We need lead contamination assurances
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 02/03/2021 (820 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
As some of you may know, Weston School on Logan Avenue closed its sports field for three years waiting for results from the province’s commissioned report on lead-contaminated soil in Winnipeg.
That report made specific recommendations for the Weston School yard and sports field, including a lead prevention public awareness campaign, further soil testing, and a seasonal landscaping maintenance plan for school grounds and green spaces in the community.
Unfortunately, the sports field was re-opened afterwards without any of these recommendations being followed. We were told at the time (February 2020) by the province that the school field is safe to re-open and no work is necessary on the school grounds since it was only closed out of an “abundance of caution.”
Now, after a year of advocacy requesting the province to protect our community from lead exposure, there has finally been a tender posted by the Winnipeg School Division for a contract for a lead maintenance plan for landscaping the Weston School grounds which would include excavation and disposal of lead contaminated soils, replacement of clean fill and reinstallation of site elements.
This landscape work now officially planned for Weston School grounds is a most welcome development, but our community needs to receive assurances that this maintenance will be done on a regular, seasonal basis. It is also important that the school division’s bottom line not be affected by this and that the province helps to financially support the work.
This is only one of many recommendations cited to protect our community from lead exposure.
I have prepared petitions urging the provincial government to address all the measures needed to keep our community and especially the children of our community safe from lead exposure.
If you haven’t already signed the petition, please contact our office at 204-788-0800 and we will make arrangements to get that petition to you.
In other news, my office has been continuing our work with community organizations such as Norwest Co-op and donors such as Seafood City to deliver fresh produce and flash-frozen meals to Notre Dame residents and community kitchens, including Blake Gardens Resource Centre, Women’s Central Resource Centre, Rossbrook House and Fil-Casa.
We make deliveries every Monday and Wednesday. Frozen meals are prepared by professional chef Ben Kramer, who is well known for catering the pop-up restaurant on the Red River and Table for 1,200. So far he and his team have prepared more than 25,000 meals since May for Winnipeggers in need. I would like to thank all the donors and volunteers for their continued dedication to Notre Dame residents.
If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to me at malaya.marcelino@yourmanitoba.ca or over the phone at 204-788-0800.
Malaya Marcelino
Notre Dame constituency report
Malaya Marcelino is the NDP MLA for Notre Dame.