For generations, Canadian sailors served aboard ships where asbestos was used in pipes, insulation and other materials. Asbestos exposure can cause serious disease, sometimes decades later. Veterans should not have to discover a service-related risk by accident—or learn about possible support only after becoming ill.
The article cited an estimate that as many as 18,000 people may have been exposed to asbestos used on military ships between the Second World War and the 1970s.
Harvey Friesen served for two years aboard HMCS New Glasgow. His doctors believed his lung cancer was likely linked to that service.
Friesen called for former sailors to be warned. The article reported that Veterans Affairs said identifying and locating affected veterans would be difficult.
These figures and statements are drawn from the CBC report published in 2007. They are historical reporting, not a current count of affected veterans or a statement of current government policy.
“Everyone who served on there was exposed to asbestos.” — Harvey Friesen, as quoted by CBC News, March 6, 2007
A warning was requested. What happened next?
The 2007 report described a veteran who believed his lung cancer was connected to his naval service and who wanted other former sailors to know they could be at risk. It also reported that Veterans Affairs Canada had compensated him for his exposure and illness.
At the time, a departmental spokesperson said it would be difficult to identify which veterans had served on ships containing asbestos and where those veterans might now live. The article said the department generally relied on veterans’ organizations to spread the word.
That explanation raises a fundamental question: when government records may help identify people who served aboard affected ships, should the burden of finding and warning those veterans rest primarily on veterans’ organizations and the veterans themselves?
Records may be incomplete, and locating people decades after service is not simple. But difficulty is a reason to develop a plan—not a reason to leave veterans without clear, proactive information about a potentially serious occupational exposure.
If you served aboard a Canadian military ship and are concerned about possible asbestos exposure, tell your health-care professional about your service history and ask what medical advice is appropriate for you. Do not assume that routine chest X-rays are suitable for everyone; screening decisions should be made with a qualified health-care professional based on your individual circumstances.
If you have an illness that you believe may be related to your military service, contact Veterans Affairs Canada to ask about eligibility, evidence requirements and available support. Keep service records and relevant medical documentation where possible.
A debt of service. A duty to warn.
Veterans should not have to rely on a 2007 news story—or word of mouth—to learn that their service may have exposed them to a serious health hazard. The government should explain what it knows, what it is doing now, and how potentially affected veterans will be reached.
Contact Veterans Affairs Canada Read the original CBC reportRead the original article on CBC.ca.
This campaign page summarizes and comments on the historical report; it does not reproduce the full article. The page is advocacy content, not medical advice or legal advice. The original article reflects reporting from 2007 and should not be taken as confirmation of present-day policy or current exposure estimates.