Mr. Speaker, this year marks the 125th anniversary of the discovery of chrysotile asbestos.
Today a four-day cycling challenge will end here on Parliament Hill. Mine workers, all of them over the age of 50 and with at least 25 years of service in our chrysotile mines in Thetford Mines and Asbestos, have ridden more than 500 kilometres to get here.
The objective of this challenge is to contribute to raising awareness of the safe use of chrysotile asbestos.
All along the way, therefore, a team was distributing relevant information about this natural fibre and its exceptional properties, in order to foster positive attitudes toward chrysotile asbestos, first of all in the areas where it is produced, and then in Quebec and in Canada.
The safe and responsible use of chrysotile by Canada is absolutely necessary if jobs are to be maintained in these mines and if the manufacturing industry is to be developed.