As Hamilton's city council looks to add a storm water tax, farmers are raising some major red flags. The largest of all is that if implemented, this tax could put farmers out of business. Guest: Drew Spoelstra, President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture - No one likes to pay their taxes and even fewer are going to like the news that with the new year comes new tax hikes. Guest: Jay Goldberg, Ontario Director, Canadian Taxpayers Federation...
Dec 20, 2023•26 min
Was the Strachan Street location for a proposed tiny houses project the first choice by the Hamilton Alliance for Tiny Shelters (HATS)? It doesn't sound like it. How did they try to change the City's mind? Guest: John Best, Publisher, The Bay Observer - How is it that no charges are being pursued after a death threat was caught on camera and in front of police during a protest over the weekend? Guest: Jeff Manishen, Criminal Lawyer, Ross & McBride; Former Crown Attorney - Would you hire Burt...
Dec 19, 2023•1 hr
Dec 17, 2023•10 min
You know his voice but usually in short bursts. This time, Scott welcomes Ben to The Brightest Conversation in Hamilton Radio to discuss driving manual cars, renaming Yonge-Dundas Square, mass-adoption of electric cars and more. Guest: Ben Straughan, Technical Producer, The Scott Radley Show
Dec 16, 2023•1 hr 9 min
As we cross the anniversary of Hamilton's current city council taking office, they've offered congratulations to themselves. Is it deserved? Guest: Vito Sgro, multi-time political candidate, political insider - What's with the lack of good Christmas movies? Why haven't we seen another Christmas classic come our way in the last 20 years? Guest: Bill Brioux, Television Critic and Author
Dec 15, 2023•34 min
Hamilton's downtown was supposed to be seeing construction being done on a high rise condo development and yet there doesn't seem to be one where the Eaton Centre used to be. Why is that? Guest: Darryl Firsten, Vice President, IN8 Developments - As the federal government tries to push electric vehicles (EVs), it would appear Canadians are wanting them less and less. What do we want that EVs can't provide and how can that be remedied? Can it be remedied? Guest: Eric Kam, Professor of Macroeconomi...
Dec 14, 2023•45 min
What is the role of the school board trustee? Whom do they serve? Who should they serve? Guest: John Best, Publisher of The Bay Observer - Christmas music can be loved and hated but there are some songs that people feel more passionately about than others. What are those songs and how do they rank? Guest: Eric Alper, Publicist and Music Commentator
Dec 13, 2023•37 min
Guests: Stephen LeDrew Former President Liberal Party of Canada Is this foreign interference inquiry going to be a sham? Don Robertson Owner of the Dundas Real McCoys The massive LA Dodger Ohtani contract and salary deferral, plus other stories in the world of sports
Dec 12, 2023•1 hr 17 min
Conversing brightly is a requirement to find yourself on Scott Radley's The Brightest Conversation in Hamilton Radio. The ever bright and conversational Jeff Mahoney joins Scott for this week's edition to talk about using cell phones in the classroom, retesting people to keep their driver's license after certain ages, retiring after years in the newspaper industry, how the delivery of news has changed with time and more. Guest: Jeff Mahoney, Reporter & Columnist, The Hamilton Spectator...
Dec 09, 2023•1 hr 5 min
It's looking like our government is going to do more of the same, increase spending and take the deficit up to a new high. Guest: Franco Terrazzano, Federal Director, Canadian Taxpayers Federation - Who is actually making the decisions on post-secondary campuses regarding what's hate speech? Is that same debacle being reflected in the classroom? Guest: John Bonnett, Associate Professor, Department of History, Brock University - We've been talking about the chances of Shohei Ohtani joining the To...
Dec 08, 2023•57 min
Would running Hamilton's Wild Waterworks as a public-private partnership be beneficial? The City will be looking into it. Guest: Matt Francis, Councillor for Ward 5 with the City of Hamilton - How does demand for Christmas trees impact tree growers around here? Are evergreens sprouting left, right and centre or do they take more work than your average tree? Guest: Jeff Beattie, Ward 10 Councillor, City of Hamilton & Owner, Winona Gardens - The local real estate market has been extremely hot ...
