It has not been used for years, but asbestos remains the number one killer of workers in B.C.
Some 140 people -- more than half of work-related deaths in 2007 -- were killed by diseases stemming from asbestos exposure, according to WorkSafe BC.
Peter Hawkins worked as an insulator before asbestos was phased out in the 1980s.
But 20 years later, he's been diagnosed with asbestos exposure, and a doctor told him there's a good chance it will develop into Mesothelioma, a potentially fatal cancer.
"He said the bad news is you've got asbestos," Hawkins told CTV News. "I said, 'What's the good news?' He said, 'It hasn't turned to cancer yet.'
" 'It may?' There's a good chance of it, yeah," said Hawkins.
Asbestos was introduced as a fire-retardant in construction in the late 19th century because it was resistant to heat, electricity and chemical damage.
But the inhalation of long, spindly asbestos fibres can cause serious illnesses, and since the mid-1980s it was banned in construction in many countries.
Asbestos can still be found in homes built before that time, such as the insulation in your roof, or around your fireplace, or in your basement.
"Any homeowner that has a home of that era should be concerned when they do renovation work," said Al Johnson of Worksafe BC.
"Certainly you can call in a qualified consultant who can come in and do what's called an asbestos survey so they can determine whether or not there's asbestos in your home."
B.C.'s construction unions are calling on the federal government to stop mining asbestos in Quebec.
But for Hawkins, it's too late -- he's now worried that his syndrome will become cancerous, so he tries to enjoy the days he has left.
"I'm down to so many winters and so many summers and I really appreciate every one of them," he said.
With a report from CTV British Columbia's Dag Sharman
