Re: The passing of Éric Jonckheere, a courageous activist for justice for asbestos victims and for a global ban on asbestos
gopal krishna
Hello everyone
It is with great sadness that I inform you of the death of our friend and comrade Éric Jonckheere, a courageous activist for justice for asbestos victims and for a global ban on asbestos.
Éric and his family endured an unimaginable degree of suffering caused by asbestos. Their story began in a small company town in Belgium, where Éric’s father was the manager of an Eternit asbestos cement factory. A significant proportion of the asbestos used there came from Canada. Eventually, Éric’s father, mother and two of his brothers died from mesothelioma. Tragically, Éric himself joined them on December 13 after a tenacious struggle against the relentless cancer that began four years ago.
Éric decided years ago that he would not rest until he helped win justice for asbestos victims and achieved a global ban on asbestos. He made a magnificent contribution to that struggle. He was a charismatic, bigger than life figure who won people over with charm and humour (often dark) as much as by statistics and policy arguments.
Éric contributed greatly to our asbestos struggle in Canada, as he did in many parts of the world. I was privileged to host him in 2012, when he stood in solidarity with the hundreds of wonderful activists of Sarnia, Ontario; this was a major moment of progress on our journey to ban asbestos in Canada in 2018.
Éric visited Canada again with his friend Daniel Lambo, in 2019, when the Canadian Mesothelioma Foundation sponsored the Canadian launch of Daniel’s film “Breathless”, which portrayed the global reach of the asbestos industry, grounded in the story of the Jonckheere family.
Then, after Éric’s mesothelioma diagnosis, he told me that we would like to visit Canada while he was still able. So in November 2023, he came to Toronto and made a powerful intervention at the Canadian Mesothelioma Foundation’s conference. Following that, I was privileged to accompany him on a visit to the closed down asbestos mines in Quebec – in the town formerly called Asbestos and now called Val des Sources. He was in great discomfort at times but courageously and in good humour confronted once again the place where the asbestos in his lungs came from.
Eric was a powerful influence in our movement and I miss him deeply.
I’ve attached my own rough translation of the release from the Belgian Asbestos Victims’ group, ABEVA.
I will share further information as I receive it.
In love and solidarity with Éric, his family and many friends and colleagues
Alec Farquhar (he/him)
Coordinator, Asbestos Free Canada
Convenor, WHWB Asbestos Working Group