It would appear that sanctioned encampments could command a price tag of around $30 million. How could this be the case and how is our view/opinion on encampments changed? Guest: John Best, Publisher of The Bay Observer - We continue with the topic of sanctioned encampments and what that could look like in Hamilton. Guest: Danielle Blake, Manager of Housing Focused Street Outreach with the City of Hamilton - How can we improve the financial situation of our Olympians? Some of our top athletes ar...
Aug 14, 2024•47 min
A link has been discovered between daily use of cannabis and cancers found in the neck and head. Was this known when it was legalized? How much do you need to consume in order for this to apply to you? Guest: Dr. James MacKillop, Director of the Peter Boris Centre for Addictions Research at McMaster University - A Hamilton resident has been crowned the 2024 world poutine eating champion after downing 20.5 pounds of fries, cheese curds and gravy (not bad for his first time competing in the pro ca...
Aug 13, 2024•58 min
Jason Farr returns for another edition of The Brightest Conversation in Hamilton Radio where he and Scott discuss Hamilton's police getting body cameras, mispronouncing player names as a stadium announcer, the Herculean task of setting up a barbeque, caring for Hamilton's homeless population, an unbelievable case of nepotism in the NBA and more. Guest: Jason Farr, Host of Hammer Down with Jay & Mike and former Hamilton City Councillor
Jun 29, 2024•1 hr 9 min
When Canada was pulling out of Afghanistan, was there a push to have the military save Afghan Sikhs before Canadians? Guest: Dr. Aurel Braun, Professor of International Relations and a Senior Member of the Munk School of Global Affairs at the University of Toronto
Jun 28, 2024•12 min
How does City Council get tents out of city parks while still taking care of the homeless population? They want to know too and are working to find that answer. Where do we stand now? Guest: Tammy Hwang, City Councillor, Ward 4, City of Hamilton - When Canada was pulling out of Afghanistan, was there a push to have the military save Afghan Sikhs before Canadians? Guest: Dr. Aurel Braun, Professor of International Relations and a Senior Member of the Munk School of Global Affairs at the Universit...
Jun 28, 2024•41 min
A film about Payne Stewart is on the horizon and it's being made by a local man from Burlington. What set Payne apart from the others on the PGA Tour and how does someone go from working in logistics to movies? Guest: Mark Sutcliffe, Film Producer
Jun 27, 2024•20 min
The challenge that is building affordable housing is one that the public sector cannot tackle alone so how can the private sector play a larger role and what's holding them back? Guest: Vito Sgro is a former mayoral candidate and provincial candidate, former board member of Infrastructure Ontario, and political analyst - The projected future population of Canada is astronomically higher than where we are right now but how is that number determined? If we're struggling to house everyone now, how ...
Jun 27, 2024•46 min
Which local MPs should be terrified by the result of the Toronto/St. Paul by-election? Also, why would Hamilton disregard a way of addressing homelessness in the city? Guest: John Best, Publisher of The Bay Observer - Keeping with the Toronto/St. Paul by-election, does the Conservative win spell an end for Justin Trudeau as leader of the Liberals? Is he ever going to step down? Guest: Kate Harrison, Vice Chair of Summa Strategies - The Florida Panthers have finally won their first Stanley Cup de...
Jun 26, 2024•47 min
For a world full of increased sensitivity and cancel culture, there aren't many speaking out against the calls for violence against Jews. Victoria Mancinelli has noticed this and wrote about it in the National Post saying, "It is up to all Canadians to stand against the hate directed towards Jews." Guest: Victoria Mancinelli is the Director of Public Relations, Marketing and Strategic Partnerships for the Labourers International Union of North America (LiUNA) - Generally speaking, humans dislike...
Jun 25, 2024•55 min
As we say goodbye to Jen McQueen, Scott welcomes her to The Brightest Conversation in Hamilton Radio to discuss ways Hamilton can tackle homelessness encampments in the city, MPs going on summer break, weird celebrity quirks, greater response to stories involving animals vs people and more. Guest: Jen McQueen, Afternoon News Anchor, 900 CHML
Jun 22, 2024•1 hr 6 min
Encampments are back in front of Hamilton City Council as the debate over what to do with them and how to manage homelessness in the city. What changes could be coming to the encampment protocol? Guest: Danielle Blake, Manager of Housing Focused Street Outreach, City of Hamilton - $5.7 million is not a small amount of money but as the City of Hamilton recovers from a ransomware attack, will it and the projected $33 million in future spending make for a sufficient IT system that's resistant to an...
