WINNIPEG, MB, Nov. 28, 2025 /CNW/ - In the summer of 2022, following some follow-up tests after an injury, Bonnie Norris was surprised to receive a phone call revealing that she had been diagnosed with lung cancer, and that it had spread to some of her lymph nodes. As a non-smoker living a healthy lifestyle, she now faced a diagnosis that rocked her world. She began 30 days of chemotherapy and radiation to reduce the swelling of the tumour and then completed a 12-month course of immunotherapy.   Bonnie is not alone: Jill Hall of Chilliwack BC had to advocate for herself when her symptoms were not being addressed and eventually was also diagnosed as having lung cancer.  In 2025, two other non-smoking lung cancer advocates were lost; Corie Hasselbak and Carole Vivier each shared their lung cancer and radon stories with Canadians, hoping to protect other families from a lung cancer diagnosis. 

Radon, a naturally occurring, radioactive gas found in homes across Canada, is the second-leading cause of lung cancer after smoking. Each of these women learned that they may have been exposed to radon in her home for years before they tested and reduced their radon levels.

"It was shocking when I got the phone call after a CT scan saying I had lung cancer." Remembers Bonnie, "I thought to myself, 'That's impossible – I'm not smoking, and I lead a healthy life.' I had gone on a complete whole food, plant-based diet two years earlier and I thought I was doing everything right."

According to a recent Stats Canada survey, 4 in 10 Canadians still have no knowledge of radon, and of the 60% of Canadians who do know what radon is, only 12% of them have tested their homes.  This means that there is a significant gap between those who know about radon and those who are taking action.

November is Radon Action Month in Canada.  For the team at Take Action on Radon, this means a marathon of radon information sessions in communities from coast to coast. "It's intense, but we wouldn't have it any other way!" says Pam Warkentin, Project Lead at Take Action on Radon (TAOR).  This November, her team will lead evening information sessions in close to 30 communities across the country as part of their 100 Radon Test Kit Challenge, before distributing free radon test kits to citizens.  "Working at the community level is where we've really seen engagement and testing take off!" adds Warkentin.

With radon, testing is what it's all about.  Testing your home is the first step toward protecting your family from this invisible, odorless, radioactive gas.  "Radon exposure is the leading risk factor for lung cancer in people who have never smoked," says Christina Macri of the Canadian Cancer Society. "Anything homeowners can do to reduce exposure to radon will help reduce the incidence of lung cancer."  If testing reveals elevated levels of radon, a mitigation system can be installed to reduce levels.

The TAOR team isn't the only group spreading the word about radon.  Lung associations, public health groups, even libraries are getting the word out this November.   "A growing number of public libraries loan digital radon monitors to patrons" says Anne-Marie Nicol at Simon Fraser University. "These programs are great at getting people engaged with radon and the idea of testing their homes."

If you'd like to help spread the word about radon, then TAOR has a contest just for you!  Now in its second year, the Knowvember contest encourages all Canadians to get "in the know" about radon and then share their radon knowledge with their community for a chance to win great prizes.  Full contest rules and details may be found at www.Knowvember.ca. 

About Take Action on Radon

Take Action on Radon is a national initiative funded by Health Canada that works to bring together radon stakeholders and raise radon awareness across Canada.  The initiative is led by the Canadian Association of Radon Scientists and Technologists (CARST) and the Canadian Cancer Society.

You can find radon related photos free to use: https://pixabay.com/users/takeactiononradon-18149510/ 

References:

Projected estimates of cancer in Canada in 2024, https://www.cmaj.ca/content/196/18/E615

Find details on prevalence of radon levels across Canada.  A copy of all of the 100 Radon Test Kit Challenge can be found on Take Action in Radon's website: https://takeactiononradon.ca/resources/100-radon-test-kit-challenge/  

To learn more about radon and how to test your home, visit: www.TakeActionOnRadon.ca     

To learn more about what municipalities can do about radon, check out Health Canada's Radon action guide for municipalities: https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/health-risks-safety/radiation/radon/action-guides/municipalities.html 

Canadian Lung Association has a radon mitigation grant available for low to moderate income homes: https://www.lung.ca/lung-health/radon/lungs-matter-radon-mitigation-support 

SOURCE Take Action on Radon