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 are self-funded so what needs to be done so they can cash-in on their athletic success? Guest: Erin Gee, Host of the Alt-Text podcast & former member of Canada’s national softball team

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 category, huh?). How do you even accomplish something like this? Guest: Joel Hansen, Professional Eater & Newly Crowned World Poutine Eating Champion - After a break that was weeks-long, you can be sure there's plenty for Scott and Don to talk about in this week's edition of Sports Talk with Don Robertson including the Olympics, the Tiger-Cats, winning drafts and more. Guest: Don Robertson, Head Coach & Owner, Back-to-Back Defending Allan Cup Champion Dundas Real McCoys & Broker of Record, ComChoice Realty

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

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

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 University of Toronto - Gene Champagne hosts an album release party for his first solo album “Let’s Jet” this Saturday June 29th at 8 p.m. at the Corktown Irish Pub with special guests The Jesse James Medicine Show and Dave Pomfret. Get your tickets for $11.98 at eventbrite.ca. Guest: Gene Champagne, Drummer for Teenage Head

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

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 could we ever hope to house millions more? Guest: Marvin Ryder, Professor, DeGroote School of Business, McMaster University - 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

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 defeating the Edmonton Oilers. What does this mean for Connor McDavid's future? What of his refusal to come out and accept the Conn Smythe Trophy? Guest: Bubba O'Neil, Sports Anchor with CHCH and Analyst with the Ticats Audio Network

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 being restricted and this is doubly so when it comes to the internet. Believe or not, Gen Z and millennials follow this trend by opposing the internet regulation plans put forth by Justin Trudeau. Guest: Steve Mossop, Executive Vice President for Leger - Tonight, the Edmonton Oilers square off against the Florida Panthers in Game 7 for the Stanley Cup. This past weekend, the Blue Jays and Ticats both had dismal performances. With the potential for greatness on the horizon and lacklustre showings in the past, you can be sure there's plenty for Scott and Don to talk about this week! Guest: Don Robertson, Head Coach & Owner, Back-to-Back Defending Allan Cup Champion Dundas Real McCoys & Broker of Record, ComChoice Realty

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

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 another attack? What needs to be done to ensure another malware attack doesn't impact Hamilton like this last one? Guest: Carmi Levy Technology Analyst & Journalist - The 2024 ALS Canada Walk to End ALS in Hamilton will take place on June 22nd at Confederation Park. Guest: Melissa Van Tuyl, Community Lead for the ALS Society of Canada - Peter Menzies believes that Canadian consumers are going to be paying a hefty price whether they realize it or not thanks to a decision by Google to direct a $100 million fund towards one group of media outlets vs others. What is set to play out and how dire is the situation? Guest: Peter Menzies, Senior Fellow with the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, Former editor-in-chief of the Calgary Herald, former vice-chair of the CRTC

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" according to an Ipsos poll that found 68% of respondents want him to step down. Guest: Peggy Nash, Former NDP Finance Critic, and author of Women Winning Office: An Activist's Guide To Getting Elected available now

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 - When does a celebrity who's been cancelled get a second chance? Should they ever get one? Why some but not others? Guest: Elissa Freeman, Communications Strategist, PR & Pop Culture Expert

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 - Excessively difficult golfing, seemingly impossible odds for the Oilers, professional teams needing to learn how to win and more are all on the docket for Sports Talk with Don Robertson. Guest: Don Robertson, Head Coach & Owner, Back-to-Back Defending Allan Cup Champion Dundas Real McCoys & Broker of Record, ComChoice Realty

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 what his new position is at the Canadian Institute of Steel Construction, the importance of Father's Day and more. Guest: Keanin Loomis, President & CEO, Canadian Institute of Steel Construction & former mayoral candidate

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

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 Director & Conductor of the Brott Music Festival - Is it a good thing that the jays are this bad yet still in the playoff picture? Has baseball improved the game with so many wild cards? Guest: Steve Foxcroft, NFL official and basketball referee

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 International Airport - Arena concerts/tours are storied and amazing to behold but it would appear they're starting to be undersold despite big name performers' presence. What's driving this decline and is it set to be a small dip or a lengthy nosedive? Guest: Eric Alper, Publicist, music commentator

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-producer of this film - Bubba O'Neil and Scott get together to talk the controversy surrounding up-and-coming WNBA star Caitlyn Clark being snubbed from the Team USA roster for this summer's olympics. Guest: Bubba O'Neil, Sports Anchor with CHCH and Analyst with the Ticats Audio Network

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

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 Pugliese, Journalist with the Ottawa Citizen - The Hamilton Tiger-Cats open their season tomorrow night as they square off against the Calgary Stampeders. What's at stake this year and how will the change in coaching staff promote a different style of play? Guest: Steve Foxcroft, NFL official and basketball referee

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, Public Works, City of Hamilton Indra Maharjan, Director of Corporate Facilities & Energy Management, Public Works, City of Hamilton

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 Maharjan, Director of Corporate Facilities, City of Hamilton Cynthia Graham, Director of Environmental Services, City of Hamilton - Canadian politicians "wittingly" participated in foreign interference? What does this mean, practically speaking? What should be done about it? Guest: Phil Gurski, President of Borealis Threat and Risk Consulting, Former CSIS analyst

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 the way he’s viewed here at home? What kind of impact will referee tendencies have on the upcoming Stanley Cup final? And are you excited for this year's Grey Cup half time show? Surely, you will be after finding out who it is! This and more is on the docket for this week's edition of Sports Talk with Don Robertson. Guest: Don Robertson, Head Coach & Owner, Back-to-Back Defending Allan Cup Champion Dundas Real McCoys & Broker of Record, ComChoice Realty

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

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 joining a lawsuit against Meta, Snapchat & TikTok is continuing to grow but why school boards? Is this something that falls under their domain? Guest: Carrie Hughes-Grant, Head of School for Holy Name of Mary College School - The Canadian Open is going on right now and CHML is down at the course covering it all. One such reporter is our very own Rick Zamperin. Is there anything he can't/doesn't do? Guest: Rick Zamperin, Host of Good Morning Hamilton & CHML Sports Director

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 written by the Robert & Richard Sherman, sometimes referred to as the Sherman Brothers. Today, we received the news that Richard died at the age of 95. Guest: Eric Alper, Publicist and music commentator

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 member of the Centre for Law, Technology and Society - Hamilton is back at the top of the list... of worst roads in Ontario. Aberdeen Avenue has taken the top spot thanks to poor maintenance, potholes and traffic congestion but should Hamiltonians be proud or embarrassed by this? Are people trying to circumvent complaining to the government by voting en masse in CAA's Worst Roads Campaign? Guest: Brian Pirvu, Government Relations Consultant for CAA South Central Ontario

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. Sandra Bosacki, Professor with the Faculty of Education and Director of the Theory of Mind in Education Lab at Brock University - The Toronto Blue Jays are still bad and it would appear that Canada isn't doing much better at the World Juniors. Will we see football players mandated to play with the additional helmet padding they use in practice? How come we haven't seen this required for kids' leagues? Guest: Don Robertson, Head Coach & Owner, Back-to-Back Defending Allan Cup Champion Dundas Real McCoys & Broker of Record, ComChoice Realty

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 in Hamilton Radio. Guest: Steve Foxcroft, NFL Chain-Gang Member & Vice-President, Fluke Transport

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 to be done in order to fix this? Was the return of the home run jacket enough to win you over? Also, the WNBA is bringing a team to Toronto! Guest: Bubba O'Neil, Sports Anchor with CHCH and Analyst with the Ticats Audio Network

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 at Brock University - What does the future hold for FirstOntario Centre? How will the major renovations its undergoing shape what the venue can, and will, offer attendees, performers and athletes? Will it even keep the name 'FirstOntario Centre'? Guest: Tom Pistore, Canadian President of the Oak View Group

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

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 Centre is undergoing some massive renovations. What does the future hold for the venue and how will it be ushered into its new form? Guest: PJ Mercanti, President of The Carmen's Group and Hamilton Urban Precinct Entertainment Group (HUPEG)

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 - Ontario is making a very conscious effort to become a leader in electric vehicle manufacturing with investments to the tune of billions of dollars. Should we be doubling down on this or have we already gone too far? Guest: Dr. Robert Huish, Associate Professor with the Department of International Development Studies at Dalhousie University

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-strapped that isn't keeping them from getting the coach they want for the Men's National Team. Also, how important is it that your coach is of the same nationality as the players/team? Guest: Brendan Dunlop, Co-Founder of Canada Soccer Daily, Analyst for TSN Radio and Author of “DeRo: My Life, by Dwayne De Rosario"

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 Lucyk, Communications Director with SecondStreet.org - When does playing cleverly becoming playing dirty? The NHL playoffs have seem quite a few 'iffy' moves get pulled by the players with mixed results and Scott wants to know where the line is. Also, why does it seem like the Blue Jays' head office has nothing to fear despite their team's dismal performance? Good thing he's got Don Robertson to help tackle these and more questions in this week's edition of Sports Talk with Don Robertson. Guest: Don Robertson, Head Coach & Owner, Back-to-Back Allan Cup Champion Dundas Real McCoys & Broker of Record, ComChoice Realty

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

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

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 and its relation with small business ownership where one is not just surviving but thriving. Guest: Brodie Dawson, Owner & Founder, Dawson's Hot Sauce - Hidden Secrets Of The Canvas is a documentary on a Hamilton couple puts a spotlight on their unique hobby of finding the locations that inspired paintings by the Group Of Seven. Guest: Emma Waddington, Narrator of Hidden Secrets Of The Canvas & Granddaughter of Jim & Sue Waddington

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, News & Sr. Sports Director at 900 CHML - The Canadian dollar's exchange rate could be looking to take a nosedive. What are the wider implications of this if it happens? Why would it happen at all? Guest: Dr. Eric Kam, Professor of Economics with Toronto Metropolitan University

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 Robertson. Guest: Don Robertson, Head Coach & Owner, Back-to-Back Allan Cup Champion Dundas Real McCoys & Broker of Record, ComChoice Realty

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

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 show. Guest: Bubba O'Neil, Sports Anchor at CHCH-TV & Host of the Sportsline Podcast

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 1962, currently sports members who are in their 80s. Guest: Eric Alper, Publicist, Music Commentator, Shameless Idealist

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, Back-to-Back Allan Cup Champion Dundas Real McCoys & Broker of Record, ComChoice Realty

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

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 with names like Cher, Ozzy Osbourne, Mary J. Blige and more among them. Guest: Eric Alper, Publicist and music commentator

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's sparking this massive jump in the price of coffee? Do we need to keep importing coffee or can it be grown here? Guest: Dr. Sylvain Charlebois a.k.a. 'The Food Professor', Professor of Food Distribution and Policy, Director of the Agri-Food Analytics Lab, Dalhousie University

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 Real McCoys campaign to hoist the Allan Cup again which means Scott needs to call in pinch hitter, Steve Foxcroft. Together they'll debate and revel in the highs and lows of the sports world. Guest: Steve Foxcroft, NFL Chain-Gang Member & Vice-President, Fluke Transport

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, Award-Winning Reporter, The Hamilton Spectator

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 of the McGill Institute for the Study of Canada - What's with the rise in true crime documentaries? Guest: Bill Brioux, television critic and author

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 stepping in front of MuchMusic’s national cameras in 1992, Bill Welychka has become one of Canada’s most enduring, recognizable and respected television personalities. Over the decades spent in entertainment, he's kept hearing, “You should write a book!” ​Well, that book is here. Guest: Bill Welychka, Former MuchMusic VJ and Author of “A Happy Has-been: Exciting Times And Lessons Learned By One Of Canada's Foremost Entertainment Journalists”​ - Acclaimed former Toronto Star journalist Mary Ormsby unveils a riveting exposé that transcends sports, offering a poignant exploration of fame, ambition, and an enduring quest for redemption which promises to ignite conversations and challenge perceptions surrounding one of the most controversial figures in sporting history, Ben Johnson. Guest: Mary Ormsby, Author of "World's Fastest Man* - The Incredible Life of Ben Johnson"

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 Allan Cup! GUEST: Don Robertson, Owner of the Dundas Real McCoys

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 2024 season this Saturday at Tim Hortons Field versus Cavalry FC. We are joined by Forge star Tristan Borges to tee up the season!

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. Chrystia Freeland won't rule out new taxes on wealthy Canadians and corporations in the upcoming budget. GUEST: Dr. Ian Lee, Associate Professor with the Sprott School of Business at Carleton University. Examining the PM's six-day Indo-Pacific trip, and it's potential impacts on the taxpayer. It cost $2 million, including $200K in catering! GUEST: Franco Terrazzano, Federal Director, Canadian Taxpayers Federation.

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 Diodati, Mayor of Niagara Falls The Blue Jays play their first game in the newly renovated Rogers Centre and looking good while doing it. GUEST: Josh Goldberg, Baseball Journalist for TheScore

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

Bright conversations can be sparked by many things such as cartoons and no one does better editorial cartoons than Hamilton's own Graeme MacKay. With conversations about the upcoming eclipse, the boundaries an editorial cartoonist must follow (and when they can/should be pushed), when body modification enters the realm of mental illness, April Fools' products made by companies that actually sound pretty decent and more on the docket for today, you might be getting a sneak preview at one of Graeme's upcoming cartoons without knowing it! Guest: Graeme MacKay, Editorial Cartoonist, The Hamilton Spectator

Why are we seeing places like Niagara Falls declaring an emergency ahead of this Monday's solar eclipse? Is buying extra food and water really something that we need to do? How bad could it be? Guest: Nomi Claire Lazar, Full Professor in Public and International Affairs at the University of Ottawa and author of the book “States of Emergency in Liberal Democracies” - This weekend, the Argylls, Signallers and other military occupations in Hamilton will be holding a recruitment drive in addition to a free tattoo and more. Guest: Dr. Jean Chamberlain, Honorary Colonel, 31st Signal Regiment, Canadian Army - There appears to be rising support for capital punishment here in Canada. What's spurring this increased sentiment? Guest: Andrew Furgiuele, Criminal Defence Lawyer, Furgiuele Law

We speak with Burlington’s mayor about a huge new development being proposed by the GO station in Aldershot that would include housing, a university campus, commercial space and a 5,000-seat arena. Guest: Marianne Meed Ward, Mayor of Burlington - Coles has announced that it'll be closing it's store in Jackson Square marking the loss of one of the original tenants. Is Jackson Square still a viable business location? Guest: Marvin Ryder, Professor with the DeGroote School of Business at McMaster University - Teenage Head's 50th anniversary show is this Saturday, April 6th at Carmen’s Banquet Centre. Guests: Dave Rave & Gene Champagne of Teenage Head

The continued fallout of Mayor Horwath's plan to use strong mayor powers, and the latest on the encampment in front of city hall. Guest: John Best, Publisher of The Bay Observer - Canada's productivity seems to be so low it's an emergency. How do we measure productivity, what's driving this drop and is there anything we can do to fix it? Guest: Moshe Lander, Senior Economics Lecturer with Concordia University - 'SCTV' alumnus Joe Flaherty passed away yesterday at the age of 82. Guest: Bill Brioux, television critic and author

The province says it's prepared to force the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board to sell its Sir John A. Macdonald property. How has this been received by the HWDSB? Guest: Todd White, Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board Trustee for Wards 5 & 10 - It would appear that for as divided as Canada appears to be nowadays there's still something many can agree on, opposing the Carbon Tax. Guest: Kate Harrison, Vice Chair of Summa Strategies - The Blue Jays are set to start their season a lot sooner than you may realize but that is not all that's happening in the baseball world. Shohei Ohtani is in the news for less than good reasons. Guest: Mike Wilner, Baseball Columnist for the Toronto Star

How important is it for our politicians to actually meet with protesters? What does it say when they do? This and more is happening in Hamilton so who better to talk to than the Bay Observer's John Best? Guest: John Best, Publisher of The Bay Observer - Parliament seems to be spending lots of time arguing about stuff in other countries and what they should be doing though we haven't thought much about what our reaction would be if other countries started demanding things change here. What if other countries started passing resolutions demanding Canada make Quebec a free country or tinkering in our affairs. What would our response be? Guest: Dr. Robert Huish, Associate Professor with the Department of International Development Studies at Dalhousie University - Outrage was sparked as a result of Playhouse Cinema's decision to cancel its hosting of the Hamilton Jewish Film Festival. Why would it do this and what does it say to the Jewish community at large? Guest: Gustavo Rymberg, Chief Executive Officer of the Hamilton Jewish Federation

A push by developers is being made to the Ontario Land Tribunal to bring some new buildings to Glanbrook. Who makes the final decision on this kind of thing? The City? The Land Tribunal? Guest: Mark Tadeson, Councillor for Ward 11 Glanbrook - Things went sideways fast as experts ran a hypothetical election with some disruption thanks to deepfakes. How might deepfakes cause our elections to go down like never before? Guest: Carmi Levy, Technology analyst & journalist - Electric vehicles are sometimes touted as being a money-saving option when it comes to transportation but will one really do that? Sounds like the amount of driving you do coupled with where you live can make the difference. Guest: Brian Kingston, President of the Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers Association

Changes to Main Street and the LRT are controversial, but an op-ed by our guest challenge that notion. GUEST: Léa Ravensbergen. Assistant professor in the School of Earth, Environment and Society at McMaster University  Who lies the most on their resume? Turns out, higher degree earners do it more. Why? GUEST: Dr. Nita Chhinzer, Associate Professor of Leadership & Organizational Management with the University of Guelph A trend with hockey teams starting good and then get bad once they make the playoffs. Plus, Mike Tyson, at 57 years old, is set for a big match coming up with Jake Paul on Netflix! And so much more with Don Robertson GUEST: Don Robertson, Owner of the Dundas Real McCoys

The Brightest Conversation in Hamilton Radio excels at showcasing the brilliant people of humanity. You would truly be hard pressed to find someone more intelligent than today's guest as none other than CHML's own Shiona Thompson joins the show. She and Scott cover the literacy of college students, who the highest earning celebrity in Hollywood was last year, the encampment/protest in front of Hamilton City Hall, eating a Big Mac every day, people looking to change jobs and more. Guest: Shiona Thompson, Senior News Anchor, 900 CHML

Did you know that there are fake toonies circulating in our area? You might even have one without knowing it! How can we identify these fake coins and why would someone even bother making them? Guest: Brent Mackie, Coin Collector & Counterfeit Currency Expert

Did you know that there are fake toonies circulating in our area? You might even have one without knowing it! How can we identify these fake coins and why would someone even bother making them? Guest: Brent Mackie, Coin Collector & counterfeit currency expert - Some lawyers are arguing that a ruling from the Supreme Court regarding sexual assault myths puts an unfair bias against defendants. Guest: Jeff Manishen, Criminal Lawyer, Ross & McBride; Former Crown Attorney - From the bee invasion that suspended the Indian Wells tennis tournament to the importance of championship wins in the eternal "who's the greatest..." debate, there's plenty sports talk to have and who better to do it than Bubba O'Neil? Guest: Bubba O'Neil, Birthday Boy, Sports Anchor with CHCH, Analyst with the Ticats Audio Network

Following the ransomware attack that hit the City of Hamilton, paramedics are saying that they haven't been paid overtime. Guest: Mario Posteraro, President , OPSEU Local 256 - The 110th Grey Cup brought about $73.5 million in total economic impact according to a report. Guest: Neil Lumsden, MPP for Hamilton East-Stoney Creek and Minister of Tourism, Culture & Sport - The fallout from Kate Middleton's photoshop situation seems to be getting out of hand. Is this something that even really matters or should we be taking this more seriously. Guest: Peter McNally, Professor Emeritus with School of Information and the Director of History with the McGill Project, McGill University, McGill’s ‘Royal Watcher’

As Hamilton continues to deal with its ransomware attack, it's also seeing one of its councillors get investigated following a complaint from the Ontario Civilian Police Commission. Guest: John Best, Publisher, The Bay Observer - The Ottawa public school board is looking to include students who don't have passing grades to still take part in graduation ceremonies. Is this something that other school boards will consider or could we see it rescinded just as fast as it was brought up? Guest: Dr. Paul Bennett, Founding Director & Lead Consultant, Schoolhouse Consulting and Author, "The State of the System" & Educhatter blog - Canadian pensions don't always have the majority of their money invested in Canadian assets. Is this something that needs to change? Would Canadians benefit from a change in where this money is shored up? Guest: Dr. Ian Lee, Associate Professor with the Sprott School of Business at Carleton University

Senior Bank Executives are saying we've averted a recession in Canada. If true, that'd be amazing! But is it? GUEST: Eric Kam, Professor of Economics with Toronto Metropolitan University  Arizona Coyotes have a rink that can hold ~4600 people. Excited to see Joey Votto join the Blue Jays. And Don has a special announcement! GUEST: Don Robertson, Owner of the Dundas Real McCoys

This week's edition of The Brightest Conversation in Hamilton Radio features the City's response to the ransomware attack, if it's beneficial to have a city council who's evenly split on certain topics, the amazing comedians who've come out of Hamilton, people's desire to visit downtown and more. Guest: Jason Farr, Host of Hammer Down with Jay & Mike and former Hamilton City Councillor

Does the early release of Selvey’s killer make a mockery of the Youth Criminal Justice Act? Is this an adequate punishment? Is there an appetite in either the legal community or government to change the Youth Criminal Justice Act? Guest: Jaime Stephenson, Criminal Defence Lawyer - How do you enforce Canada's Online Harms Act without stifling free speech? Can you? Guest: Andrew Furgiuele, Criminal Defence Lawyer with Furgiuele Law - The Academy Awards were once must-see TV but that doesn't appear to be the case anymore. What's changed and how can the awards show return to top-tier status? Guest: Elissa Freeman, PR and Pop Culture Expert - Both of McMaster's volleyball teams are preparing to play in the provincial championship tomorrow. How is Hamilton emerging as a hotbed for volleyball as Mac's teams dominate the scene? Guests: Nathan Janzen, McMaster Women’s volleyball coach Brad Douwes, McMaster Men’s volleyball coach

The City of Hamilton has been rather tight-lipped in regards to the ransomware attack it's been hit with. In addition to this attack, a brazen daylight shooting also occurred near one of the city's busiest intersections leaving one man dead. How do these reflect the state of things in Hamilton? Guest: John Best, Publisher, The Bay Observer - McMaster Innovation Park is making a major partnership in an effort to promote and accelerate innovation into deep tech and commercialization. Guest: Leyla Soleymani, Associate Vice-president of Research, Commercialization & Entrepreneurship with McMaster University - Hamilton's cybersecurity incident isn't unlike ones that have been dealt with by other organizations. With that being said, why is the City of Hamilton having such a hard time recovering? Guest: Carmi Levy, Technology analyst & journalist - Just For Laughs has filed for creditor protection. What does this mean for Canadian comedians as one of the world's largest comedy festivals signals for help? Guest: Eric Johnston, Hamilton based stand up comedian and author of “Run With The Bull”

Hamilton's housing market doesn't have much diversity when it comes to price. Where have the homes under $500,000 gone? Guest: Greg Martino, Vice President and Chief Valuation and Standards Officer for the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation - A hefty percentage of federal bureaucrats take home a six-figure salary each year. With 110,000 making that kind of money, do we have any chance of paying down the deficit? Will Franco Terrazzano ever be able to come on the show for a good reason? Unfortunately, the answer to each of those questions is likely the same. Guest: Franco Terrazzano, Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Federal Director - Obesity is something that affects over 1 billion people around the world however it's not always originating the way you might think. Guest: Dr. Deborah Sloboda, Canada Research Chair and a Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University

A very friendly (and good looking) guest makes his return to the show as Scott welcomes back Mike Fortune to talk about the Enhanced Games, essentially banning books from the classroom, how our personal hygiene has changed pre and post-pandemic, Hamilton's "cybersecurity incident" and the priorities our school board trustees should have. All this and more is coming up on this week's edition of The Brightest Conversation in Hamilton Radio. Guest: Mike Fortune, Host, The Hamilton Network, Cable 14

"Too early" to assess impact of of cybersecurity breach, City of Hamilton says. Guest: Robert Falzon, Head of Engineering for Check Point Research Canada. City of Hamilton lands $1.5 million from the feds for a winter homelessness strategy. Tom Cooper, Director, Hamilton Roundtable for Poverty Reduction. Please Note: Today's show was cut short due to the death of former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney.

Municipal housing is on the front burner with the debate over a Stoney Creek parking lot taking centre stage. Guest: John Best, Publisher, The Bay Observer - Canadian historians are more lost than they realize according to a professor of Canadian history at Trent University. Why? How? What can be done about it? Guest: Christopher Dummitt, Professor, Canadian History, Trent University - Google appears to be playing catch-up, a state they're not used to, in the AI race. This comes both overall in the realm of AI as well as when it comes to the recent issues that have cropped up regarding its Gemini AI. Guest: Carmi Levy, Technology Analyst & Journalist

Lynx Air is ceasing operations. What does that mean for Hamilton Airport? Guest: Marvin Ryder, Professor with the DeGroote School of Business and McMaster University Doug Ford continues to defend his plan to appoint "like-minded judges" in Ontario. Guest: Jeff Manishen, Criminal Lawyer, Ross & McBride, Former Crown Attorney A very special moment in sports turned 47 years old on February 25th. What was it? Find out alongside Don Robertson! GUEST: Don Robertson, Owner of the Dundas Real McCoys

This week, none other than Pete Dyakowski joins The Brightest Conversation in Hamilton Radio to chat about hot tubs, improving your sleep, possibly running for mayor, Pete's time competing on Jeopardy!, the key to being awesome at karaoke and more. Guest: Peter Dyakowski, former CFL offensive linesman, Jeopardy! contestant, Colour Commentator for McMaster Marauders football team & much, much more

The plan to use a parking lot in Stoney Creek as a location for housing has been shot down. Why? Guest: John-Paul Danko, Councillor, Ward 8, City of Hamilton - If, according to economists, the cost of mortgages are a contributing factor to high inflation, why aren't we seeing interest rate cuts? Guest: David Macdonald, Senior Economist, Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives - Though the Toronto Maple Leafs have gone for an unbelievable amount of time without a Stanley Cup, that doesn't necessarily mean the players on said team are subpar. This is especially true for Auston Matthews who's already scored 50 goals this season, breaking the record which was previously held for 28 years. Guest: Mike Stubbs, Host of London Live on 980 CFPL and London Knights play-by-play announcer - Hamilton based comedian Doug Nagy was crowned “funniest comic in Hamilton” on Wednesday night at Levity Comedy Club following a month-long contest organized by The Canadian Comedy Hall of Fame culminating in a winner-take-all show consisting of eight finalists. Guest: Doug Nagy, Hamilton-based comedian

Is the goal to make Hamilton's downtown unfriendly to cars and driving? It seems more and more like it each day. Guest: John Best, Publisher, The Bay Observer - What's with the intense antisemitism that's been unleashed following the Oct. 7 attack in Israel by Hamas? A Global News investigation seeks to find out. Guest: Jeff Semple, Senior Correspondent for Global National - There has been a lot of movement at the Ticats with players coming and going but are they in any better of a position for a run at the Grey Cup? Guest: Josh Smith, Co-Host of the Podskee Wee Wee Podcast, Former Journalist for 3 Down Nation

What is McMaster's Innovation Park and why is there a lawsuit underway with regards to the firing of its CEO and alleged financial mismanagement? Guest: Dave Carter, Executive Director of Innovation Factory - What is open banking how could it change the way you bank? Should you adopt it? How do Canadians view their banking establishment? Guest: Dr. Ian Lee, Associate Professor with the Sprott School of Business at Carleton University - Could we someday look back on our current relationship with smartphones kind of like how we look back at cigarettes? How can addiction now be addressed? Is it the same kind of addiction? Guest: Dr. Peter Bieling, Professor in the Department of Psychiatry And Behavioural Neurosciences at McMaster University and a Psychologist with St. Joseph’s Hospital

With The Brightest Conversation in Hamilton Radio comes the assurance that you're going to get stimulating conversation from the best guests and today's guest is certainly among the best. With topics including things like the future of journalism as we know it, Connie's involvement with Interval House of Hamilton, the resurgence of the typewriter, some of the best (or potentially worst) ways to commemorate Valentine's Day and more on the docket for today, you know there's going to be serious and meaningful moments mixed with that perfect amount of fun. Guest: Connie Smith, Veteran Journalist & Officer, Interval House of Hamilton

Hamilton City Council has voted to approve its budget. Hamilton Mayor Andrea Horwath joins Scott to talk more about this means for Hamiltonians. Guest: Andrea Horwath, Mayor, City of Hamilton - Is Hamilton's approved budget something that's good for residents? Is the 5.79% increase still too much? Guest: Vito Sgro, Former mayoral candidate and political insider - A new survey has found that Canadians have a growing sense of anxiety over the economy and their finances in addition to a general distrust of politicians. What could that spell for the future of politics in Canada? Guest: Tim Powers, Chairman of Summa Strategies and Managing Director of Abacus Data - A litany of announcements have been coming out of the CFL and its teams since the start of free agency and chief among them is the news about Simoni Lawrence. Though he's retiring from the field that doesn't mean he's leaving the Ticats. Guest: Rick Zamperin, Host of the Fifth Quarter and CHML’s Sports Director

