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Asbestos
The City of Winnipeg is filled with very old, run down homes and
properties. It is surprising how many of these occupancies do not have
updated copper plumbing, gas furnaces or panel boxes for electricity.
Worse still, is the number of homes that are still insulated with
asbestos.
Back in the 70's the government ran a program promoting a certain type
of insulation. This insulation was very economical and easy to come
by... it also contained asbestos. Now, a few decades later, people
realize how deadly asbestos can be. However, the government is not
willing to lift a finger to assist home owners with the expense of
replacing this asbestos containing insulation that the government once
promoted.
In Canada, it is
illegal to sell a home through the MLS system without disclosing any
defects or health hazards that may exist on the property. If a home is
insulated with asbestos and this is not disclosed, the seller is
liable. So, in Winnipeg, you will find people trying to unload their
asbestos insulated homes by means of private sales. My sister was
looking to buy a little house. We found a darling little place that
would have been perfect for her and it was in close proximity to our
place as well. She fell in love with the house, but listened to people
when they suggested having a home inspection. Sure enough, small bits
of asbestos containing insulation were found in the basement that
completely escaped our notice, since we had no idea what to look for.
Although undisturbed
asbestos insulation is said to pose no health risks, you just never
know when unbeknown to you, that insulation gets disturbed. The
terrifying thing, is that many of the schools in our city, which were
built many, many years ago, also have asbestos containing insulation.
Slowly, the city is replacing this hazardous material or even closing
these schools down. However, in the meantime, it's pretty scary to
think that all these little kids are spending the better part of their
days in close proximity to this dangerous substance.
It's also very disconcerting to think that the government would promote
such a dangerous substance as asbestos for use in people's homes, only
to find out that asbestos is so dangerous to human health. And then,
for them not to take responsibility for their actions, and to provide
no assistance to homeowners to remove this hazardous material from
their homes and properties is unthinkable. And yet this is the reality
that many homeowners in our city and across the country are dealing
with.
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A Healthy Dose of Good Advice
