Aldershot’s commercial spaces are a mix of older strip plazas along Plains Road, light industrial units near the rail corridor and highway, and newer condo/retail developments close to the Aldershot GO Station and LaSalle Park area. Many of the one- and two-storey plazas and mid-century institutional buildings were constructed or renovated in the 1950s–1980s, when asbestos-containing materials were commonly used for:
- Boiler and mechanical room insulation in older plazas and industrial bays
- Floor tiles and mastic in long-term retail units and professional offices
- Acoustic ceiling tiles and pipe wraps in schools, churches and community facilities serving the Aldershot area
Because so many of these buildings have changed tenants over the years—restaurants becoming offices, retail units converted to clinics or studios—there are often hidden asbestos materials above ceilings, behind walls, and in service corridors that owners may not be aware of until a renovation or retrofit is planned.