ManitobaFree radon screening kits will be available at all Winnipeg Public Library branches starting this weekend for residents to borrow and test for the noxious gas that is a leading cause for cancer in non-smokers. Radioactive gas present in most homes in the country can lead to lung cancer over long exposure: Health CanadaCBC News · Posted: Oct 31, 2025 2:10 PM EDT | Last Updated: 3 hours agoListen to this articleEstimated 3 minutesA digital radon detector is shown at a news conference at Cornish Library in Winnipeg on Friday. Free radon screening kits are being made available at all Winnipeg Public Library branches for residents to borrow and test for the noxious gas. (Warren Kay/CBC)Radon screening kits will be available to borrow for free at all Winnipeg Public Library branches starting this weekend, giving residents a chance to test their homes for the noxious gas.”This is such an important initiative to be preventative and to ensure that we can keep our family safe,” Point Douglas Coun. Vivian Santos, who chairs the city’s community services committee, told reporters at a news conference at Cornish Library on Friday. “Libraries are one of the most accessible ways for residents to learn and take action. This … makes it easier for families to protect their loved ones.”Radon, a radioactive gas that comes from the breakdown of uranium in soil or rocks, is a leading cause for cancer in non-smokers. When it is released from the ground, the gas is diluted and it is not a concern, but in enclosed spaces it can accumulate and become risky, according to Health Canada. In higher doses and over long-term exposure, it can lead to lung cancer. Coun. Vivian Santos says radon testing is important to keep families in the city safe. (Warren Kay/CBC)Radon can be found in most homes in the country, but the gas is invisible, odorless and tasteless, Health Canada says. Testing is the only way to know the concentration of radon in a space.That’s why the city is offering screening kits that residents can borrow from libraries for three weeks, free of cost, between Nov. 1 and April 30, 2026.”You can just borrow it like a book,” Santos said. The program is a partnership with the Manitoba Lung Association. The city said the kits, available at all 20 library branches, include an information booklet and an electronic radon monitor that should be placed in rooms at the lowest level of a home for at least seven days.According to Health Canada, an estimated 16 per cent of lung cancers are due to radon exposure, resulting more than 3,000 lung cancer deaths across the country each year.There are also recent estimates that 43 per cent of homes in the province have elevated radon levels, Pam Warkentin, executive director of Canadian Association of Radon Scientists and Technologists, said at Friday’s news conference.”This represents not only a serious public health concern, but also a preventable burden on families,” said Warkentin.Winnipeg’s library system is joining others in the province offering the testing devices. Warkentin said 31 regional libraries across Manitoba are now offer the devices in more than 60 branches.If a home has high radon levels, the Manitoba Lung Association says it can connect residents with local experts for advice on next steps, including mitigation or accessing financial support.
Radon screening kits available to borrow at Winnipeg public library branches