Jun 21, 2024•44 min
The City of Hamilton has spent $5.7 million in its recovery from the ransomware attack it was hit with back in February. Is that above normal spending on this kind of thing? Guest: Tony Anscombe , Chief Security Evangelist for ESET - We often hear calls for the rich to pay their fair share but what determines if someone is "rich" and what their "fair share" is? Guest: Moshe Lander , Senior Economics Lecturer with Concordia University - Support for Justin Trudeau is approaching "rock bottom" acco...
Jun 20, 2024•38 min
Should the City of Hamilton give the current location of Philpott Memorial Church a heritage designation? What would happen if they don't grant the designation? Are additional supports provided if it does get designated? Guest: John Best, Publisher, The Bay Observer - Is it fair for people to criticize the Supreme Court of Canada if they haven't read everything from the Supreme Court pertaining to their criticism? Guest: Jeff Manishen, Criminal Lawyer, Ross & McBride; Former Crown Attorney -...
Jun 19, 2024•43 min
Does the EQAO actually benefit anyone in the education system? How is the current way it's implemented work and can it be tweaked to provide more accurate or simply better results? Guest: Todd White, Ward 5 & 10 Trustee, Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board - Do we need to replace standardized testing to better serve students? Are we trying to change things so they sound good rather than actually doing students good? Guest: Dr. Paul Bennett, Director of School House Consulting - Excessiv...
Jun 18, 2024•56 min
This week, The Brightest Conversation in Hamilton Radio welcomes none other than Keanin Loomis to the show. There's a really decent chance that you know his name as he's been involved with the Ontario Chamber of Commerce as well as the opponent of Andrea Horwath in Hamilton's last mayoral election. Now that approximately a year and a half has passed since that election, Scott wants to get Keanin's take on what's happened so far, what Hamilton and its residents need from City Council as well as w...
Jun 15, 2024•1 hr 8 min
Watching an orchestra perform can be a moving experience but what about experiencing an orchestra like the musicians? Your opportunity for full immersion is coming soon and it'll be right here in Hamilton at the Brott Music Festival. Guest: Tania Miller, Artistic Director & Conductor of the Brott Music Festival
Jun 14, 2024•10 min
Deepfake ads and videos are not just coming, they're here. How could this change the way politics, among other things, is conducted going forward? Guest: Marcus Kolga, Director of DisinfoWatch.org and Senior Fellow with the Macdonald Laurier Institute - Watching an orchestra perform can be a moving experience but what about experiencing an orchestra like the musicians? Your opportunity is coming soon and it'll be right here in Hamilton at the Brott Music Festival. Guest: Tania Miller, Artistic D...
Jun 14, 2024•40 min
Is Hamilton becoming the site for other cities' homeless people? If we have superior supports, does that mean we should be supporting more than just Hamilton's unhoused? Guest: Tom Cooper, Director, Hamilton Roundtable for Poverty Reduction - How are cancelled passenger flights out of Hamilton International Airport impacting growth? YHM is a leader on the cargo side of air travel so why would WestJet cancel flights from it? Guest: Cole Horncastle, Executive Managing Director with Hamilton Intern...
Jun 13, 2024•40 min
John Best joins us to chat about his piece in the bay observer on frayed relations on city council and much more local politics. Guest: John Best, Publisher of The Bay Observer - ‘Golden Era: The Legacy of Bob Morrow’ is the new documentary about the late, former mayor of Hamilton, by local filmmaker Scott C. Newman of White Dwarf Pictures. It is set to be premiered at the Westdale Theatre on June 16. Guest: Scott C. Newman, Hamilton filmmaker with White Dwarf Pictures and Rosemary Baptista, co-...