Hamilton's storm water fee controversy has a new voice entering the fray in the form of MPP Donna Skelly. What does she have to say? Guest: Donna Skelly, MPP, Flamborough-Glanbrook - Bankruptcy is on the rise, and it's rising fast, but one of the top locations for this is Canada. Why? Guest: Dr. Eric Kam, Professor of Economics with Toronto Metropolitan University - The Enhanced Games is a sporting event that's being touted as being the 'Olympics on steroids' which in this case is quite literal as it would allow the competing athletes to use performance-enhancing drugs of all kinds. How could it change sports as we know them among many other things? Is this good? Guest: Bruce Kidd, Former Olympian and Professor Emeritus in Sport & Public Policy at the University of Toronto

It sounds like paying for a licence plate renewal isn't the only thing the Ontario government is stopping, now you won't have to worry about renewing it at all. Guest: Andrew Perez, Political Commentator - Are you more productive when working from home or in the office? This is a question that's been debated over and over since the dawn of the COVID-19 pandemic and it seems the verdict is in. Guest: Dr. Nita Chhinzer, Associate Professor of Leadership & Organizational Management with the University of Guelph - A survey of Blue Jays fans found an overall pessimistic outlook for the 2024 team with a diminished level of excitement. Is this simply from poor performance or does the team just need more players with good hair? Guest: Kaitlyn McGrath, Writer for The Athletic, covering the Toronto Blue Jays

Scott has been gone for a week. What’s happening in Hamilton? Municipal politics recap! GUEST: John Best, Publisher of The Bay Observer -- The unraveling of the fed's universal daycare program, and seeing the Conservatives going on the offensive. GUEST: Dr. Lori Turnbull, Professor & Chair of Public & International Affairs with Dalhousie University -- Don Robertson returns! The Superbowl last night, with Travis Kelce, Taylor Swift, and so much more! GUEST: Don Robertson, Owner of the Dundas Real McCoys

This week's edition of The Brightest Conversation in Hamilton Today features CHCH Morning Live's very own Tim Bolen. With tales of how Tim got into the television game, whether or not social media is actively bad for kids, the return of McDonald's McRib and more. Guest: Tim Bolen, Co-Host, Morning Live!, CHCH-TV

We're hearing more and more about auto thefts in our area and believe it or not, that effects more than just the person whose vehicle gets stolen. How does a stolen car down the street impact you and the amount of insurance you have to pay. Guest: Elliott Silverstein, Director of Government Relations with CAA Insurance - A lot of Canadians fear losing their job with the majority saying they have next to no safety net to fall upon. Where does this fear stem from and who's actually saving for the future? Guest: Jon Roe, Research Associate with Angus Reid - There is more to professional wrestling than just musclebound men flying about a wrestling ring - there are real people behind the personas with real stories and even more real struggles. A local comedian happens to have a very personal connection to this world and aims to tell the stories of those who he knew as more than just people from the TV. Guest: Eric Johnston, Hamilton-based Standup Comedian and Actor - The NHL All-Star Weekend is happening this weekend. Are you excited? Is it even worth getting excited over? Guest: Mike Stubbs, Host of London Live on 980 CFPL and London Knights play-by-play announcer

Hamilton's Ward 11 councillor, Mark Tadeson, has suggested the City studies the way it uses consultants. How could this streamline the way consultants are utilized and ultimately save you money? Guest: Mark Tadeson, Councillor, Ward 11, City of Hamilton - Deepfakes are not a new topic however the recent use of deepfake technology to produce sexually explicit content of Taylor Swift has prompted lawmakers to look closer at the tech. Guest: Carmi Levy, Technology Analyst & Journalist

So much is happening at Hamilton City Council from conversations about housing to consultants and Scott welcomes John Best back to the show to catch us up. Guest: John Best, Publisher, The Bay Observer - Did things like autism, ADD/ADHD and allergies to seemingly everything under the sun just pop up out of nowhere or were we just not looking for/capable of identifying it before? Dr. Jason Profetto, Director of Family Medicine and Chair of Clinical Skills and MD Admissions at McMaster University - In Regina, a box has been discovered with some unbelievably rare hockey cards. What makes these so rare and why can they sell for millions of dollars? Guest: Jason Simonds, Sports Card Specialist & Consignment Director, Heritage Auctions

House of Commons back after the holidays, what's on the agenda? Guest: Richard Brennan, Former Journalist with The Toronto Star covering both Queen’s Park and Parliament Hill   Helicopter parents might shriek, but studies show that kids NEED risky play. Guest: Dr. Mariana Brussoni is the Director of the Human Early Learning Partnership, and a Professor in the Department of Pediatrics and the School of Population and Public Health at the University of British Columbia.   No Don? We get Steve Foxcroft! Swifties, Bills, and Sports galore! Guest: Steve Foxcroft, Fluke Transport / Tri-Foxco USA

Friday evenings signal another edition of The Brightest Conversation in Hamilton Radio and this time Scott welcomes back Mike Fortune for conversations about cellphones in the classroom, naming Hamilton's snowplows, the NHL's ability to remove goons from the game but not consequences for playing dirty. It's time to buckle up and get ready for another wicked show. Guest: Mike Fortune, Host, The Hamilton Network, Cable 14

What would prompt a city councillor from Toronto to request an audience with Hamilton City Council? Perhaps a warning for Hamilton regarding who should run our LRT? Guest: Josh Matlow, Toronto City Councillor - We've hit a record high in the cost of protecting our members of Parliament. Why is this and is it warranted? Guest: Phil Gurski, President of Borealis Threat and Risk Consulting, former CSIS analyst - Research has been done into the relation between police budgets and the rate of crime in Canadian cities. From the sound of it, an increase to one doesn't necessarily mean a decrease in the other. Guest: Melanie Seabrook, lead author on the study, and a researcher at the Upstream Lab, St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto - This year's list of nominees for the Canadian Comedy Hall of Fame is amazingly star studded with Jim Carrey, Eugene Levy and Martin Short among some of them. Guest: Shaun Majumder, Comedian and host of the Canadian Comedy Hall of Fame Gala Awards

The budget debate rages on for City Council as they work to lower the tax hike it'll pose to Hamiltonians. Guest: Ted McMeekin, Councillor for Ward 15 - The biggest cruise ship in history has her maiden voyage this weekend. A prominent piece of this ship was built right here in Hamilton. What part(s) was built here and what goes into constructing it? Guest: Tom Beach, President of Handling Specialty - When you watch a sports game, there's more than just the game that you're seeing. It would appear that up to 20% of your viewing involves watching advertising for gambling. Guest: Steve McAllister, Editor-in-Chief of Gaming News Canada - A staff report for the City of Hamilton suggests that a contracted operator should be chosen to run the LRT rather than the City itself. Is that in our best interest? Scott speaks with someone who vehemently disagrees. Guest: Eric Tuck, Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 107

Is Hamilton really in need of $60 million worth of bike lanes and cycling infrastructure? Guest: Brian Hollingworth, Transportation Planning Director, City of Hamilton - Which movies have been nominated to win Oscars and why is Barbie among them? Guest: Bill Brioux, Television Critic and Author - According to the Federal Court, the Charter of Rights and Freedoms was violated by the Feds when dealing with the trucker convoy using the Emergencies Act. Guest: Dr. Lori Turnbull, Professor & Chair of Public & International Affairs with Dalhousie University

The Canadian Gov. set to limit the amount of student visas in 2024 to 360,000. Guest: Moshe Lander, Senior Economics Lecturer with Concordia University.

Hamilton is pitching a $60-million plan to build more bike lanes in Hamilton, faster. Is this a bad idea? Guest: John Best, the Bay Observer   The Canadian Gov. set to limit the amount of student visas in 2024 to 360,000. Guest: Moshe Lander, Senior Economics Lecturer with Concordia University.   Cursed Franchises? Seems to be happening to the Buffalo Bills. Old School Hockey Stories and so much more. Guest: Don Robertson, Head Coach & Owner, Defending Allan Cup Champion Dundas Real McCoys & Broker of Record, ComChoice Realty

Moving through Hamilton is a challenge and it seems that those trips in the community are slowing down. With housing being close to the top of the biggest issues that City Council has to deal with, transportation is right up there with it. How will it be addressed? Scott asks none other than Hamilton's own John-Paul Danko. Guest: John-Paul Danko, Councillor, Ward 8, City of Hamilton - How will AI shape the way our music is created? Will the industry prefer holograms and AI over live acts? Scott knows just the person to help navigate both of these questions and the music industry as a whole. Guest: Eric Alper, Music Publicist & Commentator

Hamilton City Council is continuing budget talks in an effort to lower the tax hike. How have these talks been going? Guest: John Best, Publisher, The Bay Observer - As the world leaders plan and prepare how to respond to a worldwide pandemic akin to COVID-19, there is a lot of talk as if another one on that scale is coming rather than might. Are pandemics more common than we realize? How prepared are we to act if/when it the next one comes? Guest: Dr. Dawn Bowdish, Executive Director of the Firestone Institute for Respiratory Health and a Professor in the Department of Medicine with McMaster University - Financial literacy is something that's sorely lacking in our world and though the government is set to introduce kids to it as a subject in school, that doesn't mean it's something only kids can learn. Luckily enough, a book has been written to help us all on this exact topic and it's author is someone you might know. Guest: Karen Cummings, Former CHCH Reporter and Author, “The Wealthy Martian: An Out-of-this-World Guide to Financial Literacy for Parents, Teens and Other Earthlings”

How can municipal politicians show their sympathy and possibly even help relieve the burden incoming tax hikes may cause? Perhaps by taking a pay cut? How about by passing on a pay raise? Guest: Jay Goldberg, Ontario Director, Canadian Taxpayers Federation - Loblaws is pushing Ontario's government to allow the sale of cannabis in grocery stores. Is this something that's needed? Will it better serve the consumer? Guest: Mitchell Osak, CEO, Quanta Consulting Inc - The Maple Leafs are doing what fans have come to expect which is begging the question, is it time to change out their coach? Is it time for Sheldon Keefe to go? Guest: Mike Stubbs, Host, London Live, 980 CFPL & Play-by-Play Announcer, London Knights

Outstanding people and Fridays pair perfectly and The Brightest Conversation in Hamilton Radio is proof of that! This week, Scott welcomes none other than Hamilton's own Ron Foxcroft to talk about reducing the tax hike that's been proposed with Hamilton's new budget, term limits for politicians, the success (or failure) of electric cars and more. Guest: Ron Foxcroft, Philanthropist, Founder & CEO, Fox 40 International Inc and Chairman, President & CEO, Fluke Transport & Basketball Referee

Hamilton City Council is looking to hear from you about what should be done about the budget. Sitting at a whopping 14% increase has many people outraged but could Toronto's proposed increase of over 10% make our proposed increase appear better or possibly worse? Guest: Vito Sgro, Former mayoral candidate & political insider - Federal polling numbers aren't too favourable for the federal Liberals and Justin Trudeau. As things seem to trend downwards, how does this party turn things around? Guest: Kate Harrison, Vice Chair, Summa Strategies - Weather is one of those x-factors in sports that can completely change a game but does that make it more enjoyable for you, the fan? Surely it isn't any fun for the officials! Guest: Steve Foxcroft, NFL Chain-Gang Member & Vice-President, Fluke Transport

Krispy Kreme is coming to Hamilton! Is this going to work or will the new location only be here for a short while? Guest: Joanne McNeish, Associate Professor of Marketing with Toronto Metropolitan University - McMaster University is facing a class action lawsuit over anti-Semitism on campus and alleged inaction towards addressing it. Guest: Sandra Zisckind, Lawyer representing the group suing McMaster - Multi-award winning, chart-topping, and multi-Platinum selling guitarist Colin James’ career spans more than 30 years, is rich in highlights, including 20 studio albums, 8 JUNO Awards, 29 Maple Blues Awards and multi-platinum record sales. He’ll be performing on January 25 at Fallsview Casino! Guest: Colin James, Award-Winning Canadian Musician

How have RVs complicated the housing crisis as people have started setting up shop with them around Hamilton? Guest: Matt Francis, Councillor for Ward 5 with the City of Hamilton - While the vast majority of Canadians agree that anti-Semitism and anti-Muslim views are problematic, it would appear that there is some disagreement over the severity. Guest: Mohammad Fadel, Full Professor of Law at the University of Toronto - There are many, many restaurants that are at risk of closing as the CEBA repayment deadline nears closer and closer. Guest: Mark von Schellwitz, Vice President of Western Canada with Restaurants Canada - The Toronto Blue Jays were poised to pick up some exceptional players however that isn't looking like it'll be the case and following the less than stellar performance from last year, what do fans have to look forward to? Guest: Josh Goldberg, Baseball Journalist for TheScore

The issue of transportation looms large for Hamilton City Council in 2024. Who will operate the LRT, and what will it cost? Should the notion of free transit still be on the table? Two-way street conversions and the consequences thereof are also discussed. Guest: John Best, the Bay Observer   Last week, a fire at Woodlands park burned down a public restroom. While, thankfully, nobody was hurt, the resulting property damage was, apparently, around $500,000! Seems like an awful lot of money for a loo. Guest: Tom Jackson, Ward 6 Councillor.   Nylander's contract has been extended. Are the Leafts paying too much to keep him? The Bulldogs are still in Brandford. Will Hamilton ever get them back? And we get to hear at least one of the hockey stories that Don's actually allowed to tell on air! All this and more on this week's edition of Sports Talk with Don Robertson. Guest: Don Robertson, Head Coach & Owner, Defending Allan Cup Champion Dundas Real McCoys & Broker of Record, ComChoice Realty

With the end of the work week comes another edition of The Brightest Conversation in Hamilton Radio and this week's guest is none other than CHCH's Annette Hamm who joins Scott to talk about shadow aliens in Florida, appropriate workout attire, the purpose of movies, Christmas trees kept up all year long and more. Guest: Annette Hamm, Co-host, Morning Live, CHCH-TV

The Hamilton Police Service is going to be creating a community advisory panel to help deal with race-based data. How will this work and what does it aim to accomplish? Guest: Inspector Jim Callender, Hamilton Police Service - A universal basic income for Canadians is still debated to this day and it has people divided. What is being proposed and how would it impact Canadians? Guest: Dr. Ian Lee, Associate Professor with the Sprott School of Business at Carleton University - A worldwide push to introduce facial recognition to airports as a way of speeding up wait times and increasing overall efficiency. While this may seem like a good idea, there's always a catch. Guest: Carmi Levy, Technology Analyst & Journalist - Professional women's hockey is here by way of the Professional Women's Hockey League and the fans seem to love it. Is this the women's league that will stick and stay or is there an unfortunate shelf life to people's attention and interest? Guest: Mike Stubbs, Host of London Live, 980 CFPL and London Knights play-by-play announcer

As interest rates bring about a decline in residential home sales, how is the real estate industry responding? Is now the time to sell or buy? Wouldn't the housing crisis we keep hearing about contribute to homes getting snatched up the moment they're available? Guest: Nicolas von Bredow, President, Realtors Association of Hamilton-Burlington - Following last night's multiple-alarm fire near a homeless encampment that razed a bathroom is calling into question if enough is being done to support those living in encampments and if what's being done is what's needed. Guest: John-Paul Danko, Councillor, Ward 8, City of Hamilton - How has the prevalence of recording videos in the gym impacted those who are in the background? Do gyms have any say in this? Is a blanket ban the answer? Guest: Barry Vincent, Owner of Lift Training & Online Fitness Coach with experience in the large chain gym industry - History is one of those topics that has fallen by the wayside in favour of subjects like math and English. An article is looking to make a change to this as an effort to "make history meaningful again". One of the biggest things that first needs to be tackled is the age old question of, "When am I ever going to use this?" Guest: Nathan Tidridge, Award-winning teacher at Waterdown District High School teaching Civics, Treaty Studies, as well as Canadian and World History

Why would any group of doctors think it's a good idea to prioritize social justice over medical expertise in our doctors? Guest: Dr. Jason Profetto, Director of Family Medicine and Chair of Clinical Skills and MD Admissions at McMaster University

For the last episode of the year, Scott welcomes Mike Fortune back to the show. Featuring Festivus' Airing of Grievances (featuring your grievances) and a special replaying of Scott's infamous interview with Paul Soles, the voice of Hermey the Elf from the Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer claymation movie, that goes sideways really fast, today's episode is the one that you don't want to miss. Guest: Mike Fortune, Host, The Hamilton Network, Cable 14

The first female Honourary Lieutenant Colonel of The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada has been welcomed into the ranks. She joins Scott to talk about how this honour was bestowed upon her, what the position requires of her and more. Guest: Hon. Lt. Col. Shendal Yalchin, The Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders of Canada - How will zero-emission sales actually look when the 2035 date put forth by the federal government earlier this week roll around? Will that push prices up or down? Guest: Marvin Ryder. Associate Professor of Marketing, DeGroote School of Business, McMaster University - As we look back at the year of sports performances (or lack thereof) from our local teams, it's not hard to see that things were anything but stellar. Who's going to end their championship drought first? Guest: Rick Zamperin, Host of Good Morning Hamilton & The 5th Quarter and Sports Director, 900 CHML

To look back at a review of this year's politics in Hamilton and more, Scott welcomes Richard Brennan to the show. Guest: Richard Brennan, Former Journalist with The Toronto Star covering both Queen’s Park and Parliament Hill - Canada's population grew by 430,000 in Q3 alone. Are we prepared to support and care for these people? Guest: Moshe Lander, Senior Economics Lecturer with Concordia University - A new survey from Pew Institute of Research found that YouTube is at the top of the list when it comes to the social media platforms teens use everyday, some reporting a near-constant use. Guest: Jeffrey Gottfried, Associate Director of Research with the Pew Institute of Research

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

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 Burton Cummings to play your backyard... again? Would you be in favour of using replay on every single play of a sports game? Is there anything other than the Great Wall of China and the little town in every Hallmark Christmas movie with its lights on that you can see from space? These questions and more get posed to Don Robertson on this week's edition of Sports Talk with Don Robertson. Guest: Don Robertson, Head Coach & Owner, Defending Allan Cup Champion Dundas Real McCoys & Broker of Record, ComChoice Realty

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

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

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 Macroeconomics, Toronto Metropolitan University - What's with certain hockey games being blocked out for viewers in Eastern Canada? When should a referee allow rules to be broken in sport and when should they be called? Is it a case by case basis exclusively? Should it only be by the book? Guest: Steve Foxcroft, NFL Chain-Gang Member, Vice-President, Fluke Transport

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

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

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

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 Toronto Blue Jays and there's often an element of facetiousness present but could it actually happen? Guest: Mike Wilner, Baseball Columnist for the Toronto Star - The Canadian Comedy Hall of Fame will be inducting multiple Hamiltonians as part of its upcoming class with Eugene Levy and Martin Short being only some of the big names being honoured. Guest: Eric Johnston, Hamilton-based Stand Up comedian performing at the Canadian Comedy Hall of Fame festivities

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 for the last while but that seems to have changed completely. What's sparked this change and how is it impacting sales and how they're conducted? Guest: Nicolas von Bredow, President, Realtors Association of Hamilton-Burlington

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 steep downward slide. Guest: Dr. Paul Bennett, Founding Director & Lead Consultant, Schoolhouse Consulting and Author, "The State of the System" & Educhatter blog - The Hamilton Tiger-Cats announced Tuesday, an updated football operations structure for the club will see Orlondo Steinauer focus on the President of Football Operations role, while Ed Hervey has been named the team’s General Manager. The club’s next Head Coach will be announced later this week. Guest: Josh Smith, Reporter for 3 Down Nation in Hamilton

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 during its October 7 attack. How many actually attended and what does that tell us? Guest: Kevin Vuong, MP for Spadina-Fort York - Do the Blue Jays have a legitimate chance at Shohei Ohtani? Should they even entertain the thought? Has the NHL become a 'no-hitting league'? These questions and more get covered and debated on this week's edition of Sports Talk with Don Robertson. Guest: Don Robertson, Head Coach & Owner, Allan Cup Champion Dundas Real McCoys & Broker of Record, ComChoice Realty

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

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 undergraduate students seems to be less than satisfactory. What's causing this to be the case? Guest: Glenn Keeler, President of the Canadian University Survey Consortium

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 CSIS analyst and author of ‘When Religion Kills’ - As we face a shortage of nurses, how can it be addressed while ensuring that patients are getting the full, competent care they require? Guest: Dr. Jason Profetto, Chair of MD Admissions and Director of Family Medicine at McMaster University - How did Canada's Men's Soccer Team have a spectacular loss to Jamaica when they were expected to bowl over Jamaica? Is this just a case of the team needing a roster reset? Guest: Joe Callaghan, Journalist for The Toronto Star, The Guardian, and The Irish Examiner

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 different alphabet, the best baseball player potentially coming to the Blue Jays and outrageously expensive tickets to sports games are all on the docket for today's discussion with Bubba O'Neil! Guest: Bubba O'Neil, Sports Anchor with CHCH and Analyst with the Ticats Audio Network - Electric cars are back in the news following a man from Stoney Creek being told that a replacement battery for his electric car would run about $50,000. Is this an anomaly that's going to change as we see the technology improve? Is it worth passing on this version of electric cars in favour of another style akin to the Betamax vs VHS decision that had to be made once upon a time? Guest: David Adams, President & CEO of the Global Automakers of Canada

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 

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 but that isn't the only thing that's happening with the league. Guest: Josh Smith, Reporter for 3 Down Nation - Marvel's super hero movies used to make billions with each new addition to the vast universe of media however that seems to be slowing which means Marvel, and it's parent-company Disney, have an interesting challenge to face. Guest: Robert Thompson, Director of the Bleier Center For Television And Popular Culture at Syracuse University

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 Economics Lecturer with Concordia University - Hard lessons are being taught to Gen Zs and Millennials as the economy plays hardball. That's the message being sent by The Food Professor, Dr. Sylvain Charlebois, who joins Scott to explain further what he means by this. Guest: Dr. Sylvain Charlebois, Professor of Food Distribution and Policy, and Director of the Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University - Did you know that the Canadian military has a presence in Israel? How involved is the CAF and do what degree? Is this presence sending a message that Canada has taken a side and should they even be there to begin with? Guest: Stephen M. Saideman, Paterson Chair of International Affairs at Carleton University, and Director of the Canadian Defence and Security Network - An arrest and charge of manslaughter has been made in the wake of the death of Adam Johnson. While there are other cases of athletes entering the courtroom for actions mid-game, will this one be similar? Guest: Jeff Manishen, Criminal Lawyer, Ross & McBride; Former Crown Attorney

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: Don Robertson, Owner of the Dundas Real McCoys

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

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 cutting ties with a Gaza-based photographer? Guest: Jeffrey Dvorkin, Senior Fellow at Massey College, Former Director of Journalism at the University of Toronto-Scarborough and author of “Trusting the News in a Digital Age” - Preparing your house for a Canadian winter can be extremely expensive but that doesn't mean it has to be. Guest: Corrie Morton, Energy Conservation Supervisor at Enbridge Gas - The actors' strike is over in Hollywood. Does this mean your favourite shows will be back on the air next week? Guest: Bill Brioux, television critic and author

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 housing crisis but it's not the first time this kind of challenge has been faced. What if we took a page out of the wartime housing playbook and built homes like that? Guest: Frank Clayton, Senior Research Fellow with the Centre for Urban Research and Land Development at Toronto Metropolitan University

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 Cup drought has been extended by another year. GUEST: Steve Milton, Journalist for The Hamilton Spectator - Remembrance Day isn't a stat holiday in Ontario. Should it be made one without betraying the reason we mark the day and honour our veterans? GUEST: Nathan Tidridge, A teacher at Waterdown District High School teaching Civics, Treaty Studies, as well as Canadian and World History

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 Sports Talk with Don Robertson. Guest: Don Robertson, Head Coach & Owner, Allan Cup Champion Dundas Real McCoys & Broker of Record, ComChoice Realty

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 played their season opener as the Ticats are fighting to finish their season with a pleasing outcome. How are both teams playing and what's needed on each front? Guest: Bubba O'Neil, CHCH sports anchor and analyst with the Ticats Audio Network - A new documentary is pulling back the curtain to reveal the unbelievable amounts of kindness and genius behind the beloved kid's TV show, Mr. Dressup. Guest: Rob McCallum, Director of 'Mr. Dressup: The Magic of Make-Believe'

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 University - The 2023-24 NHL season is here! What do we have to look forward to and the age-old question is being asked again, do the Leafs have a chance this year? Guest: Mike Stubbs, Host of London Live on 980 CFPL and London Knights play-by-play announcer

What's coated cars, houses and pretty much everything else on Hamilton's beach strip? Residents want to know too. Guest: Sandra Snowden, Concerned beach community resident - Hamilton's tiny shelter pilot project is getting shelved. Why is this and what has the reaction been since this announcement? Guest: Victoria Mancinelli, Director of Public Relations, Marketing, Strategic Partnerships with LiUNA - In an effort to cut back on the federal government's expense, a committee has recommended several changes to the spending practices of the Governor General among others. How do things even get this severe? Guest: Franco Terrazzano, Federal Director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation - Bo Levi Mitchell's return has been announced for this Saturday's game against the Saskatchewan Roughriders. He hasn't done a ton of playing this season, how might that influence his performance going forward? Guest: Rod Pedersen, Host of The Rod Pedersen Show on Game+ TV

Would Hamilton benefit from a ban on right turns at red lights? How enforceable would it be should a ban be implemented? Guest: Mike Field, Manager of Transportation Operations with the City of Hamilton - As the battle against homelessness rages on, why is one of the places that's actively helping the homeless being served with a bylaw notice for graffiti of all things? Guest: Jennifer Bonner, Executive Director of The Hub - The Toronto Blue Jays were swept out of the playoffs by the Minnesota Twins, bringing about the end to a historic losing streak. Guest: Mike Wilner, Baseball Columnist for the Toronto Star

The federal government's decision to require podcasts that earn $10m/year register with the CRTC has garnered criticism. Are we witnessing the death of freedom of expression? Guest: Jeffrey Dvorkin, Senior Fellow at Massey College, Former Director of Journalism at the University of Toronto-Scarborough and author of “Trusting the News in a Digital Age” - There are calls to expand mental health and addiction support in Hamilton but is the money there to do it? Guest: Tammy Hwang, Councillor, Ward 4 with the City of Hamilton - What are the best skills in demand by employers nowadays & how has working from home changed the game? Guest: Tara Parry, Director with Robert Half - We have all dreamed about life with fame and fortune at some point in time. Are things as great as we might imagine or is there a darker side than what we can comprehend? Guest: Paul Berton, Editor-in-chief of The Hamilton Spectator & Author, "Misfortune and Fame: 10 Reasons You Don't Want to be Rich (or Famous)"

How might Hamilton's traffic collision report influence future plans for the city? Will the mountain see condominiums built? Guest: John Best, Publisher of The Bay Observer - Why is Costco Canada now selling gold bars? Guest: Mark Yamada, President & CEO of PUR Investing Inc - There's a reboot of Frasier in the works, another season of Survivor is coming and the Writers' Strike has ended. Guest:  Bill Brioux, Television Critic, Journalist and Author, brioux.tv

Guests: Moshe Lander, Senior Economics Lecturer with Concordia University Dr. Lori Turnbull, Professor at the Faculty of Management with Dalhousie University Don Robertson, Owner of the Dundas Real McCoys

Whether it's LRT, tiny homes, traffic in Hamilton, the federal government's nazi debacle or even drinking olive oil infused coffee, you can be sure it's going to be discussed on this week's edition of The Brightest Conversation in Hamilton Radio with special guest, Kathy Renwald. Guest: Kathy Renwald, Freelance Journalist and former CHCH Reporter

What does Hamilton's scene look like when it comes to affordable housing? Are things improving at all? Guest: Terry Cooke, President & CEO of the Hamilton Community Foundation - How did Councillor Ted McMeekin's idea to cap municipal tax increases get received by his fellow councillors? Guest: Ted McMeekin, Councillor for Ward 15 - Food Banks Canada has put out its report card on how well governments have done in the effort to reduce poverty. Unfortunately, the majority of governments received a dismal D+. Guest: Kirstin Beardsley, CEO of Food Banks Canada - Carrie Underwood has been announced as the headliner for this year's Grey Cup music festival in Hamilton. With that being said, who could possibly be playing the halftime show and should it matter if they're Canadian or not? Guest: Bubba O'Neil, CHCH sports anchor and analyst with the Ticats Audio Network

LRT is back in the spotlight... sort of. It was being discussed at council and from the sound of it, the price is going up. Guest: John Best, Publisher of The Bay Observer - Are Canadians' attitude towards immigration souring? Guest: Andrew Perez is a Toronto-based freelance writer, media commentator and political activist - What is the threat profile posed by Hamilton's city councillors and how should threats, real or not, get addressed? Has that threat level increased? Guest: John-Paul Danko, Councillor, Ward 8, City of Hamilton

The Liberals are in hot water following the news that a WWII veteran who fought with the Nazis as part of the First Ukrainian Division, also known as the Waffen-SS Galicia Division or the SS 14th Waffen Division which was under Nazi-command. Guest: Kate Harrison, Vice Chair of Summa Strategies - How is a worrying shortage of family doctors being addressed and will it be enough? Also, what sets family doctors apart? Guest: Dr. Jason Profetto, Family Physician & Chair of Clinical Skills and MD Admissions with McMaster University - Don Robertson joins Scott for another edition of Sports Talk with Don Robertson where Don's ability to be the Citizen of the Year in two different provinces at the same time gets discussed along with how an MLB team can see a performance decrease despite having two of the game's best players and much more. Guest: Don Robertson, Head Coach & Owner, Allan Cup Champion Dundas Real McCoys & Broker of Record, ComChoice Realty

Doug Ford is now reversing course on the Greenbelt land swap reverse. Guest: Charlie Pinkerton, Deputy Editor of The Trillium - Ontario minor league hockey is on the search for more diversity in its team rosters. Guest: Ian Taylor, Executive Director of the Ontario Minor Hockey Association - As mass layoffs swiftly move through the journalism industry, is more at risk than just jobs? Guest: Peter Menzies, National Newspaper Award-winning journalist, Senior Fellow at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, past Editor-in-Chief of the Calgary Herald and former Vice-Chair of the CRTC

The City of Hamilton saw its General Issues Committee field several topics today, many of which we've spoken about in the past. Where do things stand and what does the future hold for Hamilton? Guest: John Best, Publisher of The Bay Observer - Justin Trudeau has made serious allegations against India's government following the slaying of a Sikh leader in BC. In what position does this put Canada and more specifically, Trudeau, if India wasn't involved? What about if India was involved? Guest: Dr. Robert Huish, Associate Professor with the Department of International Development Studies at Dalhousie University - Grade inflation is something that we've come to be more aware of. While this is something we can imagine happening in a subject like the arts or literature, how could it happen in math or the sciences? Guest: Dr. Paul Bennett, Director of School House Consulting - Jon Roe returns to the show to discuss part 2 of Angus Reid's polling of Canadians in what's being called 'Canada and the Culture Wars '. Guest: Jon Roe, Research Associate with Angus Reid

How is Hamilton's police force responding to encampments around the city and the violence that sometimes erupts around them? Guest: Inspector Frank Miscione, Hamilton Police Service - 17% of Canadians think that food is something we should be getting for free. Guest: Dr. Sylvain Charlebois, Professor of Food Distribution and Policy, and the Director of the Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University - Lawyers Howard Levitt and Peter Carey of Levitt Sheikh LLP have filed for leave to appeal to the Court of Appeal the order upholding the College of Psychologists’ sanction against Dr. Jordan Peterson. Guest: Peter Carey, Partner with Levitt Sheikh LLP - Bill Brioux is bringing some of your favourite TV shows and stars to the Westdale in a way like you've never seen before! Guest: Bill Brioux, Bill Brioux, Television Critic and Author

Guests: Ted McMeekin, Ward 15 Councillor for City of Hamilton Muhammad Ali, VP Crestview Strategies Don Robertson, Owner Dundas Real McCoys

Scott welcomes Jason Farr to the show for this week's edition of The Brightest Conversation in Hamilton Radio. What a week it was in the Hammer. Lots of news to discuss including tax increases, tiny homes, the cancelled encampment meeting earlier this week, First Ontario Centre and so much more. GUEST: Jason Farr, former councilor for Ward 2 in the City of Hamilton. 

