The Cassiar Road

[@mariolakielbasa9812]

We lived there over a year, worked at the hospital, my husband was electrician working at the construction of a new school at 1991. We have a wonderful memories.Our friend Gigi was taking us for hiking and gold search. Visiting Stewart big Glacier, Hyder Alaska and many more unforgettable places. I got pregnant there with my first son. He is 32 years old now. This town was like one big family. Remember that people didn’t locked their houses. Was so trusting and safe. Great Party every weekend at the restaurant owned by Ida, Derek and Tim( great people)

[@Buzzard1]

I worked there for 7 years. Lot's of great memories. Met my first wife there also.

[@eddieleong6490]

I admire the video for telling us what happened in the past, when people toiled for a living, perhaps not realizing the dangers. The mountains while beautiful would have had landslides, sudden floods. The film gave the beautiful side but avoided telling of the heartbreaks.

[@largercoffee]

I worked up there from 1977 to 1981. Worked a lot of graveyard shifts up in the mine right on the ore body. I remember being 60 feet up a drill mast at 2 AM trying to thaw out an air hose. Hell of thing to do at 24 years old.

[@central3425]

The way we used to make documentaries with that 1950s background music is a relic from the past now.

[@timkaczmarowski8151]

surprised documentary now doesnt do more mock docs in this style, they could probably do a black comedy one that directly rips off this vid

[@Hardworkwork777]

Breaks my hear. All the people who have died from asbestos related cancer. My father was one of them. All for the greed of companies. All these men were trying to do is provide for their families. So sad, I wish I would give them all their full lives back.

[@xr6lad]

The sad thing was the danger was well known when this film was made. We had the same issue in Australia. People should have worn masks - I would have even bought my own although you can’t wear it in the home and it would have been all over town.

[@1966cambo]

@@xr6lad I am not sure they had filters good enough for the tiny asbestos fibres. My dad also died of Mesothelioma, didn’t look like much fun......

[@jeffmelchior8573]

My dad worked in Cassiar and always swore the risk of asbestos was overrated (to be fair, he lived a good long life of 82 years).

[@Indeewoods]

@@jeffmelchior8573 did you ever ask him if others lived as long who worked there or was it rare to not have health problems?

[@danielfantino1714]

Isn´t freaking to see employees filling bags with that cotton look falling on floor, sticking to bag. Imagine fine particles floating in the air, sticking to hairs and skins in summer heat... This document is an hisyorical one that can not being reproduced today....at least not with asbestos. And the lady "combing" samples just under her n'ose. Congrats to all those anonymous workers, and sorry for their illness and death.

[@curtdrahn8522]

It was interesting to know how and why the road was built. But hard to see all the folks working it and to realize most if not all died a horrible death from lung cancer caused by it. I have driven the road a couple times and loved it. It is a great story. Thank you for sharing it.

[@markliebrock6246]

Very informative video, but yes the dangers of asbestos is to real. Lost a friend to asbestosis at an early age. He worked in the boiler house in a pulp mill, and even back in the late 70's proper PPE was not mandatory, and being a young kid starting out you just did what you were told, crawling around in that contaminated environment. He ended up getting a settlement from the company, but that didn't stop the process of dying early.

[@chuckandjenbridges721]

I lived in Dease Lake in the mid 80's. We used to go to Cassiar for the bank and the grocery market. Other than that, we avoided Cassiar as you drove by a huge tailings pile on the way into town. You went into the market with a clean car, and came out to a car with green dust all over it. I hated to think what it was doing to our lungs. Luckily, I have no effects from living near it and going there. No loss when the town died.

[@thatguycarmine1]

Thousands think differently

[@dougabbott8261]

I have heard similar stories from others about the dust hanging over the town, how many grew up and suffered. A big problem or little I do not know.

[@timkaczmarowski8151]

​@@thatguycarmine1in the end what good was it, none

[@johnnycrash3270]

love to see a video of Tahsis Vancouver Island 1950's 60's one way in one way out Boat mom dad lived there with sister/ brother/ and I think me as an Infant mill town on the west coast of V/I my Sister my mother my brother my father have all passed away 66 yr old only one left still have pictures of Tahsis

[@Aranimda]

Such a wonderful, soft, strong, insulating, resilient and fire proof material. Too bad that it kills.

