Safe Water Calgary founder sanctioned for unprofessional conduct by College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta

Dr. Robert Dickson, the founder of Safe Water Calgary, was sanctioned by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta Thursday.

The founder of Safe Water Calgary, Dr. Robert Dickson, was sanctioned for unprofessional conduct Thursday by the the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta.

The decision came as a result of a January 2025 hearing.

According to a CPSA media release, it related to comments on water supply fluoridation made in 2017, where it said Dickson “impugned the credibility and integrity of specific medical and dental colleagues.”

“This does not align with the standards outlined in the Canadian Medical Association’s Code of Ethics and Professionalism, which requires physicians to treat colleagues with dignity and respect,” the organization said in its release.

The CPSA tribunal says it took care to balance Dr. Dickson’s “Charter-protected freedoms of thought, belief, opinion and expression” with the professional responsibilities of being a regulated physician.

Dickson acknowledged that his conduct towards his colleagues was unprofessional.

Dickson has been a controversial figure in the anti-fluoride scene for years.

Earlier this year, he retired as a physician shortly after being sanctioned by the CPSA.

Dickson had faced four charges from the college.

Three were dropped, but he admitted to the fourth, acknowledging that he did “impugn the credibility or integrity of medical and dental colleagues who supported the practice of fluoridating drinking water.”

As a result, Dickson received the following sanctions: a caution from the CPSA, as well as paying the full cost to take an online course about influence and advocacy.

Dickson is also responsible for a portion of the costs of the investigation and hearing, totaling $6,250.

With files from CTV’s Kevin Green