Niagara Region
Radon testing and mitigation in Pelham (Fonthill & Fenwick), Ontario
Pelham is Fonthill, Fenwick, Ridgeville and the countryside around them, a desirable, growing town of larger family homes and estate lots, many on rural properties. Here’s what’s known about radon in Fonthill, and how to find out about your home.
- Region
- Niagara Region
- Population
- about 18,000
- Public health
- Niagara Region Public Health
- Local factors
- 4 reasons to test
Is radon a problem in Fonthill?
Radon can exceed Health Canada’s 200 Bq/m³ guideline in any Fonthill home. No published local data rules any neighbourhood in or out. Across Ontario, about 1 in 8 homes tested at or above the guideline in the 2024 national survey. Locally, sandy or gravelly soils, new airtight construction and rural drilled wells are reasons to test. A 91-day test is the only way to know your home’s level.
Radon in Fonthill
Pelham is Fonthill, Fenwick, Ridgeville and the countryside around them, a desirable, growing town of larger family homes and estate lots, many on rural properties.
The ground under Fonthill
Fonthill sits on the Fonthill Kame, a large hill of glacial sand and gravel that rises well above the surrounding clay plain. Coarse, well-drained ground like this lets soil gas move easily. Around the kame, the land drops to clay plain with very different soil behaviour.
Fonthill’s homes
Many Pelham homes are larger, newer two-storeys with finished basements. Older homes in Fenwick and Ridgeville and rural properties on wells round out the mix. The contrast between kame and clay plain is a good example of why neighbours can test differently.
What the data says
Ontario homes at or above Health Canada’s 200 Bq/m³ guideline in the 2024 Cross-Canada Survey, more than double the share found a decade earlier.Source: Cross-Canada Survey of Radon Exposure in the Residential Buildings of Urban and Rural Communities (2024)
Roughly how many homes per health region the first national survey (2009–2011) could test. Too few to clear any neighbourhood, which is why public maps can’t tell you about your house.Source: Health Canada — Cross-Canada Survey of Radon Concentrations in Homes, Final Report (2012)
Higher average radon exposure for rural residents than urban residents in a 2024 national study of 42,051 homes, mostly linked to drilled wells.Source: Goodarzi et al., Scientific Reports (2024) — rural communities and drilled-well annuli
Local results
Building a real radon picture for Fonthill
Public radon data for Southern Ontario towns is thin. The national surveys tested only a handful of homes per area. So we’re building our own: anonymized long-term results from homes we test, published by area once there are at least 30, so no single home can be identified and small samples can’t mislead.
Fonthill: collecting results. Already tested? Check your number and share it anonymously when you book.
Local factors
What can push radon up in Fonthill
Not a prediction for any single home, just the reasons a test is worth it here.
Sandy or gravelly soils
Sand and gravel let soil gas move freely and over longer distances. More of the radon formed in the ground can reach the air around your foundation instead of decaying in place.
New, airtight construction
Canadian research shows newer homes have tended to test higher than older ones. Bigger, taller and tighter homes create a stronger stack effect that draws soil gas in through the slab.
Rural homes on drilled wells
A 2024 national study of over 42,000 homes found rural residents were exposed to about 30% more radon than urban residents, with most of the gap linked to drilled wells. Researchers suspect gas travels up the gap around the well casing.
Clay plains
Dense clay slows soil gas, but it cracks in dry spells. Gas then follows the easiest route: the gravel backfill, weeping tile and utility trenches that lead straight to a basement.
Where we work
Fonthill neighbourhoods and nearby communities
- Fonthill
- Fenwick
- Ridgeville
- North Pelham
- Effingham
Nearby: Radon in Welland · Radon in Thorold · Radon in St. Catharines
How it works
From test to fix
- Book
Tell us about your Fonthill home. We reply within one business day.
- Test for 91+ days
A certified technician places long-term detectors on your lowest lived-in floor. You get an early reading at 2 weeks.
- Get your result
Lab-verified average, explained against Health Canada’s guideline.
- Fix it if it’s high
A sub-slab system designed for your foundation, at a fixed price, with results guaranteed.
Questions
Radon in Fonthill: FAQ
Is radon a problem in Fonthill?
Radon can exceed Health Canada’s 200 Bq/m³ guideline in any Fonthill home. No published local data rules any neighbourhood in or out. Across Ontario, about 1 in 8 homes tested at or above the guideline in the 2024 national survey. Locally, sandy or gravelly soils, new airtight construction and rural drilled wells are reasons to test. A 91-day test is the only way to know your home’s level.
Is the Fonthill Kame a radon risk?
The kame doesn’t make radon itself, but its sand and gravel let soil gas travel freely. If the glacial deposits contain uranium-bearing debris, more radon can reach foundations than in tighter clay. Testing tells you whether that’s happening in your home.
How disruptive is a radon install in a finished basement?
Most installs take a single day. We core one small hole through the slab, usually in a mechanical or storage room, and route the pipe through a closet, garage or exterior wall. We clean up and leave the finished space as we found it.
Do you offer radon testing and mitigation in Fonthill?
Yes. We test and mitigate homes throughout Pelham (Fonthill & Fenwick), including Fonthill, Fenwick, Ridgeville, North Pelham, Effingham. Call (226) 271-4667 or book online.
Radon is fixable. First, know your number.
Serving Fonthill, Welland, Thorold and St. Catharines.