Only On The Walters Post

These are my own thoughts from what I’ve seen and lived through. I’m sharing them to spark some thinking and honest conversation, not because I have all the answers.

I farmed for a good portion of my life, and like many others out in the country, I believed in voting. But truth is, it’s getting harder to feel like it matters much anymore.

Canada’s set up so that each riding gets one seat in Parliament, but the ridings are based on how many people live there, not how much ground they cover. So cities, where the population is stacked in tight, end up with more ridings. That means more votes in Parliament, and more say in who forms the government.

In the federal election we just had, most of the rural areas voted one way, but the cities swung things the other. You could see it plain as day on the map—huge stretches of blue across the countryside, but that didn’t tip the scales as the cities made the call.

Now we’ve got another minority government. That means the leading party didn’t win enough seats to go it alone, so they need support from another to stay in power. Right now, the Bloc is backing them, and like always, there’s a deal involved. They’ll want something in return—funding, programs, whatever lines up with their goals.

Meanwhile, farmers—both out west and here in Ontario—just keep at it. We grow the food, mend what’s broken, and carry the load. But when it comes to shaping the future, we’re not at the table.

This isn’t about stirring things up. It’s just calling it what it is, the system’s tilted, and until that’s fixed, rural folks won’t get the voice we deserve.

Until the next time: Keep Your Minds Open & Your Stories Alive. GW