So the renovation timeline at First Ontario Centre might be seeing a shift? And so the Toronto Rock is set to play their entire 2023-24 season, from start to finish, in the arena. Guest: Vito Sgro is a Former Mayoral candidate in 2018, and Liberal Candidate for Flamborough-Glanbrook in the 2021 election - Books from 2008 or earlier are being removed from school shelves in the Peel District School Board thanks to what appears to be a seemingly inconsistent approach to a book weeding process implemented last spring. Guest: Nomi Claire Lazar, Full Professor in Public and International Affairs at the University of Ottawa and author of the book ”Out of Joint: Power, Crisis, and the Rhetoric of Time" - Since legalization, Canadian medical cannabis registrations are reported to be at the lowest level. What's going on? Are people slowly not partaking anymore? Guest: Mitchell Osak, CEO of Quanta Consulting Inc (cannabis expert) - For better or worse, let's talk about those Blue Jays Guest: Josh Goldberg, Baseball Journalist for TheScore

A city report released today says an incoming tax increase in 2024 will be 14.2 per cent! Guest: Matt Francis, Councillor for Ward 5 in Hamilton - Whenever the government buys mundane things like office supplies, the price tags tend to bloat to astronomical amounts. Is there a better way to do this in a way that optimizes the process of public procurement in Ontario? Guest: Rocco Rossi, President and CEO of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce - As the world seems to divide ever further, a study was conducted to see how Canadians view the world and are conducting themselves as things like cancel culture gain prevalence. Guest: Jon Roe, Research Associate with Angus Reid

What is with this growth in the number of loyalty alliances among businesses? Are consumers actually benefiting from them? Guest: Bruce Winder, Retail Analyst & Author

A meeting that was supposed to held to get public input on tiny shelters had to be cancelled which turned the already tumultuous topic into an even larger debacle. What went wrong? Guest: John Best, Publisher of The Bay Observer - There seems to be a transphobic slant that's being taken by the Conservative party and Justin Ling says it's time for Pierre Poilievre to reject those policies. GUEST: Justin Ling is a freelance investigative journalist and writes the Bug-eyed and Shameless newsletter - Is our justice system being too soft when you look at Danny Masterson’s rape crimes compared to what he would’ve got in Canada? GUEST: Jeff Manishen, Criminal Lawyer, Ross & McBride; Former Crown Attorney - A Secret Service agent who was there on the day that JFK was assassinated has broken his silence and challenged the current theories as to what happened on that fateful day. GUEST: Jason Opal, Professor in Department of History and Classical Studies with McGill University

Doug Ford is drawing attention to school boards in Ontario "indoctrinating" students on gender identity but could this just be him trying to divert eyes away from the Greenbelt scandal? Guest: Sabrina Nanji, Publisher of the Queen’s Park Observer - What is with this growth in the number of loyalty alliances among businesses? Are consumers actually benefiting from them? Guest: Bruce Winder, Retail Analyst & Author - After a weeks-long drought of Don Robertson, he makes his glorious return to talk about all of the big stories from the realm of sports. Guest: Don Robertson, Head Coach & Owner, Allan Cup Champion Dundas Real McCoys & Broker of Record, ComChoice Realty

An open house was held for people to voice their opinions on Greenbelt development and hundreds turned up for it. One of those people joins Scott to talk about what she thinks about the situation. Guest: Sandy Shaw, NDP MPP for Hamilton West Ancaster Dundas - Canadian employees may be getting a major boost to their paycheck next year... but will they really? Guest: Ian Lee, Associate Professor with the Sprott School of Business at Carleton University - How is Canada dealing with youth energy drink consumption? Should it be regulated? Are we already doing so and is it being done effectively? Guest: David Soberman, Canadian National Chair in Strategic Marketing with Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto - Is there anything more important than having the Ticats win their next game tomorrow? How likely is it that they will? Guest: Bubba O'Neil, Sports Anchor with CHCH and Analyst with the Ticats Audio Network

Hamilton City Councillor Maureen Wilson has asked staff to find some new municipal revenue streams. What does that mean? Are new taxes a foregone conclusion? Guest: John Best, Publisher of The Bay Observer - Pierre Poilievre is in full campaign mode nearly 2 years out from an election. Is this unprecedented? Guest: Dr. Lori Turnbull, Professor at the Faculty of Management with Dalhousie University - According to some economists, the under-counting of an estimated one million non-permanent residents could affect per-capita GDP but is this really the case? Guest: Moshe Lander, Senior Economics Lecturer with Concordia University - How are things looking as the NFL gets ready to start its season? Guest: Rick Zamperin, Host of Good Morning Hamilton & CHML Sports Director

Ontario has a new housing minister following Steve Clark's resignation yesterday. How will this shuffle change the way messaging gets sent out from the government and will there be much of a shift in the Greenbelt debacle and how it's being handled? Guest: Sabrina Nanji, Publisher of the Queen’s Park Observer - A lot of Canadians are deciding to buy homes together rather than on their own. Is co-owning a house with a parent, sibling or friend even a good idea? Guset: Karen Yolevski, Chief Operating Officer for Royal LePage - Many companies are calling employees back into the office which is being met with mixed reactions. While some love working from home, others seem to thrive while on site. How might that be what delineates your ability to work remotely vs. in person? Guest: Dr. Nita Chhinzer, Associate Professor of Leadership & Organizational Management with the University of Guelph - After 18 years, it would appear that we'll be getting new music from The Rolling Stones as they get set to release their new studio album, 'Hackney Diamonds'. As the average age of the Stones approaches 80, is there even a desire for new music from them? Guest: Lou Molinaro, Instructor at Durham College and the Harris Institute for Music

Mike Fortune returns for another edition of The Brightest Conversation in Hamilton Radio where he and Scott trade words about the Tiger-Cats latest fumbles, our ability to accommodate people who are new to Canada, the mad dash for Taylor Swift tickets, and more. Guest: Mike Fortune, Host, The Hamilton Network, Cable 14

More people than expected are dying in Canada in 2023 for reasons that are not yet clear. GUEST: Dr. Dawn Bowdish, Executive Director of the Firestone Institute for Respiratory Health and a Professor in the Department of Medicine with McMaster University

With the looming strike by the City's unionized workers, there are multiple services that may by disrupted. Should we be surprised by this? Guest: Vito Sgro is a Former Mayoral candidate in 2018, and Liberal Candidate for Flamborough-Glanbrook in the 2021 election - Tomorrow will see the Hamilton Tiger-Cats play the currently winless Edmonton Elks here in Hamilton. Short of being a game that the Ticats should win, does this game have any larger significance? Guest: Steve Milton, Journalist with The Hamilton Spectator - China snubbed Canada by excluding the country from China's list of approved travel locations. Will this make for a significant hit to Canada's travel sector or is it just the cost of pushing against the Chinese Communist Party? Guest: Dr. Robert Huish, Associate Professor with the Department of International Development Studies at Dalhousie University

Yesterday saw an amazingly lengthy meeting surrounding the combating of homelessness in Hamilton at Hamilton City Hall. Did councillors actually accomplish anything or merely burn a bunch of time? Guest: John Best, Publisher of The Bay Observer - What is the Government of Ontario's state when it comes to finances? We're hearing about inflation and interest rates wreaking havoc across the country, is our provincial government suffering similarly or managing rather well? Guest: Colin D’Mello, Queen’s Park Bureau Chief for Global News - Hamilton is playing host to the Grey Cup again! Since we didn't get to provide the full Grey Cup experience back in 2021 thanks to COVID, an announcement today helped clarify how 2023 will be different and it wasn't the only big announcement delivered today. Guest: Rick Zamperin, Host of Good Morning Hamilton and CHML Sports Director - Has the word 'trauma' lost its meaning? As the topic of mental health continues to gain prevalence, so too, is what can inflict injury upon our minds. Does that necessarily mean that everything negative we experience is inherently 'traumatic'? Guest: Alistair Mordey, Author of ‘How The Cult of Trauma Took Over Mental Health’

The topic of homelessness and debate surrounding how to combat it continues at Hamilton City Hall. Larry Di Ianni joins the show to talk about how this debate may change things at City Hall and if something usable may or may not come out of this. Guest: Larry Di Ianni, Former Mayor of Hamilton - After a month away from the mic, Scott Radley & Don Robertson make their return to talk about the plethora of things that have happened in the world of sports. Guest: Don Robertson, Head Coach & Owner, Allan Cup Champion Dundas Real McCoys & Broker of Record, ComChoice Realty

Scott welcomes Lorraine Sommerfeld to the show for this week's edition of The Brightest Conversation in Hamilton Radio. Together they cover everything from Lorraine's upcoming thriller, A Face In The Window, why many people are apprehensive about buying an electric vehicle, Hamilton's LRT woes, how our level of sociability has changed with time and more. Guest: Lorraine Sommerfeld, Auto Writer with Post Media, Motherlode column in the Hamilton Spectator and Host of the Lemon Aid Car Show on RogersTV

Why has there been such a massive increase to the number of cases of violence in the classroom? Guest: Dr. Paul Bennett, Founding Director & Lead Researcher, Schoolhouse Institute - The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are in Edmonton tonight to play against the Elks. Though he won't be hosting the show tonight, Rick Zamperin joins Scott to talk about the Ticats' performance so far, what he's expecting to see tonight and more. Guest: Rick Zamperin, Host of Good Morning Hamilton & 5th Quarter, Senior Sports Director, Global News Radio 900 CHML

With the Honda Indy in Toronto this weekend, you can be sure there's going to be some good wine sprayed in celebration. Sometimes you've got to wonder just how fancy the stuff is that the winners will be spraying each other with. As such, Scott is joined by the guy who'll be having a hand in the creation of the celebratory libations. Guest: Curtis Fielding, President, Fielding Estates Winery - Is Meta's new social media platform, Threads, going to accomplish much? Is it being aimed directly at beating Twitter at its own game or is there an ulterior motive that we're not aware of? Guest: Carmi Levy, Technology Analyst & Journalist

With another interest rate hike set to come, people are asking what the actual purpose of these hikes are? How does hurting people help them? Guest: Eric Kam, Professor of Macroeconomics, Monetary Economics, International Monetary Economics, Implications of Monetary Growth, Toronto Metropolitan University - The rise of diabetes across humanity is something that will cause more than just a medical impact on us but a financial one too. Guest: Dr. Greg Steinberg, Professor of Medicine, Co-Director of the Centre for Metabolism, Obesity and Diabetes Research, McMaster University - Should we take musicians at their word when they say they won't be touring anymore? Who will be joining Canada's Walk of Fame in what's being called the "Rock of Fame"? Guest: Eric Alper, Publicist and music commentator

Hamilton has seen some pretty large tax hikes in the past but buckle up for this next one as it's slated to be a doozie. Why is the number 10% being thrown around and could it be the minimum that City Council is looking at handing down rather than the maximum? Guest: John Paul Danko, Ward 8 Concillor, City of Hamilton - Winning the majority of the seats in a federal election doesn't necessarily mean that you form the government. If the Liberals and NDP decide to form a coalition they could take away the win from the Conservatives without actually winning. How would Canadians feel about this? Guest: Kate Harrison, Vice Chair, Summa Strategies - The boys are back together again! Scott has been covering for other shows while Don was off in Europe visiting Germany. With their return comes topics like the debate of trading a player with lots of talent potential for a more physical player, the sports venues you want to visit, crushing a star prospect to get noticed and more. Guest: Don Robertson, Head Coach & Owner, Allan Cup Champion Dundas Real McCoys & Broker of Record, ComChoice Realty

We've heard of the disease ALS and maybe even participated in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge but do you know what life with ALS is actually like? Scott's good friend Phil does and he joins Scott to talk about his battle with the neurodegenerative disease. Guest: Phil Serez, Scott's friend afflicted with ALS - Did those federal byelections that were just held amount to much? Both Liberals and Conservatives will claim they won but did anyone actually come out on top? Did anything even really change? Guest: Stephen LeDrew, Past President, Liberal Party of Canada, Lawyer & Host, The Ledrew 3 Minute Interview - The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are set to play their home opener tomorrow. Are they going to break their current 2-game losing streak or is it only going to grow from here? If there's anyone who can answer that question, Rick Zamperin is definitely that guy. Guest: Rick Zamperin, Senior Sports Director & Host of the 5th Quarter on 900 CHML

Guests: Aisha Mahmoud Bill Kelly

Guests: Mike Spadafora Dan Kelly Jim Berkaenstadt

If/when you bring people to Hamilton, is there an obvious location or business that you take them to? Toronto has the CN Tower, Niagara Falls has... well Niagara Falls but what does Hamilton have? Guest: Ryan McHugh, Manager, Tourism & Events, City of Hamilton - Don Robertson is away which leaves some large shoes to fill. Thankfully, Scott knows just the guy who can fill them and you've heard his voice before, it's Steve Foxcroft! With the Tiger-Cats falling to 0-2, betting being opened up for the Special Olympics and more, you can be sure there's plenty to talk about. Guest: Steve Foxcroft, NFL Chain-Gang Member, Vice-President, Fluke Transport

This week's edition of The Brightest Conversation in Hamilton Radio features Mike Nabuurs who join Scott to talk about being the stadium announcer for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, if downtown Hamilton could someday be designed to force you onto public transit, the transfer of Paul Bernardo, what is your go to Hamilton restaurant that makes this city what it is, Mike's journey to getting his AZ licence and Hammer Down with Jay and Mike & more. Guest: Mike Nabuurs, Host of Hammer Down with Jay & Mike, PA Voice of Hamilton Tiger-Cats

Bell recently announced layoffs and the closing of radio stations while Mohawk College has said they won't be taking in a new class for its journalism program, questions surrounding journalism as a profession and business are coming up more than ever. Is the business dying or simply changing? Guest: Paul Berton, Editor-in-Chief, The Hamilton Spectator - Corporal punishment and spanking are things that people usually think of as something that comes with parenting rather than something that comes with the law. Currently, it's legal in Canada to spank your kids but there are calls to change that. Guest: Dr. Andrea Gonzalez, Assistant Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University - Canada will be marking its 40 millionth citizen tomorrow afternoon. There's no doubt immigration benefits us all but it also brings about things that need to be considered in order to support immigrants. Guest: Dr. Usha George, Professor & Academic Director, Centre for Immigration and Settlement, Toronto Metropolitan University

Hamilton's international airport has seen Swoop planes gracing it's runways but that doesn't sound like it'll be the case for much longer. Has the ultra-low-cost airline failed or is it growing into something larger? Guest: Marvin Ryder, Professor with the DeGroote School of Business at McMaster University - Have things gotten so bad that youth soccer referees will need to start wearing body cameras to capture the aggressiveness of parents? It sure sounds like it. Guest: Neil Lumsden, Hamilton East-Stoney Creek MPP and Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport - AI will allow us to hear new Beatles music despite the fact that two band members are dead. Is AI enough to bring back the Beatles we know and love? Guest: Alan Cross, Host of the Ongoing History of New Music

Guests: Ryan Mallough Max Turek and Paula Schnurr Bubba O'Neil

It seems like there's always one union or another demanding more money for its members from the City of Hamilton. The City always ends up having to capitulate to the union's demands which has led to greater and greater demands. At what point will the City be forced to raise taxes in order to raise the rate of its employees? Guest: Larry Di Ianni, Former Mayor of Hamilton - Nick Taylor is the first Canadian to win the Canadian Open in 69 years with a spectacular putt for the win. Where does that cement him in the greatest sports moments in Canadian history? The Hamilton Tiger-Cats kicked off their season this past Friday and though it wasn't the greatest performance, is there any hope that this team can win the Grey Cup at home this year? Guest: Don Robertson, Head Coach & Owner, Allan Cup Champion Dundas Real McCoys & Broker of Record, ComChoice Realty

Mike Fortune returns for another edition of The Brightest Conversation in Hamilton Radio where he and Scott talk about now former Special Rapporteur David Johnston who tendered his resignation just before the start of the show, our Governor General's neutral response in the wake of monarchs' statues being defaced, first date etiquette and more. Guest: Mike Fortune, Host, The Hamilton Network, Cable 14

How close are we to the financial end times? While some are trying to make it sound sooner rather than later others seem to be convinced it's far off into the future. Where do we sit in actuality? Guest: Eric Kam, Professor of Macroeconomics, Monetary Economics, International Monetary Economics, Implications of Monetary Growth, with Toronto Metropolitan University - The Hamilton Tiger-Cats will be starting their regular season tomorrow night and with that comes the question that's on everyone's lips, is this the year? Will the Ticats win the Grey Cup and bring an end to the league's longest drought? Guest: Steve Foxcroft, NFL Chain-Gang Member, Vice-President, Fluke Transport - Could aliens not only exist but have visited Earth? Could the US government have alien technology in its possession? Someone is not only claiming that they do but this person is doing so with some serious credentials behind them. Is that enough? Guest: Chris Rutkowski, Ufologist and Science Writer - Why do we have such an affinity for the shows and performers we watched as kids? The recent passing of Commander Tom brings about a wave of nostalgia and sadness for those who grew up with him. On a somewhat unrelated note, is Bryan Cranston actually semi-retired from acting or is he just saying that? Guest: Bill Brioux, Television Critic and Author

Hamilton City Council is surveying public opinion on what should be done in regards to encampments in Hamilton. What prompted this decision when others haven't received the same treatment? Guest: John Paul Danko, Councillor, Ward 8, City of Hamilton - Ultra marathons exist to challenge the most extreme runners and there are similar events held for the swimming world. Whether it's the English Channel or the Strait of Magellan, there are people willing to get in the water and make the crossing as a part of the open-water swimming discipline. Scott is joined by one such person who also happens to be a professor at Wilfrid Laurier University. Guest: Loren King, Open-Water Swimmer & Associate Professor, Political Theory, Wilfrid Laurier University

If there is information that wasn't available to David Johnston while he was creating his report, why wouldn't additional investigation be needed upon its availability? Guest: Duff Conacher, Co-Founder, Democracy Watch - The story about Paul Bernardo being moved to a medium security prison has caused an incredible uproar in Canada. Is that reaction because of a misunderstanding with what 'medium security' entails? Guest: Jeff Manishen, Criminal Lawyer, Ross & McBride; Former Crown Attorney - It's not just big news in the golf world, it's big news in the business world as a whole. What happened and why does it seem like there was a lot of people who should have known but didn't? Guest: Bubba O'Neil, Sports Anchor, CHCH-TV

It seems like the federal government is handing out more and more money to businesses just so they set up shop here in Ontario. Why are they subsidizing the cost of these big businesses like VW and Stellantis and does it set a dangerous precedent? Guest: Dr. Ian Lee, Associate Professor with the Sprott School of Business at Carleton University - The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are continuing their preseason campaign which will bring them to Montreal tomorrow night. As we watch their progress before the season, how does the team look and could they be not only going to the Grey Cup but actually win it this time? Guest: Rick Zamperin, Host of Good Morning Hamilton, Assistant Program Director and Senior Sports Director, Global News Radio 900 CHML - There are some pretty good chances that some memorabilia from your favourite TV shows are now being held in a private collection and that very same collection is going to be putting lots up for auction tomorrow. A collection as amazing as this has to have a cool story behind it so Scott is turning to the person who knows more than anyone else about it, the owner! Guest: James Comisar, Owner, The Comisar Collection

Theatre Aquarius will be introducing a massive new program that will serve as an incubator for new shows all of kinds as they go through the development and rehearsal process. How will this change theatre productions not just here in Hamilton but across the country? Guest: Kelly Straughan, Executive Director, Theatre Aquarius - Following the municipal election, the City of Hamilton had their auditor look a bit closer into the voter turnout. Surprise, surprise there wasn't a lot of voters. Why is this and how can we make it more enticing for Hamiltonians to go out and vote? Guest: Charles Brown, City Auditor, City of Hamilton - The Toronto Maple Leafs have a new GM! Who is it and why him over anyone else? Is this the move that will finally bring the Stanley Cup to Toronto? Guest: Steven Ellis, Associate Editor, Daily Faceoff

Chances are really good that you know The Brady Bunch and by extension, their house. What are the chances that you could own that same house? Well if you've got $5.5 million and a willingness to part with it, those chances are a lot better than many of us! Guest: Danny Brown, Principal, Luxury Estates Division & Evangelist West Coast, Compass

The housing market sways from being friendly towards sellers and then buyers, where is it at now? Guest: Rob Golfi, Sales Representative, RE/MAX Escarpment Realty, The Golfi Team - Chances are really good that you know The Brady Bunch and by extension, their house. What are the chances that you could own that same house? Well if you've got $5.5 million and a willingness to part with it, those chances are a lot better than many of us! Guest: Danny Brown, Principal, Luxury Estates Division & Evangelist West Coast, Compass - As foreign interference gets investigated and foreign nations get blamed for said interference, are we finding that our elections are getting more difficult to hold without anyone claiming a problem with the process? Guest: Kate Harrison, Vice-Chair of Summa Strategies, Director of Abacus Data

Some neighbourhoods in Hamilton are finding that rats are getting more and more common. Where are they coming from and is there anything that can be done before they become a major established problem? Guest: Jim Miner, President, Action Pest Control Services Inc. - This week's edition of Sports Talk with Don Robertson gives you a little bit of everything from competitive high school barbequing in Texas to the future of Auston Matthews, it's got it all! Guest: Don Robertson, Head Coach & Owner, Allan Cup Champion Dundas Real McCoys & Broker of Record, ComChoice Realty

This week's edition of The Brightest Conversation in Hamilton Radio features our very own Ben Straughan! With topics like helping Hamilton's homeless population, putting warning labels on bottles of alcohol, slowing traffic in the City, trusting governments with the ability to regulate AI and more, you can be sure today's episode is going to provide a little more insight into the mind behind the soundboard. Guest: Ben Straughan, Technical Producer, The Scott Radley Show, 900 CHML

Why does it seem like everyone who has touched David Johnston's foreign interference investigation has had some kind of prior relationship with the Trudeau family? Seems awfully convenient. Guest: Stephen LeDrew, Political Commentator; Host, The LeDrew Three Minute Interview & former President of the Liberal Party of Canada - Have the Blue Jays reached a point where they might as well stop trying this season? Should the Maple Leafs build a team that's more aggressive and hard-hitting in a literal sense? These questions and more get debated, discussed and possibly even answered as Bubba O'Neil joins Scott. Guest: Bubba O'Neil, Sports Anchor, CHCH-TV

This week's edition of The Brightest Conversation in Hamilton Radio features Jamie West who joins Scott to talk about people getting offended for other groups of people, silly stories from their times in journalism, how Donald Trump impacts television viewership, the difference between career aspirations for kids in the United States vs China. and more. Guest: Jamie West, Founder & CEO, Westpro Media

Living in Hamilton comes with many expenses and one of them puts Hamiltonians among the upper echelon of paying for car insurance. Why is this? Guest: Daniel Ivans, Insurance Expert, rates.ca - Canada's proposed redesign for our passports features a number of changes including the removal of iconic Canadian moments and people. One such person is the Canadian every Canadian knows and arguably reveres, Terry Fox. Why would anyone approve removing Terry Fox? What's it like seeing this change from a hometown perspective? Guest: Brad West, Mayor of Port Coquitlam, BC - The NHL playoffs are underway and we're seeing a lot of unusual things. Some things are for the better (like the Leafs saving their run against the Panthers) and there are some things are really contradictory. Scott turns to Bubba O'Neil to get his take on how things are going so far and what the future may hold. Guest: Bubba O'Neil, Sports Anchor, CHCH-TV

A study out of the US has found that 3 in 10 men between 21 & 30 who heavily use cannabis have developed signs of schizophrenia. What could be causing this and isn't cannabis supposed to be something that isn't addictive? Guest: Dr. James MacKillop, Director of the Peter Boris Centre for Addictions Research at McMaster University - The Hamilton Farmers' Market has had many consultants take a look at making changes to it. Why? What is being gained from all of these studies and do we really need them? Guest: Jason Farr, Host, Hammer Down with Jay & Mike & former Ward 2 Councillor, City of Hamilton - There are plenty Halls of Fame and with them comes a litany of snubbed people/groups. Don't believe that, take a look at the Country Hall of Fame, Canadian Music Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. So many people should be in these halls while others shouldn't be anywhere near them and yet, here we are. Guest: Eric Alper, Publicist and Music Commentator

The 2023 Liberal National Convention was held this past weekend and that's where there were something peculiar suggestions put forward. Would something like reporters not being allowed to report news from undisclosed sources be something you'd support? Guest: Richard Brennan, Former Journalist with The Toronto Star covering both Queen’s Park and Parliament Hill - Would you trade the entire roster of the Toronto Maple Leafs for the roster of the Seattle Kraken, assuming you were in a position to do so? Why does it feel like the Maple Leafs are writing a WWE-grade script that puts their fans through the grinder? Should penalties in hockey be always be balanced or a bit more like other sports? These questions and more get answered in this week's edition of Sports Talk with Don Robertson. Guest: Don Robertson, Head Coach & Owner, Allan Cup Champion Dundas Real McCoys & Broker of Record, ComChoice Realty

This week's edition of The Brightest Conversation in Hamilton Radio features Mike Fortune who joins Scott to talk about the crowning of King Charles III, if distracted driving is built into our cars, ordering a Gretzky at Tim Hortons, new symbols for Canada and more. Guest: Mike Fortune, Host, The Hamilton Network, Cable 14

What is the likelihood that the PSAC strike will cause other unions to make demands for really large wage increases or else they'll strike? Are we at the beginning of something larger for unions as a whole? Guest: Dr. Eric Kam, Professor of macroeconomics, Monetary Economics, International Monetary Economics, Implications of Monetary Growth, with Toronto Metropolitan University - Did you watch the CFL's draft or the Toronto Maple Leafs in the playoffs? Is there a pairing that's worse than that? Was there a plan that just didn't work out or are they just oblivious? Guest: Steve Foxcroft, NFL Chain-Gang Member, Vice-President, Fluke Transport - Should we be worried about the future of AI technology and its relationship with humanity? If the man who's garnered the nickname "The Godfather of AI" mentions some concerns, perhaps we should worry a little. Guest: Dr. Ori Freiman, Post-Doctoral Fellow at McMaster University's Digital Society Lab

Why does China seem to be focused on interfering with and influencing Canada and her people? Guest: Charles Burton, Senior Fellow with the Centre for Advancing Canada's Interests Abroad at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute - Divisiveness is clearly something that politicians are wielding to garner support for their campaigns and with an election on the horizon, should we be preparing for an aggressive and anger-fuelled race? Guest: Kate Harrison, Vice-Chair of Summa Strategies & Director of Abacus Data - Is the writers strike going to amount to much in Hollywood? Why would late night talk shows stop production due to the strike when the hosts are hired because of their supposed comedic talents and improv skills? Also, a massive collection of movie/television props, sets and memorabilia is up for grabs! Guest: Bill Brioux, Television Critic, Author & Blogger with brioux.tv

