Editorials - Oct. 9, 2026
Across the aisle
As the rhetoric heats up around tariffs and political and cultural sovereignty, two border cities are going to lengths to demonstrate that the battle doesn’t have to spill over to neighbours. A few weeks ago, the Buffalo Bills invited the Barenaked Ladies to sing the national anthem for the first time, despite the fact that there were no Canadian teams or Canadians playing. There are, though, almost 10,000 Canadian season ticket holders and the Bills want to continue to deepen that bond.
Then, last weekend, Niagara Falls Tourism placed a full-page open letter in the Buffalo News (we are doubly impressed that they chose to support a newspaper!) encouraging Buffalonians to cross the bridge on Saturday night to watch as the city lit up the Canadian side of the falls in the Bills’ red, white and blue colours, along with matching fireworks.
While we can disagree with a polarizing president and the populist campaign that got him elected, both countries are well served to remember that we have been friends for far longer than we have been enemies and someday, trade wars will be resolved and sovereignty will win out and we will want our neighbours to be our friends.
The mutual love and respect that Buffalo and Niagara Falls have shown each other is a great example for the rest of us to keep in mind. We can keep our elbows up while still respecting the notion of fair play. Just like we teach our kids, we can play by the rules, control our temper, avoid fighting or verbal abuse, and respect teammates and rivals. – DS
Live and in person
In this week’s issue, you’ll hear from 50 people seeking election to your local councils. They were asked three basic questions in an effort to tell you a little bit more about them, their political experience and community involvement and the big issues in their communities. They were, really, given free reign to say (or not say) whatever they wanted.
Most candidates, these days, have ironclad social media presences, with campaign Facebook and Instagram pages, full of cheery pictures of them at pancake breakfasts or self-taken videos of them spouting out if-you-elect-me promises and hand-picked talking points. Aside from parrying the odd negative comment or too-close-to-the-bone question, what you’re seeing about a candidate is what they want you to see. It’s curated and deliberate - telling the story so it’s heard one way.
But, what if it’s the other way? When a candidate provides his/her profile, what is being left out? Some of these thornier issues could be raised at an all-candidates meeting where control is wrested from candidates and put in the hands of the voters. For better or worse.
Few communities have seen groups host all-candidates meetings. And the Huron Chamber of Commerce’s “Candidate Conversations” series leaves much to be desired. A fireside, conversational format only for those running for reeve or mayor is hardly worth attending (or covering, as The Citizen has decided), but too many communities have seen these meetings as sufficient, stopping short of organizing others.
It’s a real shame. Often an all-candidates meeting can provide the most complete picture of the people running for office, so to do away with them - in the era of Strong Mayor Powers - is a great loss. – SL
If a tree falls in a forest...
It is almost impressive how quietly the Ontario Liberal leadership race is proceeding.
Eric Lombardi has exited, citing fundraising difficulties and poor polling, endorsing Lee Fairclough on his way out the door. That leaves four candidates: Fairclough, former federal cabinet minister Navdeep Bains, Don Valley West MPP Stephanie Bowman and former political staffer Dylan Marando. Liberal members will vote online from Nov. 9 to 20, with the winner announced Nov. 21. Outside the Liberals, the crickets are deafening. This is strange because the party has been handed an opportunity. Premier Doug Ford remains unpopular with Ontarians.
A recent poll found that most Ontarians do not recognize the candidates. Another poll put the Progressive Conservatives at 40 per cent support, compared with 34 per cent for the Liberals. That should set off alarm bells at Liberal headquarters. A leadership race is an audition. It should introduce candidates to voters, define what the party stands for and make the government look old while the opposition looks new. Instead, the Liberals are barely making a sound.
Leadership contests are primarily about convincing party members, and the leader will have time to introduce themselves to voters. But political opportunities do not last forever. If the Liberals cannot generate public interest while choosing a new leader, why should Ontarians expect them to generate excitement when asking for votes?
Ford has given the Liberals an opening. They do not need to spend the campaign attacking him. They do need to show Ontarians that they understand the frustrations of people ready for something different.
Right now, the biggest problem may not be choosing the wrong leader. It may be choosing a leader nobody has heard of. – SBS