“About 130 tonnes of lead shot was removed from the pond between 2011 and 2013,” Noordhof said.

After learning about Mama’s death and Glenn’s poisoning, the ministry contacted Peel Health to examine the site and assess the potential for public access to it, Noordhof said.

She said lead exposure is possible on site if people or animals come in contact with or ingest the soil, sediment or water, or if dust from the property is inhaled.

“The ministry ordered the property owner to take immediate steps to prevent public access to the site with a physical barrier and submit a plan detailing the interim measures taken to prevent waterfowl access to the site,” Noordhof said.

Peel Health said the ministry informed them there were “elevated levels of lead” on the property, and the public health unit supports the order to erect a fence, according to Dr. Lawrence Loh, Peel’s Associate Medical Officer of Health, and it was decided a fence was necessary.

“Restricting public access to the pond will prevent exposure to the sediments, water and soil in and around the pond,” Loh said in an email to The Guardian.

“We are particularly concerned about preventing exposure in children since they are more vulnerable to health effects resulting from lead exposure,” he said.

But VANDYK’s vice-president of development says it is inaccurate to say the pond poses any kind of danger. He said the concern is based on old information and that the levels of lead in the pond have been dropping since his company bought the property about three years ago.

“They don’t necessarily have the most updated information,” Sherman Chan said. “They are basing it off of what they know of the past, not what they know today.”

Chan said VANDYK has had “professional ecologists and scientists” monitor the site for the past two years, and the most recent tests show the pond water is “clean” and lead levels are not above ministry standards, but those tests have not yet been processed by the ministry.

Chan said the fence is only to ease community concerns.

“Does it mean it (the pond) poses any health concerns? Absolutely not,” he said.

He did not provide recent test results to The Guardian, saying the process the company is following to get environmental approval is confidential.

Chan said there are no current plans to develop the land, but the company is working toward an environmental certificate that would ultimately allow development, once the test results are processed and accepted by the ministry. He said based on the test results, that certificate should be issued soon.

Chan also said he does not believe there is a direct link between the property and what happened to the swans.

Noordhof confirmed VANDYK’s testing is ongoing.

“Because the owner of the property did not meet ministry requirements for the risk assessment he will resubmit it later this year,” she said in the email.

Noordhof and Loh said there is no danger to Brampton’s drinking water, which comes from Lake Ontario through two Region of Peel water treatment plants.

Meanwhile, Glenn has recovered, but he’s back on the pond, and that has Harper concerned that he is in danger, and no one is willing to capture him and re-locate him.

“I don’t want to see him get sick again,” she said.

Below is a video of Glenn's release into a different pond after undergoing two rounds of treatment for lead poisoning.