Portage Library continues to advocate for radon safety

Portage la Prairie Regional Library, led by Director Jen Kendall, recently saw success with the Take Action on Radon initiative.

"We had two information sessions, one virtual and one in person last week to kick off the 100-Test Kit Challenge," Kendall shares. " We partnered with Take Action on Radon to do one session and Manitoba Lung did the other. The turnout was really good. We had roughly 35 people show up for the in-person session, then there was another 20 to 30 people who attended the Zoom session the next day."

Now that the test kits have been distributed, participants will keep them for about 100 days, returning them to the library to be sent to a lab in early March. Results will be emailed, contributing valuable data to address the local radon issue. Kendall stresses the importance of radon testing, noting the scarcity of data in the region. 

"As we get the test results back, we'll also get a community radon profile so we can see what it's like in the area, because there's not a lot of data to work off of. Using the data from the tests they will be put it in the community profile, which will be a nice piece of information for us to have as a community."

The library still has digital screeners for those who missed out on test kits. The anonymous data collected will provide insights into radon levels in both the city and rural areas. She says the success of these initiatives showcases the community's engagement in creating a safer living environment in Portage. 

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