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PCN Action Agenda
Drinking Asbestos causes Cancer: “no reasonable doubt”
Contrary to a 2026 Health Canada draft review, this submission by Prevent Cancer Now and others states: There is no reasonable doubt that drinking asbestos puts public health at risk and causes cancer.
Delaying action until we have “consistent, convincing evidence” of carcinogenicity in Canada amounts to unethical delay, since Canada does not measure asbestos levels in drinking water. The submission provides 13 recommendations for immediate action, including analyses of affected drinking water, and accelerated safe replacement of asbestos-cement pipes.
Asbestos cement in drinking water pipes – 2025 data
First national survey shows Canada has asbestos cement in nearly 13,700 km of aging drinking water pipes.
Is your community affected? Did it answer the survey?
Scotland: Health concerns raised over asbestos in tap water
BBC: Asbestos in drinking water: What does it mean for human health?
EU Observer: A hidden threat: Asbestos fibres in our drinking water
SCIENCE UPDATE
· Early Onset Cancer
Addressing the Rising Trend in Early-Age-Onset Cancers – where’s prevention?
A 2026 PCN analysis of Canadian and US data confirms that cancers are increasing at younger and younger ages across North America.
A 2024 peer-reviewed publication reported that early onset cancers – younger than 50 years – are increasing rapidly in Canada, .
Study recommendations commonly focus on early detection and treatment rather than discerning the causes of these cancers, for primary prevention.
Early detection of cancer is hindered by a lack of awareness among patients and family doctors that cancer can and does occur in younger persons.
Sustainable Agriculture /
Canada’s most-used herbicide is linked to cancer.
Sustainable agriculture would do without.
A healthy future depends on healthy soil, for healthy food and resilient agriculture. Prevent Cancer Now urges Canada to reduce pesticide use in alignment with international goals. Glyphosate is a good place to start. It is by far the most-used pesticide in Canada, and it is under court-ordered scientific review in Canada and the US.
Pesticides reduction is essential to human and environmental health
A stated goal of the UN Biodiversity Conference (COP-15), in Montreal in December 2022, is to reduce pesticide risks by one half. Prevent Cancer Now supports transition to ecologically based, organic, regenerative growing.
Sustainable agriculture in action — an inspiring example
Organic farmer Rick Clark kicked off the 2023 Guelph Organic Conference with this story — to inspire ambitious vision and goals for the Sustainable Agriculture Strategy consultation by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.
Award-winning documentary film…
Watch “Into the Weeds” free on CBC Gem
Into the Weeds, Jennifer Baichwal’s documentary about glyphosate and cancer, can be streamed free on CBC Gem.
The film follows groundskeeper Dewayne “Lee” Johnson, whose case was first to go to trial in a series of lawsuits involving tens of thousands of plaintiffs claiming Monsanto’s (now Bayer’s) weed killer Roundup, or its industrial counterpart Ranger Pro, contributed to their cancer.
The film follows this trial, while considering the systemic effects of the world’s most widely used herbicide.
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Asbestos in Drinking Water /
Slides for the presentation.
Recent Posts /
33 Canadian health and environment groups denounce undemocratic changes undermining the pesticides law
33 Canadian public interest groups have denounced a sweeping weakening of Canada’s pesticide regulatory system – the largest changes in a generation – with NO consultation or study by health and environment committees.
Omnibus legislation shouldn’t weaken protections against pesticides
Sweeping clauses that fundamentally weaken Canada’s pesticide safety have NO place in a federal budget omnibus bill (Bill C-30) – and need to be removed.
Childhood cancers across North America
Everyone wants good news, and yes, cancer treatments—however harsh— are saving more lives. Unfortunately however, across North America larger proportions of children are developing cancers. Prevention — The Cure everyone wants and needs Thanks to committed physicians and scientists working with billions of dollars in funding , knowledge of cancer biology and treatment is improving children’s survival to adulthood. Medical miracles prolong lives, but how many kids are developing cancer? Two publications in 2025 revealed the dismal news:Increasing proportions of…
MEDIA RELEASE — Pesticides Coalition: Canada Must Choose Science and Health Over Lobbyists
MEDIA RELEASE: December 2025.
Health Canada is poised to end regular re-evaluations of pesticides. The pending gllyphosate re-evaluation exemplifies how removing mandatory re-evaluation could risk food and environmental quality, and leave Canadians at risk of cancers and chronic disease.
Build Canada Housing — Concerns over Siting on Contaminated Properties
Map credit: Canasdian Environmental Law Association, PFAS on military sites and airports