Are We Giving Wellanders a Reason to Vote?

Maybe Welland doesn’t have a voter apathy problem. Maybe we have an election problem.

We’re dealing with empty storefronts, rising costs, housing affordability, taxes, roads and infrastructure, development decisions, downtown safety, homelessness, businesses struggling to survive and a city that still needs a clear vision for where it’s going.

These are real issues that affect people every day. Yet municipal politics often gets reduced to signs, personalities, Facebook arguments and outrage. Then we wonder why people tune out.

In 2022, only about one in four eligible Welland voters voted.

Maybe instead of asking “Why don’t people care?” we should ask “What are we giving people to care about?”

So let's talk about it. Forget the candidate names for a minute. Forget the signs and the Facebook battles.

What do you think Welland needs to be talking about right now? What isn't being talked about enough? Say what you think. Agree, disagree, add something I missed. That's the kind of conversation I think this election should be about.