Extraversion (E), Intuition (N) and Sensing (S), Thinking (T) and Feeling (F), with an additional pair her mother had come up with: Judging (J) and Perceiving (P). The theory goes that each person favoured one trait in each pair, and the four letters would combine to form their personality ‘type,’ which corresponded to a certain way of looking at the world. Isabel started out surveying people she knew, asking questions, and noting their preferences. The scope of her investigation grew as she drove across the U.S. to survey others, obtaining data from businesses, schools, and hospitals, before finally compiling it all in the MBTI. Isabel had to fight hard to get her Indicator published and distributed, as its unscientific premise was initially rejected by multiple psychometric companies.

Although the MBTI remains controversial in academia, Isabel’s efforts were rewarded; people from Fortune 500 companies, schools, and various workplaces continue to emphatically assert that her indicator has helped them better understand themselves. For those interested in developing a more comprehensive view of their personality, variations of the Myers-Briggs assessment can be found for free online. Alternatively, it costs $50 to take the actual Myers-Briggs personality assessment.

Art, Arts & Entertainment

Station 16 fuses live performance and satirical graphics

by Keira Seidenberg on

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 n Station 16’s current exhibition, Near Mint, Montreal-based artists Jason Wasserman and Eric Clement showcase a range of prints, drawings, and hanging sculptures that touch on themes of nostalgia and commercialism. The show falls somewhere between browsing through Pinterest for tattoo inspiration—displayed works include floral patterns and semi-naked women painted on the walls—and flipping through a ‘60s home decor magazine. In addition to the static artwork on display, the exhibition’s vernissage, held on Oct. 25, featured live tattooing from Jeremy Shantz—a detail that lent the event an almost oversaturated Plateau-hipster vibe.

Wasserman’s style is striking for its grayscale imagery and dystopic, dreamscape quality. A Montreal native, Wasserman attributes much of his comic-book-meets-street-art style to the graphic novels that he read as a child, a passion that led him to pursue a BFA at Concordia University. While a portion of Wasserman’s work is on display at the Station 16 gallery, most exists for public-viewing on the streets of Montreal, including sidewalk paintings of elephants and commissioned interior works in restaurants like Foeigwa and Cadence Cycle.

The work of Wasserman’s contemporary Eric Clement is equally engaging, and showcases consumable everyday products. Reminiscent of Andy Warhol’s Campbell Soup and Brillo Pad prints, which were revolutionary for their contribution to the Pop Art movement and criticism of consumer culture, Wasserman’s paintings depict commodities such as insect repellent and match boxes with minor changes to their appearance. Clement speaks to the attentive viewer by altering brands’ marketing, inserting satirical phrases like “keep your gram lit Photoflash” and “Hater Raid Spray for Rats, Snakes, and Snitches.” At first glance, his products appear as though they might appear on grocery store shelves, but closer inspection reveals Clement’s satire.

The work on display in Near Mint is both comforting and unsettling. Many of Wasserman’s works evoke stock tattoo imagery, juxtaposing jarring images like a barber shop beside drawings of rats clawing their way out of jars. Against Wasserman’s intricate patterning, Clement’s paintings of single products on simple backgrounds appear preternaturally fixed, a material calm amidst the tumult of Wasserman’s illustrative imagination. While the live tattooing might prompt a slight eye roll upon entrance, it fostered a sense of cohesion between the live action work and the framed pieces on the wall, suggesting a corporeal enactment of the static drawings.

Despite the small space and expected crowd of artsy exhibition-goers rife with tiny bangs and rolled-up hats, the exhibition was refreshing for its engagement with local artists. With a nod to their background as street artists, Wasserman and Clement’s work transformed the small gallery space into a quasi-urban environment, reframing a street art aesthetic within a gallery context. While the gallery world is notorious for its restrictive definition of art, Station 16 surpasses traditional limitations. Art can be anything: Even the contents of your mother’s spice rack or a grumbling hipster getting tattooed in real time.

 

Science & Technology

T-cells take the wheel

by Margaret Wdowiak on

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In recent years, modern targeted cancer treatments such as chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery have become better at effectively treating the disease. However, these methods continue to be invasive for patients, as they essentially involve  racing to kill cancerous cells faster than healthy ones. Fortunately, discoveries in the field of immunotherapy—using the immune system for treatment—are widening the possibilities for successful cancer procedures. This year, the 2018 Nobel Prize for Medicine went to Japanese researcher Tasuku Honjo and American researcher James Allison for their groundbreaking development in immunotherapies, which show promising results in the fight against cancer.     

