HUNTSVILLE – Councillors of Gravenhurst, Bracebridge, Muskoka Lakes (Bala, Port Carling), Georgian Bay (MacTier), Huntsville and Lake of Bays (Baysville) were granted, by district Council, the authority to decide whether or not to continue artificial water fluoridation (AWF), albeit district’s decision to stop AWF in all Muskoka towns, February 2014.

Only two towns, Huntsville and Lake of Bays (Baysville), made the wise decision to stop adding this industrial grade, cumulative toxin to the water supply. This contentious issue has brewed for several years at the district level, as this has solely been a district issue.

Councillors in the other four towns blindly decided among themselves to continue adding this unsafe, ineffective drug to the drinking water disregarding a public referendum or plebiscite. Many neighbouring towns, such as Barrie and Orillia, have rejected the addition of AWF in their drinking water supply. And other towns such as Waterloo and Windsor have ended AWF.

In June, 2014, the renowned law firm, Ruby Shiller Chan Hasan, is representing concerned residents to end fluoridation. This firm has provided legal arguments against AWF backed by an affidavit from Dr. Kathleen Thiessen, a biomedical scientist, who has served on two U.S. National Research Council subcommittees dealing with fluoride exposure and toxicology. This 75-page report was thoroughly and meticulously prepared for the region of Peel (pop. 1.3 million) but pertains to any town that continues AWF.

The highlights in this legal report state that there is a “Lack of evidence of fluoridation’s benefits” and that it makes no sense to expose every tissue in the body to fluoride through ingestion in drinking water. The available scientific data point to numerous serious health risks. According to this report, a legal challenge to fluoridation based on human health effects is the most likely argument to succeed in Canadian courts.

The most viable legal argument against Ontario’s fluoridation program is that it is unconstitutional because it violates the Canadian Charter and Rights and Freedoms.

If it is demonstrated in court, that fluoridation puts residents at risk, the municipality and its councillors may be liable to its residents for damages for civil negligence.

Richard and Ruth Bednar

Muskoka Citizens Opposing Fluoridation