Claim OwnershipPlaceline Hamilton
Subscribed: 6Played: 33
Subscribe
© 2025
Description
In journalism, a "placeline" is the location given at the start of a story which indicates where the story originated – in this case, Hamilton. Each week, the Placeline Hamilton podcast will bring you all the latest news from around Hamilton and area – everything from council to crime and entertainment to sports – and things of interest to Hamiltonians. Hosted by Spectator columnist Scott Radley, it will be a deep dive into the week's most interesting developments, and bring you exclusive interviews with experts from The Spectator and across the city.
43 Episodes
Reverse
A decade after the Tim Bosma trial, the story continues to horrify and fascinate those in Hamilton who lived through it and followed the case. The tragedy is self-explanatory. A young husband and father took his truck for a test drive with a couple of guys who said they were interested in buying it. But he never came home - they murdered him instead. When news of the other actions of the perpetrators came out, it somehow made an already ghastly story even worse. Ten years after the trial, Hamilton Spectator columnist Susan Clairmont – who wrote a piece in the paper looking back at the tale and the participants – joins Placeline Hamilton to talk about the whole thing. She also answers some questions about what's happened since that you probably haven't heard before.
The Art Gallery of Hamilton will soon be expanding to allow for more of its huge collection to be displayed regularly. Its collection is the third-largest in Ontario and worth more than $1 billion. That will likely be a surprise to many around here. Everyone is familiar with the McMichael Gallery and the Art Gallery of Ontario. Yet somehow the AGH in our own backyard has flown largely under the radar. Shelley Falconer is CEO of the gallery. Why does she think getting Hamiltonians to become aware of their own gallery has been so challenging? She talks about that, and more, on this episode of Placeline Hamilton.
When the Professional Women's Hockey League brought its Takeover Tour to Hamilton and nearly filled TD Coliseum, a conversation-slash-debate was launched. Oak View Group, which manages the renovated building, has said it will be bringing a hockey team to town. The American Hockey League has always been mentioned. But some now wonder if the PWHL is a better fit. What is the ideal scenario for Hamilton? It comes down to a discussion on a number of points. Men's hockey vs. women's hockey. More dates vs. fewer dates. Ticket prices. Which would feel more meaningful to local fans? And on and on and on … Teri Pecoskie is now managing editor of The Spectator but she covered hockey in town for years prior to that. Don Robertson runs the Dundas Real McCoys but has been involved in all levels of the game in this city over the years. They join Placeline Hamilton to talk about the future of the game here.
It's been roughly three months since Rob Cooper was elected and sworn in as a member of Hamilton city council. That made this the perfect time to chat with him about figuring out how to navigate city hall and talk about the things that frustrate him in his new role. (Hint: at the top of the list is strong-mayor powers) A few more months from now, everything will be old hat to him. Right now, though, the gig is fresh and the eye-opening has just begun. So what are those things that he feels he can do to make a difference and where does he feel his power has been taken from him?
Everybody has a favourite Christmas gift (or Hanukkah, or some other celebration ... we're not leaving anyone out here). So, we here at Placeline Hamilton asked a number of well-known Hamiltonians about their favourite of all time. Listen as they explain why they remember that gift - in many cases, many years later.
Year after year, EQAO scores show our kids are having a tough time with math. It's a vexing problem for schools and a concerning one for these students' futures. By why is it such an issue? Who's to blame? Is it fixable? Vanessa Vakharia (aka: The Math Guru) is one of Ontario's best math tutors. She talks about what's going on and what can be done. If you're a parent of a kid in school, you're going to want to hear this one.
There are plenty of opinions about what's going on in Hamilton and down at city hall. Placeline Hamilton is a place where you'll hear a variety of them. Including this episode. Kojo Damptey is an instructor at McMaster, an activist in the local community, a musician and has been a political candidate. With the early draft of the city budget set to be released, he talks about his thoughts on taxes, spending, council, the mayor and even battles between the left and the right. And whether real solutions for the city's problems can be achieved with a council has philosophically divided as the current one seems to be.
This is a huge week for soccer. On Friday, the World Cup draw will be held. It'll determine not only who has a tougher or easier run to a championship, but also who Canada will play. This is particularly intriguing to those around here, since a number of games will be played just down the road in Toronto. On this episode of Placeline Hamilton, Canadian soccer Hall of Famer John McGrane chats about the incredible price of tickets, whether the reported $380-million price tag to co-host is worth it, the impact on soccer in this area - and how much you might make if Canada was to host Italy in the first game in Toronto and you had a ticket you wanted to sell.
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.
Comments
Download from Google Play
Download from App Store
United States