NFL Chain-Gang Member and Vice President of Fluke Transport Steve Foxcroft joins Scott for the Brightest Conversation in Hamilton Radio this week. Among the topics discussed; Is deportation too harsh a sentence for the truck driver who hit the Humbolt Broncos bus? An embarrassing answer on Wheel of Fortune is destined to be the butt of jokes for years to come. Beer and wine are about to become available in corner stores! How do we feel about that? All this and more on the Brightest Conversation ...
May 25, 2024•1 hr 15 min
How does a lack of transparency influence the way committees with civilian appointees get viewed/trusted? Whether they use public funds responsibly or not, does the perspective the public have make a difference Guest: John Best, Publisher, The Bay Observer - If the federal Liberals are pulling the abortion card this far out from an election, could it be signaling severe desperation in the party? Guest: Kate Harrison, Vice Chair of Summa Strategies - The Blue Jays are hot trash, why? What needs t...
May 24, 2024•51 min
We keep hearing that there's a housing crisis going on from every corner of society however the number of homes being built in Hamilton isn't reflecting that at all. In fact, it would appear we've regressed to the numbers seen back in 2018. Why? Guest: Richard Lyall, President of the Residential Construction Council of Ontario - Is there a fair argument that can be made in favour of volunteering for for-profit companies? Guest: Francois Cote-Vaillancourt, Assistant Professor of Business Ethics a...
May 23, 2024•41 min
A first-timer is joining Scott for The Brightest Conversation in Hamilton Radio this week! Adam Atkinson will be talking about the FirstOntario Centre renovations, the prospect of humanity living on Mars within 30 years, the Toronto Maple Leafs' new head coach, City Council potentially introducing new taxes on Hamiltonians, the 60th anniversary of Tim Hortons' opening and more. Guest: Adam Atkinson, Video Journalist & Weekend News Anchor, CHCH-TV
May 18, 2024•1 hr 12 min
There's no question that when encampments pop up that garbage and litter follows so the City is looking to help residents and businesses with that. Scott speaks with John-Paul Danko from City Hall to dive further into how. Guest: John-Paul Danko, Councillor, Ward 8, City of Hamilton - Divorce rates are falling in Canada but not because we're getting better at marriage, it's just too expensive to live alone. Guest: Moshe Lander, Senior Economics Lecturer with Concordia University - FirstOntario C...
May 17, 2024•39 min
Pierre Poilievre has made numerous trips to Hamilton, more than expected. Could this be indicative of something larger? Guest: Larry Di Ianni, Former Mayor of Hamilton & political pundit - Though our federal government isn't great at many things there are two things it does amazingly, that's collecting taxes and spending that very same money. Today Scott's talking about the latter as more spending has been announced. Guest: Franco Terrazzano, Federal Director, Canadian Taxpayers Federation -...
May 16, 2024•39 min
Does Hamilton need to continue offering incentives for developers to build in the downtown area? Guest: John Best, Publisher, The Bay Observer - Would taking away the driver's licence of a car thief be enough to deter would-be thieves? If someone is willing to steal a car, would they even care about having a valid licence? Guest: Richard Brennan, Former Journalist with The Toronto Star covering both Queen’s Park and Parliament Hill - Canada Soccer is making it happen! Though they are rather cash...
May 15, 2024•42 min
Hamilton's unemployment rate seems to be on the rise. Are we looking at this on too small a scale or are things as bad as that sounds? Guest: Marvin Ryder, Professor, DeGroote School of Business, McMaster University - Our amazingly divided world has come together and agreed (mostly) on something! That would be the agreement (again, mostly) that cellphones aren't needed in Ontario classrooms. Are these numbers suspiciously high? How does Ontario's cellphone ban compare to other areas? Guest: Dom ...
May 14, 2024•53 min
MPP Sandy Shaw joins Scott for this week's edition of The Brightest Conversation in Hamilton Radio to talk about the relationship between social media and politics, naming places/buildings after people, teaching manners to our children, 'reviving' people with AI, the current state of politics and more. Guest: Sandy Shaw, MPP for Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas
May 11, 2024•1 hr 10 min
Hamilton's airport is a prime example of a massive success but if people aren't using it for transport as much as Pearson, for example, how can that be so? Guest: Cole Horncastle, Executive Managing Director, John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport - The Toronto Maple Leafs have fired their head coach, Sheldon Keefe. Who should replace him? Guest: Bubba O'Neil, Sports Anchor, CHCH-TV
May 10, 2024•30 min
Our kids are having a hard time learning math, why? Is it the way the subject is taught? Guest: Monika Ferenczy, Educational Consultant, Horizon Education Consulting - Do we need to revamp Canada's bail system or is our view of it skewed? Guest: Jeff Manishen, Criminal Lawyer, Ross & McBride; Former Crown Attorney - Hamilton is home to an amazing hot sauce company called Dawson's Hot Sauce and it's owner, Brodie Dawson, is taking part in 'Thrive', a speaker series focusing on mental health a...