If other LRT systems are seeing the price to expand them go up by 300%, what does that mean for the price of building brand new LRT for Hamilton? Guest: Matti Siemiatycki, Director of the Infrastructure Institute & Professor of Geography and Planning, University of Toronto - Why is the family of a Canadian MP being targeted by the Chinese government and is our government effectively combating it? Guest: Duff Conacher, Co-Founder, Democracy Watch - When Monday rolls around, you know it's time to talk sports with Don Robertson. The Maple Leafs are still in the playoffs, the Florida Panther's decision to not sell tickets to people outside of the US, firing coaches and more is on the docket for today. Guest: Don Robertson, Head Coach & Owner of the 2023 Allan Cup Winning Dundas Real McCoys & Broker of Record, ComChoice Realty

The Toronto Maple Leafs have a fan base who's used to having bad things happen to the team in the playoffs. Despite this, it didn't happen last night as the Leafs came back from a 4-1 deficit to not only tie things up at 4 but win in overtime. What does the expert eye see in this team? Guest: Ric Nattress, former NHL defenceman & Stanley Cup winner - The Volkswagen battery factory that's set to be built in St. Thomas, Ontario is bringing with it a lot of applause for green energy and electric vehicles. While the vehicles themselves may not produce emissions, what kind of impact does the creation of their batteries have on the environment? Does the total environmental cost of EVs beat out vehicles with internal combustion engines? Guest: Dr. Jennifer Dunn, Associate Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering and Mechanical Engineering; Director, Center for Engineering Sustainability and Resilience & Associate Director, Northwestern-Argonne Institute of Science and Engineering

Niagara Falls is going to be building the tallest residential condo building in Canada. How did they come to that decision and what kind of opposition did it face? Guest: Jim Diodati, Mayor, City of Niagara Falls - Scott is joined tonight by one of the winners of the 2023 Allan Cup. You know him, you love him and he's been here before. In fact, he's here every Monday! That's right, Don Robertson is back for more sports talk with the Dundas Real McCoys' Allan Cup win, today being the 30th anniversary of the Buffalo Sabres' May Day goal, the advantages of quickly winning a Stanley Cup playoff series vs. going all the way to Game 7 and more on the docket. Guest: Don Robertson, Head Coach & Owner, Allan Cup Champion Dundas Real McCoys & Broker of Record, ComChoice Realty

This week's edition of The Brightest Conversation in Hamilton Radio features Graeme Mackay, the outstanding editorial cartoonist for the Hamilton Spectator. Scott and Graeme discuss whether or not airlines should accommodate overweight people with regards to the size of seats, if the City of Hamilton should be in the golf business, putting King Charles III on our money, paying for Twitter, space travel & more. Guest: Graeme MacKay, Editorial Cartoonist, The Hamilton Spectator

The news that St. Thomas is getting a massive factory from VW got many people really excited. This doesn't mean it's coming without a catch. Ontario is going to be throwing a big chunk of change into the pot to make this happen, how will that impact everything else? Will it? Guest: Marvin Ryder, Professor with the DeGroote School of Business at McMaster University - Did the pandemic cause our children to get more aggressive and less empathetic? A sociologist from right here in Ontario sure thinks so. Guest: Dr. Kaitlynn Mendes, Associate Professor & Canada Research Chair in Inequality & Gender, Western University - Is it a problem to have AI creating music from other people's music? Who owns that when it happens? Also, why would people want to buy cassettes? Are cassette players even available anymore? Guest: Eric Alper, Publicist, Music Commentator & Shameless Idealist

We're hearing that the City of Hamilton is having issues with retaining staff. Is the issue simply a matter of money or is there something larger going on? Guest: John Paul Danko, Ward 8 City Councillor, City of Hamilton - The Maple Leafs have started their playoff run and it feels like the trend is getting followed rather than broken. The fans are used to it and after seeing their performance last night, is there even a glimmer of hope for the Leafs this year? Guest: Bubba O'Neil, Sports Anchor, CHCH-TV

How will 155,000 federal workers going on strike impact our economy on the large scale? Could this cause a ripple effect through to the other unions? Guest: Dr. Eric Kam, Professor of Macroeconomics, Monetary Economics, International Monetary Economics & Implications of Monetary Growth, Toronto Metropolitan University - Have you ever heard of the Hamilton Cardinals? Chances are pretty good that you might run into them soon as their new owner plans to revamp the baseball team. What does the future hold for Hamilton's second oldest sports team? Guest: Eric Spearin, Owner & Managing Partner, Hamilton Cardinals - Every Canadian knows the story of Terry Fox and his famous Marathon of Hope. Despite his immense impact on Canada's history and Canadians as a whole, there is no permanent museum commemorating him and his legacy. Luckily, there are efforts being made to fix this so Canadians can see the many artifacts from his run and bring people closer to a truly amazing story. Guest: Rob Reid, Chair of the Board, Terry Fox Centre

The Hamilton-Wentworth District Schoolboard is making some changes to the way it names schools. What are these changes and why? Guest: Todd White, Wards 5 & 10 Trustee, Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board - According to the CBC, it takes issue with being labelled as government funded media. Is this an issue that extends to any potential bias or is it merely saying that it doesn't like the fact that it receives funding by the Canadian government? Guest: Stephen LeDrew, Past President, Liberal Party of Canada; Lawyer; Media pundit; Host, The LeDrew 3 Minute Interview - Fans of the Toronto Maple Leafs have come to expect something to go wrong in the first round of playoffs which takes them out of the running. With that in mind, it's playoff time! What are the chances that this year breaks the decades-long losing streak? Guest: David Alter, Maple Leafs Reporter & Site Manager, Sports Illustrated & The Hockey News; Host, Rink Wide: Toronto & NHL Network Contributor

On this week's edition of The Brightest Conversation in Hamilton Radio, Scott sits down with Annette Hamm from CHCH's Morning Live to talk about if our education system would benefit from an SAT-type test, what the point is of having gender-specific tournaments for things like chess, charging cyclists with traffic crimes, aging gracefully and more! Guest: Annette Hamm, Co-host, Morning Live, CHCH-TV

While it's no secret that houses aren't cheap, there are some signs on the horizon that they might be getting pricier. Why is this and could it just be a seasonal thing? Guest: Judy Marsales, Broker of Record, Judy Marsales Real Estate Ltd. - Canada is home to some of the most expensive phone plans on planet Earth. There's a possibility that won't be the case for much longer - assuming things go to plan. Guest: Marvin Ryder, Professor with the DeGroote School of Business at McMaster University - With the recent loss of Al Jaffee, the award-winning artist behind many of Mad magazine's cartoons, Scott reminisces on the incredible impact Mad had on its readers and asks what's happened to cartoons as a medium. Guest: Robert Thompson, Founding Director, Bleier Center for Television and Popular Culture, Syracuse University

Is free public transit something that could be a reality in Hamilton someday? How would the costs to run our transit system be offset by this? Guest: Tammy Hwang, Ward 4 Councillor, City of Hamilton - We are set to see an incredible drop of 40% of farmers over the next 10 years. If people are going to leave, they are going to need to be replaced. How do you get into farming and who might we see entering the business in Ontario? Guest: Keith Carrie, President, Canadian Federation of Agriculture - Today may be Tuesday but that isn't stopping Scott from talking to Don Robertson about the Masters, Blue Jays' home opener, the curious case of Sidd Finch and more. Guest: Don Robertson, Head Coach & Owner, Dundas Real McCoys & Broker of Record, ComChoice Realty

The Pink Floyd concert that was held here in Hamilton is held in infamy with crazy stories from all around the stadium. It would appear that inside the stadium, things were super packed but not as crazy. What's the actual story here? Guest: Jon Wells, Reporter & Feature Writer, The Hamilton Spectator - A quick way to make a stir here in Canada is to talk about hockey, more specifically youth hockey. Some proposed changes to house league hockey here in Hamilton have certainly done just that. Guest: Peter Martin, Acting Chair, Hamilton Minor Hockey Council - With Easter Sunday approaching, do people celebrate this holiday for its religious significance? Why or why not? And how is religion being seen nowadays? Are people favouring organized religion over individual practice? How does that, if at all, impact our relationships? Guests: Jamie Strickland, Pastor of Discipleship Ministries, West Highland Baptist Church Gord Heath, Professor of Christian History, Centenary Chair in World Christianity, Director of Canadian Baptist Archives

Dollarama is planning to open 17 new stores across Canada. They also owned 60+ stores this year. It's a boom time for discount stores right now. Guest: Bruce Winder, Retail analyst, Author of ‘Retail Before, During & After COVID-19’ - Since Trudeau was elected into office, the Cdn Fed. Gov has hired up to 80,000 new employees. This means as well that we are paying an extra $151 BILLION a year to run government then we did 2014/15 Guest: Sahir Khan. Executive Vice-President, Institute for Fiscal Studies and Democracy - Yesterday marks the 50-year anniversary of the first ever call using a cell-phone. In 50-years, we've seen so much advancement in mobile phone technology, which makes some of us remember a time before cell-phones and - in some aspects - happy with where things have gone. Guest: Carmi Levy Technology Analyst & Journalist. 

In two different surveys, Niagara Falls was named the 4th "Most Popular Bucket-list Landmark". In a separate survey, it was named the Biggest tourist trap in Canada. We talk with the Mayor of Niagara Falls about this. Guest: Jim Diodati. Mayor of Niagara Falls - This story is a "wow" moment, learning that a Canadian astronaut is going to be on the next moon mission to orbit the moon. His name is Jeremy Hansen. Guest: Jesse Rogerson. Assistant Professor in the division of Natural Science, York University - On this edition of Sports talk, Scott and Don talk E-BUGs (Emergency Back-Up Goalies), the recent controversy during this past weekend's Womens Basketball Championship. And much more... Guest: Don Robertson, Head Coach & Owner, Dundas Real McCoys & Broker of Record, ComChoice Realty

This week's edition of The Brightest Conversation in Hamilton Radio features Mike Fortune who joins Scott to talk about winning the lottery, banning participation trophies, actors who look creepy no matter what role they play, why baseball coaches wear uniforms and more. Guest: Mike Fortune, Host, The Hamilton Network, Cable 14

The whopping 5.8% increase to Hamilton's property tax saw a vote of 10-6. Is there a positive that can be found in this? Though this budget received approval, is there something larger that can be extrapolated from the voting numbers? Guest: Matt Francis, Ward 5 Councillor, City of Hamilton - Believe it or not, multiple hot sauce companies call Hamilton home. They are alive and well with some of their sauces available all over the place and starring online in the series, Hot Ones. Scott welcomes Rick Zamperin to run the gauntlet with him along with three of the top hot sauce companies to the show to put forth some of their sauces and share their stories. Guests: Paul Casey, Founder & Owner, Cooksville Hot Sauce Kevin Stuermer, Founder & Owner, Steel City Sauce Co. Brodie Dawson, Founder & Owner, Dawson's Hot Sauce Rick Zamperin, Host, Good Morning Hamilton, 900 CHML

Hamilton almost had a pretty monumental event occur at City Hall as Council's budget nearly didn't pass. In fact, it wouldn't have passed if only a few votes went the other way. What swayed their votes? Guest: John Paul Danko, Ward 8 Councillor, City of Hamilton - What is with the increase in the number of suspensions at our schools? Are the assaults, weapons, hate and more indicative of something larger going on? Guest: Dr. Paul Bennett, Founding Director & Lead Consultant, Schoolhouse Consulting and Author, "The State of the System" & Educhatter blog - Tomorrow marks the start of the baseball season for the Toronto Blue Jays. What are the chances that this year might be the year they go all the way and win the World Series? Guest: Mike Wilner, Baseball Columnist with the Toronto Star & Host of the Deep LF Podcast

Two budgets released within quick succession of each other means it's the perfect time to welcome Ian Lee back to the show. Is there anything in these budgets that will benefit us without slapping us down the road? Guest: Dr. Ian Lee, Associate Professor with the Sprott School of Business at Carleton University - There are 12 Disney theme parks throughout the world which means there's a plethora of rides and attractions to experience. How long would it take to visit all of them? What about ride all of the rides? Turns out someone has come up with a definitive answer by actually doing that. He found that you can visit every Disney park and ride every operational ride all within 12 days. Now for the next question, how did he do it? Guest: Nathan Firesheets, Rode Every Operating Ride at All 12 Disney Parks in 12 Days - Soap opera actors often get a bad wrap however when there is some heat being thrown around by those in the industry, Scott turns to someone who you probably know better as Dante from General Hospital. Is there a stigma associated with soap opera actors and how are they different from those who act in movies? Guest: Dominic Zamprogna, Actor

Imagine getting taxed more for something and in exchange you receive less. Believe it or not, that's something you can find happening at the grocery store right now. The Food Professor is here to explain how you can pay more for less. Guest: Dr. Sylvain Charlebois, Professor of Food Distribution & Policy and Director of the Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University - Many immigrants to Canada are finding that the cost of everything is much more expensive than expected. Is there anything that can be done about this and how can we prepare/support immigrants in their journey here? Guest: Sarah Wayland, Senior Project Manager for Hamilton Immigration Partnership Council - Why would the Isabella Cup be held somewhere other than a women's hockey stronghold? What should a league do about an official who seems to be flexing their muscles? When are they honestly misinterpreting something? Also, can Don name every head coach of the Maple Leafs since they last won the Stanley Cup? Guest: Don Robertson, Head Coach & Owner, Dundas Real McCoys & Broker of Record, ComChoice Realty

This week's edition of The Brightest Conversation in Hamilton Radio features Jason Farr & Mike Nabuurs who join Scott to talk about their new upcoming project called Hammer Down with Jay & Mike which will be coming to Cable 14 and wherever you get your podcasts, running the Around the Bay Road Race, partisan politics bleeding into local politics, the federal government's handling of the story involving Trudeau's stay in a hotel room that costs $6,000 a night and more. Guests: Jason Farr, Soon-to-be Host of Hammer Down with Jay & Mike, former Hamilton City Councillor Mike Nabuurs, Soon-to-be Host of Hammer Down with Jay & Mike, PA Voice of Hamilton Tiger-Cats

Ontario's budget has been released with some applause and groans. Scott welcomes Ian Lee on to help breakdown the budget and what it means for the residents of Ontario. Guest: Dr. Ian Lee, Associate Professor with the Sprott School of Business at Carleton University - How well has the federal government been dealing with the allegations against MP Han Dong? Are Canadians keeping up with the news surrounding the national security of Canada? Guest: Tim Powers, Chairman of Summa Strategies and Managing Director of Abacus Data - There are many popular musicians who've gone on to have very lucrative careers but that doesn't always mean that they've had songs hit the #1 spot on the charts. This list includes some incredible names who are sure to surprise you. Guest: Eric Alper, Publicist, Music Commentator & Shameless Idealist

Tonight's breaking news surrounding Liberal MP Han Dong's recommendation to a Chinese diplomat to delay the release of the Two Michaels came as a massive shock. Scott is joined by CHML's very own Bill Kelly to talk more about this. Guest: Bill Kelly, Host of The Bill Kelly Show, 900 CHML - There are talks about the world's economy changing away from the US dollar and moving towards the Chinese yuan. Would this cause a practical shift in the world or would it merely be symbolic? How likely is it to happen some day? Guest: Dr. Eric Kam, Professor of Macroeconomics, Monetary Economics, International Monetary Economics, Implications of Monetary Growth, with Toronto Metropolitan University

Most people would expect the number of red light tickets to decline with time at any given intersection. As Hamilton continues to chug along with its red light camera program, is that sentiment one that's being seen? Do some areas of Hamilton see more people run red lights than others? Guest: Mike Field, Director, Transportation Operations & Maintenance, City of Hamilton - Performance bonuses are meant to serve as an incentive for employees to increase their performance. Why are we seeing public servants receiving some pretty handsome performance bonuses despite the fact that their performance has been severely lacking? Stephanie Kusie, MP for Calgary Midnapore & Shadow Minister for Treasury Board

With the news of certain banks closing up shop, there are questions surrounding the remaining banks and their stability. Are some banks' fate something we can use to gauge other's? Guest: Marvin Ryder, Professor, DeGroote School of Business, McMaster University - Is slap fighting even fighting? Do we need to outlaw fighting in hockey or is it getting phased out on its own? Is there a better option than shootouts to determine who wins a game? These questions and more get debated and possibly even solved this week on Sports Talk with Don Robertson. Guest: Don Robertson, Head Coach & Owner, Dundas Real McCoys & Broker of Record, ComChoice Realty

This week's edition of The Brightest Conversation in Hamilton Radio features Lorraine Sommerfeld who joins Scott to talk about her upcoming book, the work she's put into it thus far, buttons that seem to be connected to nothing, who should determine what is and isn't considered misinformation and more. Guest: Lorraine Sommerfeld, Auto Writer with Post Media, Motherlode column in the Hamilton Spec and Host of the Lemon Aid Car Show on RogersTV

We've all been in meetings that seem to have no point or purpose. Why have them to begin with? Would businesses be the same without them? Guest: Vijay Pereira, Professor of International & Strategic Human Capital Management, NEOMA Business School - Justice Russell Brown of the Supreme Court of Canada has found himself embroiled in a scandal but that doesn't seem to have been put him at the forefront of every conversation around the country. Actually most Canadians likely don't know that he is a judge for the Supreme Court of Canada to begin with. Is it good that Canadians aren't super aware of everything Supreme Court? Guest: Philip Slayton, Author of Mighty Judgment: How The Supreme Court of Canada Runs Your Life & former lawyer - There have been rumblings about the CFL expanding to Atlantic Canada but are we ever actually going to see it come to fruition? What needs to be done before it can even get underway properly? Guest: Bubba O'Neil, Sports Anchor, CHCH-TV

With the coronation of King Charles III set to happen on May 6, how do Canadians feel about the monarchy and its relationship with Canada? Does anyone actually care about the coronation? Guest: Nathan Tidridge, Teacher at Waterdown District High School & Author of six books on the Crown and its role in Canada - What happened with the NHL last night? Will we see the day that a digital overlay on players becomes a regular thing? Also, if the writers in Hollywood go on strike, will we see much of an interruption on the consumer side? Guest: Bill Brioux, Television Critic and Author, brioux.tv

Interests rates continue to jump as Canadians continue to owe money. With more money going to paying down the interest on debt, what does this mean for the economy on a larger scale? Guest: Dr. Eric Kam, Professor of Macroeconomics, Monetary Economics, International Monetary Economics, Implications of Monetary Growth, Toronto Metropolitan University - For the first time in decades, vinyl record sales topped CD sales. Why has this medium for listening to music made such a resurgence? Guest: Larry Jaffee, Author of Record Store Day: The Most Improbable Comeback of the 21st Century & Journalism Lecturer, Rutgers University

It would appear that the numbers haven't moved for Doug Ford in either direction despite the controversies that have been coming up for him. What's made for this to be the case and how hasn't he, or his party, slipped or gained in popularity? Guest: David Coletto, Founding Partner & CEO, Abacus Data - Should a sports league ever be allowed to publicly criticize the referees and linesmen? What should be done if they do? And Scott spent how much for tickets to a sports game? It's all coming up on Sports Talk with Don Robertson. Guest: Don Robertson, Head Coach & Owner, Dundas Real McCoys & Broker of Record, ComChoice Realty

This week's edition of The Brightest Conversation in Hamilton Radio features Jamie West who joins Scott to talk about why there seems to be more weather-related school closures now versus before, the impending increase to Hamiltonians' taxes, preventing our children from learning how to overcome challenging situations and more. Guest: Jamie West, Founder & CEO, Westpro Media

Canadian MPs are set to receive another pay raise pretty soon. Yes, another one. HOW? Wouldn't it be great to get a raise of about $5,000? How about a little over $10,000? Guest: Franco Terrazzano, Federal Director, Canadian Taxpayers Federation - Would a concert like Live Aid work today? It looks like we won't have to wonder because it sounds like a lot of work is being put in for exactly that only this one will be in support of Ukraine. Guest: Eric Alper, Publicist, Music Commentator & Shameless Idealist

Brantford is talking about building a new 5,000-seat arena to keep the Bulldogs around. Guest: Kevin Davis, Mayor of Brantford - The latest on the Chinese election meddling and the government's response. Guest: Kate Harrison, Vice Chair, Summa Strategies -  Is the NHL REALLY thinking of putting an expansion team in Atlanta? Again? And, how will the addition of a pitch clock change baseball? Guest: Bubba O'Neil, Sports Anchor, CHCH-TV

Hamiltonians were hit with a tax increase last year and it's looking like this year will be following suit. The catch is that this year will see a much larger jump. How necessary is this increase and what will the money collected go towards? Guest: Tom Jackson, Ward 6 Councillor, City of Hamilton - A documentary about MuchMusic is set to come out. Whether you know about this staple TV channel or not, this documentary will set the stage and tell the story of the place that built many careers. Guest: Sean Menard, Director, 299 Queen Street West

Guests: Trudeau just held a press conference this afternoon to address the recent news about Election meddling from China… It sure was something. Stephen LeDrew   Could some of downtown Hamilton's vacant office buildings be turned into residential? Would that even be a good idea? Judy Lam.   Sports talk with Don Robertson. Are the Leafs cursed? Also, the NHL Draft Lottery is coming up. And, John Morant in trouble for his night at the club. Don Robertson.

Guests: We're getting close to hearing what the tax increase is going to be here in Hamilton. In a letter to council, the head of the Realtors' Association says Hamilton is becoming too expensive. Lou Piriano   The Jays first spring training game drew more viewers on TV than any other team's average for regular season games. Are we that great a fan base or is something else going on? Steve Foxcroft   Another very realistic deepfake is confusing people like the Joe-Rogan-Justin Trudeau one did a few days ago. Allen Mendehlson

A new by the U.S. Energy Department says COVID probably did start in a Wuhan lab. What does this mean? Guest: Charles Burton, Senior Fellow, Centre for Advancing Canada's Interests Abroad at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute -  The Prime Minister says Canada will not hold an inquiry into Chinese interference in our election. Should we? Guest: Stephen LeDrew, Political Commentator; Host, The LeDrew Three Minute Interview; Former President, Liberal Party of Canada - Don Robertson is not unavailable for trade-related reasons. He's here and there's never a shortage of things to talk about in the realm of sports! Guest: Don Robertson, Head Coach & Owner, Dundas Real McCoys & Broker of Record, ComChoice Realty

Sending a large delegation can make sense in certain scenarios but why would someone from the government need a hotel room that costs $6,000 a night? Even more puzzling is why the federal government is going to such lengths to try and hide who was staying in that room? Guest: Franco Terrazzano, Federal Director, Canadian Taxpayers Federation - Becoming a Canadian citizen is the aim of many immigrants both past and present however the rate of people becoming citizens has dropped drastically. Why is that? Guest: Daniel Bernhard, CEO, Institute for Canadian Citizenship - How important is it to have the home team playing in the Grey Cup? Do the Tiger-Cats have a chance at making it to the Grey Cup with their new players? Guest: Bubba O'Neil, Sports Anchor, CHCH-TV

A U.S. study suggests half of the people believe the media is not just biased but intentionally misleading them. How did we get here? Guest: Don Gibb, Professor Emeritus, School of Journalism, Toronto Metropolitan University - The federal government is about to start negotiating with 300,000 employees who surely all want raises. How is this going to go? Guest: Tim Powers, Chairman of Summa Strategies and Managing Director of Abacus Data  - A terrific new documentary is out about former Ticats owner (yes, he owned the Maple Leafs, too) Harold Ballard. We talk to the documentary's executive producer about both the documentary itself and Ballard's confusing life.  Guest: Michael Geddes, Executive Producer, Offside: The Harold Ballard Story

Hamilton's Commonwealth Games bid is something that we've heard much about over the years however it sounds like that will be coming to an end. Guest: PJ Mercanti, CEO, Carmen’s Group & President, Hamilton Urban Precinct Entertainment Group - Science now tells us coffee is terrible for some of us. The catch? We can't easily know if we're one of the ones for whom it's terrible. So enjoy your morning java... Guest: Dr. Sara Mahdavi, Researcher with the Department of Community and Family Medicine, University of Toronto

UFO is one of those acronyms that brings about many preconceived notions. Despite this, Unidentified Flying Objects (UFO) are being identified with some frequency and now we're hearing about them being shot down. While this probably doesn't have anything to do with aliens, what does it mean? Is it a sign of something larger? Guest: Chris Rutkowski, Ufologist - A Yale professor is suggesting the solution to government overspending on the elderly in Japan is mandated euthanasia. Sounds crazy. But just a few years ago we would've said MAiD for the mentally ill would never be considered sane. Should we be concerned someone is talking about this out loud ... and he has a lot of supporters? Guest: Trudo Lemmens, Professor, Scholl Chair in Health Law and Policy, Faculty of Law, University of Toronto - How come the officials seem to ruin so many games these days? Was Rihanna the worst halftime show ever? The Blue Jays open spring training and more on this edition of Sports Talk with Don Robertson. Guest: Don Robertson, Head Coach & Owner, Dundas Real McCoys & Broker of Record, ComChoice Realty

This week's edition of The Brightest Conversation in Hamilton Radio features Mike Fortune who joins Scott to talk about why it seems like pretty much everyone is on their phone recording everything at sporting events rather than living in the moment and watching with their eyes, if imprisoned criminals should be granted leniency for donating organs, local politicians infusing party politics into their own politics, whether the conversation of introducing a private element into Canadian healthcare should even be had and more. Guest: Mike Fortune, Host, The Hamilton Network, Cable 14

Why do we feel that we shouldn't have to pay for some things? We don't expect to receive a car for free but why do we expect to get other things for free? Guest: Marvin Ryder, Professor of Marketing, DeGroote School of Business, McMaster University - Is a big buildup of Russian troops an indication that Russia will be attempting a large offensive against Ukraine? Guest: Christian Leuprecht, Professor at both the Royal Military College of Canada and Queen's University; Fellow, Macdonald Laurier Institute - The Super Bowl is only days away which means many people are going to be tuning in for more than sports. What are the big sights to see and if given the choice, would Canadians prefer to watch the Grey Cup over the Super Bowl if the two events happened at the same time? Guest: Rick Zamperin, Host, Good Morning Hamilton & Sports Director, 900 CHML

There has been a lot happening at Hamilton City Hall lately from protesters interrupting a meeting to a councillor getting ejected from another. What happened and what was it like being the Committee Chair for both of these events? Guest: Brad Clark, Ward 9 Councillor, City of Hamilton - It's no secret that streaming content has reshaped the world of entertainment especially television. What will TV look like in the next 5 years? This question was answered by several TV executives who had some interesting answers. Do they think it'll change much, if at all? Guest: Robert Thompson, Founding Director, Bleier Centre for Television and Popular Culture, Syracuse University

The Hamilton Bulldogs will be needing a new home while FirstOntario Centre gets some much needed renovations. This means that the usual patronage that many downtown businesses see will be dropping as multiple seasons will be played elsewhere in addition to the many concerts and events that get held at the arena. How big of an impact will this have on Hamilton's downtown? Guest: Ryan McHugh, Manager, Tourism & Events, City of Hamilton - The question of how much money should one have before retiring is ever present in the minds of many Canadians. An estimated number has been put out and it's astronomically high, why? What makes $1.7 million the special number that should be in a Canadian's bank account for a comfortable retirement? Guest: Thie Convery, Financial Planner & Wealth Advisor, Convery Wealth, IPC Securities Corporation

Pierre Poilievre has been using the talking point of Canada being broken but do Canadians agree with that sentiment? Guest: Andrew Enns, Executive Vice-President, Central Canada, Leger - The topic of ChatGPT, an AI program capable of producing original essays and writing, has come to the forefront especially with regards to how it can impact the education system. How will educators manage the likelihood of students turning in schoolwork that's been completed by the AI program? What does a high school principal see in the program? Guest: Brian Daly, Principal, St. Thomas More Catholic Secondary School - Has the NHL hit rock bottom after its dismal All-Star Skills Competition? Who are they trying to market to? What can the Hamilton Bulldogs expect to see as they prepare to temporarily move to a new home? These questions and more get answered in this week's edition of Sports Talk with Don Robertson. Guest: Don Robertson, Head Coach & Owner, Dundas Real McCoys & Broker of Record, ComChoice Realty

This week's edition of The Brightest Conversation in Hamilton Radio features none other than CHML's own Diana Weeks! She's on maternity leave right now but that doesn't mean she's keeping away from the microphone as she and Scott talk about everything from infertility to a high-ranked restaurant that doesn't exist. Guest: Diana Weeks, Mom-to-be & Afternoon News Anchor, 900 CHML

What has Willie Nelson done at 90 to suddenly earn a nomination for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? And other questions from the typically puzzling annual announcement. Guest: Eric Alper, Publicist & Music Commentator - A new report says many of Canada's grocery stores will be cashless within five years. Digital currency only. Is this wise? Is this where we should be going with our financial system? Guest: Brett Scott, Author of Cloud Money

Once interest rates rise enough to control inflation, do we lower them again? In other words, are we ever going back to the way things were? Guest: Dr. Eric Kam, Professor of Macroeconomics, Toronto Metropolitan University - Social media has not been kind to the NFL officials from last weekend to the point that #NFLrigged has been trending on Twitter. By most accounts, it was a mess. And it wasn't just these games. It's been a mess a lot lately. Are officials getting worse or is the job simply getting too hard? Guest: Ron Foxcroft, CEO of Fluke Transport, Creator of the FOX40 whistle, Author of ‘40 Ways of the Fox’, Member of the Order of Canada, Former Basketball Referee

Billions of dollars were sent to people and businesses who aren't eligible to receive CERB. This was known at the time and we were told it would be sorted out at a later time but now the CRA is saying that it isn't worth their time to go and collect that money that shouldn't have even been sent in the first place. Even though it's known who received the money and how much they received, where is the challenge? Guest: Duff Conacher, Co-Founder, Democracy Watch - On this day in 1969, The Beatles performed their last public performance on the roof of Apple Corps headquarters. The police were called and among the responding officers was 19-year-old Ray Dagg. He joined Scott while Scott was filling in on the Bill Kelly Show to talk about that day and what his life was like after the event. Guest: Ray Dagg, Former London Metropolitan Police Constable - Sports Talk with Don Robertson returns to talk about the Tiger-Cats' newest acquisition, remembering Bobby Hull, NHL teams tanking on purpose to get better draft picks and more. Guest: Don Robertson, Head Coach & Owner, Dundas Real McCoys & Broker of Record, ComChoice Realty

This week's edition of The Brightest Conversation in Hamilton Radio features CHML's own Dave Woodard who joins the show to talk about everything from the CRA saying that recovering the billions of dollars that were sent to people who shouldn't have received CERB isn't worth their time to TV shows that couldn't be made today. Guest: Dave Woodard, Afternoon News Anchor, 900 CHML

There is some big news for John Mulwa, the Kenyan refugee who is due to be deported on Saturday. His lawyer joins us to explain. Guest: Joshua Makori, Immigration Lawyer  - Should the provincial government be spending hundreds of millions of dollars on four or five World Cup soccer matches in 2026? Some are saying it's way too much for too little. Guest: Neil Lumsden, Ontario's Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport & MPP, Hamilton East—Stoney Creek

We learned yesterday on the show that our poor operator, Ben, has failed miserably at watching many of the greatest movies ever made. Jaws? No. The Godfather? Nope. Titanic? Uh uh. The list goes on and on. Time to set him on the right track. What are the movies a young man needs to watch this year to catch up?

