As Niagara approaches the October 26 municipal election, Walter Sendzik speaks with Jeff Bolichowski of Armstrong Strategy Group, a former reporter with the St. Catharines Standard, about how residents get their local news.

With election information arriving through newspapers, radio, social media and community groups, how can voters tell what is trustworthy? Walter and Jeff discuss the difference between verified reporting and unverified claims, why sources matter, and how residents can make sense of what they see and hear before casting a ballot.

Addiction touches families and communities across Niagara, but behind the statistics are real people and real stories of recovery.

On this episode of Searching for Solutions, I sit down with Chris Howe, founder of 12 Mile Recovery, partner with 12 Mile Recovery at Rodman Hall, Niagara Falls firefighter, counsellor, and a person in long-term recovery himself.

Chris shares his personal journey through addiction and recovery, what he has learned from helping others rebuild their lives, and why understanding trauma, connection and the underlying causes of addiction is so important. They also explore the impact addiction has on families and first responders, the stigma that can prevent people from seeking help, and what effective recovery and treatment can look like.

It’s an honest conversation about addiction and how 12 Mile Recovery at Rodman is a place that offers hope, resilience and the possibility of a different life.

Amalgamation is back in the conversation in Niagara—and with it comes a familiar promise: lower costs, more efficiency, and a better way forward.

But is that actually true?

In this episode of Searching for Solutions, former St. Catharines Mayor Walter Sendzik sits down with Dr. Charles Conteh of Brock University to unpack one of the most misunderstood governance debates facing communities across Canada.

Together, they explore:

• What municipal amalgamation actually changes—and what it doesn’t
• Why the assumption that amalgamation lowers property taxes is often misleading
• The concept of status quo bias and why communities resist structural change
• The real trade-offs between efficiency, local identity, and democratic representation
• Whether Niagara’s current governance model is built for the future—or the past

This is not a debate about right or wrong. It’s a conversation about decision-making and how communities position themselves for the challenges ahead - from housing and infrastructure to economic competitiveness.

If Niagara were being built today from scratch… would it look the same?