Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the excellent work being done by the Association pour les victimes de l'amiante du Québec, or AVAQ, the Quebec association for asbestos victims. Some members of the association, which is headquartered in my riding of La Pointe-de-l'Île, are here today.
The AVAQ has mapped more than 3,700 public buildings containing asbestos, including many federal government offices. Since federal regulations do not prohibit the release of asbestos fibres during renovations, workers in these environments can use the mapping tool to take action and demand compliance with occupational health and safety requirements.
I am proud to have supported this initiative, and I encourage public service managers to locate their asbestos-containing facilities and take steps to ensure that renovations to those structures do not cause work-related illness.
I would like to thank the volunteers and the entire AVAQ team who have been working since 2017 to promote solidarity and mutual support among asbestos victims.