It’s the end of an era, as alert and even semi-comatose readers will have noticed. Out with the reds, in with the blues.
When founded nearly three decades ago, in 1997, the Voice of Pelham newspaper’s primary branding colour was red. Over the many years that followed a handful of different reds were used, but they never strayed terribly far from the original.
When Village Media acquired The Voice at the end of 2022, one of my requests was that we retain our established look as much as possible. (I also wanted to keep the Voice name, but for reasons too asinine to get into now—and having nothing to do with the good folks at Village Media—this proved unworkable.)
Alas, time and corporate strategy move on. PelhamToday is but one of two dozen-plus news sites in the network, and we’re hardly one of the biggest (though our readership numbers have been climbing steadily and impressively), thus what Ol’ Baldy may or may not want in Pelham doesn’t much factor in to the grand scheme of things.
So welcome to our new world of blue and gold, and goodbye to the understated, handsome red we’ve used lo these many years. (The NOTL Local site underwent the same change yesterday.) I have two reactions to the change, one from the heart, the other from what’s left of my brain.
What I feel is a regrettable loss, another small part of what makes our community news source what it is. I’m not the only observer to liken the new colour scheme to a certain Swedish flatpack furniture retailer’s branding. Is it the news or is it the landing page for the Skarsgård Bookshelf in Dark Oak.
What I think, on the other hand, is that Village Media has its heart in the right place, is genuinely interested in doing good in its communities and in doing it well. There are efficiencies to be had in design standardization when it comes to offering certain network advertising packages, for example, and as we all know in this capitalist world it’s the ad bucks that keep the lights on and web pages glowing. Considering the daily fresh hell that’s now the reality south of the border, affecting not just Canada but the entire world, I think we can cope with a colour change here at news central. Let us know what you think in the comments below.
And incidentally, there are now comments below, another recent change, and one that I hope you will start using. We like getting the feedback. You need to register to comment, an easy process that basically just asks for your email address. You do not need to use your actual name as your user name. But comments are moderated to keep things civil, so ideally put those f-bombs and Nazi references on a diet.
Speaking of orange menaces—no, not the one currently in a bromance with Elon Musk—you may have noticed the persistent ad campaign of late in these pages for one David Augustyn, former Pelham mayor, current NDP candidate for Niagara West, looking to unseat incumbent and PC candidate Sam Oosterhoff. The ads feature Augustyn in a puffy orange winter jacket, a sort of Michelin Man for the people. In fact, odds are there’s one of these ads somewhere in this very column (beyond my control or job description).
Longtime residents will recall the financial shambles that Augustyn’s reign left the Town in. This is his second go at Oosterhoff, repeating his 2022 run. The prospects aren’t good for Augustyn, but they are excellent for us in Niagara, in the sense that the odds of his winning the seat are slightly lower than the revised odds of that meteor hitting the earth in 2032 (0.0017%).
If you’re a newcomer—or not a Pelham resident, but are considering a vote for Augustyn—note that back in the ancient days of 2016-2017, he and his council authorized a development financing scheme so beyond the norm that a whistle-blowing developer compared it to “printing money in the basement.” The Voice’s award-winning investigative reporting shined a light on what some observers likened to bonusing, in which companies are effectively bribed to set up shop in a given town.
When Augustyn was inexplicably chosen by the NDP to run in Niagara West the first time around, we ran this editorial offering a friendly warning to the rest of the riding: Voters of Niagara West, consider this fair warning. That he was chosen again in this election I’m afraid bodes poorly for the party’s abilities to judge character as well as to learn from past mistakes, which is particularly disappointing to me because I’m generally a fan of its policies and leader.
If you’re unfamiliar with Mr. Augustyn, I urge you to take a peek at the above, the essential premise of which is as solid now as it was when it was originally published.
Find our complete campaign coverage here.
Most importantly, of course, don’t forget to vote tomorrow.
See you next time.