Montreal says no to water fluoridation

Tap water in Montreal's West Island suburbs will no longer be treated with fluoride once the treatment plants run out.

The City of Montreal, which dominates the agglomeration council, already voted to end fluoridation on Tuesday. Mayors of de-merged municipalities wanted to expand fluoridation, but were shut down at a council meeting representing Montreal and the suburban municipalities on the island.

Concerned citizens took the mic, saying their water has had fluoride for decades and that they don't want it removed "just because the rest of Montreal is removing it."

The topic took up most of the Montreal Agglomeration Council's meeting.

Though public health officials say fluoridation is an effective way to reduce tooth decay, the city's water department recommended the practice be stopped, partly to save on costs. Only two of Montreal’s six water treatment plants use fluoride, in Dorval and Pointe-Claire, which serve the West Island. One other municipality in Quebec puts fluoride in its water.

Lachine Mayor Maja Vodanovic said the Pointe-Claire plant needs to be renovated, which brought up the question of whether or not the plant should continue fluoridation.

"We were looking at putting fluoride everywhere or removing it everywhere. We have to be coherent, so we chose to remove it like the rest of Quebec," said Vodanavic.

Dominic Ryan said the city should have chosen to add fluoride to all the island's water instead, "given the disparity in dental health between those who have fluoride in their water and those who do not."

"It’s a simple and effective public health measure that can be delivered directly to any and all citizens, independent of their needs," he added.

The water department says it costs about $100,000 per year to fluoridate the water at the two plants. It's estimated that expanding fluoridation would cost the city $20 million, according to Vodanovic.

Clifford Lincoln told the city it should have consulted the other municipalities and residents before making the decision, a sentiment echoed by many in the room.

"We hear about economic benefits of stopping fluoridation but not the health concerns," said Lincoln. "Dorval has been fluoridating its water for 70 years."

Some pointed to Calgary, which stopped fluoridation only to re-implement it at great cost, as an example. Others asked why chlorine is added to water but not fluoride.

"Most of the water we have isn’t consumed and ends up in the river and we don’t know the effects of fluoride over water," said Vodanovic. "The water filtration system should not be used for anything else but to provide the best quality water."

Municipalities wanted to be consulted

In a report from March, the water department says it began reconsidering the use of fluoride in the water supply after receiving a “citizen petition” in 2020. That petition was launched by resident Ray Coelho, who says his campaign was supported by Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

"I really question what type of due diligence Montreal does when they receive petitions," said Baie d'Urfé Mayor Heidi Ektvedt. She said Coelho appears to be "inspired by conspiracy theories."

"What's going on in the United States should not creep into decision-making in our country," she said, noting that her municipality will be affected by the change.

Others called Coelho a "far-right extremist."

Representatives from the six West Island suburbs, including Dorval and Kirkland, said they should have been consulted, and many had passed resolutions in their own councils asking Montreal to reconsider its plan to end water fluoridation.

Dorval Mayor Marc Doret said he was "disappointed" at the lack of transparency and said it "shouldn't be a political discussion" given the health benefits of fluoride.

Ektvedt said the debate over fluoridation shouldn't have been "between politicians in this room" and that the topic wouldn't have taken up so much of the council's time "if the population had been consulted and the process was well-done."

Vodanovic said she knows the topic "is polarizing" and has been "since the 1950s." She said there have been conflicting reports on the benefits of fluoride, and public consultations would not have been fruitful.

However, the report said that major health organizations, including the World Health Organization, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Health Canada approve of putting fluoride in drinking water.

She denied the decision was political, and said it was fully based on a report from the water department. "We voted on it democratically."

The report also said the city has had problems with the supply of fluoridation products, which has led to shutdowns at both plants and health concerns for those handling the chemicals.

With files from The Canadian Press and CTV News Montreal's Max Harrold