MONTREAL — Municipal officials have opted to end water fluoridation on the Island of Montreal in a move spurred by a petition from a resident who claims he has the support of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. A council representing Montreal and the suburban municipalities on the island decided Thursday evening to stop putting fluoride in the water of six West Island suburbs that have been treating their water since the 1950s. The city’s water department had recommended earlier this year that fluoridation be stopped, in part due to cost, though public health officials support fluoridation as an effective way to reduce tooth decay. But mayors of the affected suburbs say they only learned of the city’s plan in September, years after the department began studying the issue. They say residents weren't consulted and the process was undemocratic. Ahead of the vote Thursday, Montreal city councillor Maja Vodanovic said the city wants the drinking water supply to be uniform across the island. “The City of Montreal took this decision to be coherent,” she said. “We’re doing it in the best interest of all.” In a report dated March 2024, the water department says it began reconsidering the use of fluoride in the water supply after receiving a “citizen petition” in 2020. That petition was launched by resident Ray Coelho, who said in a recent Facebook post that his campaign is supported by Kennedy. “I’ve spoken to RFK on a few occasions, he congratulated me on ending fluoridation in Montreal,” he wrote earlier this month. The Canadian Press was unable to reach Coelho for comment. Kennedy, a vaccine skeptic who has been tapped by United States president-elect Donald Trump to be his health secretary, claims that fluoride is an "industrial waste" linked to a range of health problems, and has said the Trump administration will remove the mineral from the U.S. public water supply. Coelho has an active social media presence, and he posts often about the Israel-Hamas war, calling Israel a “genocidal terrorist state.” He ran in the 2019 federal election for the now-defunct Canadian Nationalist Party, a far-right white party that was deregistered by Elections Canada in 2022. He told the Montreal Gazette he is no longer associated with the party. "I really question what type of due diligence Montreal does when they receive petitions," said Heidi Ektvedt, mayor of Baie d'Urfé, one of the six affected suburbs. She said Coelho appears to be "inspired by conspiracy theories," and said many of the residents in her suburb are "furious" about the city's plan. "What's going on in the United States should not creep into decision-making in our country," she said. Georges Bourelle, mayor of Beaconsfield, called Coelho a "far-right extremist," and said he doesn't put "a lot of credibility on petitions." None of the affected communities, including Beaconsfield, has ever requested that fluoride be removed from its water, he said. 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. The report acknowledges that major health organizations, including the World Health Organization, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Health Canada, support putting fluoride in drinking water. Montreal’s regional public health directorate told the department in November 2023 it favours fluoridation. But the report says that health considerations are "beyond the scope of expertise of the water department." Bourelle and Ektvedt said they were only told about the city's plan to stop putting fluoride in their communities' water during a September meeting — four years after the water department received Coelho's petition. Ektvedt said she was "speechless" when she learned of the recommendation. "It is an undemocratic decision made by the City of Montreal," Bourelle said. "It shows a complete lack of respect of the population affected." He said the affected suburbs have only a small percentage of the voting power on the council, calling the process "a flagrant example of abuse of power by the majority at the agglomeration council." This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 21, 2024. Maura Forrest, The Canadian Press
Southern First Bancshares chief accounting officer sells $45,230 in stock
NEW DELHI: Ending a five-decade-old debate on insertions of words 'socialist' and 'secular' in the Preamble of the Constitution, the Supreme Court on Monday upheld the Emergency-era amendment to the Preamble and said these words neither impede private entrepreneurship nor fetter govt from getting rid of obnoxious religious practices. Throwing out challenge to the 42nd constitutional amendment that inserted these two words along with 'integrity' in the Preamble in 1976 by the Indira Gandhi govt, a bench of CJI Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar said secularism mandates the govt not to favour any religion but it does not prevent elimination of religious attitudes and practices impeding development and right to equality. IPL 2025 mega auction IPL Auction 2025: Who went where and for how much IPL 2025: Complete list of players of each franchise It said despite freedom of religion guaranteed to the citizens and their non-discrimination on the ground of their faith, the Constitution under the Directive Principles of State Policy permits the govt to strive for a Uniform Civil Code (UCC), a hot topic in the Indian polity since the Shah Bano case judgment of the SC in 1985. The bench said socialism in the Indian context does not restrict economic policies of an elected govt. "Neither the Constitution nor the Preamble mandates a specific economic policy or structure, whether left or right. Rather, 'socialist' denotes the State's commitment to be a welfare State and its commitment to ensuring equality of opportunity," it said. It said the socialism practised in India aims to achieve the goal of economic and social upliftment of citizens and in no way restricts private entrepreneurship and the right to do business, which is guaranteed as a fundamental right under Article 19(1)(9g). CJI Khanna-led bench said, "India has consistently embraced a mixed economy model, where the private sector has flourished, expanded and grown over the years, contributing significantly to the upliftment of marginalised and underprivileged sections in different ways. In the Indian framework, socialism embodies the principle of economic and social justice, wherein the State ensures that no citizen is disadvantaged due to economic or social circumstances." The challenge to the 42nd amendment was mounted by a PIL in 2020, a good 44 years after the insertion of the words 'socialist' and 'secular' in the Preamble on the grounds - the framers of the Constitution had omitted these two words from the Preamble after long deliberations; the word 'socialist' restricted the govt's choice of economic policy; and, that the amendment was passed on Nov 2, 1976, nearly eight months after the term of Lok Sabha got over on Mar 18, 1976. "We do not find any legitimate cause or justification for challenging the constitutional amendment after nearly 44 years," the bench said. The SC said the power to amend the Constitution rests only with Parliament and this power extends to amending the Preamble. On the validity of insertion of 'secular' in Preamble, the SC said, "Over time, India has developed its own interpretation of secularism, wherein the State neither supports any religion nor penalises the profession and practice of any faith." Listing several fundamental rights under the Constitution, which bars govt from discriminating citizens on the ground of faith and allows people to profess a religion of their choice while allowing minority communities from establishing and administering their educational institutions, the bench said, "Despite these provisions, Article 44 in the Directive Principles of State Policy permits the state to strive for a uniform civil code for its citizens."
Lions receiver Jameson Williams won't be charged for having a gun in a carknows how to spark curiosity, and his latest gesture has fans buzzing. The former star was recently , waiting for an arrival that some speculated could be , his ex-fiancée. The grand display, however, was for , returning home from college for the holidays. Sharing the heartwarming moment on Instagram, , " referencing , who captured the surprise on camera. , a musical theater student at the , has been a consistent source of pride for her father. She celebrated her in November, and with a loving tribute on social media. It's clear that , but the flowers and their potential symbolism have set the internet ablaze with speculation. While emphasized the joy of family reunions, his history with remains a topic of fascination. The two, , ended their engagement in . Lopez has since married , but their amicable split and public respect for one another have left fans wondering if there's still a connection. A-Rod's gestures keep fans guessing: Flowers, rumors, and endless intrigue often make headlines, and this airport scene was no different. Despite being in a committed relationship with fitness coach , some followers couldn't help but question the significance of the flowers. Comments ranged from to While the reunion rumors may be unfounded, . The legend has spent recent years redefining himself post-retirement, , his business ventures, and his social media presence. Whether it's a heartfelt gesture for his daughters or something more, his actions continue to captivate audiences. For now, the flowers seem to have been , but with , surprises are always on the horizon. Time will tell.
