Canada - Owen Sound committee hears pros, cons of water fluoridation

An Owen Sound committee got an earful Monday night about the supposed benefits and dangers of continuing the city’s tradition of adding fluoride to its public water supply.

But Coun. Bill Twaddle, chairman of Owen Sound’s operations advisory committee, cautioned the roughly 70 people in attendance that city council lacks the power to simply pull the plug on the controversial practice.

“Council has no ability to make a unilateral decision,” he said during a public meeting on fluoridation at the Owen Sound & North Grey Union Public Library.

Since Owen Sound electors voted in 1997 in support of maintaining the practice, Ontario law says another plebiscite is needed — with the opposite result — before it can end.

City council only has the power to force another referendum to coincide with a municipal election. In order to add the question — should Owen Sound stop adding fluoride to its water — to the ballot during this year’s vote, council must approve a bylaw by April 30.

“There’s only one option open to us,” Twaddle said. “That’s the circumstance we find ourselves in.”

The operations committee is scheduled to meet Feb. 19 to discuss what was said at the public meeting and decide if it will recommend that city council approve holding a plebiscite in October.

If it does, council is to consider the recommendation in March, Twaddle said.

Residents can also force the referendum by collecting the signatures of at least 10% of Owen Sound voters on a petition in support of the plebiscite and presenting it to city hall by June 1.

Owen Sound is the only municipality in Grey-Bruce that adds fluoride to its drinking water. It has been doing so since 1965.......