Dec 07, 2023•30 min
There's another delay in the seemingly never-ending LRT saga as the two-way Main Street conversion has its start date pushed back to 2026. Guest: John-Paul Danko, Councillor, Ward 8, City of Hamilton - What is the lasting impact Canadian soccer legend, Christine Sinclair, has had on the Canadian sports landscape? Guest: Allison Sandmeyer-Graves, CEO of Canadian Women & Sport - Should we teach math differently? That's the question being raised as Canadian students' math marks continue on a st...
Dec 06, 2023•1 hr 3 min
The Red Hill debacle is no secret to Hamiltonians but a report investigating the parkway and its failures is pointing to an even larger management failure. Also, Hamilton has a new City Manager but is that something the general public should worry about? Does it matter the average citizen who their city's manager, what they've done, etc? Guest: John Best, Publisher, The Bay Observer - Canada's parliamentarians and senators were invited to view video recordings taken by Hamas and security cameras...
Dec 05, 2023•1 hr 4 min
With another edition of The Brightest Conversation in Hamilton Radio comes the return of Mike Fortune who joins Scott to talk about building up Hamilton's waterfront, sneaking into a baseball stadium, if there's a problem with Christmas, politicians' financial irresponsibility and more. Guest: Mike Fortune, Host, The Hamilton Network, Cable 14
Nov 25, 2023•1 hr 5 min
A 'Vacant Home Tax' for Hamilton was voted down by City Council. What's wrong with this iteration of the proposed tax? Scott speaks with one of the councillors who voted against it. Guest: Matt Francis, Councillor for Ward 5 with the City of Hamilton - Christmas is being called back into question. What's wrong with it and who are the ones putting forward this notion? Do they have a point? Guest: Elissa Freeman, PR and Pop Culture Expert - The university experience that's being had by many underg...
Nov 24, 2023•40 min
Nov 24, 2023•12 min
A vehicle explosion at the Rainbow Bridge in Niagara Falls closed multiple border crossings in the region. What's it like being the mayor when something like this happens in your city? Guest: Jim Diodati, Mayor of Niagara Falls - We have heard that the explosion on the Rainbow Bridge was not an act of terrorism but what if it was? How would that change things, especially in this time where tensions are extremely high. Guest: Phil Gurski, President of Borealis Threat and Risk Consulting, former C...
Nov 23, 2023•53 min
How would more transparency in Hamilton City Council's in-camera meetings impact the way they're conducted? Guest: John Best, Publisher of The Bay Observer - With the Fall Economic Statement being released today by the federal government, do we have a bright future ahead of us or are we staring down a very bumpy road? Guest: Dr. Lori Turnbull, Professor & Chair of Public & International Affairs with Dalhousie University - Accidentally changing your phone to a foreign language with a diff...
Nov 22, 2023•57 min
Have you been feeling exhausted lately? Or is this burnout? GUEST: Dr. Nita Chhinzer, Associate Professor of Leadership & Organizational Management with the University of Guelph Survey: Young Canadians are increasingly trusting news shared broadly on social media GUEST: Janine Allen, President and Partner at Kaiser & Partners
Nov 17, 2023•28 min
Hamilton-Centre MPP Sarah Jama is claiming that she's going to continue the fight against being censured and that preparations are being made for a legal fight with Doug Ford. Guest: John Best, Publisher of The Bay Observer - A major shift to the path Hamilton's proposed LRT will take has been put forward. Where will the train line be going and are the cars even capable of it? Guest: Abdul Shaikh, Director of Hamilton LRT Project Office - The CFL's Grey Cup championship is only a few days away b...
Nov 16, 2023•56 min
Great names, sharp uniforms and interesting team logos are all crucial pieces of the puzzle that is building a successful sports brand but it seems like the upcoming Professional Women's Hockey League has dropped the ball on a few of those elements. How will this impact the league's launch as they make efforts to build fan bases and viewership? Also, will The Beer Store's potential end spell out disaster for beer sales in Ontario or will it be the best thing for it? Guest: Moshe Lander, Senior E...