There have been a series of high-profile crimes recently involving kids. When should adult charges be levied? Guest: Jeff Manishen, Criminal Defence Lawyer, Ross & McBride; Former Crown Attorney - The federal government spends millions and millions of dollars on consultants. Not long ago Hamilton was being hammered for this. Considering the size of our public service, how come people in government can't do this work? Guest: Larry Di Ianni, Former Mayor of Hamilton & Lobbyist

Educators are worried about a new AI program that is now capable of producing essays that pass as authentic. Are we heading toward a new reality in teaching in which cheating is impossible to detect? Guest: Natalie Wexler, Education Writer & Author of The Knowledge Gap: The Hidden Cause of America’s Broken Education System—And How to Fix It - It's starting to sound like our property taxes are going to be going way up? Is this true? Guest: John Paul Danko, Ward 8 City Councilor, City of Hamilton - Are the Ticats going to sign Bo Levi Mitchell or is this delay saying otherwise? Guest: Bubba O'Neil, Sports Anchor, CHCH-TV

GUESTS: Alvis Violo - "The Autograph Boss" What is the value of a signature now? Don Robertson - President of the Dundas Real McCoys joins Scott for his weekly hour of sports talk

With another Friday comes another edition of The Brightest Conversation in Hamilton Radio! This week, Scott welcomes Tim Bolen from CHCH who is now co-hosting Morning Live! which makes him the perfect kind of person to tackle a myriad of topics. Today's docket includes the whole Meghan and Harry wanting to be the most public private citizens in the world, if Canada's win at the World Junior Championship is enough to wipe the Hockey Canada scandal out of people's minds, what you would do if you found lost Nazi treasure, how stable Confederation is and more. Guest: Tim Bolen, Co-Host, Morning Live!, CHCH-TV

Some are calling for stricter bail conditions in the wake of the shooting of the OPP officer. Should it be tougher to get out on bail? Guest: Jaime Stephenson, Defence Lawyer; Former President, Hamilton Criminal Lawyers Association - Now that Damar Hamlin is showing positive signs of recovery, what should the NFL do with its schedule and standings headache? Guest: Steve Foxcroft, NFL Chain-Gang Member, Vice-President, Fluke Transport -  7:10 - 7:55 - Canada is opening its doors to 500,000 new immigrants this year. So why is a local man, who's carved out a life helping his community and been a model Canadian for almost a decade, being deported to Kenya? Guest: John Mulwa, Scheduled for Deportation on January 28, 2023

When I flew out of Pearson in June, it was a disaster. Today people are complaining it's still a disaster. How could things not be improved in half a year? Guest: Gábor Lukács, Founder, President & Coordinator, Air Passenger Rights - Whenever there's a tragedy people say they're offering 'thoughts and prayers.' So why was it so shocking to see an ESPN analyst stop his commentary and actually pray for Damar Hamlin. Do we really mean the 'prayer' part or is that a meaningless cliche? Guest: Dr. David Haskell, Associate Professor, Digital Media & Journalism and Religion & Culture, Wilfrid Laurier University - The Celineiacs are up in arms over the exclusion of their favourite chanteuse from Rolling Stone's list of the top 200 singers. What the heck makes a good singer anyway? Guest: Brian West, Afternoon Drive Host, Y108

Pelé is a soccer player who did more than just play the beautiful game, he sparked a love for the sport of soccer in many people's hearts. Now that he's died, people are looking back on his legacy and many achievements. While some remember seeing him on their TV, a Hamilton man is remembering what it was like playing against him. Was it intimidating? Exciting? An opportunity to get an autograph right there on the pitch? Guest: John McGrane, Former Canadian Men’s Soccer Player, Member of the Canadian & Hamilton Soccer Halls of Fame and the Hamilton Sports Hall of Fame

Today sees a major spike in divorce filings but why is that? Why are people choosing divorce nowadays and how much does it cost for each side to go through the process? Guest: Tracy Miller, Family Lawyer; Co-Host, Divorce Solutions Podcast

One of the big sports stories that's circulating right now is Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin's collapse and subsequent hospitalization following a tackle mid-game. What happened to him and could it happen to athletes in other sports too? Guest: Dr. David Levy, Sports Medicine Practitioner; Team Physician for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats for 35 years, the Toronto Rock since inception, McMaster University and Mohawk College varsity teams for over 30 years; Medical Staff for the Hamilton Bulldogs; Hamilton Sports Hall of Fame Inductee - Today sees a major spike in divorce filings but why is that? Why are people choosing divorce nowadays and how much does it cost for each side to go through the process? Guest: Tracy Miller, Family Lawyer; Co-Host, Divorce Solutions Podcast - Pelé is a soccer player who did more than just play the beautiful game, he sparked a love for the sport of soccer in many people's hearts. Now that he's died, people are looking back on his legacy and many achievements. While some remember seeing him on their TV, a Hamilton man is remembering what it was like playing against him. Was it intimidating? Exciting? An opportunity to get an autograph right there on the pitch? Guest: John McGrane, Former Canadian Men’s Soccer Player, Member of the Canadian & Hamilton Soccer Halls of Fame and the Hamilton Sports Hall of Fame

Scott welcomes Jamie West back to the show for this week's edition of The Brightest Conversation in Hamilton Radio. Together they debate of all of the great holiday topics from real or fake Christmas tree to Merry Christmas vs. Happy Holidays. Guest: Jamie West, Founder & CEO, Westpro Media

Canada is mandating that by 2026, 20 per cent of all new cars be electric. Are we even remotely ready for this? Guest: Tim Burrows, Manager, Electric Vehicle Society - YouTube is paying $2 billion for the rights to Sunday night football. Is this the beginning of all sports moving to streaming services? ALSO, there hasn't been a classic Christmas movie released in the past 20 years. Are we no longer festive enough? Creative enough? Joyful enough? Guest: Bill Brioux, Television Critic, Author & Founder, brioux.tv

Two polls were taken about what matters to Canadians. One in 1992, one 30 years later in 2022. How have we changed?  Guest: Craig Worden, President & Chief Innovation Officer, Pollara Strategic Insights - The number of Canadians who consider religion important is dropping. Except one age group is surprisingly rising. Which one? Guest: David Haskell, Associate Professor, Digital Media and Journalism / Religion and Culture, Wilfrid Laurier University - Are we totally sick of those endless ads for gambling sites that fill every game we watch yet? Guest: Steve Foxcroft, NFL Chain-Gang Member, Vice-President, Fluke Transport

We've heard that the government should stay out of the nation's bedrooms but what about the nation's kitchens? It would appear that some UN delegates at the United Nations Biodiversity Conference want to tell you what to eat but why are they trying to influence your diet and should they be trying anyways? Guest: Dr. Sylvain Charlebois a.k.a. The Food Professor, Professor of Food Distribution & Policy and Director of the Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University - Some really nasty weather is projected to be hitting us just before Christmas but just how bad could it be and why? Guest: Anthony Farnell, Chief Meteorologist, Global News _ Recent stats say Canadians are doing better at marriage and having fewer divorces. Are the numbers lying? Guest: Dr. Lisa Strohschein, Professor, Sociology, University of Alberta

As the war in Ukraine progresses and the Russian invasion continues to be repelled, people are starting to question Putin's hold on Russia. What are the chances that a coup is waiting to strike? Guest: Dr. Elliot Tepper, Emeritus Professor of Political Science with Carleton University

As the war in Ukraine progresses and the Russian invasion continues to be repelled, people are starting to question Putin's hold on Russia. What are the chances that a coup is waiting to strike? Guest: Dr. Elliot Tepper, Emeritus Professor of Political Science with Carleton University - Writing a book is no small. There is a lot of time that goes into the research and actual writing which means you've got to pick a topic that won't bore you nor your reader. With that in mind, why would someone want to write a book about a prime minister who was in office for a little over 2 months? Let's ask him! Guest: Steve Paikin, Host, The Agenda, TVO - When you move to a new country and its team plays against your former home country's team, who should you cheer for? If one of your players makes a really weird play that doesn't work out, do you scream at them or just go, "what were you thinking?" in the locker room? These questions and much, much more gets answered and debated in this week's edition of Sports Talk with Don Robertson. Guest: Don Robertson, Head Coach & Owner, Dundas Real McCoys & Broker of Record, ComChoice Realty

The stars have aligned for this week's edition of The Brightest Conversation in Hamilton Radio! Scott has assembled all of CHML's announcers for a super-round table featuring Rick Zamperin of Good Morning Hamilton, Bill Kelly of The Bill Kelly Show and Scott Thompson of Hamilton Today. Together they tackle topics that range everywhere from if Bo Levi Mitchell will someday be the Hamilton Tiger-Cats' quarterback to what Hamiltonians' taxes may go up by. Buckle up for an amazing show that truly lives up to its name. Guests: Rick Zamperin, Host of Good Morning Hamilton Bill Kelly, Host of The Bill Kelly Show Scott Thompson, Host of Hamilton Today

Why are we seeing so many students suffering from chronic abenteeism at school? How does this impact grades? Can we fix it or is this something that will be temporary and eventually fade away? Guest: Dr. Paul Bennett, Founding Director and Lead Researcher, Schoolhouse Institute - A joke tweet from PGA golfer Mackenzie Hughes revealed a lot about people, the most glaring of which is that many only read the first few lines before coming to a conclusion and moving on. The answer was in the tweet and yet so many didn't bother to read that far. How can we teach people to read everything before drawing a conclusion? Should this be taught early on in childhood? Can you even effectively teach critical thinking? Guest: Matthew Johnson, Director of Education, MediaSmarts

You can see some pretty interesting things if you drive around Hamilton and among those interesting things is a certain station wagon from the movie, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. How did the current owner come to acquire such a unique vehicle and what has the public's reaction to it been? Guest: Sean Kiely, Owner, Ford Country Squire station wagon - We might someday see the owner of the Hamilton Bulldogs also become the owner of the Ottawa Senators. If that happens, will the team be coming to Hamilton? Also, could we prevent countries from building massive stadiums and then abandoning them after the one sporting event is done? Guest: Bubba O'Neil, Sports Anchor, CHCH-TV

For people who claim to want their privacy, Harry and Meghan sure do a lot to stay in the public eye. The story they keep selling is being made in all mediums possible but what do they have to sell after everyone knows their story? Do they have a shelf life? Guest: Nathan Tidridge, Waterdown high teacher and author of six books on the Crown and its role in Canada - It isn't even Christmas yet and the Blue Jays are making some pretty big moves. What could next season' Jays look like and are they poised for a World Series win? Guest: Mike Wilner, Baseball columnist and podcaster with the Toronto Star - Many music genres have had their story told but soft rock is one that's fallen by the wayside despite being a seemingly ever-present sound for many years. What place does soft rock have in our history? Guest: Eric Alper, Publicist and music commentator

What was done to get us out of the last recession? Are moves being made so that we go down that path and avoid this supposed recession we're heading towards? Is that even possible for us to do at the moment? Guest: Marvin Ryder, Professor of Marketing, DeGroote School of Business, McMaster University - Hospital wait times are even longer than before but just how bad are they and what are other countries doing to combat this? What if we followed what Sweden and Switzerland are doing? Guest: Nadeem Esmail, Senior Fellow, Fraser Institute & Health Policy Specialist - Who holds the responsibility to pull an athlete off the field due to injury? The numbers are pointing towards a little bit of favouritism towards the Toronto Maple Leafs but is that indicative of the referees' or the players' tendencies? Guest: Don Robertson, Head Coach & Owner, Dundas Real McCoys & Broker of Record, ComChoice Realty

Is university too hard? Why does it seem like the federal government is treating Quebec and Alberta differently? Will Hamiltonians be forced to pay higher taxes because the new city councilors all want new programs without getting rid of any preexisting ones? Are penalties a sufficient way of deciding the winner in games as large as World Cup matches? These questions and more get debated and answered on this week's edition of The Brightest Conversation in Hamilton Radio. Guest: Mike Fortune, Host, The Hamilton Network, Cable 14

After much consternation regarding the potential for land in the Greenbelt being sold to land developers, a request was made on Twitter to see MPPs Donna Skelly and Neil Lumsden appear before Hamilton's city council to find out more about this. Scott welcomes MPP Donna Skelly to the show to speak about exactly this. Guest: Donna Skelly, MPP for Flamborough-Glanbrook - While housing markets across the country seem to be rebounding and shifting, we're being told that this is not the case here in Hamilton. Despite being an area that sees lots of people wanting to move to it, why is the housing market being seen as a cold one? Guest: Dr. Murtaza Haider, Associate Professor, Data Science and Real Estate Management, Toronto Metropolitan University - Brittney Griner is on her way back to the US, Buffalo sports fans are still being hit with a curse and more money is being paid out to athletes who are already making a ton of money (in the hundreds of millions). It's a lot to tackle which means Scott needs to bring out the big guns of Steve Foxcroft! Guest: Steve Foxcroft, NFL Chain-Gang Member, Vice-President, Fluke Transport

Decisions are being made at City Hall regarding how much your taxes are going to be going up (or if they will at all). How is this process coming along and how much of a hit can Hamiltonians expect this year? Guest: John Paul Danko, City Councilor for Ward 8 - Fighting has fallen by the wayside in the modern game of hockey. While this may please many, there are still those who love a good hockey fight and miss the days of enforcers and goons. Those who can't get enough of hockey fights will be delighted to hear about Ice Wars. a new fighting league that's based around hockey fights and hockey fights alone. Guest: Bryan Pedersen, Wyoming MMA Commissioner

When you buy millions and millions of doses of COVID-19 vaccines, they only last so long before they go bad and according to Canada's Auditor-General, that's soon to be the case. Does this mean the feds are essentially flushing your tax dollars down the drain? Guest: Franco Terrazzano, Federal Director, Canadian Taxpayers Federation - If you've watched Sesame Street, you've probably seen Bob McGrath's face or heard his voice. Though he passed away this week, he'll live on in the memories of everyone who enjoyed his performances for the world. Scott looks into the audio vault and pulls out an interview he did with Bob back in 2014 in celebration of the 45th anniversary of Sesame Street.

Guests: Matt Francis Dan Kelly Don Robertson

Guests: Brian Patrick Green Bill Brioux Bubba O'Neil

The Federal Government is trying to collect back CERB money from recipients who it turns out weren't eligible. This sounds bad for the ones who it turns out weren't eligible, but it seems also like a good thing to return tax payer money where it belongs. Jay Goldberg. Ontario Director of the Canadian Tax Payers Federation. Crowdfunding has been a great tool for small start-ups to get off the ground. But there are also a lot of weird ones out there. Many campaigns, you would be shocked to learn have gone beyond successful. Technical producer Tom joins Scott to take a look at the weirdest and most interesting crowdfunding campaigns. Tom McKay. Technical Producer AM900 CHML.

Today is Giving Tuesday! This day was created to highlight charities and how they need donations in order to help people. Are Canadians as generous as we might like to think we are? Guest: Nicole Danesi, Senior Manager of Public Relations, Canada Helps - Why does it seem like politics always find a way to seep into the sports world? Are we not able to keep the two separate? Guest: Dr. Ann Pegararo, Lang Chair In Sport Management and Director of the International Institute for Sport Business & Leadership, University of Guelph; Co-Director of the National Network for Research on Gender Equity in Canadian Sport

This week's edition of The Brightest Conversation in Hamilton Radio features former Ward 2 councilor Jason Farr! As a newly minted private citizen, there's a lot that he's done and a lot still left to do. Scott and Jason chat about Jason's time on Y108's morning show, some behind the scenes from his time on Hamilton City Council and much, much more. Guest: Jason Farr, former Ward 2 councilor

The Bank of Canada has announced that it's losing money for the first time ever. While this generally sounds like a bad thing, is it really? What does this actually mean? Guest: Dr. Eric Kam, Professor of Macroeconomics, Monetary Economics, International Monetary Economics, Implications of Monetary Growth, with Toronto Metropolitan University - Whenever humanity has made efforts to get to the moon, there's always some sort of buzz that gets generated, this time seems to be different. Why hasn't anyone pointed out that we've sent a rocket to the moon, passing just over 100km from the lunar surface? That's incredible! Guest: Dr. Jesse Rogerson, Assistant Professor of Science and Technology Studies in Natural Science with York University - A major player in the history of the NHL has passed away. Börje Salming helped pave the way for European players to join the NHL and flourish as much as they have. What did he bring to the game and how is his impact still being felt today? Guest: Bubba O'Neil, Sports Anchor, CHCH-TV

Canada played its first match in the World Cup today against Belgium. How did we do and what is needed in order to pull out a win next time? Guest: John McGrane, former Olympic and North American Soccer League soccer player - The news that a meteor flew over the Grimsby/Vineland area and landed somewhere around here. Can you find any pieces and how big of a meteorite should you keep an eye out for? If you do find a piece, what can you do with it? Guest: Dr. Kim Tait, Mineralogy, Meteorite and Gem Curator at the Royal Ontario Museum - The Tim Bosma murder case is an infamous case in this area and it's making a return to the news cycle. Why is this and what is it saying about Canada's legal system? Guest: Jeff Manishen, Criminal Lawyer, Ross & McBride & Former Crown Attorney

Canada is looking to expand its requirements for who's eligible for MAiD but is this needed, especially when you consider that Canada is number 1 in terms of MAiD? With the current rate of patients who are opting for and being granted MAiD, does that mean, would opening it up to the mentally ill prove to be a beneficial move? What about children? Guest: Trudo Lemmens, Professor, Scholl Chair in Health Law and Policy, University of Toronto

Canada is back on the world stage as it prepares for its World Cup appearance against Belgium. Scott is joined by someone who knows what it's like playing the game on the international stage. Does Canada stand a chance against the Belgians? Guest: Greg Sutton, Master Coach, Men & Women's Soccer, Concordia University; Former Professional Soccer Player - Canada is looking to expand its requirements for who's eligible for MAiD. Is this needed, especially when you consider that Canada is number 1 in terms of MAiD? With the current rate of patients who are opting for and being granted MAiD, does that mean, would opening it up to the mentally ill prove to be a beneficial move? What about children? Guest: Trudo Lemmens, Professor, Scholl Chair in Health Law and Policy, University of Toronto - Today marks the 59th anniversary of the assassination of JFK. Is there still an interest in this historical moment and why hasn't all of the documentation surrounding this event been released? Guest: Randy Owen, JFK Assassination Historian

Tiny shelters are being touted as something that could help the homeless however the next issue is where do you put them. How do people feel about a proposed location here in Hamilton? Guest: Tom Cooper, Director, Hamilton Roundtable for Poverty Reduction & Board Member, Hamilton Alliance for Tiny Shelters - Could we see the World Cup get hosted by North Korea someday? Why would a sports team draft a player only to avoid playing him? Why aren't we seeing Canadian university football games on TV? What can we do to make the Grey Cup as big as the Super Bowl? Get answers to these questions and more! Guest: Don Robertson, Head Coach & Owner, Dundas Real McCoys & Broker of Record, ComChoice Realty

The Brightest Conversation in Hamilton Radio pairs perfectly with Lorraine Somerfeld! Scott welcomes Lorraine to the show tonight to talk about if Remembrance Day is being honoured less with time, if highly processed foods should be classified as drugs, whether or not airlines should charge more based on your size, if we're witnessing the death of social media and more. Guest: Lorraine Sommerfeld, Auto Writer with Post Media, Author of the Motherlode column in the Hamilton Spec and Host of the Lemon Aid Car Show on RogersTV

Is there a curse on all of Buffalo's sports teams? It seems like they haven't been able to catch a break for the longest team and this year was looking like it could be the one for the Bills until their superstar quarterback got injured. While this hasn't completely wiped their chances right off the board, it has certainly followed in the footsteps of many other unfortunate events of years and teams past. What's going on with Buffalo? Guest: Steve Foxcroft, Sports Commentator, NFL Chain Gang Member & Vice President, Fluke Transport - The CFL's Grey Cup championship game garners a lot of attention from Canadians and despite CFL football identifying heavily with all things Canadian (after all it is called the Canadian Football League) why isn't the performing artist for the half-time show a Canadian musician? Guest: Eric Alper, Publicist and Music Commentator

How does someone's attractiveness impact their grades in school? Does it make someone more likely to get good grades all throughout or is it only certain subjects? Guest: Adrian Mehic, Doctoral Student, Lund University - A lot of interest in purchasing the Ottawa Senators has been expressed and one of the names that's being thrown around is Michael Andlauer, owner of the Hamilton Bulldogs. How likely is it that he'll make the move and if he did buy the team, could the team move to Hamilton? Guest: Bruce Garrioch, Columnist, Ottawa Sun - Becoming a city councilor comes with a lot of work that a new member might not always be aware of. Scott welcomes one of Hamilton's new incoming councilors who's currently in the process of being brought up to speed before getting sworn in. What's it like so far and is it anything like the start of a new season of Survivor? Guest: Jeff Beattie, Incoming Hamilton City Councilor for Ward 10

What can we expect to see out of the US' midterm elections? How might the outcomes impact Canada and its relationship with the United States? Guest: Dr. Laura Dawson, Executive Director, Future Border Coalition - Jewelry can be made out of many different materials but this lady has discovered you can make it out of more than just metal and gems. Try something more along the lines of breast milk or semen! Guest: Amanda Booth, Artist & Founder, Trinkets by Amanda Booth - While many of us don't love paying taxes, it's understood why we do. Unfortunately, it seems our tax dollars aren't always being funneled towards healthcare, education and roads. Lots of bonuses are being paid out to crown corporations and their employees sometimes regardless of performance! We want our taxes to pave roads and teach kids not line the pockets of people who are already excellently paid. Guest: Franco Terrazzano, Federal Director, Canadian Taxpayers Federation

According to recent information from the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, Canada's 2019 federal election saw China covertly fund candidates associated with the Chinese Communist Party, place employees in the offices of MPs with the intent of influencing policy to benefit China and more. Scott welcomes Elliot Tepper to the show to talk about this incursion. Guest: Dr. Elliot Tepper, Emeritus Professor, Political Science, Carleton University

According to recent information from the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, Canada's 2019 federal election saw China covertly fund candidates associated with the Chinese Communist Party, place employees in the offices of MPs with the intent of influencing policy to benefit China and more. Scott welcomes Elliot Tepper to the show to talk about this incursion. Guest: Dr. Elliot Tepper, Emeritus Professor, Political Science, Carleton University - Should a sports team hire someone who was a bully when they were 14? Do referees ever favour one team over another when making a call? Is there a way to get a ref on your side? How should we feel about the Houston Astros' and their World Series win? It's all coming up on this week's edition of Sports Talk with Don Robertson. Guest: Don Robertson, Head Coach & Owner, Dundas Real McCoys & Broker of Record, ComChoice Realty

Last year around this time, the people behind Hamilton Day had brought it back after a long time without it. Now we hear it's returning this year as well, possibly becoming an annual tradition going forward. Chrystia Freeland, the Finance Minister gave her mini-budget. The good news: the federal government brought in revenues of roughly $40 BILLION more than what was projected (though most of the reason might be because of inflation). The Bad News (depending on who you ask): is sounds like the Federal govenrment might pour this right back into the market, which seems to have been the cause of our inflation problem. We talk to Dr Ian Lee more about this. The CFL announced their All-Stars list... SYKE! They announced that there was a msitake with how the list was put together, so the "All-Stars" are not All-Stars anymore.

Some people - maybe because they haven't lived here all their live - are now adults who have NEVER experienced Halloween. A piece at The Spec: "I’m 27 years old and have never been trick or treating" by Spec Reporter Beatriz Baleeiro. She's going out trick-or-treating tonight for the first time. One week ago, we were talking about the election as the votes were coming in. One week later, we see the electoral map of Hamilton, showing where votes from various polling stations went for Mayor. What we see is a stark image of our city. Russ Powers joins us, soon-to-be out-going councilor for ward 5. It's Monday, which means we sit down with Don Robertson once again for Sports talk.

On this edition of The Scott Radley Show Podcast, we are joined for the Brightest Conversation in Hamilton Radio by Graeme Mackay. The outstanding editorial cartoonist for the Hamilton Spectator. We’re going to be talking about the local election, Andrea Horwath, drawing, art, free speech, and if a Prince throw his family under the bus in a memoire? Lots more on The Scott Radley Show Podcast.

Less than 72 hours after the Hamilton election was finalized (an election that was meant to change everything, get rid of the division), Councilors are already taking shots at other Hamilton politicians, including one open letter saying they will not talk to the Hamilton Spectator because of a police story that was covered, claiming it was racist. Sports talk with Bubba O'Neil! We're hearing Aaron Judge may get a contract for 10 years $500 million judge! If you own a baseball team and a few billion dollars, would you sign Aaron Judge for $500 million?

We've talked about it a couple of times this year because it keeps happening. Analysts and "experts" keep raising interests and ringing alarm bells. And yet it keeps happening! Which might mean that the alarm bells don't need to be rung, or it might mean that there will come a day where if you cry wolf enough times a wolf might appear. IPSOS did a poll about Hockey Culture. 6 in 10 Canadians say they believe there is a problem with Hockey Culture. Is that the case? Is it worse than it use to be?

