Placeline Hamilton

The reviews were almost unanimously positive when Paul McCartney re-opened the renovated TD Coliseum the other day. People loved the concert and people seemed to really like the re-imagined building. But that's just the start. It's long been argued that this facility is supposed to be a catalyst that will bring the entire downtown back to life. It'll be the thing that leads to cleanup and spawns development. Can that really happen? Lou Frapporti of the Hamilton Urban Precinct Entertainment Group (HUPEG), which is part of the private-sector consortium behind the renovation that has pitched this vision for years now, answers that question on this episode of Placeline Hamilton. Unsurprisingly (spoiler alert), he says, yes.  How? The answer - part of it, at least - is laid out in the conversation.

It's one thing to write about crimes in the Westdale area that went on for seven years as Spectator columnist Susan Clairmont did in a series called Hunting Grounds, laying out the story of men peeping on women, videotaping them without their knowledge, and in some cases sexually assaulting them in the area around McMaster University. But finding a balance between writing it in a compelling way while also maintaining enough of an emotional distance so as not to be consumed by the horrible details is a challenge. One Clairmont has had to navigate for years writing about the worst crimes in the city.  How does someone immerse herself in horrible things and not become totally torn up by what she sees and hears? Clairmont talks about that - and Hunting Grounds - on this episode of Placeline Hamilton. 

Between the tens of thousands of students who attend and the staff who are employed there, McMaster University has a huge impact on the Hamilton community. Susan Tighe was installed as the school's new president a few months ago. On this episode of Placeline Hamilton, she talks about the role of universities in 2025, challenges facing schools and whether students today are too easily offended on campus. Also, what's Mac doing with the old Hamilton Spectator building just off the highway, anyway?

We are roughly a year away from the next municipal election in Hamilton. Which means those who are thinking of running for mayor (and in some cases, council) almost certainly have the wheels in motion by now. Who will be running? What will be the main issue or issues? And will this election bring the kind of change the last one did? John Best is back to chat about what city hall might look like by the time we go to bed on Oct. 26, 2026.

Paul McCartney won't be the only thing people are wanting to see in Hamilton on Nov. 21. Those going to see the former Beatle in concert will also be eager to check out the newly renovated TD Coliseum in which he'll be performing.  Eighteen months and $300 million later, the GM of the place says folks will be "shocked" when they see the changes.  What can people expect from an old arena that's been given a new life? The building's senior vice-president and general manager, Nick DeLuco, joins Placeline Hamilton to give a rundown.

This week, five new members of the Hamilton Sports Hall of Fame were inducted. Among them was longtime hockey fixture Don Robertson.  In a chat with Placeline Hamilton about minor pro leagues and teams back in the day when Slap Shot felt less like a fictional movie and more like a documentary, Don tells some tales. About fans and players brawling in the stands, players who could barely skate and even one incident in Collingwood that's almost too ridiculous to be true.   

Not everybody has 115 skeletons lying around in their office. But Dr. Megan Brickley does. It's OK. There's a good reason. The McMaster bioarcheology professor is studying the remains of people who were buried long, long ago to learn about their health and perhaps how and why they died. Think of it as CSI-1800s. No, skeletons can't provide all the answers but they can offer some. And if you want to hear her talk more about this in person, check out this talk she's giving in town on Oct. 9

Paul Berton has been a journalist for four and a half decades, the past 15 years of that as editor-in-chief of The Hamilton Spectator. This week, he retires. All that time working in the trenches has given him a unique perspective on the media, how it operates and where it might be going. In this episode of Placeline Hamilton, Berton talks about the future of newspapers, who qualifies as a journalist, media bias and the impact of social media on news — among other issues facing the industry and those who consume it.  

Rob Cooper is the new councillor for Ward 8 after winning a byelection over 25 other candidates. What did he hear as he went door to door talking to voters?  "People aren't happy across the ward," he says. On this episode of Placeline Hamilton, Cooper talks about his priorities - controlling spending, reducing crime, fixing roads and improving transit - as he gets set to be sworn in and take his place around the council table. He also chats about his political background and his belief he can work with all the other councillors. He learns he has a celebrity doppelganger, too. 

Voters in Ward 8 have their work cut out for them sorting through 26 candidates to choose the one they prefer in the race to replace John Paul Danko. Assuming they show up at the polls, that is, which is never a sure thing in byelections.  But this is an important choice for the city. And it's an important moment for the person who ultimately gets selected. Former city councillor Judi Partridge talks about both sides of the equation - the crucial nature of the position but also what the winner can expect. And it's not always pretty.

Hamilton taxpayers are about to get the next installment in their annual property tax increase saga. The past three years have seen hefty bumps. This year could actually be the largest hike of them all.  Longtime city hall watcher and commentator John Best returns to Placeline Hamilton to chat about what's coming tax-wise, bylaws and the Jamesville housing development that's finally being removed.

The other day in The Hamilton Spectator, you might've read about a new documentary coming out this fall about Terry Fox based on more than 90 reels of long-lost footage that hasn't been seen almost since the days of the Marathon of Hope. The director of the film is a Hamilton guy. Sean Menard has been quickly building a reputation as one of this country's leading documentary filmmakers. Which is a unique position to hold in a unique genre. Why tell real stories when you can tell fictional ones with seemingly far more leeway to be creative? And what separates a great doc from a boring one? It all comes down to one word: Storytelling. He tells his on this episode of Placeline Hamilton.

Unless the Hamilton Tiger-Cats make it to the Grey Cup, Labour Day is the most important game of the year around here. Longtime sports journalist (and Hamilton guy) Stephen Brunt joins Placeline Hamilton to talk about the team, the league, this game and a new behind-the-scenes series about the Ticats he's narrating.

Music can improve performance when running, bring memories back to people with dementia and even work in pain management. How can a bunch of notes have this kind of power? Music therapist Rachael Finnerty of McMaster University explains the magic.

On Aug. 14, 2024, 900CHML radio went off the air after 97 years of broadcasting to Hamilton. One year later, we catch up with former hosts Rick Zamperin and Shiona Thompson about the end of the station, what the community lost that day, and what is filling the gap.

When we learned that the city was on the hook for the $18.3-million cost of last year's cyber attack, people were upset. In part because the actions (or inactions) of city hall staff voided Hamilton's insurance police but mostly because that huge sum was now going to be passed on to the taxpayers. As it is every time the city messes up. Which, unfortunately, has happened more than a few times (and in spectacular ways) in recent years.

It didn't take much for Michael Sanderson to get his credentials to become a paramedic back in the 1970s. But for the 50-plus years since, the chief of Hamilton's paramedic service has been saving lives and seeing it all.

If it seemed like everyone and their mother were in the queue for Paul McCartney tickets when they went on sale last week, well, they might've been. The lines were long and if you got to the point where you could actually buy a ticket, the prices were steep. Is this what we should expect with most concerts here now or was this a one-off?

In recent months, two innocent bystanders have been killed when they were hit by wayward bullets. There have been other shootings that very nearly led to tragedy for those merely minding their own business. Is Hamilton - particularly the downtown - safe these days? We chat with Hamilton police Deputy Chief Ryan Diodati to get an answer.

When his dream job as president of the United States came with conditions he couldn't meet (like, being American) Graeme MacKay turned to the next best thing. Drawing politicians and skewering them with a brilliant wit as editorial cartoonist for The Hamilton Spectator. A gig that, as he explains, has become more-complicated in recent years.