Ombudsman will probe public release of soil tests at St. Boniface

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This article was published 17/09/2018 (2293 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Manitoba’s ombudsman will investigate how and when the government decided to release information about St. Boniface soil samples containing elevated levels of lead.

Acting ombudsman Marc Cormier said although his office isn’t able to investigate elected officials’ actions, it can look at how administration handled the decision-making process and whether they followed rules, such as those laid out in the Election Financing Act.

“I believe looking more closely into this complaint can help to shed light on this specific incident and to bring greater clarity to the process for releasing this type of government information generally,” Cormier said in a prepared statement Tuesday.

“Although the complainant also raised concerns with the actions of elected officials, the Ombudsman Act restricts the review of political decision-making. We can however, consult with any person who can provide information relevant to the complaint. In this case, consultation with elected officials may be required to fully understand the context of this issue.”

In July, the province said it could not release the St. Boniface soil results when it became aware of them in late June due to a byelection blackout period barring government announcements.

However, documents obtained by the Free Press showed sustainable development officials knew about the results earlier.

The ombudsman said he won’t comment further on the investigation until it’s complete, but directed any people affected by the St. Boniface soil issue to make a formal complaint online at ombudsman.mb.ca. The ombudsman’s investigation comes at the request of the official opposition.

Similar drama flared up last week when it was revealed the NDP sat on soil testing results from 2007 and 2008, which showed elevated lead levels in the Weston and Point Douglas areas. Exposure to lead can be a significant health risk, especially for children.

The province is having those areas re-tested for metals as soon as possible and hopes to have the new results made public by December.

A government spokesperson said the province will cooperate with the ombudsman’s investigation and noted Health Minister Cameron Friesen is already looking at ways to improve communication.

“Minister Friesen asked the chief provincial public health officer last week to review and make recommendations on how to improve the handling and communication of public health issues. That review will include the recent handling of information in St. Boniface, as well as decade-old soil testing performed by the NDP government at locations throughout Winnipeg,” the spokesperson said.

NDP leader Wab Kinew made clear Tuesday he’d like to see an investigation into all the soil-test findings.

“Recent media reports about contaminated soil samples in other communities have made it clear that there must be a neutral, independent, third party investigation into this issue. Today I reaffirm my position that that there should be absolutely no political interference when it comes to public health issues,” Kinew said.

jessica.botelho@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @_jessbu