May 09, 2024•46 min
A shooting downtown has shocked Hamiltonians and made Scott wonder why it seems almost like Hamilton's entire image is based around the downtown area. Guest: John Best, Publisher, The Bay Observer - The Toronto Argonauts's starting quarterback, Chad Kelly, has been suspended by the league. CHML's own Rick Zamperin joins the show to help shed light on the details of this case and what it could mean for the Ticats this year. Guest: Rick Zamperin, Host of Good Morning Hamilton, Assistant Program, N...
May 08, 2024•45 min
Canadians are stereotyped as being kind and polite however it would appear that is anything but the case, especially in Ontario, according to a recent poll. Why are Ontarians so angry? Guest: Dan Arnold, Chief Strategy Officer, Pollara Strategic Insights - It seems like every major pro sports team in Toronto is a disappointment but is the problem the players or the coaches? Could it be both? What needs changing? These questions and more get answered in this week's edition of Sports Talk with Don...
May 07, 2024•46 min
This week's guest is award-winning journalist Meredith MacLeod who joins Scott for an hour of conversation that's sure to be the brightest in Hamilton (see where we get the name from?). Together they cover the renovations FirstOntario Centre is undergoing, objectivity in journalism, receiving large inheritances from wealthy parents, if protests nowadays have lost the narrative and more. Guest: Meredith MacLeod, Editor & Co-Publisher, Hamilton City Magazine
May 04, 2024•1 hr 6 min
If Justin Trudeau stepped down as the leader of the federal Liberals, who could step in to turn things around for the party? Guest: Stephen LeDrew, Past President of the Liberal Party of Canada, Lawyer & Host of “The LeDrew Three-Minute Interview” - How is it that this area can have so many different sports teams playing at the professional level in every major sport and yet there are so few and infrequent championship wins? This question and more gets addressed as Bubba O'Neil joins the sho...
May 02, 2024•36 min
There's always something happening in Hamilton and who better to talk about those things than The Bay Observer's John Best? Guest: John Best, Publisher, The Bay Observer - Warning labels are going to be placed on each and every cigarette sold in Canada, what kind of impact will this have? Guest: Rob Cunningham, Senior Policy Analyst, Canadian Cancer Society - The Rolling Stones are heading back out on the road! This wouldn't be an unusual statement to make however the band, which was formed in 1...
May 01, 2024•43 min
Ontario is set to ban cellphones in classrooms, something that many have sought while others detest. Guest: Annie Kidder, Executive Director, People for Education - The Dundas Real McCoys are now back-to-back Allan Cup Champions! Coming off of this win, Don has graced the studio with the Allan Cup to talk about his team's win, what it might take to turn the Maple Leafs around, the performance the Blue Jays are poised to deliver this year and more. Guest: Don Robertson, Head Coach & Owner, Ba...
Apr 30, 2024•47 min
How much is a job worth? Are we pleased with the way Strong Mayor Powers are being used? How effective are body cameras on police officers? Why can't people correctly spell your last name? These questions and more get addressed on this week's edition of The Brightest Conversation in Hamilton Radio with guest Mike Nabuurs. Guest: Mike Nabuurs, Host of Hammer Down with Jay & Mike, PA Voice of Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Apr 27, 2024•1 hr 5 min
Hamilton, like every city, has pot holes but is there anything we can do about it? Guests: Carolyn Ryall, Director, Transportation, and Mark Priest, District Superintendent - Roadway Maintenance, City of Hamilton - Lots of lessons are coming from the Zameer case, whether for politicians, police, including the Chief, and the public. Guest: Jeff Manishen, Criminal Lawyer, Ross & McBride; Former Crown Attorney - The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has announced its most recent class of inductees w...
Apr 25, 2024•43 min
Who operates the LRT in Hamilton isn't a decision that will be made by the city council and yet they spent hours debating this very topic. Was that just wasted time? Guest: John Best, Publisher, The Bay Observer - Now that the federal budget has been announced, are we seeing a change in the polls in favour of the Liberals? What kind of response was garnered by the announcement? Guest: Dr. Lori Turnbull, Professor & Chair of Public & International Affairs with Dalhousie University - What'...
