The National Capital Commission is advising people who live next to a park in New Edinburgh to have their soil tested for contaminants.

NCC crews fenced off more than one-quarter of a park on Stanley Avenue Friday after an environmental assessment showed that the levels of lead and hydrocarbons in the soil were too high.

The NCC said New Edinburgh Park, often called Stanley Park, is on the site of a 100-year-old industrial area.

The new fence extended right up to some residents' backyards, which prompted the NCC to warn residents that the soil in their backyards and gardens could potentially be harmful as well.

"I think it's a reasonable assumption that they may have some issues with their soil, and I would be advising them to have it tested if they want to continue gardening," said Steve Blight, the NCC's director of environmental management and protection.

Gemma Kerr, a resident whose yard backs onto the park, said she's not only concerned about her garden at the moment, but also about the vegetables she's been growing there for the last 15 years.

"We plant potatoes, green beans, tomatoes," she said.

After another lead scare a few years ago prompted her to get her blood tested, so Kerr thinks she's OK, but she may still test her backyard.

"I think the NCC is doing the right thing by remediating this now that they've discovered a problem," she said. "I'm not really that concerned, but I may go ahead and get some soil testing done anyway."

Jean Wolf, a spokesperson for the NCC, said the contamination exceeds both federal and provincial standards for human health.

But he also said both the water and the surface soil in the area are safe.

The most likely solution, said the NCC, will be to add a layer of clean soil over the contaminated area.

The NCC plans to hold an information session for area residents on May 5, Wolf said.