[@Buzzard1]

Cassiar asbestos (green) was the least harmful. Asbestos (blue) from Asbestos Quebec was was the really bad stuff.

[@EskCan44]

Too good to be true.

[@junglejim5785]

@@Buzzard1 What is the difference John? And what makes the blue more dangerous?

[@lewispaine4589]

I lived in Meziadin Lake in the early 80's.I remember the Arrow Transport B Train trucks that used to transport the ore from that mine to Stewart night and day rolling down highway 37

[@douglasthompson2740]

They titled this the building of the road yet nothing of the road (The Cassiar Highway) is in the movie. This is just a company public relations film.

[@paullamoureux2730]

I used to live here when my Dad worked at the mine - so long ago but I remember the snow!

[@1966cambo]

Did your dad suffer any health effects from working there?

[@leehilton9932]

It was cool seeing a tram line in action!! Wish there were more videos of these mines when they were open

[@cdnsk12]

A friend of mine named axel worked as a surveyor at this mine in the 1990's. He liked it there. The Cassiar company hid the facts that asbestos caused silicosis of the lungs. This was known from reseach at the Quebec Asbestos industry. Anything for money!

[@wheressteve]

Shovelling in human life to extract dollars.

[@jenverhelst6477]

My husband rode that highway many times with his dad to sell fresh vegetables and grocery products in the mining town. Fond memories

[@V.I.Outdoors]

My step Grandfather Hiram Nelson discovered these asbestos deposits whilst on propecting\hunting trip.

[@narfer]

Watching the poor guys in the main plant. Bagging and checking the machines. A shame. Little did they or anyone know.

[@xr6lad]

Ummm actually Asbestosis was well known from the 1920’s and 1930’s. Aka ‘miners disease’. So yes they would have known but neither the company, them, government or the unions did little about protecting workers.

[@central3425]

@@xr6lad Information was suppressed in the name of profits. Just like the cigarette industry

[@xr6lad]

Wonder how many died inhaling that stuff. And probably no compensation.

[@wheressteve]

Most of them and not very much.

[@roadtripmitch]

I was hoping to see the building of the hwy and why. Not a dam promo video. Think about your title from now on!

[@dougabbott8261]

Asbestos still a problem today. I wonder if the workers were getting sick at the time, and how much concern was being displayed to the company and unions. Jade is big in that area , I wonder how much was mined and tossed as a waste product.

[@WhiteCavendish]

Apparently a LOT, because I've read indications that they are currently mining jade out of the massive tailings pile at Cassiar!

[@abdool1972]

If they only knew then how they all condemned themselves to what must have been multiple agonizing cancers.

[@sscbkr48]

An incredible process, spectacular scenery.. it turns out nature wasn't so good in supplying the wonder mineral.. breathe deep.. ahhhh! cough cough.. poor buggers that unwittingly traded their health and lives in the early years for cash.

[@user-xh5pt1hz1k]

The comment section is something else yo.

[@joesutherland225]

Wonder how many people died from their job here

[@timkaczmarowski8151]

put this vid on to learn about the road, found a nice little history of area gold mining then "another type of gold mine" and i thought what? copper? nickel? iron? asbestos!!! oh shit this just turned into a horror film, sad waste of the land and people

[@marciewarner9225]

Can't imagine having to work in such a toxic environment with asbestos in the air everywhere. I suspect most of the folks who unknowingly worked or lived in this area have ultimately suffered asbestos related ailments or worse.

[@EskCan44]

Even today millions of people worldwide work in and around toxic substances daily and are completely unaware of the risks they are taking on their bodies. Not necessarily ACMs (Asbestos Containing Materials) but a range of other chemical compounds that should be avoided at all costs.

[@zs9372]

Them workers are just sucking up the Cancer

[@central3425]

Its all gone now. Ghosts of the past

[@timkaczmarowski8151]

shame it ever existed in the first place

[@GuntherRommel]

I swear I can *HEAR* the lung cancer growing. You might think that's just static, but let me tell you..

[@hkkhgffh3613]

Gosh! I wanna join the asbestos industry!

[@central3425]

Company propaganda at its finest

[@wheressteve]

All that and free cigarettes too !!!

[@SheriffofYouTube]

give the natives their mountains back

[@wheressteve]

All I see when I watch this is a sad parade of future cancer victims and a fat cat at an oak desk surrounded by stacks of cash.