Editorial — Will the Province touch it?

February 20, 2017 · 0 Comments

Once again, Peel Regional councillors are calling for action from the Province.
Last month, they called on the government to repeal legislation that would call for the general election of the Regional Chair. Now they are asking Queen’s Park to undertake testing to determine if fluoridation of municipal drinking water is a benefit of a detriment.
In the first instance, we have predicted nothing will come from this approach to the Province because the government doesn’t have to do anything about it. It acted within the mandate handed to it by the voters almost two and a half years ago. In the most recent case, we have to wonder if the powers at Queen’s Park will want to touch the issue.
The issue of water fluoridation is a complex one, apparently filled with conflicting scientific data. And since this is a community newspaper and not a scientific journal, we admit we are not qualified to take sides. It’s also a very emotional issue, as was demonstrated at last week’s Regional council meeting.
Assuming the Province agrees to conduct such studies, they won’t be completed overnight. It will take some time to get them organized and started. The process will almost certainly be long and involved, and then it will take time to sort through the results. We’re talking many, many months.
And what’s going to happen in about 20 months? Why a general election.
Think about it. The government already has enough to answer for. Will Kathleen Wynne and her people be willing to see a proverbial can of worms like that opened up as Ontarians get ready to go to the polls? We doubt it.
Yes, the Region should get the Province to conduct this testing. The Province has the means.
But don’t hold your breath waiting for something to come of this. Holding your breath for too long could be more harmful than fluoridation.