Only two of Montreal’s six water treatment plants use fluoride. Those two plants serve five per cent of the island’s population in six suburbs in Montreal’s West Island. There is only one other municipality in Quebec that puts fluoride in its water.

In its report, the water department says it costs about $100,000 a year to fluoridate the water at the two treatment plants. The city also refers to problems with the supply of fluoridation products in recent years that have led to shutdowns at the two plants and health concerns for workers handling the chemicals.

At the council meeting, Vodanovic said people drink only one per cent of the potable water produced by the city, while the rest is used for other purposes. “We don’t think that something like fluoride should be put in 100 per cent of the water,” she said.

So is it really because of the petition and not an administrative decision? Or is this some stupid click bait meant to create outrage?