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The town, along with the neighboringvillage of Thetford Mines, is the site of the last two asbestos minesin Canada. The Canadian asbestos industry exports thousands of tonsto developing countries annually. The mines are a mainstay of thelocal economy and provide hundreds of jobs. Quebec Premier JacquesCharest was recently met with protests from labor unions and workersafety advocacy groups in India during a state visit where he metwith businesses that import the mineral from his province.
Leading citizens in Asbestos say theirmineral has been the victim of an alarmist press. Despite themounting medical evidence that points to asbestos exposure as a causeof mesothelioma and other lung diseases, officials with the localand provincial governments maintain that asbestos is safe to handlewhen those around it employ the proper precautions. However, thegrowing public perception that asbestosis dangerous and the increasing legal restrictions on its usearound the world pose poor prospects for the asbestos industry.
The Guardian newspaper reports thatthere is a move to diversify the town of Asbestos’s economy byexpanding the tourism industry. The plans to change the town’simage include offering nature hikes and