Fighting apathy in Ontario’s election – why this vote matters more than ever

Nigel Barriffe  – 2025-02-03

In my role as an education advocate, I have had the opportunity to visit schools across Toronto, speaking with teachers, education workers, and administrators. Over and over again, I hear the same concerns—overwhelming workloads, burnout, and a struggle to recruit and retain teachers. Schools are collapsing under the weight of underfunding, and the results are undeniable: children with Individual Education Plans  (IEPs) not receiving the support they need, growing class sizes, and staff being stretched to their limits. These are not isolated issues. They are the direct result of seven years of cuts under Doug Ford.

Yet, as I travel across the city, I also hear something else—apathy. “What’s the point?” “Doug Ford will win anyway.” “I’m too busy just trying to survive.” And I get it. Ford has built a system designed to exhaust us, to wear us down until we feel powerless to change anything. But we are powerful, and that’s exactly what he’s afraid of.

Let’s be clear: this election is a cynical waste of taxpayer money—hundreds of millions of dollars spent simply because Ford wants to cement his power. He already has a majority. He didn’t need to call this election. He is doing it because he believes people are too tired, too disillusioned, and too distracted to stop him from expanding his grip on the province.

And the truth is, Ford deceives people because he knows Ontarians care. He deceives them about  education funding because he knows people want strong public schools. He deceives them about healthcare investments because he knows people want access to family doctors. He deceives them about infrastructure because he knows people want working roads, functioning hospitals, and safe schools. His own government’s auditor has exposed these and many other deceptions, yet he continues because he believes if he repeats them enough, people will either believe him—or stop fighting back.

 

So, What Can We Do?

  1. Recognize that elections matter. If they didn’t, Ford wouldn’t be calling this one. Our votes determine whether our schools receive the funding they need, whether we have access to healthcare, and whether we live in a province that values people over profit.
  2. Get involved. Unions and advocacy groups have identified key swing ridings where progressive candidates have a chance to unseat Ford’s allies. Talk to your union or local advocacy groups—they can tell you which ridings need support and how you can help.
  3. Break through the apathy. Have conversations. Talk to your neighbours, your colleagues, your family. Apathy is Ford’s greatest ally, and real change starts when we refuse to let cynicism win.
  4. Challenge the system. Our outdated first-past-the-post system allows a party with 40% of the vote to hold 100% of the power. That’s why strategic voting and turnout matter. Hold every progressive seat, flip every vulnerable PC seat, and don’t give Ford an easy victory.

 

Doug Ford is counting on us to be too demoralized to fight back. Let’s prove him wrong. Let’s show him that Ontarians are ready to take back our schools, our hospitals, and our province. The power is in our hands. Now is the time to use it.

 

 

Nigel Barriffe

Vice President

Elementary Teachers of Toronto