Present in a great many older Calgary homes, and usually not a reason to walk — until somebody starts renovating.
Asbestos was used extensively in construction for decades and is common in older housing stock everywhere, Calgary included. Typical locations in a house of that era:
Asbestos is a hazard when fibres become airborne. Material that is intact, sealed and left alone generally is not releasing fibres, which is why families have lived safely in these homes for decades.
The risk arrives with renovation. Sanding, drilling, demolishing or removing suspect material without proper procedure is where exposure happens — and where a routine kitchen update becomes an abatement project.
If you are buying an older Calgary home and plan to renovate, budget for testing before demolition. Not because you are likely to find something catastrophic, but because finding out mid-demolition is the expensive way.
Vermiculite is a loose-fill attic insulation, typically greyish-brown, pebbly, and poured rather than batted. Some vermiculite — notably the widely distributed Zonolite product — came from a source contaminated with asbestos, so vermiculite in an attic is treated as suspect unless testing shows otherwise.
Practical guidance: do not disturb it. Do not go rummaging in that attic, do not run new wiring through it, and do not let a contractor treat it casually. Testing and, where needed, professional removal are the route — and it is a genuine cost that belongs in your offer rather than a surprise afterwards.
None of this makes an older Calgary home a bad purchase. It makes it a home where the renovation budget needs a line item most buyers forget.