Housing prices are dropping which some are celebrating while others are concerned. Could this housing market lead to a crash? Guest: Dr. Eric Kam, Professor, Macroeconomics, Toronto Metropolitan University - How do the different regions of Canada feel about each other? Do we properly understand the culture of the provinces and are they properly presented? Guest: Charles Breton, Executive Director, Centre of Excellence on the Canadian Federation - There's a likelihood that strong mayors powers will be granted to a number of municipalities in Ontario within the next term. Hamilton is one such municipality which begs the question of how that could, and if it even should, play into who you'll vote for. Guest: John Mascarin, Partner, Aird & Berlis LLP

Why would anyone want to mix two different strains of COVID? Is making a more powerful variant uncommon in labs nowadays? How dangerous is it to make something like this? Guest: Dr. Ahmad Firas Khalid, Health Policy PhD graduate and Queen Elizabeth Scholar - As the Toronto Raptors begin their season, do they have a good chance at winning the championship this year or could they be working towards making next year's championship their target? Will the NFL see Tom Brady truly retire part way through the season? It looks like Tua Tagovailoa is cleared to take the field this week however after taking some incredible hits that look like they clearly led to concussions, what's changed? Is the NFL's claimed concern for players' safety valid if he gets hit and concussed again? Guest: Bubba O'Neil, Sports Anchor, CHCH-TV

A poll is showing that Andrea Horwath is currently leading Hamilton's mayoral race. Is name recognition enough to win this and is she too far ahead for the second-place candidate to catch up? What else does the electorate think? Guest: Robert Martin, Data Analyst, Main Street Research - Sass Jordan is coming to Ancaster this Friday! Chances are pretty good that you've heard her name before and now you can come see her live. She's done a lot of amazing things and Scott welcomes her to the show to talk about all of this and more. Guest: Sass Jordan, Award-Winning Musician

It's been 4 years since cannabis' legalization here in Canada. What knowledge has been gained about the drug in this time? Guest: James MacKillop, Professor, Psychiatry & Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University & Director, Peter Boris Centre for Addictions Research, St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton - Should someone's upbringing, race or socio-economic circumstance be brought into consideration as a factor that could influence a court case? Guest: Jeff Manishen, Former Prosecutor; Criminal Defence Counsel, Ross & McBride LLP - What's the best fan celebration in sports? Is there a more important player on a hockey team than the goalie? What does the NFL have that makes it more appealing to football fans than the CFL game? Scott welcomes Don Robertson back to the show to debate these questions and more on this weeks edition of Sports Talk with Don Robertson. Guest: Don Robertson, Head Coach & Owner, Dundas Real McCoys & Broker of Record, ComChoice Realty

When your Friday shows are called The Brightest Conversation in Hamilton Radio, you need someone who's both really bright and really good at conversation and there are few comparable to the one and only Annette Hamm. She joins Scott to talk about canceling school on hot days because the building has no air conditioning, social media user slamming candidates rather than supporting others, Disney's theme parks pricing people out of visiting, voting for a candidate based solely on their gender and more. Guest: Annette Hamm, Co-Host, Morning Live, CHCH-TV

What's the point of having an inquiry into the federal government's use of the Emergencies Act? Will anything be changed by this inquiry? Guest: Stephen LeDrew, Host, The LeDrew Three Minute Interview & Former President, Liberal Party of Canada - What's with our obsession with getting new things? A new book aims at tackling that question and how it is that we always find a way to acquire more stuff. Guest: Paul Berton, Author of "Shopomania: Our Obsession With Possession" & Editor-in-Chief, The Hamilton Spectator - All of the top TV shows except for NFL football were dealt losses over the last year which is never a good sign. Why are these viewership numbers dropping so heavily and what could it spell for the future? Guest: Robert Thompson, Founding Director, Bleier Center for Television and Popular Culture & Trustee Professor, Television and Popular Culture, Newhouse School of Public Communications, Syracuse University

The Toronto Maple Leafs will be playing their season opener tonight against the Montreal Canadiens. What can fans expect to see this year and the age old question surfaces once again, could this be the year? No, not win the Stanley Cup! Will they win a round in the playoffs? Guest: David Alter, Publisher & Reporter, Inside The Maple Leafs, SI - Were you taught about how to work with money? A Leger poll found that around 65% of Canadians said no in response to that question. Why is this? Guest: Marvin Ryder, Associate Professor of Marketing, DeGroote School of Business, McMaster University - Many amazing people call Hamilton home and one such person is now a champion triathlete! She won the Women's 60-64 age category at the 2022 Kona Ironman and now she joins Scott to talk about how she is able to accomplish such an amazing feat at 60 years and what's she's planning to do next. Guest: Sharon MacKinnon, 2022 Kona Ironman F60-64 Champion

It used to be hard to find a job not too long ago however it now seems like everywhere is looking employees. What's changed and why does it seem like every business is hiring so suddenly? Guest: Dr. Wayne Lewchuk, Professor, Labour Studies, McMaster University - The Hamilton Tiger-Cats Alumni Association will be putting on a dinner tomorrow night to honour Danny McManus who'll be getting his name put up on the Wall of Honour in addition to the 1972 Tiger-Cats team who won the Grey Cup at their home stadium, the first team in the modern CFL to do so. Scott is joined by the quarterback of that team, Chuck Ealey, to talk about this and more. Guest: Chuck Ealey, Former Tiger-Cats Quarterback, 1972 Grey Cup Winner & MVP - Today is Canadian Beer Day! Is there a special way beer drinkers celebrate this? Do other people actually like those super bitter craft beers? What inspires someone to start their own brewery? Ed Madronich, of Shaun & Ed Brewing Company, joins Scott to answer these questions and more. Guest: Ed Madronich, Co-Founder, Shaun & Ed Brewing Company

These last few weeks have seen some of Hamilton's top mayoral candidates join the show to talk about their plan for Hamilton, should they be voted in, on what Scott likes to call Mayoral Monday. Hear the interviews Scott conducted with Andrea Horwath, Keanin Loomis & Bob Bratina.

Scott welcomes on one of the candidates running to be Hamilton's next mayor, Bob Bratina, to the show where they talk about his plan for Hamilton, should he be elected as mayor. Guest: Bob Bratina, Mayoral Candidate, 2022 Hamilton Municipal Election - There is no shortage of things to talk about in the world of sports this week! From the cheating allegations in competitive fishing to Mackenzie Hughes' second PGA win, Don and Scott cover it all. Guest: Don Robertson, Head Coach & Owner, Dundas Real McCoys & Broker of Record, ComChoice Realty

With another Friday evening comes another edition of The Brightest Conversation in Hamilton Radio, this week featuring Jamie West! Today is also National Truth & Reconciliation Day which has Scott and Jamie talking about what this day is designed to mark, if today should be a stat holiday and more in addition to the benefits and drawbacks of having inexperienced politicians, almost catching a baseball that would be worth a ton of money and what's with peoples' fascination with true crime & serial killers? Guest: Jamie West, Chief Executive Officer and Creative Director

After moderating 16 political debates, has Mike Fortune's sanity been permanently altered? How does he feel about the future of Hamilton's political scene? Guest: Mike Fortune, Host, The Hamilton Network, Cable 14 - The topic of LRT in Hamilton is enduring with many for and against but in an area of Toronto, it's actually being built. The catch is that this project began construction 11 years ago, is still underway and its deadline to be finished just came and went. If this project is still being built, how has it affected the surrounding businesses and could we see a similar thing happen here? Guest: Enzo Torrone, Chair, Fairbank Village BIA - After 21 years, CHCH's Morning Live will be needing a new co-host because Bob Cowan has announced his retirement! In fact, his last time on the air will be tomorrow morning. Scott welcomes Bob to the show to recount his time on the air and what's next. Guest: Bob Cowan, Co-Host, Morning Live, CHCH-TV

Lots and lots of bonuses were given out to government executives even during the pandemic and yet the reasons for those bonuses are so flimsy! Bonuses are supposed to be given out for performance that is above and beyond what's expected, did the bare minimum even get achieved? What kind of message does this send to the public? Guest: Franco Terrazzano, Federal Director, Canadian Taxpayers Federation - Many European countries have some major questions that will need answers as the weather gets colder and their main source of energy runs dry thanks to a gamble that was placed on Russian oil. While this may seem like an issue that would affect European countries, the world economy is tied together which means we could be impacted too. What would that look like and how severe could it be? Guest: Dr. Eric Kam, Professor of Macroeconomics, Monetary Economics, International Monetary Economics, Implications of Monetary Growth, Toronto Metropolitan University - As we near the 50th anniversary of Paul Henderson's goal during the 1972 Summit Series, Scott has started to wonder, what is the greatest moment in Canadian sports history? Guest: Steve Foxcroft, Sports Commentator, NFL Chain Gang Member & VP, Fluke Transportation Group

Scott welcomes on one of the candidates running to be Hamilton's next mayor, Keanin Loomis, to the show where they talk about his plan for Hamilton should he be elected as mayor. Guest: Keanin Loomis, Mayoral Candidate, 2022 Hamilton Municipal Election - What injury was sustained by Tua Tagovailoa? Is the NFL's concussion protocol a sham? What makes a player one of the greats? And should you put more effort into getting into the playoffs or saving your best pitchers so you can do well in the playoffs (assuming you make it in)? These questions and more get debated and possibly even answered in this week's edition of Sports Talk with Don Robertson. Guest: Don Robertson, Head Coach & Owner, Dundas Real McCoys & Broker of Record, ComChoice Realty

What should happen to Hamilton's city council during a municipal election? Are small things worth settling or should it all be decided by the next council? Guest: Larry Di Ianni, Former Mayor of Hamilton - Bill C-11 wants to govern what Canadians view online by promoting Canadian content over others. Is that actually how it would work or is there something more going on? Does anyone other than the government actually something like this put in place? Guest: JJ McCullough, Political Commentator & Youtuber - The Hamilton Tiger-Cats have been performing terribly this year however their showing against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers was surprisingly great. Is this a sign of things to come or was it simply a fluke? Guest: Bubba O'Neil, Sports Anchor, CHCH-TV

University is often something that's touted as being the bastion of debate and alternative points of view. Some research has found that may not be the case anymore as the political leanings and opinions of professors has shifted across Canada. Guest: Dr. Christopher Dummitt, Professor, Canadian History, Trent University & Podcast Host, 1867 & All That. - This week marks a big milestone for M*A*S*H but that's not the only big TV news that's happened and is happening. Scott welcomes Bill Brioux to talk about what's going on in television today. Guest: Bill Brioux, Television Critic & Author, brioux.tv

This week's edition of The Brightest Conversation in Hamilton Radio features Dave Woodard who joins Scott to talk about Australians wanting Steve Irwin on their money, the CFL and the position the Tiger-Cats find themselves in, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, transitioning to a cashless society and more. Guest: Dave Woodard, News Anchor, 900 CHML

Are you preparing to start going back to work on-site or hunkering down to keep working from home? Do you even want to stop working from home? Guest: Dr. Andrew Parkin, Executive Director, Environics Institute - Why does it seem like there isn't a government nor party who has any intention of saving or cutting back on spending? Could all this spending, this time from Doug Ford, be part of what's contributing to inflation's rapid rise? Guest: Jay Goldberg, Ontario Director & Interim Atlantic Director, Canadian Taxpayer Federation - There's almost a recycling of music nowadays as entire catalogues get bought and re-released and covers are put out and sampling pulls favourite clips & obscure ones alike. How has this contributed to a lack of 'new-ness' by regurgitating popular music of the past? Guest: Eric Alper, Publicist, Music Commentator & Shameless Idealist

What is worse for us to face, a recession or inflation? That's seemingly the choice that's having to be made as the fight against inflation continues but could a third, and albeit worse, option be on the table, we get both a recession and more inflation? Guest: Dr. Eric Kam, Professor, Macroeconomics, Toronto Metropolitan University - If you voluntarily give your DNA to the police and it gets used for more than just that case, were your rights violated? Where is the line drawn and if it hasn't been drawn yet, where should it be drawn? Guest: Jeff Manishen. Former prosecutor; Criminal Defence Counsel, Ross & McBride LLP - It turns out that music is a fantastic tool for reconnecting with people who are afflicted with diseases like dementia. How does our brain interact with music and what is the response actually like in someone with dementia? Guest: Rachael Finnerty, Registered Psychotherapist, Certified Music Therapist & Music Therapy Academy Founder

Having a conversation requires two people but it simply can't happen when one of those people is belligerent, rude and inconsiderate. Unfortunately, that's the nice way of describing how some people conduct themselves online and someone has found this to be a major hindrance to their business. How is The Conversation dealing with problematic users who make it impossible to have a conversation? Guest: Scott White, Editor-in-Chief & CEO, The Conversation Canada - Gerry Dee has found a way onto many different TV shows all while also being a stand-up comedian. As a stand-up comedian, he's taking the stage right here in Hamilton on Thursday Sept. 15! Scott welcomes him to the show to talk about the show and more. Guest: Gerry Dee, Actor & Stand-Up Comedian

Scott welcomes on one of the candidates running to be Hamilton's next mayor, Andrea Horwath, to the show where they talk about her newly released plan for Hamilton. Guest: Andrea Horwath, Mayoral Candidate, 2022 Hamilton Municipal Election - Do you feed an easy pitch to a batter who's about to break a milestone? What should be done about the Montreal Canadiens' new captain who doesn't speak any french? These questions and more get answered in this weeks' edition of Sports Talk with Don Robertson. Guest: Don Robertson, Head Coach & Owner, Dundas Real McCoys & Broker of Record, ComChoice Realty

This week's edition of The Brightest Conversation in Hamilton Radio features none other than CHML's very own, Bill Kelly! He's worked all morning and now Scott is pulling him in to work all evening long where they talk about what the future of the monarchy may look like, simplifying the way governments and their subsidiaries speak about things, the state of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and more. Guest: Bill Kelly, Host, The Bill Kelly Show (9a-12p), 900 CHML

The Scott Radley show for September 8th: Guests: Nathan Tidridge - Presented the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal by the Prince of Wales in 2012. Author of Beyond Mainland, Canada's Constitutional Monarchy, and Prince Edward, Duke of Kent. Robert Finch - The Dominion Chairman of the Monarchist League of Canada. Tim Powers - Chair of Summa Strategies

As winter approaches, it's possible we could be seeing a massive 30% jump to the price to heat your home. This comes after an already staggering jump of 50% to the price. What's happened to all of the liquid natural gas (LNG) that's purported to be under Canada? Can't we just use that for cheap? Guest: Patrick DeHaan, Head of Petroleum Analysis, Gasbuddy.com - The Bank of Canada is set to have another hike to its interest rate which could be very threatening to jobs all over Canada in addition to the economy itself. Is a recession imminent? Guest: Dr. Ian Lee, Associate Professor, Sprott School of Business, Carleton University - When entertainers betray the image they try to project to the world, what should we do? Should a musician who's accused of horrendous acts continue to get air play on the radio? Should we continue to enjoy the works of entertainers and athletes after they are accused? What if they're found guilty? Guest: Alan Cross, Host, The Ongoing History of New Music & Creator, A Journal of Musical Things

Hamilton will be implementing a new 'nuisance bylaw'. How does this one differ from other bylaws and laws that already exist and why is it being put forth? Guest: John Paul Danko, Ward 8 Councillor, City of Hamilton - The Hamilton Tiger-Cats have been performing terribly this year. Despite their 3 wins and 9 losses this season, they aren't completely out of the race in the East Division. Does that indicate something wrong with the league? On another note, how has the ideal NFL & CFL player changed over time to match what kind of game the leagues have been trying to go for? Guest: Steve Foxcroft, NFL Chain-Gang Member, Vice-President, Fluke Transport

Hamilton's city budget deal with large sums of money but how much of that money is actually being spent on each Hamiltonian? How does this compare to past spending and other cities? Guest: Jason Clemens, Executive Vice President, Fraser Institute - Rob Golfi, a local real estate agent, is being sued by another agent from the US over a pose that he does in advertisements. This other agent says that Golfi is infringing on his pending trademark pose. Is there an argument that can be made here and what can actually be trademarked? What, if any, difference is there between trademarks and copyright? Guest: Rebecca Kupfer, Associate Lawyer (Trademarks, Copyright, IP Litigation), Shift Law - Is Serena Williams the greatest female tennis player of all time? What makes a network more inclined to give air time to one sporting event over another? Guest: Bubba O'Neil, Sports Anchor, CHCH-TV

When the federal government conducts a census, the findings don't get released in one big information dump, instead opting for a trickle. Some of that info trickle has been released and it would appear that 1 in 5 people in Hamilton is over the age of 65. How could that statistic impact the city and the rest of its population? Guest: Steve Buist, Reporter, The Hamilton Spectator - Roberto Alomar won't be joining in the commemoration of the Toronto Blue Jays' 30th anniversary of their 1992 World Series win. How should we deal with players who have, or are alleged to have, committed crimes? Guest: Steve Foxcroft, Sports Broadcaster, NFL Chain Gang Member, NBA Court-side Administrator, Referee & Vice-President, Fluke Transport - Has HGTV ruined home renovation? There's an undeniable 'look' that can be attributed to the many shows on the network but how has that permeated into the rest of interior design? Guest: Glen Peloso, Creative Princial, Glen Peloso Design

Is a 35% raise something that the government can afford to give to education workers over the next 3 years? While a strike voting is set to take place, will either side back down? Guest: Jay Goldberg, Ontario Director, Canadian Taxpayers Federation - A British study found that 85.7% of respondents feel that music is vital to maintaining their mental health. Should this be surprising to us or has the ability to bring music with us allowed it to become a much more integral part of us? Guest: Eric Alper Publicist and Music Commentator - What is this municipal election going to be about? There doesn't seem to be any one central issue that's in question - or is there? Guest: Larry Di Ianni, Host & Community Producer, Cable 14 & Former Hamilton Mayor

Scott is back for another wonderful show to talk about the latest impending strike vote, which union this concerns and what they want this time. Scott also welcomes Don Robertson back to the show for another round of conversations about everything that's going on in the realm of sports. Guests: Laura Walton, President, CUPE's Ontario School Board Council of Unions Don Robertson, Head Coach & Owner, Dundas Real McCoys & Broker of Record, ComChoice Realty

Why are we hearing so much controversy surrounding Taiwan and China's anger over US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan? What is China and Taiwan's relationship like and could we see a similar situation to Russia's invasion of Ukraine? Guest: Dr. Charles Burton, Senior Fellow, Centre for Advancing Canada's Interests Abroad, Macdonald-Laurier Institute - Why would a journalist agree to speak with Dellen Millard who, along with Mark Smich, was convicted of murdering Laura Babcock and Tim Bosma? What does a killer have to gain by speaking to the media? Scott gets answers to these questions and more with the help of Adrian Humphreys. Guest: Adrian Humphreys, Reporter, National Post & Host, The Mob Reporter - There are a lot of people who look back at the original Woodstock music festival through rose coloured glasses. This was so much so that there was an attempt to do it again in 1999 for what's become infamously known as Woodstock '99. What went wrong? Was the original Woodstock really that good? Let's open our history books and take a look back in time with Alan Cross. Guest: Alan Cross, Music Historian & Host, The Ongoing History of New Music

Problems at Pearson Airport have put into question convenient travel. How will this affect travel? Will it affect travel in the short term? Long term? Guest: Eric Kam Economics Professor Toronto Metropolitan University - "Today Years Old" is a meme on the internet surrounding all things you may not have known before today (e.g. "I was today years old when I learned _____"). Let's bring in technical producer Tom McKay and quiz him on things he may not have known! - There appears to be an imbalance between the West and the East of the CFL. Year after year it seems, the East division pales in comparison to the mighty West division. Why is that? Also some more with Bubba O'Neil Guest: Bubba O'Neil, Sports Anchor, CHCH-TV

It seems like we keep hearing about incidents, some of which are fatal, on Hamilton's roads. Questions are starting to be raised around the safety of Hamilton's streets and if they're engineered to be safe. Guest: John Paul Danko, Ward 8 City Councillor, City of Hamilton - Many people have traveled far and wide to catch a glimpse of the Stanley Cup. Could you imagine what it would be like to look out the front window to see it being hand delivered to your house? Guest: Kit Karbler, Accidentally was delivered the Stanley Cup - Ever noticed that jingles have fallen to the wayside in commercials? There are so many that you remember and yet it seems like companies are choosing to use popular music instead of jingles nowadays. What's changed and why are these commercial jingles so effective at sticking in our minds? Guest: Juan Manuel Hernandez Chico, Student Assistant, Special Collections in Mass Media & Culture, University of Maryland Libraries

There's talk of wiping the criminal record of Canadians who were convicted of possessing cannabis back before it was legalized. Is this a good idea or is there a major component that is being overlooked? Guest: Jeff Manishen, Former prosecutor; Criminal Defence Counsel, Ross & McBride LLP - Does tennis need a 'villain'? Is there any hope for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats? These questions and more get asked and addressed on this week's edition of Sports Talk with Don Robertson. Guest: Don Robertson, Head Coach & Owner, Dundas Real McCoys & Broker of Record, ComChoice Realty

This week's edition of The Brightest Conversation in Hamilton features Phil Perkins who joins Scott to talk about Ontario's right to disconnect legislation, taking incredible amounts of money to play in a new controversial golf league, a football team's decision to sign a player with many lawsuits and allegations, how Phil got into broadcasting and more. Guest: Phil Perkins, Evening News Anchor, CHCH-TV

The Hamilton Bulldogs' general manager, Steve Staios, has been voted as the OHL's general manager of the year. Scott welcomes Steve to the show to get his take on winning this award, the challenges of being a GM and more. Guest: Steve Staios, General Manager, Hamilton Bulldogs & Winner, Jim Gregory GM of the Year Award - The City of Hamilton is taking in and helping support 50 Ukrainian families who are fleeing the war in their country. This is unquestionably a good thing but how does the support of these families manage to total approximately $670,000 a month? Guest: Jason Farr, Ward 2 Councillor, City of Hamilton

How did you learn to read? It's a question that you probably don't think about much however the way children are learning today likely differs from how you did. Should that change back or is this more modern method superior? Does the difference help kids with reading challenges like dyslexia? Guest: Dr. Erin Panda, Assistant Professor, Department of Child and Youth Studies at Brock University & Cognitive Neuroscientist

How did you learn to read? It's a question that you probably don't think about much however the way children are learning today likely differs from how you did. Should that change back or is this more modern method superior? Does the difference help kids with reading challenges like dyslexia? Guest: Dr. Erin Panda, Assistant Professor, Department of Child and Youth Studies at Brock University & Cognitive Neuroscientist - Many local Hamilton businesses are still recovering from the pandemic and the Hamilton Business Rally is here to help. Scott is joined by its creator to help explain how it benefits local businesses and how you can play a role in it. Guest: Krysta Boyer, Creator, Hamilton Business Rally - How long has it been since a Canadian hockey team has won the Stanley Cup? You might be surprised by the answer and maybe also a little suspicious. Scott discusses this and more with Bubba O'Neil. Guest: Bubba O'Neil, Sports Anchor, CHCH-TV

Air travel was once a glamorous endeavour however it's anything but that nowadays and much less so if you find yourself going through Toronto's Pearson Airport. What makes it such a slog to get through and is this something unique to YYZ or is there a larger issue at hand? Guest: Gabor Lukacs, President, Founder and Coordinator of Air Passenger Rights - The most recent season of Survivor has come to a close and we now know who the winner is. It turns out that we spoke with her a few months ago back when Survivor was just starting up! Scott catches up with Maryanne Oketch to hear about if her intense study of Survivor strategy was put to use, what it's like to win such an iconic show and more. Guest: Maryanne Oketch, Winner of Survivor 42

GUESTS: Neil Lumsden Incumbent MPP, Ontario Provincial Parliament for Hamilton East-Stoney Creek Esther Pauls Ward 7 City Councillor  Don Robertson, Head Coach & Owner, Dundas Real McCoys & Broker of Record, ComChoice Realty

Inflation is biting all of us. The benchmark interest rate has risen by half a point by the Bank of Canada to hopefully stimulate the economy as we did when the pandemic started. Guest: Marvin Ryder, Associate Professor of Marketing, DeGroote School of Business, McMaster University - This upcoming Ontario election has seemed fairly quiet in terms of smear campaigns, hostile ads and all around negative feelings towards the opposing parties. Guest: Michael Taube. Columnist for Troy Media and Loonie Politics.  Contributor to the National Post and Washington Times.  Was a speechwriter for former Prime Minister Stephen Harper.  - KISS has announced their farewell tour, and in an interview Gene Simmons confirmed this will be the last one and then they will retire forever. The reason is "we don't think that people wanna see a bunch of old men on stage..." Guest: Eric Alper Publicist and Music Commentator 

An article about how journalists and the media at large has incorrectly covered the unmarked graves found throughout Canada has garnered an enormous amount of attention. What was actually said by the indigenous communities and how did that get misconstrued by the media? Guest: Terry Glavin, Ottawa Citizen & National Post columnist; Contributing Editor, Maclean's magazine; Senior Fellow, Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights - We are just days away from finding out who will be crowned Premier of Ontario. As that day nears, it seems like the polls are saying one thing while social media is saying another. Does any one party leader have an obvious lead or is it a toss up as to which party will win? Guest: Stephen LeDrew, Political Commentator; Host, The LeDrew Three Minute Interview; Former President, Liberal Party of Canada

The ages of voters vary as do the priorities of those same voters. What kind of priorities does the younger voter have? Are they unique to young voters or are these priorities shared by many other voter demographics? Guest: Sarah Rana, Volunteer with Future Majority - This week's edition of Sports Talk with Don Robertson features an interesting position that the Hamilton Bulldogs may have found themselves in, consistency in referees' and umpires' calls, if the Maple Leafs should stay the course in the wake of getting knocked out of the playoffs' first round again and more. Guest: Don Robertson, Head Coach & Owner, Dundas Real McCoys & Broker of Record, ComChoice Realty

This week's edition of The Brightest Conversation in Hamilton features Graeme Mackay who joins Scott to talk about Arnold Schwarzenegger in Hamilton, holding politicians accountable for things they did/said as children, Hamilton counsel making Main Street a 2-way street, is referring to someone as bald sexual harassment? and much more! Guest: Graeme Mackay, Editorial Cartoonist, The Hamilton Spectator

Guests: Are the unions support of the Conservatives a surprise?  Eric Kam Economics Professor Toronto Metropolitan University Will the Leafs be able to avoid a game seven and defeat the two-time defending Stanley Cup Champ Lightning Thursday? Is the Jays current cold streak cause for concern or is it early in the season still? Bubba O'Neil Sports Anchor CHCH News

With the recent Wayne Gretzky bridge incident with large debris on the highway, could the same thing happen in Hamilton? Guest: Lloyd Ferguson Ward 12 Councillor   With the government taking UFO research more seriously, has anything changed to make this more warranted than in the past? Guest: Chris Rutkowski Ufolofgist  Are youtubers really reacting to famous classic songs for the first time, or are they faking it for likes? What artists are the future or rock and roll music, plus this year's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame class. Guest: Eric Alper Publicist and Music Commentator 

Should everyone go to University? If they do, will their post graduate salaries be close to their expectations? Guest: Trevor Buttrum, Executive Director Canadian Association of Career Educators and Employers With the ongoing effects of the pandemic on education, does reintroducing Grade 13 makes sense? Guest: Paul Bennett, Director and Lead Researcher of School House Institute After the Leafs game four defeat to the Lightning, what is the outlook for the rest of the series? What is standing in the way of more accountability for officials and referees? Can the CFL endure the possible strike with Collective Bargaining talks stalling with the players? Guest: Don Robertson, Head Coach & Owner, Dundas Real McCoys & Broker of Record, ComChoice Realty

This week's edition of The Brightest Conversation in Hamilton features Jamie West who joins Scott to talk about whether people can handle a joke anymore, whether or not Hamiltonians  should have to pay the same taxes regardless of the services they receive, swearing in politics and more. Guest: Jamie West, Host, The Jamie West Podcast & CEO, Westpro Media

If you spend any amount of time with your eyes open, you'll see an advertisement for some gambling site. Does constantly getting bombarded by these ads at all time of day make you want to place a bet or change the channel? Guest: Rick Zamperin, Host of Good Morning Hamilton & The 5th Quarter, News Director & Sports Director, 900 CHML - With Mother's Day only days away, Scott welcomes Dr. Jean Chamberlain who's done incredible work to improve women's health in developing nations. How is this being accomplished and how can you help this Mother's Day? Guest:  Dr. Jean Chamberlain Froese, M.D.; Obstetrician, St. Joseph's Healthcare; Professor of Obstetrics, McMaster University; Co-Founder of Save the Mothers - Canada's rules surrounding who can access Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) may be changing in the not too distant future and that's made for a lot of controversy. What should qualify someone for MAiD and are morals something that should be considered in this conversation? Guest: Dr. Sonu Gaind, Chief of Psychiatry & Medical Director of Mental Health, Humber River Hospital; Co-Director of Adult Psychiatry Health Systems Division, Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto

What makes a politician more likely to be voted in? Well as we approach an election here in Ontario, a professor has written an article about who he thinks will win and why. Scott welcomes that same professor to the show to talk more about this and why people are more likely to vote for one type of politician than another. Guest: Dr. Robert Danisch, Professor, Department of Communication Arts, University of Waterloo - If you take a look at pictures from back in the day circa 1970, you might notice that it seems like no one is carrying some extra weight on their body compared to today. Why is that? Why do we see more overweight people nowadays compared to "back in the day"? Guest: Richard Fast, Author, "Obesity: Cause and Cure"

May 9 is known as Victory Day in Russia, marking the defeat of the Nazis in World War II. The intelligence community is warning that there's a chance Vladimir Putin may use the holiday to increase his war effort against Ukraine. What would this look like and what could it mean for the conflict & the world as a whole? Guest: Dr. Christian Leuprecht, Professor at both the Royal Military College of Canada and Queen's University, and a Fellow at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute - The NFL draft is something that many football fans get together for and watch on TV but why isn't that the case for the CFL's draft? Should this be something TV networks start covering and if they did, is the viewership even there? Guest: Rod Pedersen, Host, The Rod Pedersen Show; Former Play-by-Play Announcer, Saskatchewan Roughriders - As the Johnny Depp & Amber Heard trial continues, many are tuning in to watch on their TVs. Should Canada consider bringing cameras into the courtroom to broadcast trials as they happen? Guest: Jeff Manishen. Former prosecutor; Criminal Defence Counsel, Ross & McBride LLP

The Green Party of Ontario's leader, Mike Schreiner, was in Hamilton today where he made a few campaign promises. Scott welcomes Mike to the show to talk more about what he wants to get done, his thoughts on potentially working with the other parties and more. Guest: Mike Schreiner, Leader, Green Party of Ontario - The war in Ukraine has interrupted a major element in the world's food supply. How large will this impact be? Dr. Sylvain Charlebois has written an article about this exact topic and the results don't sound pretty. Guest: Dr. Sylvain Charlebois a.k.a. The Food Professor, Senior Director, Agri-Food Analytics Lab, Dalhousie University - As another week begins, another edition of Sports Talk with Don Robertson welcomes you to it. The Toronto Maple Leafs playing their first game of the playoffs tonight, the Blue Jays starting their series against the Yankees, officiating strictness between regular season and playoffs and more is on the docket tonight! Guest: Don Robertson, Head Coach & Owner, Dundas Real McCoys & Broker of Record, ComChoice Realty

This week's edition of The Brightest Conversation in Hamilton features Lorraine Sommerfeld who joins Scott to talk about the safety of Hamilton's streets, trusting autonomous cars, creating laws for space, equalizing the workforce, the prospect of kissing each other through the internet someday and more. Guest: Lorraine Sommerfeld, Auto Writer with Post Media; Motherlode columnist, The Hamilton Spectator; Host, Lemon Aid Car Show

Ontario has released its proposed budget however as we near a provincial election, you can be sure a portion of it was made with reelection in mind. Does any of it come as a surprise? How likely are we to see changes made to it? Guest: Dr. Eric Kam, Professor, Macroeconomics, Toronto Metropolitan University - 24 Sussex Drive is known to many as the home of the Prime Minister however it currently is anything but. We hear about how it's fallen into disrepair and how the PM doesn't even live in it. Is fixing it up worth doing or should it get bulldozed and have a whole new facility built? Guest: Chris Wiebe, Manager, Heritage Policy & Government Relations

