There are “serious concerns” about safety at the Guy-Favreau Complex, a major federal office building in Montreal, after a worker fell ill in a case linked to asbestos exposure, according to a union representing government lawyers.
The Association of Justice Counsel (AJC), which represents more than 3,500 federal lawyers, said it was informed on March 24 that Quebec’s workplace health and safety board, the Commission des normes, de l’équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail (CNESST), had determined an exposure was linked to a serious health condition affecting a Justice Department employee.
The nature of the illness has not been disclosed over privacy concerns.
The 12-storey Guy-Favreau Complex on René-Lévesque Blvd. houses a range of federal services, like a passport office and a Service Canada centre. It is managed by Public Services and Procurement Canada. It says the building remains open and safe.
Asbestos was once widely used in construction across Canada from about 1930 until 1980. Now, asbestos exposure is recognized as the country’s leading cause of workplace deaths, according to the Canadian Cancer Society. In Quebec, it accounted for nearly three-fifths of all work-related deaths.
While the material is generally considered low risk when left intact, inhaling its dust fibres can cause diseases including lung cancer, asbestosis — a hardening of the lungs — and mesothelioma, a deadly cancer affecting the lining of the lungs, heart and abdomen.
According to the World Health Organization, there is no safe level of exposure to the airborne fibres, and related diseases can take decades to develop.
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The Guy-Favreau Complex was built in 1983. Public Services and Procurement Canada notes on its website that asbestos is present in the building, adding that it is managed through an asbestos-control program.
Workers at the complex, however, had previously been told asbestos was confined to the building’s basement, according to the AJC. New information now suggests it may be present on multiple floors where employees work, the union said.
The union said the findings raise questions about workplace safety at the complex, particularly given earlier assurances from the employer that the building was safe following recent testing.
It added that it is now requesting urgent information from the employer and has begun consulting independent experts. It called for a precautionary approach, given the seriousness of the case.
“The responsibility to ensure a safe workplace rests with the employer,” the union said, adding that an investigation is underway under the Canada Labour Code, with local health and safety committees expected to take part.
The CNESST declined to provide further details, citing the confidentiality of the worker involved.
Nicole Allen, a spokeswoman for Public Services and Procurement Canada, wrote in a statement that “asbestos is present in very limited amounts” and “is well documented.”
“The vast majority of the materials are non-friable,” Allen said. “In addition, strict management measures are in place to ensure that the materials remain in good condition, including annual inspections, and that no fibres are released into the air.
“The last asbestos inspection was conducted in January 2026. Supplemental air tests to detect the presence of asbestos fibres were conducted on March 16, 2026. These tests detected no asbestos fibres and complied with applicable standards,” she wrote.
The Gazette has requested copies of the test results but did not receive a response before publication.
Have you been affected by asbestos or have a story tip? Write to me at hnorth@postmedia.com
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