On Friday, the\u00a0Direction\u00a0r\u00e9gionale\u00a0de sant\u00e9 publique (DRSP) of Montreal confirmed in a letter to residents the contaminants\u00a0polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), petroleum hydrocarbons, and metals were found in the soil in an analysis conducted by a \u201cspecialized firm.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAs of Friday, July 24, 2026, construction has been suspended for an indefinite period to limit odours. Work may resume once the proposed mitigation measures to reduce emissions have been evaluated and the necessary permits have been obtained from the relevant authorities,\u201d the regional health authority wrote, adding the contamination discovered \u201cwas more extensive than expected.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The health\u00a0authority\u00a0noted\u00a0these chemicals are\u00a0frequently\u00a0found on contaminated sites. The Gazette\u00a0worked\u00a0to obtain records\u00a0showing the type of industrial activity that caused the site to become\u00a0contaminated, but\u00a0did not find any in time for publication.\u00a0<\/p>\n
According to professor of environmental epidemiology at McGill University,\u00a0Scott Weichenthal,\u00a0long-term exposure to\u00a0airborne\u00a0polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons\u00a0can cause cancer. While he said exposure over a two-month\u00a0period\u00a0wouldn\u2019t\u00a0have that impact,\u00a0the\u00a0respiratory effects reported by residents like \u201cnausea, irritation, headaches\u201d and dizziness are expected side\u00a0effects.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThere would have to be quite a lot of contamination for it to be like emitting for this long, because it\u2019s exposed to the outdoors,\u201d he said in an interview.\u00a0\u201cWhat really surprises me is that it\u2019s\u00a0an it\u2019s\u00a0an exposed site, and it\u2019s emitting enough that people are really noticing it strongly, and then even reporting some of these symptoms that are very typical of these volatile chemicals.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
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For those experiencing symptoms\u00a0like headaches or nausea, or if you are bothered by the\u00a0odours, the health authority recommends staying indoors and closing windows.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThe DRSP does not yet have all the data necessary to assess the health risks to residents living near the construction site or to make recommendations to the project developer.\u00a0The\u00a0initial\u00a0analysis results\u00a0submitted\u00a0to the DRSP do not suggest an immediate health risk to\u00a0the population. However, symptoms such as headaches or nausea may occur in\u00a0the presence of odours,\u201d the health authority wrote in its letter.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIn order to adequately assess the risks associated with longer-term exposure, additional\u00a0and more in-depth analyses have been conducted by the project developer. The DRSP is currently\u00a0awaiting these results before\u00a0determining\u00a0the health risks that may be\u00a0associated with the project\u2019s activities, issuing recommendations to the project developer, and\u00a0sharing\u00a0them with the relevant environmental\u00a0authorities.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Safety of future daycare\u00a0<\/p>\n
While the short-term respiratory effects may be uncomfortable or upsetting for those living nearby,\u00a0Weichenthal\u00a0is more concerned\u00a0about the safety of the future daycare being built on the contaminated site.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIf they don\u2019t deal with this, that\u2019s going to be infiltrating the indoor air of a daycare\u201d and to limit cancer risk in developing children, he suggested all of the contaminated soil might need to be removed from the site to ensure it\u2019s safe.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Weichenthal also said measurements of the concentration of contamination should be measured\u00a0before and after\u00a0the decontamination, both in the soil and in the air, and then published\u00a0as evidence\u00a0to reassure the public.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The\u00a0provincial environment ministry\u00a0told The Gazette \u201csince\u00a0the proposed use of the site is \u2018institutionally sensitive,\u2019 the environmental quality of the soil must meet\u00a0Criteria B of the Intervention Guide\u2014Soil Policy and Site Remediation<\/a>\u00a0following the site\u2019s remediation.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n According to\u00a0the director of the daycare, Emmanuelle Speer, \u201cwe are required by law to decontaminate (the site) to the highest standard, i.e., Level A,\u201d\u00a0as laid out by Quebec\u2019s environment ministry<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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