There are some things that residents of Parry Sound should know before they vote in the municipal election on Oct. 22, particularly with regard to the question of adding fluoride to the drinking water.
I have called and spoken with employees at the town office regarding the cost of putting fluoride in the water supply. Two years ago, the cost to upgrade the existing equipment was estimated to be in the range of $250,000, along with about $45,000 for engineering fees. Added to this would be the ongoing costs of operation, buying the chemical, providing the staff, maintenance, etc. When I inquired about the cost to add this now, I was told there were no numbers for this, but it would be “substantially more”. Does this mean another $100,000 or another $500,000 or perhaps even more on top of the earlier estimate? Isn’t this information that should be available before we vote?
As well, I was told that this expense does not come out of tax revenues. It will be added to each monthly water bill that goes out to residents. As there are some serious lawsuits being launched, such as the one in Peel Region, on the basis that water fluoridation is contrary to the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, we also need to consider the possibility of a full ban on this practice in the near future, and then the system would have to be pulled out, making it a complete and total waste of money!
Another point needs to be made. Fluoride has been officially classed as a neurotoxin, in the same class as arsenic, lead and mercury, according to The Lancet, the world’s oldest and most prestigious medical journal,
Would you knowingly agree to put a little lead in your drinking water, and a little mercury, and some arsenic? I think not. Why, then, would fluoride be considered acceptable?
I respectfully ask all Parry Sound residents to vote NO to adding fluoride to our drinking water.
Regards,
Mary Anne Gilbert,
Parry Sound
*Original letter online at https://www.parrysound.com/opinion-story/8930417-would-you-knowingly-put-lead-in-the-parry-sound-drinking-water-/
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