The most recent census information released included the topic of aging. How will things like housing and medical attention be addressed differently to address Canada's aging and aged population? Guest: Dr. Lauren Griffith, Co-Principal Investigator, Canadian Longitudinal Study On Aging; Associate Professor in the Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence & Impact, McMaster University - A press release from the CFL was sent out today announcing some changes that are being made to the game for this upcoming season. Some of the changes are ones you may not have ever considered but will certainly make for an interesting sight. Guest: Steve Foxcroft, Sports Broadcaster, NFL Chain Gang Member, NBA Court-side Administrator, Referee & Vice-President, Fluke Transport

Maintaining a city costs a lot of money but the income doesn't always match the costs a city faces so what's a council to do? Guest: Maureen Wilson, Councillor, Ward 1, City of Hamilton - We've just seen a ton of spending be done by Doug Ford's Conservative government thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic however as we near a provincial election, it seems like every party is announcing billions and billions in spending. Why isn't anyone considering cutting back spending and trying to get things back into a somewhat normal state? Guest: Dr. Ian Lee, Associate Professor, Sprott School of Business, Carleton University - Do you remember what your first concert was and how much you paid for that ticket? In the words of Bob Dylan, the times they are-a changin' because the average cost of a concert ticket has gone way up. Why? Guest: Alan Cross, Music Historian & Journalist; Author 'A Journal of Musical Things' & Host, The Ongoing History of New Music

A judicial inquiry into the Red Hill Valley Parkway began today and as this inquiry begins, there are lawsuits waiting in the queue to enter the courts. One such lawsuit is a class-action worth $250 million and the lawyer leading this suit joins Scott to talk more about what his suit is hoping to achieve and why it's being pursued. Guest: Rob Hooper, Lawyer, Grosso Hooper Law - As the Ontario provincial election nears, the political parties are putting out their platforms just as the NDP did today. While it can be described as many things to many people, Scott welcomes NDP MPP Monique Taylor for Hamilton Mountain to talk more about the platform and what the NDP wants to accomplish should they be voted in. Guest: Monique Taylor, MPP, Hamilton Mountain - This week's edition of Sports Talk with Don Robertson features Scott, live from FirstOntario Centre, and Don who talk about the Dundas Real McCoys' recent championship win, if it's better to be an underdog or not, if modern-day hockey will ever generate a player with the status of a player like Guy Lafleur and more. Guest: Don Robertson, Head Coach & Owner, Dundas Real McCoys & Broker of Record, ComChoice Realty

Scott welcomes Mike Fortune back to the show for this week's edition of The Brightest Conversation in Hamilton. Together they tackle topics like gun bans, the passing of Guy Lafleur, becoming one of the few to score a perfect game of Pacman, tuning out from the troubles of the world, fasting from social media and more. Guest: Mike Fortune, Co-host, The Hamilton Network, Cable 14

This year marks the highest rate of inflation in 3 decades! It's not something we should celebrate but it certainly is something that we need to talk about. Guest: Dr. Eric Kam, Professor, Macroeconomics, Ryerson University - How do we feel about the government in Ottawa? It's a question that has varying answers depending on where you live but if there's one thing that appears to be prevalent, it's a sense of pessimism. Guest: Nik Nanos, Chief Data Scientist & Founder, Nanos Research - This is not the first time the driver of the vehicle that hit and killed prolific conductor Boris Brott has had a vehicle-related incident. How might that previous incident, and the causes behind it, relate to the killing of Brott? Should this indicate something bigger that needs to be done? Guest: Jeff Manishen. Former prosecutor; Criminal Defence Counsel, Ross & McBride LLP

Steven Del Duca, leader of the Ontario Liberal Party, joins Scott to talk about some of the things he wants to enact should be voted in as premier of Ontario and how he plans on actually getting them done. Guest: Steven Del Duca, Leader, Ontario Liberal Party - The Hamilton Bulldogs are crushing the competition this year in the OHL. The entire regular season yielded only 4 losses which means there's an obviously huge amount of pressure on the team. Luckily they've got loads of talent in the form of players like Arber Xhekaj. He's big, he's tough, he's talented and he's playing for his hometown team. How does he feel about all of this? Guest: Arber Xhekaj, #8 Defenceman, Hamilton Bulldogs - Not all streaming services are flying high with record numbers of subscribers, in fact, quite the opposite is happening to some. With Netflix seeing a drop in subscribers and CNN+ hitting way below its projected mark, we're also hearing about the potential for commercials to come to certain streaming services. Why are we seeing this happen? Guest: Bill Brioux, TV blogger, brioux.tv

We've seen many city councillors move on to provincial and federal politics under the banners of various parties while others have come from those domains into municipal politics. Is having municipal politicians associated with political parties something that we should strive for or avoid altogether? Guest: Larry Di Ianni, Host & Community Producer, Cable 14 & Former Hamilton Mayor - When athletes, coaches and general managers do poor jobs, they get replaced however this doesn't seem to be the case for referees and officials who do poor jobs. Sports like baseball rely on the keen eye and mind of the umpires to determine how the game goes but sometimes they are anything but consistent. Would having a computer replace the umpire make for a better game? Guest: Bubba O'Neil, Sports Anchor, CHCH-TV

What's the likelihood of voter support surging to the federal Conservatives if they had Pierre Poilievre at the helm? A study found something interesting about how voters would feel about the Tories should Poilievre be chosen as their leader. Guest: Kate Harrison, Vice Chair, Summa Strategies - When its the 7th inning and you've got a pitcher who's been so far throwing a perfect game with only 80 pitches thrown, why would anyone think it's a good idea to swap him out? Scott wants to get to the bottom of this because he's on the verge of throwing a chair in anger! Maybe Steve Foxcroft can help calm him down... or maybe Steve will grab a chair of his own. Guest: Steve Foxcroft, Sports Broadcaster, NFL Chain Gang Member, NBA Court-side Administrator, Referee & Vice-President, Fluke Transport - With the Easter weekend upon us, Scott is wondering if people still know the story of Easter and why we take off the days we do. Does the religious significance of the days mean much to Canadians? Guest: Dr. Kevin Flatt, Professor of History & Associate Dean of Humanities, Redeemer University

The Bank of Canada has raised our national interest rate but how will it actually influence the scourge of inflation? Will we be seeing any meaningful changes or will this simply be an ineffective method hailed as a way of fighting inflation? Guest: Marvin Ryder, Associate Professor of Marketing, DeGroote School of Business, McMaster University - A study has found that surgeons who were operating while listening to hard rock were able to do the same quality of work but faster. How is it that a stimulus like music can have such an effect on us? Guest: Rachael Finnerty, Registered Psychotherapist; Certified Music Therapist; Music Therapy Academy Founder & PhD Student in Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster University

If you've seen the movie "Schindler's List" you probably remember a little girl who wore a red dress as the symbol hope. She has grown up and is now helping Ukrainians who are fleeing the war by way of the Polish border. Scott welcomes her onto the show from the Polish-Ukrainian border to talk about her life after the movie, why she's helping at the border and more. Guest: Oliwia Dabrowska, 'The Girl In The Red Dress' from Schindler's List & Volunteer at the Ukrainian-Polish border helping Ukrainian refugees

Gilbert Gottfried may have passed on today but a wonderful video will live on for a long time. That video happens to involve Karen Cumming, a then-reporter with CHCH, who had an opportunity to interview Gottfried which turned into a laughing fit like no other. She joins Scott to relive that moment and more. Guest: Karen Cumming, Former Reporter, CHCH-TV, Mars 100 Candidate & Author - There's word about a potential rise that may be coming to our interest rate. What kind of implications would come from this? Guest: Don Fox, Executive Financial Consultant, Fox Group Private Wealth Management - If you've seen the movie "Schindler's List" you probably remember a little girl who wore a red dress as the symbol hope. She has grown up and is now helping Ukrainians who are fleeing the war by way of the Polish border. Scott welcomes her onto the show from the Polish-Ukrainian border to talk about her life after the movie, why she's helping at the border and more. Guest: Oliwia Dabrowska, 'The Girl In The Red Dress' from Schindler's List & Volunteer at the Ukrainian-Polish border helping Ukrainian refugees

The government wants to get rid of disinformation online but at the same time, there are politicians who've spread disinformation themselves! How can this actually be enacted while making sure that any punishment is dealt to everyone and not just those the government disagrees with? Guest: Stephen LeDrew, Political Commentator; Host, The LeDrew Three Minute Interview; Former President, Liberal Party of Canada - CHCH has a new home here in Hamilton! One of the first people to help break it in is one of the hosts of CHCH Morning Live, Tim Bolen. What does he think of the space and is it as good as it looks on the TV? Guest: Tim Bolen, Sports & Adventure Reporter, Morning Live, CHCH - Where would you put Sidney Crosby on a list of the best hockey players of all time? Do you like the idea of introducing more technology into baseball and using it to change the way pitchers and catchers communicate what's going to be thrown? These questions and more get answered and debated on this week's edition of Sports Talk with Don Robertson. Guest: Don Robertson, Head Coach & Owner, Dundas Real McCoys & Broker of Record, ComChoice Realty

This week's edition of The Brightest Conversation in Hamilton features Jay McQueen who joins Scott to talk about the safety of Hamilton's streets, inspecting kids' backpacks for too many snacks at school, freedom of speech in the classroom and more. Guests: Jay McQueen, Weather Reporter, Global News Radio 900 CHML & Real Estate Agent, Realty Network

The newest federal budget has been released which means Canadians get to find out how their hard-earned money is being spent. What is the goal of this budget and what are the notable parts of it? Guest: Dr. Ian Lee, Associate Professor, Sprott School of Business, Carleton University - Whenever major decisions concerning any group of people is made, efforts should be made to consult those it affects most. This isn't always the case with the homeless which is why some people are undertaking this task. So what do the people on the streets have to say about the calls being made? Guest: Tony D'Amato Stortz, Coordinator, Hamilton Alliance For Tiny Shelters - There are many famous people who were born in, grew up in and/or lived in Hamilton. The recent passing of one such person, world famous orchestra conductor Boris Brott, has Scott open the phone lines to hear about who else you think should fall under the category of "Famous Hamiltonian"?

Stelco Holdings Inc., at a city planning meeting, asked the city to consider rezoning 800 acres of surplus land on Wilcox street. Guest: John Paul Danko, Ward 8 City Councillor, City of Hamilton - Are we disliking each other more in Canada? A survey conducted by the Canadian Hub for Applied and Social Research seems to say that this is so. Guest: Jason Disano, Director, Canadian Hub for Applied and Social Research - Eric Alper tweeted recently "On this day in 1994, Nirvana's Kurt Cobain was found dead in his house in Seattle. There might never be another band who changes the landscape of music so quickly like they did." Guest: Eric Alper, Publicist, Music Commentator & Shameless Idealist

Boris Brott, one of the most internationally recognized Canadian conductors, was the victim in a fatal hit-and-run in Hamilton on April 5, 2022. He was the founder and artistic director of the National Academy Orchestra of Canada and the Brott Music Festival, both based in Hamilton. Guest: Steve Paikin, Canadian journalist, author, and documentary producer - When the war in Ukraine comes to an end, will there be any tangible justice served? Will those who've committed things like war crimes and crimes against humanity actually be brought to justice rather than merely declared as a criminal? What has to be done in order to actually get that done? Guest: Gissou Nia, Human Rights Lawyer; Director, Strategic Litigation Project, Atlantic Council - As the 2022 Masters gets ever closer, more eyes are being placed on Tiger Woods to see if he will be competing to win another green jacket. How likely is it that we'll get to see him take to the fairway this year? Will we ever see another golfer like Tiger? Where will Phil Mickelson be during this years Masters? Guest: Adam Stanley, Golf Writer & Contributor, The Globe and Mail's Report on Business

Is it time for teachers to regain discipline in the classroom? How would this even be done and is it something that can be done effectively? Guest: Michael Zwaagstra, Columnist; Senior Fellow, Frontier Centre for Public Policy; Author, "A Sage on the Stage: Common Sense Reflections on Teaching and Learning" & Public High School Teacher in Manitoba - Don Robertson joins the show every Monday to talk all about what's going on in the sports world and there's definitely no shortage of things to talk about this week. Hear it all on this week's edition of Sports Talk with Don Robertson. Guest: Don Robertson, Head Coach & Owner, Dundas Real McCoys & Broker of Record, ComChoice Realty

One of the things we've heard a lot about when it comes to Hamilton's hotly contested LRT project is that affordable housing can be built along the route but has that opportunity been missed? Guest: Karl Andrus, Community Benefits Manager, Hamilton Community Benefits Network - Back in 1986, Canada played in the FIFA World Cup for its first and, so far, only time. Tonight might change that as Team Canada is right on the door step of making it for a second time. Scott welcomes the goaltender from that 1986 World Cup team to talk about looking back on his time in the tournament, how it feels to see Canada on the brink of making it again and more. Guest: Paul Dolan, Goaltender, Team Canada, 1986 FIFA World Cup - While many Hamiltonians are yearning for the warm weather to come, another is literally soaking in the cold. Why is Yulia Shevchenkko doing 333 Polar Bear Dips and how will it help the 3 Wishes Project at St. Joseph's Hospital? Guest: Yulia Shevchenko, ICU Nurse & Polar Bear Dip Enthusiast

How should Hamilton go about managing homeless encampments here in the city's parks? The City of Hamilton had a sit down where this topic came up, Scott speaks with one of the councilors who's been involved in these talks. Guest: Jason Farr, Ward 2 Councillor, City of Hamilton - Eric Alper joins the show again to talk about who are some of Canada's most underrated and overrated musical acts are. Guest: Eric Alper, Publicist, Music Commentator & Shameless Idealist

It's not being called a coalition but it might as well be one between the federal Liberal and NDP parties that will secure the Liberal's government until 2025 while fulfilling what the NDP have been calling for. The catch is that of all those government programs there's nothing about how to they're going to pay for them nor grow the economy. Surely this means the one thing no one likes to hear, more and higher taxes for everyone! Guest: Jay Goldberg, Ontario Director, Canadian Taxpayers Federation - The dreaded idea of introducing 4 downs to the CFL has come up again but even if it was put in place, would it benefit the league or actually cause more problems? Guest: Rick Zamperin, Host of Good Morning Hamilton & The 5th Quarter, News Director & Sports Director, Global News Radio 900 CHML

As we hear more and more about the atrocities coming out of Ukraine, you have to start asking whether or not the old adage, "All is fair in love and war," is a true statement or just something people like to say to sound cool. What are the rules of war, if any, and do they apply to both sides equally? Guest: Dr. Christian Leuprecht, Professor at both the Royal Military College of Canada and Queen's University, and a Fellow at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute - On World Down Syndrome Day, you'll be seeing people with mismatching socks celebrating the day and all those with Down Syndrome. Scott welcomes the Chair of the Down Syndrome Association of Hamilton to the show to talk all about Down Syndrome, being a parent of someone with it, what Down Syndrome looks like around the world and more. Guest: Heather Gain, Chair, Down Syndrome Association of Hamilton - The NHL trade deadline has come, a woman is minding the net on the hockey rink in Quebec and the Browns have signed a major deal with a player who has major red flags. Hear Scott and Don Robertson's take on these topics and more on this week's edition of Sports Talk with Don Robertson. Guest: Don Robertson, Head Coach & Owner, Dundas Real McCoys & Broker of Record, ComChoice Realty

This week's edition of The Brightest Conversation in Hamilton features Mike Fortune who joins Scott to talk about staying and fighting to defend Canada if we were invaded, the driver who caused the Humboldt Broncos accident in the process of being deported, doing silly things as kids and more. Guest: Mike Fortune, Co-host, The Hamilton Network, Cable 14

A video of Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, was circulating for a bit until people started realizing that it was actually a deep fake, a video that was created by a computer. Whenever the topic of deep fakes was brought up in the past, the severity of what could be done with it was often overlooked. Is that still the case and could we be seeing more deep fakes of not just Ukraine's president but many other major political and cultural figures? Guest: Siwei Lyu, SUNY Empire Innovation Professor, Department of Computer Science and Engineering; Director, UB Media Forensic Lab & Founding Co-Director, Center for Information Integrity, University at Buffalo, State University of New York - How far would you go to help a friend? For a Hamilton man, that means traveling to the Polish-Ukrainian border to find and take care of a 7-year-old girl while her brother, his friend, can fight and defend Ukraine. How did this truly amazing story start and how is it currently going? Guest: Wyatt Raitt

The story of what happened to Jude Strickland story is unfortunately one that many Hamiltonians know but as the case returns to court after around a year, it's sure to stir up many emotions. How is Jude's father, Jamie, coping with this truly horrendous situation and how has his faith helped him forgive the driver who killed his son? Guest: Jamie Strickland, Father of Jude Strickland

The area rating system here in Hamilton is set to be debated whether it should be kept or scrapped and while that may make your eyes glaze over, it's role in determining how much you pay in taxes might be enough to make your ears perk up. That now begs the questions of what exactly is the area rating system, how does it work and is it something worth keeping? Guest: John Paul Danko, Ward 8 City Councillor, City of Hamilton - Losing a child is never easy and it's even harder when it's sudden and unexpected. The story of what happened to Jude Strickland story is unfortunately one that many Hamiltonians know but as the case returns to court, it's sure to stir up emotions. How is Jude's father, Jamie, coping with this truly horrendous situation and how has his faith helped him forgive the driver who killed his son? Guest: Jamie Strickland, Father of Jude Strickland - After a huge trade, the Toronto Blue Jays are being chosen as the AL team to watch this season. Why are they being seen as the ones to beat and will their new roster meet expectations? Guest: Mike Wilner, Baseball Columnist, Toronto Star & Podcaster

As Ontario faces a shortage of doctors, a plan is being formed to help bring more doctors to the province as well as encourage Ontarians to become doctors. Guest: Dr. Adam Kassam, President, Ontario Medical Association - We're hearing that Russia's economy isn't doing so well thanks to the sanctions that have been put in place by the international community. As this continues on, what could we see start to develop in the country and what kind of impact could it have to companies outside of Russia? Guest: Marvin Ryder, Associate Professor of Marketing, DeGroote School of Business, McMaster University - As another big name from the professional wrestling world passes away, many fans from the old days remember what these athletes mean to them. As many look back, Scott also finds out what's happening nowadays and how things are changing, or not changing, for those in the ring. Greg Oliver, Producer, Slam Wrestling; Author & Sports Writer

It's that time of year again when we set our clocks forward an hour and while it may make for an inconvenience when you're trying to wake up or simply tell the time, we're told that daylight saving time comes with some really serious impacts on our health. Just how unhealthy is DST though? Guest: Dr. Richard Cytowic, Neurologist, Speaker & Author - A major player in the goalie pad game has passed away, outdoor hockey games are being played in Hamilton & Tom Brady has come out of retirement just 22 days after entering it. These signs all point to one thing, another conversation with Don Robertson is needed! Guest: Don Robertson, Head Coach & Owner, Dundas Real McCoys & Broker of Record, ComChoice Realty

This week's edition of The Brightest Conversation in Hamilton features Diana Weeks who joins Scott to talk about the 2-year anniversary of the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, whether social media platforms should allow for the calling of violence against Russian soldiers & Vladimir Putin, Diana's battle with infertility & more. Guest: Diana Weeks, News Anchor, 900 CHML

How many sex offenders live in Hamilton? Are they spread out or concentrated to only a few areas? How does this rate compare to Ontario as a whole? Scott gets answers to these questions and more with help from a reporter who looked into these exact questions and more. Guest: Katrina Clarke, Reporter, The Hamilton Spectator - Traveling to Antarctica is an arduous journey nowadays let alone back in 1915 when Sir Earnest Shackleton was leading expeditions. His ship, The Endurance, was sunk and within the last few days, was found just under 10,000 feet below the sea. Something that's shocked many is just how well the ship was preserved by the Antarctic waters (the name of the ship can still be read on the stern). Guest: Dr. Ann Coats, Marine Historian & Senior Lecturer, School of Civil Engineering & Surveying, University of Portsmouth - The MLB season can finally start now that the players and owners have come to an agreement. Guest: Steve Foxcroft, Sports Broadcaster, NFL Chain Gang Member, NBA Court-side Administrator, Referee & Vice-President, Fluke Transport

How does vaccination status vary throughout Hamilton? Can any extra information be gleaned from this? Guest: Joanna Frketich, Health Reporter, The Hamilton Spectator - It's always fun to root for a team or player from your hometown and now fans of the TV show, Survivor, who happen to be living in the GTA have someone to cheer on! Scott catches up with this contestant, who's also a former McMaster student, just before the 42nd season of Survivor airs its first episode. Guest: Maryanne Oketch, Survivor Contestant, Season 42

Ward 2 Councillor Jason Farr joins Scott to discuss a potential 45-story condo on the Hamilton waterfront. Scott is also joined by Don Robertson where they discuss a variety of topics including the Maple Leafs goaltending situation and Marie-Philip Poulin turning down an ECHL contract.

This week's edition of The Brightest Conversation in Hamilton features Jamie West who joins Scott to talk about whether or not you'd be willing to kill Vladimir Putin if it means saving the lives of thousands or more, Canadian politicians who are out of touch with gas prices and how they can help lower them, the potential for moving Hamilton's shelter for men and more. Guest: Jamie West, Host, The Jamie West Podcast & CEO, Westpro Media

Interest rates are being raised and though it is a minor increase, will it yield a minor impact on Canada or should we be preparing for a major hit? Guest: Thie Convery, Financial Columnist, The Hamilton Spectator; Wealth Advisor, Convery Wealth, IPC Securities Corporation - Many people agree that a good piece of music sounds pleasing regardless of what genre you play it in but does that mean it would be as big of a hit now, as it was when it was released? Guest: Eric Alper, Publicist, Music Commentator & Shameless Idealist

The baseball world is still in a bit of a standstill as fans continue to wait on spring training or games of any kind to be played. Where do we stand in this battle and why does it seem like it's billionaires fighting with millionaires over not getting paid enough? Guest: Mike Wilner, Baseball Columnist, Toronto Star & Podcaster - Today's edition of Ben's Story of the Day features a child who was born with an extremely rare disease called Uncombable Hair Syndrome, two animals start getting it on with each other in plain view at one of Disney's parks & according to the Ukrainian National Agency on Corruption Prevention, Ukrainians won't need to worry about claiming any captured Russian military equipment and/or vehicles on their taxes so that T-80 Main Battle Tank that you happened to come into possession of is not just your T-80 Main Battle Tank, it's your tax-free T-80 Main Battle Tank!

As the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues, an investigation into potential war crimes committed by Russia has begun. What might get found and if Putin is found to be guilty, is there any way to actually arrest and imprison him? Guest: Dr. George Fletcher, Cardozo Professor of Jurisprudence, Columbia Law School - As the Russian ruble collapses and banks get isolated from the world, how could we see the sanctions impact the Russian people and Vladimir Putin's plans as a whole? Guest: Marvin Ryder, Associate Professor of Marketing, DeGroote School of Business, McMaster University - The acts of aggression from Russia has prompted many sports organizations to not only ban Russian athletes and cancel events in the country but also strip Vladimir Putin of his belts and statuses. Will this strike a meaningful blow or is it more of a symbolic move against Putin? Guest: Mark Hebscher, Author; Podcaster; Former Host, CHCH-TV; Former Co-Host, Sportsline

A lot has been going on involving the federal government and that's certainly going to have an impact on how Canadians perceive the different parties. Nanos Research did some polling to find out how respondents feel about the parties and Scott welcomes Nik Nanos back onto the show to help analyze the results. Guest: Nik Nanos, Chief Data Scientist & Founder, Nanos Research - All throughout the Olympics, China has said that it doesn't want things to get political however it recently held a press conference in which they did exactly that, made things political! Guest: Dr. Charles Burton, Senior Fellow, Macdonald-Laurier Institute, Centre for Advancing Canada’s Interests Abroad - What's happening in Ukraine? We've heard warnings and seen support get sent off but what could go down and what's the likelihood of anything happening at all? Guest: Dr. David Marples, Distinguished University Professor, Russian and East European History, University of Alberta

Charles Juravinski, a true legend of Hamilton, has passed away at the age of 92. Scott replays an interview he did with Juravinski not too long after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic when Charles and his wife, Margaret, donated $3.3 million to help bolster COVID-19 related and brain health research here in Hamilton. - Canada's Olympic Men's Hockey Team has been eliminated from the competition. Should this come as a surprise? Also, Steve shares some words and a story or two about Charles Juravinski. Guest: Steve Foxcroft, Sports Broadcaster, NFL Chain Gang Member, NBA Court-side Administrator, Referee & Vice-President, Fluke Transport - The amount of money that's being spent on Olympic coverage by streaming services is immense and yet these Olympics aren't seeing a massive amount of viewership. To talk more about this, Scott welcomes Bill Brioux back to the show. Guest: Bill Brioux, TV blogger, brioux.tv

We found out today that there was a settlement in the case against Andrew York but is this sort of an admission of guilt? How will this settlement be perceived by the public? Guest: Jeff Manishen. Former prosecutor; Criminal Defence Counsel, Ross & McBride LLP - There's a pretty big gap between the pandemic's effect on public servants and its effect on private businesses. While one was struggling with lay offs and closures, the other seemed to be flourishing with pay raises and bonuses. Guest: Jay Goldberg, Ontario Director, Canadian Taxpayers Federation - We should be seeing baseball starting its spring training down south but instead we're seeing delays and bickering. Who's holding things up and why? Guest: Mike Wilner, Baseball Columnist, Toronto Star & Podcaster

Now that the federal government has invoked the Emergency Measures Act, what kind of weight does this bring with it? Guest: Dr. Christian Leuprecht, Professor at both the Royal Military College of Canada and Queen's University, and a Fellow at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute - Why is an Olympic athlete who's been found to be using an illegal substance still being allowed to compete? Should we be cheering on an athlete who used to compete for Canada but is now competing for the United States? And not only did the golf world see two hole in ones get shot this past weekend, they were done on what can only be described as the craziest hole in golf. Guest: Don Robertson, Head Coach & Owner, Dundas Real McCoys & Broker of Record, ComChoice Realty

This week's edition of The Brightest Conversation in Hamilton features Mike Fortune who joins Scott to talk about the 2022 Winter Olympics, the potential for missing ballots, Whoopi Goldberg's Holocaust comments, house prices in Hamilton, what sports should be returned to the Winter Olympics and more. Guest: Mike Fortune, Co-host, The Hamilton Network, Cable 14

Now that Erin O'Toole has been removed from his role as leader of the Conservative Party of Canada and an interim leader has been put in place, who would the Liberals want to take the helm of the federal Conservatives? Guest: Stephen LeDrew, Political Commentator; Host, The LeDrew Three Minute Interview; Former President, Liberal Party of Canada - Brian Flores, former head coach of the Miami Dolphins, has had a lawsuit filed against the NFL and teams for what will certainly be a landmark case. What has happened so far and where can we expect to see things go? Guest: Will Russell, Lawyer, Sport Law - Award-winning musician Alan Frew will be performing at a benefits concert here in Hamilton and Scott caught up with him to talk about this event, his experience as a rock star, writing the hit song "I Believe" which was played all the time during the 2010 Vancouver Olympics and more. Guest: Alan Frew, Award-Winning Musician & Songwriter - The 2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nominee list has been released and despite the fact that "rock & roll" is in its name, this year's list follows the trend of having some big snubs coupled with some people who play music that probably wouldn't be described as "rock & roll". Guest: Eric Alper, Publicist, Music Commentator & Shameless Idealist

How do you "follow the science" when there's science that contradicts other scientific findings? Guests: Dr. Victor Menaldo, Professor, Political Science, University of                     Washington              Dr. Mark Smith, Professor, Political Science & Adjunct Professor,                 Comparative Religion and Communication - Being locked down and isolated from others can be bad enough on its own however when you start factoring burn out's impact on a person, it starts to make sense why they might be a little more aggressive and unpleasant to be around. How common is this state becoming and how bad does it appear to be? Guest: Dr. Richard Cytowic, Neurologist, Speaker & Author - Erin O'Toole has been booted from his role as leader of the Conservative Party of Canada. There's a lot to unpack here so Scott made sure to bring some help. Guest: Kate Harrison, Vice Chair, Summa Strategies - The Winter Olympics have a very peculiar history and as we near the opening ceremony for the 2022 Olympics, Scott gets a feel for what it's like in Beijing with help from someone who's there on the ground while also revisiting some of the Winter Games from years past. Guest: Philip Barker, Writer, insidethegames.biz & Executive Committee Member, International Society of Olympic Historians

How transparent is the City of Hamilton when it comes to the budgetary process? Is it better than the way that other cities are doing theirs or possibly worse? Luckily there's a study that was done on this exact topic and it looks like Hamilton's marks are improving. Guest: Bill Robson, CEO, C.D. Howe Institute - Wintertime is easily the most dangerous time of the year to be homeless however there's a plan that might be able to help Hamilton's homeless population while keeping them out of shelters. How would tiny shelters be deployed and would they be a temporary solution or could they offer long-term support? Guest: Tom Cooper, Director, Hamilton Round Table for Poverty Reduction - The day has finally come, Tom Brady has announced his retirement. Many would argue that he's the greatest NFL quarterback of all time which prompted Scott to ask, who's the best player of all time in North America's biggest professional sports? Guest: Rick Zamperin, Host of Good Morning Hamilton & The 5th Quarter, News Director & Sports Director, Global News Radio 900 CHML

