The Winnipeg School Division says it will be reinstalling fencing around the playing field at Weston School during the week of April 15.
The province’s Sustainable Development department determined in October 2018 that the soil on the field contained lead concentration levels above recommended guidelines set out by the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment.
According to the WSD, Manitoba Public Health had previously said that with snow cover and frozen ground, the risk of exposure to lead in soil was small.
WSD said now that the snow has melted it will be reinstalling the fence that was initially installed in September of 2018 but removed when the ground froze in November.
Weston School will be able to use a nearby park for outdoor activities.
In a release, the school division said “The Province’s Sustainable Development department prepared a report ‘Winnipeg Soil Survey Fall 2018’ this past winter on the resampling of soil completed in the fall. The report was tabled at the Manitoba Legislature on March 14, 2019 with one recommendation that further analysis of lead levels found in the report be conducted to determine if there are risks to human health.”
WSD says it has been advised by the province that requests have been made to further assess the soil and provide recommendations to address the issue.
