If you own a home in Calgary, radon is one of the few health hazards you genuinely cannot see, smell, or taste — yet it may be present in your house right now. Alberta consistently ranks among the higher-risk provinces in Canada for residential radon, and Calgary homes are no exception. Understanding why our region is so prone to elevated levels is the first step toward protecting your household.
Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas produced when uranium in soil and bedrock breaks down. Outdoors it disperses harmlessly into the air. The problem begins when radon seeps up through the ground and becomes trapped inside a building, where it can accumulate to concentrations far above what is found in the open air. Because it is invisible and odourless, the only way to know your level is to test.
Several factors combine to make Alberta a hotspot.
Much of southern Alberta sits on soils and sedimentary bedrock that contain measurable amounts of uranium. As that uranium decays, it produces a steady supply of radon gas in the ground beneath our homes. The permeable glacial till common across the Calgary region also lets that gas migrate upward more easily toward foundations.
Calgary's cold climate shapes our risk in two ways. First, modern homes here are built to be airtight and energy-efficient, which is great for heating bills but means radon that enters has fewer paths to escape. Second, during our long winters we keep windows closed and run furnaces that create a slight negative pressure indoors. This "stack effect" actively draws soil gas — including radon — up through cracks in the foundation, floor drains, and gaps around pipes.
Calgarians love a finished basement. Unfortunately, below-grade spaces are closest to the soil source and typically show the highest radon readings in a home. A developed basement bedroom or family room can become the room where occupants are exposed the most.
Health Canada has established a guideline of 200 becquerels per cubic metre (Bq/m³); homes above this level should be remediated, and ideally levels should be reduced as low as reasonably achievable. Large cross-Canada studies have repeatedly found that a meaningful share of Alberta homes exceed this guideline — often homes that look completely ordinary and sit right next door to houses that test low. Radon does not follow neighbourhood lines, the age of the home, or its price.
One of the most common misconceptions we hear is that a low reading next door means you are safe. In reality, radon entry depends on the specific soil under your foundation, the cracks and openings unique to your home, and how you heat and ventilate it. Two identical-looking houses on the same street can differ dramatically. The only reliable answer comes from testing your own home.
Elevated radon is a solved problem. A properly designed mitigation system — typically sub-slab depressurization — routinely brings high levels down to a fraction of the guideline. Testing is inexpensive, and remediation is a one-time investment that protects everyone who lives in the home for years to come.
If your Calgary home has never been tested, that is the place to start. A long-term test (90 days or more) during the heating season gives the most accurate picture of your average exposure. At Onyx Radon, our C-NRPP certified team provides testing and, where needed, rock-solid mitigation built for Alberta conditions. Knowing your number is simple, affordable, and the surest way to give your family clean air below grade.
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