North America’s first public memorial for people exposed to asbestos will be unveiled September 22, 2022, on Vancouver’s waterfront path near the Convention Centre.
Asbestos exposure is responsible for 40 per cent of work-related deaths in North America. And the epidemic is not over. That is the main message BC Labour Heritage Centre and members of the construction industry want people to understand when they see “Magic and Lethal,” North America’s first memorial to people affected by asbestos exposure.
Its home on the north-west corner of the Vancouver Convention Centre, next to the public waterfront, will make “Magic and Lethal” visible to more than a million people who pass by the location every year, walking, cycling, and as international passengers from the nearby docks. That is more than a million opportunities to spark thought and awareness about asbestos poisoning and the lives lost to exposure-related illnesses.
“Viewers can look across Burrard Inlet to the docks where asbestos was loaded onto ships for decades for export around the world,” says Joey Hartman, chair of the BC Labour Heritage Centre board.
The BC Labour Heritage Centre Society was founded in 2004 to preserve, document, and present the rich history of working people in Bristish Columbia. The organization, which has planned and organized the memorial, engages in partnerships and projects that help define and express the role that work and workers have played in the evolution of social policy and its impact on the present and future shaping of the province.
Asbestos Exposure
Asbestos-containing materials release fibres into the air, and when breathed in, these fibres can damage lungs. Workers in mining, construction, power plants and shipyards, as well as industrial insulators, carpenters, plumbers, demolition and renovation contractors, and firefighters are the most at risk for asbestos exposure, but so are teachers, office and hospital workers, and those who inhabit older homes. There is no safe level of exposure, and some have been impacted by a single known exposure.
Asbestos has been banned in Canada since 2018, but the material exists in many buildings and products used daily. Canada has strict standards in place for asbestos removal and disposal, but illegal dumping and unsafe removal is still an issue that affects parks and undeveloped lands.
“Since there can be a delay of 10 to 20 years between exposure and diagnosis, asbestosis, mesothelioma, and other asbestos-related diseases are predicted to result in about 600 new fatalities per year across Canada for years to come,” Hartman says.
Creating Awareness
The Asbestos Related Research, Education & Advocacy Fund (areafund.ca) is one of the donors to the memorial project. This fund was created in 2010 by Tracy Ford and her mother after Tracy’s father Dave died from mesothelioma. He acquired the disease from a long career working at a pulp and paper mill.
“I think the new memorial will be something that will make people stop and look, and actually want to go over and find out what it’s about,” Ford says. “Thank you to Joey for telling me about this important memorial that honours those we’ve lost and warns the rest of us to be mindful of this ever-present risk.”
A Powerful Contemporary Metaphor
Vancouver artist Doug taylor created “Wind Wheel Mobile”—a metal sculpture central to the memorial—as a powerful metaphor for asbestos and the way it has affected countless lives. “Wind Wheel Mobile” is a dynamic, kinetic structure, driven only by the wind. Rich in symbolism, it could become one of Vancouver’s most important images.
“The wheel is a potent metaphor,” says Taylor. “In many cultures, the wheel is a symbol of life, death, and renewal.”
Asbestos fibres and molecules bear a close resemblance to the spokes and wheels, while the sculpture has a visual relationship to the lungs and bronchial airways of the human body. The mobile’s vane, representing human lungs, steers it into the wind. The memorial, both beautiful and curious, will be in constant motion, and subtle lighting at night will enhance its movement and character.
The installation will also include the text of the poem “Magic and Lethal” by renowned playwright John Gray. This verbiage evokes the ominous history of asbestos from its early days when it was heralded as “the magic mineral” to the discovery of its devastating impact on human health.
The memorial’s position at the foot of “Line of Work”—an installation of art and educational plaques placed to recognize workers killed and injured on the job—is fitting.
“We expect it to become one of Vancouver’s most iconic pieces of public art,” Hartman says.
An unveiling ceremony will take place Thursday, September 22, at 10 a.m. at the waterfront location, followed by an indoor reception. Visit labourheritagecentre.ca/asbestos to register to attend.
The BC Labour Heritage Centre invites donations toward the Asbestos Memorial project. Visit labourheritagecentre.ca/asbestos to be part of honouring the thousands who have died and informing millions more of the danger asbestos continues to present.
Learn more about asbestos related dangers and how to prevent contamination at worksafebc.com/en/health-safety/hazards-exposures/asbestos
