Rural Ontario man finds high levels of radioactive gas in new home — wants others to check

Radon is an odourless, invisible, radioactive gas naturally released from rocks, soil and water that can seep into homes through small cracks and holes that build up over time.

It’s also the second-leading cause of lung cancer deaths after cigarettes, according to the Canadian Lung Association (CLA). Radon exposure is estimated to be the cause of 16 per cent of lung cancers.

“It’s extremely difficult to heal, so what happens is when we breathe in radon at sufficient levels it damages the DNA in our lungs and leads to genetic mutations,” said Dr. Aaron Goodarzi, a professor at the University of Calgary’s Cumming School of Medicine.

Kids, he said, are at an even higher risk because they have a longer life expectancy.

Goodarzi, who’s also the scientific director of the Evict Radon National Study, said genetic mutations can take anywhere from 10 to 30 years to develop — meaning there’s more potential for children exposed to radon to develop lung cancer in their lives.

Radon gas can be found in any home that has contact with the ground; however, rural communities across the country have a 30 per cent increased risk of high levels, according to Goodarzi.

The amount of time you spend in the home, and for how many years, can also factor into the chances of you getting lung cancer, he said. |Read more https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/cedar-springs-radon-gas-1.7156915| cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/ced…

#cdnpoli #onpoli #environment #radon #carcinogen #lung-cancer #Radioactive

Trudeau proposes new reforms for renters amid housing crunch

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced new measures he says will help protect Canadian renters and help them break into the housing market ahead of the 2024 budget.

He said Wednesday that the proposed three new reforms will “make the playing field fairer for renters” amid an affordability crisis making homeownership out of reach for many.

Wednesday’s press release notes that the new measures are both about protecting renters and about “generational fairness” for millennials and Generation Z, who make up a large part of Canada’s rental market.

A Statistics Canada report Wednesday highlighted a number of affordability issues staring down renters and younger generations that put them at risk of missing key financial milestones, particularly achieving the dream of homeownership.

“Sustained food inflation, elevated housing prices, and increasingly unaffordable rental costs across much of the country are casting a shadow over the homeownership dream for many households — and, in particular, for young families,” the report says. |Read more https://globalnews.ca/news/10387043/trudeau-renter-reforms-2024-budget/| globalnews.ca/news/10387043/tr…

#cdnpoli #housing #affordability #homeownership #renters #fairness #credit #renovictions