Long slate of delegates presents at special council meeting on fluoride in Regina’s drinking water

WATCH: A long slate of delegates made presentations at a special council meeting on fluoride in Regina’s drinking water on Friday. Donovan Maess reports.

Council was locked into a long council meeting Friday exploring the possibility of reconsidering the fluoridation of Regina’s drinking water.

The meeting’s scheduling stemmed from a motion put forward by Ward 10 Coun. Clark Bezo, who wanted to put a stop to the addition of fluoride to the water.

Late Friday night, council defeated the reconsideration motion, recommitting itself to adding fluoride to the water.

Nearly 30 delegates were registered to speak in front of city councillors – with dozens of additional written submissions accepted into the record.

Only about half of those who appeared in person or virtually at the meeting were residents living in Regina. Others were from Calgary and Ontario, along with multiple delegates from the United States also presenting.

Most of the Regina residents who spoke were against the idea of fluoridation.

“I don’t think that there’s been the proper public engagement,” Scott Carson told councillors. “I’ve seen more engagement on changing the zoning for a house in North Central.”

Others against fluoridation cited financial, health and moral issues.

“The reason why I support [Bezo’s] motion and oppose fluoride being put in drinking water is choice,” Dave MacDonald said. “Currently, people that want to make use of fluoride products have the option to do so, such as in toothpaste, mouthwash, gels and foams.”

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Carson’s wife, Malia, also presented to council Friday. Malia is listed as an admin on the Facebook Page, ‘Regina Safe Water Advocates - Fluoride Free Regina,’ the group behind a petition calling on the city to reverse the decision to fluoridate the water supply.

“Regina’s city council can choose now to stop this project from moving forward and save taxpayers millions on the infrastructure,” Malia said. “Or you can approve it and realize that your legacy will be tarnished by the careless misappropriation of taxpayer funds.”

John Klein was one Regina resident who spoke in favour of fluoridating, but he feels there are deeper issues in the city’s water.

“If the good people in Regina who are putting so much of their time and energy into stopping fluoridation and instead put some of that enthusiasm and fervor into getting lead and asbestos out of our drinking water supply,” Klein said. “Council may be focusing on an issue that has far less concern health wise than ones that actually face us today.”

Experts weigh in

The fluoridation of drinking water received the support of both dentists and pediatricians in Saskatchewan.

“The fluoride we get from community water fluoridation with that, we get from our teeth brushing and any applications at our dental home,” Dr. Gerry Uswak of the College of Dentistry at the University of Saskatchewan said. “Toothpaste at the working end of the fluoride molecule is the same thing with community water fluoridation.”

Pediatrician Dr. Susan Petryk said the addition of fluoride benefits the more vulnerable population of the community the most.

“Fluoridation doesn’t require dental appointments. It doesn’t require daily brushing. It just works in the background,” she told council. “Protecting children, the elderly, and vulnerable populations alike.”

Health Canada says the optimal level of fluoride in the water is 0.7 parts per million.

University of Calgary researcher James Dickinson believes the positive outcomes of adding fluoride heavily outweigh the potential negative effects.

“If I decided this world wasn’t for me anymore, and I started drinking water – what would kill me first? The water or the fluoride?” Ward 9 Coun. Jason Mancinelli asked.

“The water would kill you before you even had a chance to get a toxic dose of fluoride,” Dickinson responded.

“If you consumed a whole lot of fluoride all at once, yes it would kill you. But you’d have to drink a whole swimming pool full of water to get an immediately toxic amount,” he added.

Upgrades to Buffalo Pound

In 2021, with planned upgrades to the Buffalo Pound Water Treatment plant looming, 10 then councillors motioned fluoridation be added to the water treatment process, using the plant upgrades as an opportunity to do so.

Council passed the motion on Aug. 11, 2021 in a vote of 10-1. Only then-Ward 10 Coun. Landon Mohl voted against the idea.

The city has budgeted $325 million for the upgrades to the treatment plant.

In an update in February, Buffalo Pound officials told council the fluoridation system is scheduled to be installed in January 2026.

- With files from Drew Postey and Stefanie Davis.