Jun 12, 2024•49 min
On Fridays, Scott welcomes one guest for the whole show and today is no different as Teri Pecoskie, regional news editor for The Hamilton Spectator, joins the show to talk about MPs contributing to foreign interference, whether bylaw should rule in favour of "naturalized lawns" over mowing/manicured lawns, UltraBasic airline fees and if the model can be applied to other things like municipal taxes and more. Guest: Teri Pecoskie, Regional News Editor, The Hamilton Spectator...
Jun 08, 2024•1 hr 5 min
The Woodlands Park bathroom rebuild is still baffling all who hear about how much it'll cost and how long it's projected to take before it's back up and running. Why is this the case? Guest: John Best, Publisher of The Bay Observer - Members of the Canadian Armed Forces are leaving due to "toxic leadership" according to their top adviser. At what level is this "toxic leadership" occurring and who is it on to fix it? What other reasons are prompting members of our military to leave? Guest: David ...
Jun 07, 2024•44 min
Some Hamilton city councillors were set aback at a committee meeting when told the million-dollar reconstruction of the torched Woodlands Park public washroom will take more than a year. Public works staffers admitted the end of 2025 forecast is based on a “worst case” scenario. Still, they confirmed visitors to a new spray pad, opening Labour Day weekend, will likely have to accept using porta-potties in place of a permanent amenity. GUESTS: Cynthia Graham, Director of Environmental Services, P...
Jun 05, 2024•19 min
What would a modern home economics course look like to you? That's the question being asked as the now-named 'Family Studies' is set to have a revamp come its way. Guest: Lesia Hucal, Family Studies teacher at St. Thomas More Catholic Secondary School and Vice President of the Ontario Family Studies & Home Economics Educators’ Association - How is it even possible for the bathroom at Woodlands Park to cost $1.3 million and a year to renovate? Surely there's a better way! Guest: Indra Maharja...
Jun 05, 2024•46 min
Jun 04, 2024•10 min
What's with the rise in gun violence here in Hamilton? What's being done about it? Guest: Superintendent Marty Schulenberg, Hamilton Police Service - There's a massive split in the Canadian population's support for or against universities divesting from Israel and Israeli organizations. Why is this and how does the way we get our information impact our opinions? Guest: Jon Roe, Research Associate with Angus Reid - How might Mackenzie Hughes’ outstanding performance at the Canadian Open impact th...
Jun 04, 2024•56 min
Donald Trump has been found guilty on all counts in the hush-money trial. What are the wider implications of this and how might it impact the upcoming election? Guest: Elliot Tepper, Emeritus Professor of Political Science with Carleton University
May 31, 2024•9 min
Donald Trump has been found guilty on all counts in the hush-money trial. What are the wider implications of this and how might it impact the upcoming election? Guest: Elliot Tepper, Emeritus Professor of Political Science with Carleton University - In Canada, 16-year-olds are allowed to drive cars but does that mean they should also be allowed to vote in elections? Guest: Geoff Callaghan, Assistant professor of political science at the University of Windsor - The number of Ontario school boards...
May 31, 2024•46 min
Should Hamilton consider other avenues for making money by way of new taxes? Have Councillors looked at delaying their pet projects before introducing these? Guest: John Best, Publisher of The Bay Observer - According to a poll, it would appear that almost half of Canadians feel that Justin Trudeau is staying in power for purely selfish reasons. Guest: Muhammad Ali, Vice President with Crestview Strategies - Think of a Disney song. Chances are pretty good that song you just thought of was writte...
May 30, 2024•43 min
What does it mean for Ontarians now that the province and the feds have struck a deal worth $357 million? Guest: Dr. Lori Turnbull, Professor & Chair of Public & International Affairs with Dalhousie University - Why does look like a double standard has formed around the treatment of Jews on university campuses when compared with other identifiable groups? Guest: Michael Geist, Professor of Law with the University of Ottawa, Canada Research Chair in Internet and E-commerce Law and a membe...
May 29, 2024•29 min
Encampments are returning to the forefront of the public consciousness but unfortunately, it's not for good reasons. How is it that the current solutions don't work for those living in the encampments nor the citizens living near the encampments? Guest: Vito Sgro, Former 2018 Mayoral Candidate - Quebec Premier François Legault has suggested the idea of putting an age limit on social media. Is it even feasible to do this? How could it benefit kids? What kind of detriment would it pose? Guest: Dr....
May 28, 2024•1 hr 1 min
