Calgarians vote yes to fluoride in city water supply
Calgarian have voted to add fluoride back to the city's water supply.
"I’m thrilled," said Juliet Guichon, a University of Calgary medical bioethicist and the campaign manager with Fluoride Yes!
"And I'm sure I speak on behalf of the small but mighty team in saying we're delighted that Calgarians will benefit now from fluoridation again."
Calgary stopped adding fluoride to its drinking water in 2011 as directed by city council.
Plebiscites on the fluoridation of Calgary's drinking water have been held six times: in 1999, 1989, 1971, 1966, 1961 and 1957.
"I think Calgarians had already voted twice for fluoridation in two plebiscites and they were dismayed that city council acted against their wishes and medical advice in removing fluoridation, and they had decades of fluoridation, they knew how valuable it was," said Guichon.
"Then they had a decade of decay, they'd seen their dental bills rise and they suffered, so it wasn't too hard a sell from our perspective, we just had to remind them of what had happened.
"And I think the pandemic has caused people to appreciate public health all the more."
Monday's vote is non-binding, meaning the issue must now go before city council once again and Guichon says she plans to continue their pressure.
"We're asking all our supporters to keep all their signs on their lawns or in their windows until city council has instructed water engineering to go ahead and purchase the necessary equipment," she said.
"And we will continue to remind the new (councillors) that we're here, and we're watching, because we care a lot about what's happened, particularly to children as a result of the loss of fluoridation."
The city says the estimated cost to reintroduce fluoride is approximately $6 million to upgrade the dormant fluoridation system.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Shooting outside of Drake's Bridle Path mansion, 1 person seriously injured: source
Toronto police are investigating a shooting that took place outside of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion early Tuesday morning, a source tells CP24.
King Charles too busy to see son Prince Harry during U.K. trip
Prince Harry will not be seeing his father King Charles during his current visit to Britain as the monarch will be too busy, Harry's spokesperson said on Tuesday.
Your body needs these three forms of movement every week
Movement is movement, right? Not exactly. Here’s what your body is looking for in addition to your morning walk or yoga session, according to experts.
'It looked so legit': Ontario man pays $7,700 for luxury villa found on Booking.com, but the listing was fake
An Ontario man says he paid more than $7,700 for a luxury villa he found on a popular travel website -- but the listing was fake.
Canadian cadets rock mullets and place second at U.S. military competition
Sporting mullets, Canadian Armed Forces officer cadets placed second in an annual military skills competition in the U.S.
The Met Gala was in full bloom with Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Mindy Kaling among the standout stars
The Met Gala and its fashionista A-listers on Monday included Jennifer Lopez, Zendaya and a parade of others in a swirl of flora and fauna looks on a green-tinged carpet lined by live foliage.
Quebec to limit sperm donations per donor after 3 men from same family father hundreds of children
Quebec is looking at tightening the regulations around sperm donation in the province following the release of a documentary that revealed three men from the same family fathered hundreds of children.
How to overcome 'savings guilt' when you're living paycheque to paycheque
As the higher cost of living continues to squeeze household budgets, many Canadians find they have even less left over at the end of every month to squirrel away for the future.
There's actually no such thing as vegetables. Here's why you should eat them anyway
The rumours are true: Vegetables aren't real — that is, in botany, anyway. While the term fruit is recognized botanically as anything that contains a seed or seeds, vegetable is actually a broad umbrella term.