Press Release - Petition Regarding Wawa Fluoridation Below Required Signatures

MUNICIPALITY OF WAWA NEWS RELEASE

May 20, 2026 

Petition Regarding Wawa Fluoridation Below Required Signatures

The Municipality of Wawa advises residents that a petition submitted requesting the inclusion of a question regarding the discontinuation of fluoridation in the municipal drinking water be included on the upcoming municipal election ballot did not meet the legislative requirements as set out under Ontario’s Fluoridation Act.

The petition was submitted to the Municipal Clerk prior to May 1st and subsequently reviewed in accordance with the legislation. Under the Fluoridation Act, a petition must be signed by at least 10 per cent of eligible municipal electors for the question to proceed to ballot. There were 2,098 registered electors in Wawa in 2022, therefore, the Petition had to be signed by 210 verified electors and only 184 signatures were verifiable.

As part of the certification process, petition signatures were reviewed and verified against available elector information. Following completion of the review, the Clerk determined that the petition did not meet the minimum number of verified signatures required, and as a result, the proposed fluoridation question will not proceed to ballot.

The certification review was conducted in accordance with provincial legislation and administrative requirements and residents seeking additional information are encouraged to review the provisions of Ontario’s Fluoridation Act or contact the Municipal Clerk.

The Municipality recognizes that fluoridation remains an issue of interest to some residents and appreciates the public participation demonstrated through the petition process. Please contact the Clerk for further information.

Maury O’Neill, CAO-Clerk
Municipality of Wawa
Phone: 705-856-2244 ext. 223
Email: moneill@wawa.cc