Fundamentally, cancer is a disease of cells. The genes inside a cell control its growth, division, and death. However, sometimes cells ignore these signals and multiply at a facer rate than normal, potentially resulting in cancerous tumours.

Honjo and Allison’s research largely concerns T-cells, which are white blood cells that play a key role in the immune system by recognizing and destroying abnormal cells, such as the ones that spread cancer. There are a variety of T-cell types including ‘cytotoxic T-cells,’ which kill tumour and virus-infected cells, and  ‘helper T-cells,’ which assist other white blood cells in performing their functions.

“Historically, [T-cells] were thought to be CD4 [helper] and CD8 [cytotoxic] in nature, but this simple classification has expanded dramatically in the last decade,” Brian Ward, associate professor in McGill’s Department of Microbiology and Immunology, wrote in an email to The McGill Tribune.

In order to trigger an immune response, all T-cells interact with a complex system of proteins that act as accelerators and brakes. This system is similar to that of a car, which can brake to stop or accelerate to go faster. T-cells can accelerate to destroy cells but also brake before they destroy healthy ones. Deformed cancerous cells spread when the T-cells either are either not acting fast enough or braking before destroying them.

The new research is the result of decades of work. In the 1990s, Allison studied the effects of a protein called CTLA-4, which acts like a brake on T-cells. He was able to develop an antibody to block the protein’s function and, with the brakes cut, T-cells can go on destroying cancer cells beyond what is normally possible.

A few years later, Honjo discovered another brake protein known as PD-1. PD-1 also inhibits T-cells but does so by preventing their activation. Honjo then developed a treatment for cancer based on PD-1 blockage.

Studies have demonstrated the incredible potential of these two novel immunotherapies; many trial patients are experiencing long-term remission and some are even cured. While the anti-PD-1 therapy has been found to be the more effective of the two, combining them has proven to be the most successful option.

“[The] field [of immunotherapy] has already radically changed cancer treatment and will, undoubtedly, change the approach to many autoimmune condition[s] as well as some infectious diseases,” Ward wrote.

In the future, immunotherapy could develop into a cure for many more illnesses than cancer. Its potential is unlimited.

Basketball, Know Your Athlete, Men's Varsity, Sports

Know Your Athlete: Alex Paquin

by Ender McDuff on

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Alex Paquin, the McGill men’s team’s fifth-year starting point guard from Candiac, Quebec, began his athletic career in a different sport: Baseball. At age seven, Paquin’s brother—who went on to play baseball in university—introduced him to basketball.

“I was playing [basketball] everywhere [after that], in the park, at home,” Paquin said. “I was just this little kid who was always playing […and] having fun.”

Eventually, Paquin chose to pursue basketball more seriously and set his sights set on playing in university. He made his way to American University, an NCAA Division 1 school in Washington, DC, where he played for three seasons.

“[Playing in the United States] was pretty cool,” Paquin said. “It’s a lot different than in Canada. The culture of sports is on another level.”

After graduating three years later, Paquin returned to Montreal to play for McGill while working towards his diploma in applied finance. He gained two more years of playing time with the move due to U Sports’ eligibility rules which allow for five years of varsity athletic participation.

Paquin has, thus far, made the most of his return to his home country: He helped the McGill men to a program-best fourth-place finish last year while earning RSEQ and U Sports Championship All-Star honours.

“At first, it was hard to adjust, […] but once I [did], it was honestly the year I loved [the] most […and] had the most fun,” Paquin said. “It was just a connection […with] their culture […of] brotherhood, working hard, and having fun doing it.”

Despite growing up as a Kobe Bryant fan, Paquin models his play most closely to Portland Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard. Paquin sees himself as a smart, tough player who is a strong shooter and a hard worker.

“I feel like I’ve eliminated most of my deficiencies [on] offence,” Paquin said. “Now, it is mostly about getting in shape.”

The biggest change Paquin has seen in his game over the years has been in his approach to the game.

“It used to be hard,” Paquin said. “I used to [think] ‘I need to score, I need to put on a lot of pressure,’ but, now […] I’m really prepared. When I come into a game, it doesn’t matter what’s in front of me. I’ll know what to do.”