Apr 24, 2024•46 min
Was hate speech spouted this weekend outside of parliament? When should police step in? At what point does free speech become hate speech? Guest: Dr. Robert Huish, Associate Professor, Department of International Development Studies, Dalhousie University - The federal government has announced 'halal mortgages'. What are they and why even suggest such a thing? Guest: Ian Lee, Associate Professor, Sprott School of Business, Carleton University - Don Robertson is busy behind the bench as the Dundas...
Apr 23, 2024•56 min
The Brightest Conversation in Hamilton Radio implies conversation however today's guest is more than bright the way he speaks but also in the way he writes. While his future topics may be a mystery to most, the topics he covers with Scott includes the NHL playoffs, Jon's long-form journalism, the Arizona Coyotes' move to Utah, Hamilton's LRT, how "truth" is being misconstrued with "opinion", the relationship between Joe Biden's uncle and cannibals in Papua New Guinea & more. Guest: Jon Wells...
Apr 20, 2024•1 hr 9 min
This afternoon, city council discussed the privatization of LRT operations at its General Issues Committee with the final analysis being presented by the LRT subcommittee. What came of it and will it have in impact on the final decision? Guest: John-Paul Danko, Councillor, Ward 8, City of Hamilton - Could Canadians find themselves voting in a third referendum on the separation of Quebec? If things keep going the way they do in the province, that might just happen. Guest: Daniel Béland, Director ...
Apr 18, 2024•37 min
The federal budget was announced today which means we can take a look at what the government plans to do with your tax money in the near future. How does it look and have any meaningful changes been made? Guest: Dr. Eric Kam, Professor of Economics with Toronto Metropolitan University - We keep with the theme of the budget but look at it from a different perspective, the political perspective and the implications on that side. Guest: Kate Harrison, Vice Chair of Summa Strategies - Since first st...
Apr 17, 2024•55 min
PM Trudeau's housing announcement contains implications for Hamilton's LRT. Also discussed, the Vrancor affordable housing proposal. Guest: John Best, Publisher of The Bay Observer. Data shows that elementary students in Hamilton are staying home from school more often since the pandemic. Guest: Annie Kidder, Executive Director of People for Education. Don Robertson joins us to talk about which cities might be getting new NHL teams (and which ones actually should), the Masters, and the upcoming ...
Apr 16, 2024•1 hr 14 min
Apr 13, 2024•1 hr 5 min
Matthew Adams, Assistant Professor and GIS Program Director of Geography, Geomatics and Environment with the University of Toronto New study tracks infamous ‘rotten egg’ smell in Hamilton lower city Jeff Manishen, Criminal Lawyer, Ross & McBride; Former Crown Attorney How do televised trials impact justice? How did televising the OJ Simpson trial impact the justice system? Tristan Borges, Midfielder for Forge FC The four-time Canadian Premier League champions, Forge FC, will kick off the 202...
Apr 12, 2024•1 hr 13 min
The countdown to the RBC Canadian Open is officially on, with just five weeks left until the big event! Today, we're thrilled to chat with tournament director Brian Crawford, who will share some details of a major announcement. GUEST: Brian Crawford, Tournament Director of The RBC Canadian Open. Prime Minister Trudeau to testify at the foreign interference inquiry. GUEST: Dr. Robert Huish, Associate Professor with the Department of International Development Studies at Dalhousie University. Chrys...
Apr 11, 2024•1 hr 12 min
In an opinion piece published to the Bay Observer, Fmr Mayoral Candidate Vito Sgro asks the question he keeps hearing in regards to Hamilton Council: "Have You Had Enough?" GUEST: Vito Sgro is a former mayoral candidate and political insider People flocked to Niagara Falls to see the once-in-a-lifetime eclipse yesterday. Leading up to the event, a state of emergency was declared, expecting millions of people to arrive. Turns out, the reality is a little different. What happened? GUEST: Jim Dioda...
Apr 10, 2024•47 min
Government documents show concerns at Queens Park over the overrun of transit costs. What will this mean for the LRT? GUEST: John Best, Publisher of The Bay Observer Don Robertson joins us over the phone and then in the studio thanks in part to 'Eclipse Traffic'. Lots to talk about, from the eclipse, to the Bulldogs and so much more. GUEST: Don Robertson, Owner of the Dundas Real McCoys
Apr 09, 2024•50 min