Nov 15, 2023•53 min
How is an unbearable smell being emitted by a landfill on the Mountain being addressed? Guest: Donna Skelly, MPP for Flamborough-Glanbrook - Why is there a proposal to change what school board trustees can say and to whom they can speak? Is it a good idea? Guest: Todd White, Hamilton Wentworth District School Board Trustee for Wards 5 & 10 - It's time for another edition of Sports Talk with Don Robertson as we get ready for the 2023 Grey Cup here in Hamilton among many other things. Guest: D...
Nov 14, 2023•55 min
The Brightest Conversation in Hamilton Radio features Jason Farr who's done everything from sit on Hamilton's city council to host a morning radio show however his knowledge goes far beyond just those two realms. With plenty happening at home and abroad you can be sure there's no shortage of things for Scott & Jason to talk about. Guest: Jason Farr, Host of Hammer Down with Jay & Mike and former Hamilton City Councillor
Nov 11, 2023•1 hr 6 min
Bus strike negotiations aren’t just about HSR, but 11 other unions, tax dollars and spiking city costs. Guest: Vito Sgro is a Former Mayoral candidate in 2018, and Liberal Candidate for Flamborough-Glanbrook in the 2021 election - What will be the lasting impacts of iconic sports tourism events like the Grey Cup in Hamilton 2 of 3 years? Guest: Neil Lumsden MPP for Hamilton East-Stoney Creek and Minister of Sports - How should the topic of freelance photographers be approached in the wake of CNN...
Nov 10, 2023•56 min
Hamilton City Council was buy today and there's plenty to unpack from the bus driver strike to banning/limiting graphic material spread around by anti-abortionists. Guest: John Best, Publisher of The Bay Observer - As the war between Israel and Hamas rages on, Canadians share sympathies with both the side of Israeli civilians and Palestinian civilians. Polling has found interesting responses from Canadians on the conflict. Guest: Jon Roe, Research Associate with Angus Reid - We're dealing with a...
Nov 09, 2023•48 min
As Hamilton's living rate goes up, the question as to whether or not it's implementation is feasible is being brought back up. Guest: Tom Cooper, Director of the Hamilton Roundtable for Poverty Reduction - Having a first hand account of the atrocities committed by Hamas is something no person should ever have to endure but it's important that we know. Scott speaks with someone who has seen those horrors. GUEST: Sabrina Maddeaux, Columnist with the National Post - The Hamilton Tiger-Cats's Grey C...
Nov 08, 2023•53 min
Can Sarah Jama weather the political storm she's found herself in the middle of? Guest: John Best, Publisher of The Bay Observer - Why are we seeing a decline in the number of family doctors? How can we go about fixing this problem? Guest: Dr. Jason Profetto, Family Physician & Chair of Clinical Skills and MD Admissions with McMaster University - A lot has happened in the world of sports since Scott and Don have spoke last which means there's plenty to talk about on this week's edition of Sp...
Oct 24, 2023•1 hr
The Israel-Hamas conflict brought about many statements from politicians of all stripes but one, in particular, brought about extra consternation. Guest: John Best, Publisher of The Bay Observer - Efforts to redevelop some of the Stelco's land in Hamilton are underway as a master plan is being put together with the intention of submitting it within the coming months. Guest: Steven Dejonckheere, Overseeing development for Slate Asset Management on the Stelco Hamilton Land - The Maple Leafs have p...
Oct 13, 2023•53 min
Hamas' assault on Israel has taken the world's attention but what is there to be gained by such incomprehensibly heinous acts? Guest: Phil Gurski, President of Borealis Threat and Risk Consulting, former CSIS analyst and author of ‘When Religion Kills’ - The bottom has completely fallen out when it comes to how low Canada's birthrate has dropped. What's caused this drop and how dire can the outcome be? Guest: Kate Choi, Director of the Centre for Research on Social Inequality with Western Univer...
Oct 11, 2023•41 min
Oct 10, 2023•10 min