CAMBRIDGE — City council had three shots at introducing free menstrual supplies in city facilities on Tuesday night. Three times, council turned its back on the notion.

A potentially historic night, some felt, took on prehistoric undertones.

"There's a lot of knuckle-dragging going on in there tonight," said Carla Johnson, a city resident who had argued free menstrual supplies would be a victory for hygiene and dignity. "It's extremely disappointing."

Cambridge could have become the first city in Waterloo Region, ahead of Kitchener and Waterloo and the region itself, to offer pads and tampons in public washrooms.

There were three votes on the issue and three rejections.

The proposal to put menstrual supplies in a single washroom in each of 39 city facilities, with a $20,000 startup cost, was rejected. The same proposal with a three-year phase-in also was turned down. Putting the supplies in six city facilities as a one-year pilot project for a $3,000 startup cost also was rejected.

"Cambridge had a chance to be a leader here," said Johnson, a teacher for 29 years.

"Cambridge had a chance to step out and say, 'Hey region, we are going to do this. Let's everybody else follow suit.' I suspect what's going to happen is, Kitchener-Waterloo will start it. They'll take the initiative and eventually Cambridge will come along."

But Cambridge, at least for now, will not lead on the issue, even as the region's public school board has just introduced it's own free menstrual supplies program in schools.

Coun. Mike Devine, who said he spoke to a number of women, couldn't support spending $20,000 on bringing those supplies to all city facilities.

"There's a lot of women that don't think this is appropriate," Devine said.

As a matter of health and social services, Coun. Mike Mann argued it should be up to the region to foot the bill for free menstrual supplies.

"I think it's an important issue," Mann said. "I think it belongs up there."

Mayor Kathryn McGarry was one of five votes against full implementation in all city facilities, with the annual cost of providing supplies estimated to be up to $8,900. But she was in favour of a pilot project.

"I fully agree with having free menstrual products in our washrooms," McGarry said afterwards "But I felt that it would assist the community on their buy-in, and council's buy-in, to do a pilot project and then do it forward."

McGarry felt the pilot project motion would pass. She was wrong.

"It's a bit of a surprise that there wasn't stronger support."

Johnson's daughter Daren goes to St. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia where the main campus bathroom has an open basket for menstrual products. Students can contribute supplies to the basket or take supplies, as needed. They know they can always get free product there, Johnson said, in case of an emergency.

But Cambridge city bathrooms likely won't offer free menstrual supplies any time soon.

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"It's too bad," Johnson said. "Because Cambridge is an amazing city. We had a chance to be a leader at this moment and we dropped the ball."

jhicks@therecord.com

Twitter: @HicksJD