Let’s be honest. It was really tough to get behind the boat races that were held on Lake Erie during the summer of 2018 and 2019 along the Dunkirk waterfront.

Yes, it provided some excitement — and led to a bit of tourism to downtown but nobody really had a passion for the sport.

Walleye, however, is a very different story.

Earlier this month, city Mayor Wilfred Rosas announced that next summer, the 2022 Cabela’s Bass Pro Shops national walleye fishing tournament championship is coming to Dunkirk on Aug. 24 to 26. “This is where we can showcase our waterfront and the new developments that we have there,” Rosas said. “We are pleased to be working with the local fishing tournaments and experts to plan and coordinate this exciting event.”

Exactly.

Dunkirk is one of the walleye capitals of the world. This fits a community mission and can be embraced. Unlike the boat races.