Looking ahead to his final university season, Paquin has set himself lofty goals. He hopes to earn All-Canadian honours, and he wants his team to keep winning.

“Most people think that because [five graduating players] left, we’re going to have a down year, but I really want to show everyone that it doesn’t matter,” Paquin said. “They instilled [a winning attitude] at McGill, [and] we’re still going to win.”

Paquin hopes to play professionally in Europe upon graduating from McGill. That process requires finding an agent, showing off his skills in a highlight reel, and, most importantly, having a strong season.

“It’s stressful […] because there’s a lot of uncertainty,” Paquin said. “I’ve got to show up [to] every game. I can’t take a break [….] I have to perform.”

Paquin’s game has benefitted from that sort of additional pressure thus far. The point guard has averaged 19 points, three assists, and three rebounds through the eight preseason games in which he played—all improvements from his numbers last year. As the regular season tips off on Thursday, Nov. 8, Paquin will look to maintain his team’s pace and lead McGill to yet another record season.

Science & Technology

Understanding asbestos

by Sophia Gorbounov on

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Asbestos: Mid-twentieth century American houses were hopeless without it. Malcolm in the Middle made a punchline out of it in an episode. Now, buildings are being forced to remove it, and some countries—including Canada—are introducing legislation to ban it completely. This is a problem that hits close to home, since many of McGill’s historical buildings contain large quantities of the material.

The Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) building is currently under construction in part to remove asbestos. As the building is over half a century old, it was constructed when asbestos usage was at its peak. Its closure calls the threat of asbestos in other aging McGill buildings into question. The McGill Asbestos Web Database shows that many buildings on campus—including the Adams Building and Redpath Library—have areas where asbestos material content ranges from 25 to 75 per cent. Moreover, many of the reports have not been updated in nearly a decade.

Asbestos refers not to a single thing, but to a category of materials. The word ‘asbestos’ comes from Greek and means ‘unquenchable.’ By definition, asbestos is a group of naturally occurring, fibrous, silicate materials and acts as a very good insulator.

The most common form of asbestos is chrysotile, or white asbestos. In comparison to other variants, it has softer fibres, meaning that it is less dangerous to inhale as opposed to  sharp fibres, which get caught more easily in the lungs. Other types of asbestos include tremolite and brown asbestos, although they are not frequently used in commercial products. Asbestos is resitant to fire, electricity, and corrosion, making it useful as a heat-resistor and as friction control in brake linings and household insulation. Asbestos can also act in conjunction with materials such as steel or rubber to strengthen them.

The U.S. government recognizes six types of asbestos, which it categorizes into two main groups: Serpentine, which corresponds to white asbestos, and amphibole, which includes all five other recognized types. Research shows that there are more than five types amphibole asbestoses which the U.S. government does not recognize, but that exist in sizeable quantities and that can be just as toxic.

When it first came into use in the mid 20th century, asbestos was primarily used as a construction material. By the 1980s, it was used as the main fireproofing and insulating material for multi-story buildings. It was incorporated into adhesives, sealants, cement sheets, and was sprayed on walls, ceilings, and girders. Asbestos was truly the ‘miracle material’ of the construction world.

In Canada, asbestos mines constituted a large source of income. By 1966, Canada was producing over 40 per cent of the world’s white asbestos.

While it may once have been an architectural and financial miracle, asbestos has a toxic legacy. When it breaks down, fibres release into the air. These fibres pose respiratory and long-term risks not only to residents in the building, but also workers and repairmen. Tearing down an asbestos-filled building only increases the risk of releasing harmful fibres.

One of asbestos’ most lethal effects is mesothelioma, a form of cancer caused almost exclusively by long-term exposure to asbestos. The disease has a poor prognosis rate; most patients die within 21 months of diagnosis. Canada has some of the highest rates of mesothelioma in the world and asbestos is the number one cause of occupational death in the country. Yet, its use is still increasing worldwide.

Despite the existence of safe alternative materials and the health complications it causes, the desire to ban asbestos has been sluggish. In the U.S., asbestos can still be used in most materials, so long as it is in concentrations of less than one per cent. In China and India, asbestos is still regularly used in building materials.

Canada has only recently taken its first step to banning asbestos. Though the Canadian government lists it as a toxic substance, the legislation to ban it was only introduced for the first time in January of this year and still has a long way to go before implementation.

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