Regina city council moves forward with water fluoridation program, bans conversion therapy

REGINA -

Regina city council faced a long agenda at its meeting on Wednesday with topics including a water fluoridation program, density targets, conversion therapy and potential train track relocation on Ring Road.

WATER FLUORIDATION

A water fluoridation program was the first item on the agenda. Council heard from six delegates who voiced their opinion on implementing a program, which would add small amounts of fluoride to Regina’s water system.

The majority of delegations were in the dental profession and were in favour of a fluoridation program. Several Canadian cities, including Saskatoon and Moose Jaw, currently have fluoridation programs in place.

“The implementation of fluoridation of the municipal water system in Regina would provide all residents, especially our most vulnerable, with an effective and equitable approach to helping prevent dental decay,” Kelly Fuchs, the senior health educator of the oral health program with the Saskatchewan Health Authority, said. “In all communities and neighbourhoods, we see children with mouths full of cavities and abscesses. They’re living with pain, it’s been left unattended and in many cases it’s left unattended for years.”

Dr. Gerry Uswak with the University of Saskatchewan College of Dentistry said programs like this are endorsed globally by dental and non-dental organizations.

“No credible dental organization does not support community water fluoridation as an effective, preventive modality for dental cavities,” he said.

Other delegations including two residents and one Alberta doctor voiced concerns with adding fluoride to water, which include wasting city funding and a lack of consent given by residents to have a chemical added to their water.

“Please hold off on this. There is more and more science coming out every single year and it is against water fluoridation,” Dr. Bob Dickson with Safe Water Calgary said. “It’s proving neurotoxicity, it’s proving brain damage for our smallest citizens who are not able to speak for themselves.

City council voted 10-1 in favour of adopting the community fluoridation program. Councillor Landon Mohl was the one opposed.

CONVERSION THERAPY

Council voted 10-1 in favour of the prohibited businesses bylaw, which bans conversion therapy in the city.

According to the bylaw, businesses offering counselling, behaviour modification techniques or any other services that attempts to change a person’s sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression are not permitted to operate.

It does not include a person’s exploration and development of personal identity without favouring any particular orientation, identity or expression.

Following the city council meeting, Mayor Sandra Masters said she was happy to have the vote complete.

“I heard from some folks that maybe [the vote] was symbolic, so I’m very happy to express that symbolic gesture from city council that we want to send that message of inclusion and acceptance and take a stand against any abuse or any form of conversion therapy here in the city,” Masters said.

DENSITY TARGET

City council also discussed a motion put forward by three councillors to revisit the city’s density target for market choice of housing. The motion is asking for more flexibility in its target so larger lots would be permitted in some areas of the city.

The motion asks city administration to put together a report by the end of the year that would look into the effects of changing the current density, which is 50 people per hectare. An adjustment was made to ask for the report by the end of quarter one of 2022.

“The report would include an analysis of the implications, benefits and options for adjusting density targets to allow for market choice of housing such as larger single family homes or bungalow condo type,” the motion reads.

The report would engage with the development industry and look at similar-sized cities across the country to see their density targets.

Several delegations spoke to council about this topic. Those in the home construction industry said they are in favour of moving forward with this motion, saying they’ve noticed customers looking for options to buy larger homes.

Other delegations spoke about environmental concerns with moving forward with this saying building a less compact city makes it harder for people to get places on foot and forces more people to drive.

Council voted 7-4 in favour of the motion. Administration will now conduct a report to be delivered by the end of quarter one of 2022. 

Councillor Bob Hawkins, one of the three who brought the motion forward, said to media after the city council meeting that the official city plan stating the density target was created ten years ago and it’s now time to review the density limits.

“It’s not clear that every subdivision should have the same density. It’s not clear that the rigidity of one density limit is the way to go,” he said. “[The report] will consider factors as well about the competitive housing market. In Regina we want to have a diversified opportunity for housing that covers the housing needs of all Regina citizens. We don’t want Regina citizens to feel, for whatever reason, that if they like larger properties they have to go outside the city to get that opportunity.”

He added the city doesn’t want to lose the tax base that those homeowners would represent.

Hawkins said he believes the density target can be adjusted without jeopardizing environmental considerations.