A new Angus Reid poll has released its results and one of the things it asked respondents was their thoughts on restrictions and how responsible people should be for their own health. You might be surprised by the results but at the same time maybe you share the opinions expressed. Guest: Dave Korzinski, Research Director, Angus Reid Institute - We are nearing the start of the 2022 Olympic Games as well as the 56th Super Bowl. What can we be expecting to see? Will the Arizona Coyotes ever find a home arena? And what could be added to spice up the discipline of bobsleigh? Guest: Don Robertson, Head Coach & Owner, Dundas Real McCoys & Broker of Record, ComChoice Realty

This week's edition of The Brightest Conversation in Hamilton features Dave Woodard who joins Scott to talk about whether or not Canada should be supporting Ukraine and to what degree, how kids are learning about the Holocaust, the upcoming Beijing Olympics and more. Guest: Dave Woodard, News Anchor, 900 CHML

Is Hamilton's LRT "shovel ready"? It turns out that the answer is a little more dependent on what your definition of "shovel ready" happens to be. Guest: Keanin Loomis, President & CEO, Hamilton Chamber of Commerce & Hamilton Mayoral Candidate - Transparency International's Corruptions Perception Index (CPI) has ranked Canada as 13th in the world where it's tied with Austria, Ireland, Estonia & Iceland (Ranked 1 means least corrupt). What has Canada done to earn it this spot on the list and are we trending towards a better rating or a worse one? Guest: James Cohen, Executive Director, Transparency International Canada - We're not too far out from the Olympics however you may have noticed that there hasn't be a huge push to promote the event on TV. How should the TV industry go about their coverage of the Olympics? How will these Games' coverage differ from Olympics past? Guest: Bill Brioux, TV blogger, brioux.tv

People keep moving to Hamilton which means we are always in need of housing and with the rate that people are coming, we're going to be needing a boost to the number of homes being built each year but just how drastic of an increase will be needed if we're to keep up? Guest: Mike Collins-Williams, CEO, West End Home Builders Association - The results of a survey conducted here in Canada found some worrying news about students and their knowledge of the Holocaust. What was found and what does it mean? Guest: Dr. Carson Phillips, Managing Director, Sarah and Chaim Neuberger Holocaust Education Centre - What's been going on in the NFL? Grievances with their overtime rules have already been addressed but what of the playoff season thus far? Is the player who we've been hearing is the best really the best or should someone else be given this praise? Also, is not making it into this year's Superbowl reason enough for Tom Brady to retire? Guest: Steve Foxcroft, Sports Broadcaster, NFL Chain Gang Member, NBA Court-side Administrator, Referee & Vice-President, Fluke Transport

The stock market has been an absolute roller coaster of ups and downs which has made many Canadians ask, "What's going on here?" Scott welcomes someone onto the show who'll be able to help provide some clarity on what's happening as well as provide some advice on navigating these seemingly turbulent waters. Guest: Don Fox, Executive Financial Consultant, Fox Group Private Wealth Management - While most of the world and its industries strive for innovation and the next best thing, television is looking to the past. Whether it's old shows that fans already know and love or news anchors that viewers have come to trust, it seems like everything old is being revamped and reintroduced to audiences. Why is this and what is it saying about TV viewership? Guest: Robert Thompson, Director, Bleier Center for Television & Popular Culture, Syracuse University

If you go to a grocery store and find barren shelves, is there cause for concern or is it a momentary blip that'll be fixed before you know it? Guest: Dr. Sylvain Charlebois a.k.a. The Food Professor, Senior Director, Agri-Food Analytics Lab, Dalhousie University - Playing in overtime is a horribly unbalanced mess in the NFL because all you've got to do is win the coin toss and score to win the game. That's right, no attempt is granted to the other team. Does this mean it's a dumber idea than having a robot call balls and strikes in baseball? Well, Scott and Don Robertson are here to discuss these questions and more on this week's edition of Sports Talk with Don Robertson. Guest: Don Robertson, Head Coach & Owner, Dundas Real McCoys & Broker of Record, ComChoice Realty

This week's edition of The Brightest Conversation in Hamilton features Nicole Martin who joins Scott to talk about the passing of Meat Loaf, Hamilton's bus network, the upcoming elections, the potential to be charged for breaking the real law while in virtual reality and more. Guest: Nicole Martin, News Anchor & Reporter, CHCH-TV

For a country that's generally known to be populated with nice people, there sure are a lot of angry Canadians but what exactly are they so upset about? Guest: John Wright, Executive Vice President, Maru Public Opinion - We all have things that we look back at and think about how we would have changed the way we did something and that includes celebrities. In a recent interview Bono, of U2 fame, talked about how he doesn't like the band's name nor most of the songs they've put out. Could this be him looking for a little bit of an ego stroke by fans? Also, U2 can't possibly be one of the worst names for a band... right? Guest: Eric Alper, Publicist, Music Commentator & Shameless Idealist

Inflation is continuing to grow but where can we see things go and what's causing this kind of growth? Guest: Marvin Ryder, Associate Professor of Marketing, DeGroote School of Business, McMaster University - There used to be a notion that if you can't afford to buy a house in Hamilton, Brantford will have what you're looking for however there's a chance that we may be over those days with a small house selling in the $800,000 range. Was this an anomaly or could it be a sign of things to come? Guest: Brendon Assla, Brantford Real Estate Agent, RE/MAX Twin City Realty Inc - There are always things to be upset and angry about but if you're looking for a place where people are perpetually upset, it's got to be the sports world. Scott welcomes Bubba O'Neil back to the show to discuss what's currently on sports fans' minds and more. Guest: Bubba O'Neil, Sports Anchor, CHCH-TV

Three local ladies have been chosen to be a part of Canada's Olympic Women's Hockey Team and Scott welcomes one of them to the show to talk all about it! Guest: Emma Maltais, #27 Forward, Canada's Olympic Women's Hockey Team

Two former Hamilton paramedics who failed to provide the necessaries of life to 19-year-old shooting victim Yosif Al-Hasnawi have been sentenced but should we have been surprised by what was handed down or was it expected? Guest: Jaime Stephenson, Criminal Lawyer; Former President, Hamilton Criminal Lawyers Association - You'll be paying off-peak rates for electricity for the next little while thanks to the provincial government but is any cynicism merited here? Guest: Donna Skelly, Conservative MPP for Flamborough/Glanbrook - Three local ladies have been chosen to be a part of Canada's Olympic Women's Hockey Team and Scott welcomes one of them to the show to talk all about it! Guest: Emma Maltais, #27 Forward, Canada's Olympic Women's Hockey Team

The government deals with massive amounts of money each year and each year, they spend more than the last while hiring more employees and outsourcing more work to contractors. Wouldn't hiring more employees mean that less outsourcing has to be done? What are all of these employees doing? Where is all of your hard earned, yet seemingly easily spent, tax money going? Guest: Bill Curry, The Globe and Mail’s Deputy Ottawa Bureau Chief - There's a never-ending supply of news coming out of the sports world and regardless of the form that news comes in be it football, fighting in hockey or the Olympic hockey roster, you can be sure that Scott and Don Robertson are going to talk about it. Guest: Don Robertson, Head Coach & Owner, Dundas Real McCoys & Broker of Record, ComChoice Realty

We live in a world that's seen Prince Andrew be stripped of his military titles & royal patronages, many travel plans get cancelled, tensions increase along Ukraine's eastern border, truckers' vaccine mandate & restrictions get reversed and Canada's Olympic hockey team rosters released (one's a little more real than the other) among many other things happen. This means that there's no shortage of things to talk about on this week's edition of The Brightest Conversation in Hamilton with this week's guest being none other than Mike Fortune. Guest: Mike Fortune, Co-host, The Hamilton Network, Cable 14

Tiger-Cats and Dane Evans fans rejoice! Scott chats with Dane about choosing the Ticats over free agency, returning to the Ticats for another 2 years, having glorious hair and more. Guest: Dane Evans, #9 Quarterback, Hamilton Tiger-Cats

It was a matter of time before someone would put forth a court challenge against Quebec's controversial decision to tax adult residents who aren't vaccinated and don't have an exemption to be vaccinated and now we know who will be challenging Quebec. Guest: John Carpay, President, Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms - Tiger-Cats and Dane Evans fans rejoice! Scott chats with Dane about choosing the Ticats over free agency, returning to the Ticats for another 2 years, having glorious hair and more. Guest: Dane Evans, Quarterback, Hamilton Tiger-Cats - Prince Andrew is being stripped of all titles and patronages. It's a very messy situation that's coming out of Buckingham Palace and Scott's enlisted the help of Nathan Tidridge to help make sense of it all. Guest: Nathan Tidridge, History & Civics Teacher, Waterdown District High School; Multiple Award-winning Author; Board of Directors Member, Ontario Heritage Trust

We often hear about how many hospitalized cases of COVID-19 there are however a decent portion of those hospitalized aren't there solely because of COVID. Does that change the conversation we should be having when it comes to the COVID case count? Guest: Dr. Andrew Costa, Associate Professor & Schlegel Research Chair in Clinical Epidemiology & Aging, McMaster University - Before you know it, we'll be knee deep in elections which has prompted Hamilton City Council to review and revise some of the bylaws surrounding candidate sign placement. Is this needed or will the additional rules make for increased confusion? Guest: John Paul Danko, Ward 8 City Councillor, City of Hamilton - Would you want to attend a sports event knowing that it could be the second coldest game on record in that given sport? Scott welcomes long-time friend of the show Bubba O'Neil to debate this topic and many more. Guest: Bubba O'Neil, Sports Anchor, CHCH-TV

Raising children and teens during an incredibly unstable time in human history is something that likely few people have considered however one psychoanalyst has ideas and theories about how to tackle this very topic. Some people have given her ideas lots of support while others have called them old-fashioned. Scott welcomes her to the show to explain what she thinks parents could and should be doing to help raise happy and healthy kids. Guest: Dr. Erica Komisar, Clinical Social Worker, Psychoanalyst, Parent Coach and Author of "Chicken Little the Sky Isn't Falling: Raising Resilient Adolescents in the New Age of Anxiety"

After way, way too long, Chuck Ealey is finally being inducted into the United States' College Football Hall of Fame. You would think that having a college football record of 35 wins and zero losses and being the first black QB to win a Grey Cup (as a Ticat no less) among many other accolades would be enough to qualify him for induction but here we are, 51 years too late. Guest: Chuck Ealey, College Football Hall of Fame inductee & former CFL quarterback - Raising children and teens during an incredibly unstable time in human history is something that likely very few people have considered however one psychoanalyst has ideas and theories about how to tackle this very topic. Some people have given her ideas lots of support and others have called them old-fashioned. Scott welcomes her to the show to explain what she thinks parents could and should be doing to help raise happy and healthy kids. Guest: Dr. Erica Komisar, Clinical Social Worker, Psychoanalyst, Parent Coach and Author of "Chicken Little the Sky Isn't Falling: Raising Resilient Adolescents in the New Age of Anxiety"

With the cancellation of thousands of surgeries as a result of the pandemic, is it time to consider allowing private healthcare providers into Canada? Scott discusses with Colin Craig. president of SecondStreet.org Alan Cross joins Scott to discuss the late, great Michael Lang. Don't recognize the name? Well, he was instrumental in getting the greatest concert of all time, Woodstock 1969, off the ground and in the process creating a legendary moment in music history, And Don Robertson, owner and operator of the Dundas Real McCoys, comes on for his Monday slot. This time Scott has a series of "What would you have done?" scenarios in professional sports for Don to answer. It's all coming up on the Scott Radley Show podcast! 

Are lockdowns an effective or appropriate method to combat the most recent wave of COVID-19 dubbed "Omicron"? Guest: Dr. Ahmad Firas Khalid, Health Policy PhD graduate and Queen Elizabeth Scholar - How should the NFL deal with the 'meltdown' of Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Antonio Brown? And much more on Sports Talk with Don Robertson. Guest: Don Robertson, Head Coach & Owner, Dundas Real McCoys & Broker of Record, ComChoice Realty

University campuses are supposed to be the homes of debate and different ideas however that's slowly becoming not the case anymore as certain topics become taboo to talk about at all. Is anyone doing anything to protect full freedom of speech on university campuses? Guest: Dr. Mark Mercer, President, Society for Academic Freedom & Scholarship; Chair & Professor, Philosophy, Saint Mary's University - Canada produces many outstanding elite athletes who are internationally recognized as such but when it comes down to it, who should be honoured as the best? Guest: Steve Foxcroft, Sports Broadcaster, NFL Chain Gang Member, NBA Court-side Administrator, Referee & Vice-President, Fluke Transport - Just because the NHL has announced that it's athletes won't be attending the upcoming Beijing Olympics, doesn't mean that world-class hockey players won't be competing. Canada's national women's hockey team will be going but do they share the same concerns? Scott welcomes one of Team Canada's players to talk about that and more. Guest: Renata Fast, #14 on Team Canada's National Women's Hockey Team

What is 'pandemic brain' and how likely is it that you currently have it? Guest: Dr. Karl Szpunar, Assistant Professor of Psychology and Director of the Memory Lab, Ryerson University - Cousin Eddie's RV easily stands out in the minds of fans of the beloved Christmas movie, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, but what happened to it after the movie finished filming? The current owner of that very RV joins Scott to talk about some of the peculiar things that have happened to it and the joy that owning it has brought to many. Guest: Bob Boston, Current Owner of Cousin Eddie's RV

As we see more restrictions getting put back into place amid the Omicron variant's spread, it brings back memories of the major lockdowns, something which devastated restaurants all over. Are we seeing a similar effect happening now? Guest: James Rilett, Vice President, Central Canada, Restaurants Canada - According to many reports, NHL players will not be competing in the Olympics. Despite the fact that this isn't a huge surprise if it happens to be the case, what kind of fallout could come about as a result of this decision? Guest: Sean Fitz-Gerald, Senior National Writer, The Athletic - It seems like everyone has a Christmas album to some degree or another. Why are people so persistent in making Christmas music and is there an angle they could be working that isn't just money-driven? Guest: Eric Alper, Publicist, Music Commentator & Shameless Idealist

The past has shown that in times of strife, many people turn to religion as a way of getting through however the COVID-19 pandemic has found otherwise. Why is that? Guest: Dr. David Haskell, Associate Professor, Digital Media & Journalism and Religion & Culture, Wilfrid Laurier University - Should hockey take some influence from lacrosse? How should PGA players feel after placing behind a 12-year-old? These questions and more get asked, answered and debated on Sports Talk with Don Robertson. Guest: Don Robertson, Head Coach & Owner, Dundas Real McCoys & Broker of Record, ComChoice Realty

What do you do when you've got an old building with beautiful architecture that's no longer being used? Put housing in it! Guest: Graham Cubitt, Director of Projects and Development, Indwell - We were expecting a treasure trove of information to be released by the US government regarding the assassination of JFK but instead, we got an information dump (and not the good kind). What was, and wasn't, released and why did the feds change course on what would be declassified? Guest: Jefferson Morley, Journalist & Blogger, JFKfacts.org - Legendary sports broadcaster and author Brian McFarlane joins Scott to talk about just about everything. After all, it isn't every day that you get to talk with someone this prominent from your childhood. Guest: Brian McFarlane, Legendary TV sports broadcaster, Author, A Helluva Life In Hockey

The federal government's economic statement included Chrystia Freeland saying that the economy is back but is it really? Guest: Marvin Ryder, Associate Professor of Marketing, DeGroote School of Business, McMaster University - We're seeing a lot of positive COVID-19 tests in the sports world which has been leading to postponed games and multiple players being unavailable for games at a time. Could this lead to leagues having to shutdown temporarily again or will we see the return of games without fans in the stands? Guest: Dr. Michael Naraine, Assistant Professor of Sports Business, Brock University - We've seen a big rise in the popularity of foreign TV shows and movies but are they here to stay or has their popularity in North America merely been a quirk of the COVID-19 pandemic? Guest: Robert Thompson, Director, Bleier Center for Television & Popular Culture; Trustee Professor of Television, Radio and Film

Why are politicians willing to speak out against Quebec's controversial Bill-21 after the election? Guest: Stephen LeDrew, Political Commentator; Host, The LeDrew Three Minute Interview; Former President, Liberal Party of Canada - The Grey Cup has finished with a disappointing end for Ticats fans and to take a look through the wreckage, Scott enlists Don Robertson for some help. Also, will the NHL prevent players from playing in the Beijing Olympics now that we know that a positive COVID-19 test could result in a 5-week quarantine in China? Will some players' agents step in and take the blame for why their athlete won't be competing? Guest: Don Robertson, Head Coach & Owner, Dundas Real McCoys & Broker of Record, ComChoice Realty

Hamilton's own broadcasting legend Jamie West joins Scott for this week's Brightest Conversation in Hamilton. From people wielding science as their religion, to the CBC's "Words and phrases you may want to think twice about using," to outright discrimination of a teacher in Quebec, there's so much to hear!

Presenting any championship trophy is a massive honour however being able to do it at the Grey Cup final in your hometown as a diehard Ticats fan takes what would be a cool experience and turns it into something akin to a fairy tale dream. Scott had a chance to chat with someone who'll not only be one of two RCMP officers presenting the Grey Cup at this weekend's game but also someone who'll be getting a chance to live out this exact experience. His name is Sgt. Dave Binkley. Guest: Sgt. Dave Binkley, RCMP officer - How much of a home field advantage will the Ticats have? Will it give any actual advantage? Could it be the deciding factor in the upcoming Grey Cup final? Guest: Rick Zamperin, Host of Good Morning Hamilton & The 5th Quarter, News Director & Sports Director, Global News Radio 900 CHML - What does the future hold for the Ticats' head coach, Orlondo Steinauer? How do the Hamilton Tiger-Cats stack up against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers leading up to the Grey Cup? Guest: Bubba O'Neil, Sports Anchor, CHCH-TV

What is the best Christmas movie of all time? Who will win the Grey Cup this weekend? Those are two questions that one man is endeavoring to answer and his name is Rick Zamperin. Guest: Rick Zamperin, Host of Good Morning Hamilton & The 5th Quarter, News Director & Sports Director, Global News Radio 900 CHML - The experience of playing any tabletop game is immediately enhanced the moment you play it at a dedicated location. Whether you're looking to try some new games or continue your campaign, a new gaming cafe will open its doors this weekend here in Hamilton. Say hello to The Bard & Bear! Guests: Steven & Megan Edmonds, Owners & Operators, The Bard & Bear Games Cafe, 237 James St North - When Drake removed his nomination from the Grammys, it almost seemed to make bigger news than if he won a Grammy! Have we reached the point where winning awards as big as a Grammy has lost what makes them so special? What does the future of concerts hold now that we're seeing more and more artists become massive sensations thanks to only one song? Guest: Eric Alper, Publicist, Music Commentator & Shameless Idealist

Ontario has some new legislation governing employers' ability to contact employees outside of work hours. How will this work and will it actually work?\ Guest: Gregory Sills, Employment Lawyer & Associate, Samfiru Tumarkin LLP - The City of Hamilton is set to raise taxes to help cover for the much needed infrastructure updates and repairs around the city. How much of an increase is expected and will it actually be spent on what we're being told? Guest: Bill Kelly, Host, The Bill Kelly Show, Global News Radio 900 CHML & 980 CFPL

It's no secret that house prices in Hamilton are constantly skyrocketing to new highs and a major contributor to that comes from the fact that there isn't a lot of inventory for real estate agents to sell. Guest: Judy Marsales, Broker of Record, Judy Marsales Real Estate Ltd. - The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are moving on to the Grey Cup! Does a diplomatic boycott actually mean anything? Why can't the NHL deliver any meaningful punishments? Get answers to all of these questions and more on this week's edition of Sports Talk with Don Robertson. Guest: Don Robertson, Head Coach & Owner, Dundas Real McCoys & Broker of Record, ComChoice Realty

The Toronto Rock is returning to Hamilton and their first game back in The Hammer is this Saturday. Scott gets the inside line from someone from the team and the city. Guest: Jamison Dilks, #42 Defenceman, Toronto Rock - After an extremely distinguished 50-years as a sports broadcaster, Brian Williams has announced his retirement. Scott takes a look back at his half-century career with the best person you could want for the job, Brian Williams! Guest: Brian Williams, Long-time Broadcaster

Ontario's Auditor General has found that almost $1 billion of pandemic aid was sent to businesses that shouldn't have qualified among many other problems. How does something like this happen at all? Guest: Dr. Ian Lee, Associate Professor, Sprott School of Business, Carleton University - Major League Baseball could be coming up on a lockout. What more is there to ask for when players are already making millions and millions of dollars? Guest: Mike Wilner, Baseball Columnist, Toronto Star & Podcaster - The newest Beatles documentary has been released and when it comes to musical history, there's no one better to talk to than Alan Cross. Guest: Alan Cross, Music Historian & Journalist; Author 'A Journal of Musical Things' & Host, The Ongoing History of New Music

When businesses are doing well, the economy tends to be chugging along at a healthy pace. Is that still the case when it's the banks who are doing well? Guest: Marvin Ryder, Associate Professor of Marketing, DeGroote School of Business, McMaster University - Beer is one of those products that gets heavily taxed however should that mean the tax should be equal between alcoholic and dealcoholized beer? Guest: David Clement, North American Affairs Manager, Consumer Choice Center - UNZIPPED, the first international exhibition of The Rolling Stones' memorabilia, has come to Kitchener! Featuring a realistic recreation of their Chelsea flat 'Edith Grove', original pieces from their personal collection and collaborations with many fellow artists. Now the next question must be asked, why is Kitchener the only Canadian stop for this exhibit? Guest: David Marskell, CEO, THEMUSEUM

A Parliamentary decision was made that would allow for MPs to call-in from home or sit in-person but could this be something that takes away the ability to keep politicians accountable? How can you ask someone questions if they never leave the house? Guest: Duff Conacher, Co-founder of Democracy Watch - Will athletes ever be paid "enough money"? When is it the general manager's fault that a team isn't doing well and when is it the players'? These questions get asked, answered and debated along with biting people in hockey and more. Hear it all on this week's edition of Sports Talk with Don Robertson. Guest: Don Robertson, Head Coach & Owner, Dundas Real McCoys & Broker of Record, ComChoice Realty

This week's edition of The Brightest Conversation in Hamilton features Neil Lumsden who joins Scott to talk about the new COVID-19 variant, athletes choosing to speak up and speak out about issues in the world, what Amazon knows about you, if our rules are strict enough and organized pillow fighting championships among many other things. Guest: Neil Lumsden, Vanier Cup Champion, Grey Cup Champion, CFL Hall of Fame Member, former Athletic Director of Brock University & Amazing Race Canada Contestant

Burlington Taxi will be closing its doors after 53 years of business. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic's dealing of a major blow to business, is there still a future for taxis as a business model? Guest: Scott Wallace, President, Burlington Taxi - Today marks the 10th anniversary of what's become known as 'The Best Game Ever' where McMaster squared off against Laval for the Vanier Cup with Mac eventually winning thanks to a field goal in overtime. To get more on this major win for McMaster, Scott welcomes Stef Ptaszek from the McMaster Marauders. Guest: Stefan Ptaszek, Football Head Coach, McMaster University - There were some major concerns at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic over how the virus would impact Africans. As we've seen the pandemic progress, the countries of Africa haven't seen as bad of an impact as was expected when compared to the more developed countries. What could be the reason behind this and could there be a link between malaria infection and the potential for COVID-19 infection? Guest: Dr. Chris Mody, Professor & Department Head, Department of Microbiology Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary

As we hear more and more about the impending acquisition of Shaw Media by Rogers Communications, any argument was put forth essentially saying that having fewer options means more competition. How is that even possible and could there be any truth to it? Guest: Ben Klass, PhD Candidate, Telecom Policy, Carleton University - Hamilton may be playing host to the Canada vs. United States Men's World Cup qualifying match. How big of a deal would this be for The Hammer? Guest: Steve Foxcroft, Sports Broadcaster, NFL Chain Gang Member, NBA Court-side Administrator, Referee & Vice-President, Fluke Transport - The Chinese government keeps giving the world reasons to boycott competing at the upcoming Olympic Games and yet we have to ask, how likely is it that we'll actually see one happen? Guest: Dr. Richard Baka, Senior Lecturer, Department of Sport and Exercise Science, Victoria University; Olympic scholar and Co-Director, Olympic Research Network & McMaster graduate

While Hamilton City Council has voted against expanding the urban boundary, that doesn't mean that people are going to stop wanting to come to Hamilton. If building out is no longer an option, what are the alternatives? Guest: John Paul Danko, Ward 8 City Councillor, City of Hamilton - Grammy-winning and JUNO nominated musical group, Canadian Brass, will be performing at the Burlington Performing Arts Centre this Friday. To get a peek inside the inner-workings of this world-renown quintet, Scott welcomes founding member & tuba player Chuck Daellenbach as well as trumpeteer Brandon Ridenour. Guests: Chuck Daellenbach, Founding member & tuba player for Canadian Brass              Brandon Ridenour, Trumpet player for Canadian Brass

The debt that Ontario is facing is nothing short of enormous and so are the interest payments that get doled out each year. What has led us here and is there any hope for us paying it off? Guest: Jay Goldberg, Interim Ontario Director, Canadian Taxpayers Federation - Today marks the 58th anniversary of the assassination of John F. Kennedy. A man from Hamilton happens to have an interesting connection to this monumental event and many of the people who played some pretty well known roles in it. Guest: Mike Tabone, Collector - Is Mackenzie Hughes getting enough of the attention that he deserves? Also, The Maple Leafs have won their last few games in ways that aren't typical of the Maple Leafs. What's changed and are the changes here to stay? These questions get talked about, argued and answered along with many more on this week's edition of Sports Talk with Don Robertson. Guest: Don Robertson, Head Coach & Owner, Dundas Real McCoys & Broker of Record, ComChoice Realty

Scott welcomes back a good friend for this week's edition of The Brightest Conversation in Hamilton, Mike Fortune. Together they discuss China's missing pro tennis player, obscene signs in public, Hamilton's urban boundary expansion debate, if there are enough players from Quebec in the NHL and more. Guest: Mike Fortune, Co-host, The Hamilton Network, Cable 14

There are talks around building a museum to display the history of Hamilton. Is this something that needs doing or should we be waiting for a better time before going down this road? Guest: Dermot Nolan, Hamilton Museum Citizens' Committee - As Canada continues to charge forward towards its goal of competing in the World Cup, one of its hurdles was playing against Mexico and with home field advantage, Canada used it to its full advantage by playing outdoors in Edmonton in the middle of November where the temperature was -9 degrees Celsius at kickoff. Guest: Nick Bontis, President, Soccer Canada

There's a new member of Hamilton City Council however to say that he's new to politics wouldn't be quite accurate. The now-Ward 5 councillor is also a former Dundas councillor and a former Liberal MP named Russ Powers and he was sworn in today. Guest: Russ Powers, Ward 5 Councillor, City of Hamilton, Former Liberal MP & Former Dundas Councillor - Ever since humans have launched rockets into space, the search for a better way has been ongoing. A new company hopes to explore another way into space by spinning rockets really fast around a wheel and then throwing them. How realistic is this method and could we be seeing rotary accelerators become the new way to space? Guest: Dr. Jesse Rogerson, Astrophysicist; Assistant Professor, Department of Science & Technology Studies, York University - While it's no secret that the skill of cursive writing is waning, there are some who want to see it continue for a myriad of reasons. How important is it for kids to be taught how to write in school? Guest: Michael Zwaagstra, Columnist; Senior Fellow, Frontier Centre for Public Policy; Author, "A Sage on the Stage: Common Sense Reflections on Teaching and Learning" & Public High School Teacher in Manitoba

The Grey Cup isn't just 'the big game' because it also comes with a whole week-long festival attached. Where is this festival being held in Hamilton and what can you do at the different events? Guest: Matt Afinec, President & COO of Business Operations, Hamilton Tiger-Cats - Anything that's labelled as 'free' often comes with some sort of catch. Enbridge is offering free home winterizing to those who qualify but what exactly qualifies you for this free offering and is there a catch at all? Guest: Corrie Morton, Supervisor, Affordable Housing Energy Conservation Programs, Enbridge Gas - There's always news being made in the sports world which means there's always something to talk to Don Robertson about. While a lot of questions get asked and answered today, one of the big ones is whether or not Connor McDavid is the greatest hockey player to ever live. Guest: Don Robertson, Head Coach & Owner, Dundas Real McCoys & Broker of Record, ComChoice Realty

As we near the cut off for students to apply to post-secondary institutions, an increasing amount students are saying that they don't feel ready for the next step and are aiming lower than what they would ideally want as their education stream of choice. Guest: Dr. Paul Bennett, Founding Director & Lead Consultant, Schoolhouse Consulting and Author, "The State of the System" & Educhatter blog - There's some idea that the province of Ontario will be cutting some of the tax on gasoline in an effort to lower prices. Will this be something that can actually find its way to benefiting the average Ontarian, it it's doable at all? Guest: Jay Goldberg, Interim Ontario Director, Canadian Taxpayers Federation - A stand-up comedian who'll be coming to Burlington next Wednesday joins Scott to talk about how he got by during COVID-19 shutdowns and much, much more. Guest: Seán Cullen, Award-winning Canadian Comedian, Actor, Voice Actor & Host, The Seán Cullen Cocktail Hour (& a half)

COVID-19 has found a way back into the headlines as case counts start to rise once again and questions surrounding whether or not we're nearing the end of the 4th wave start getting asked. Guest: Dr. Karen Mossman, Professor, Department of Pathology & Molecular Medicine & Vice-President of Research, McMaster University - It's no secret that there's a lot of great TV out there to watch but for some reason there doesn't seem to be any Canadian original shows that are gaining much popularity. Is this just a matter of them not getting popular around here or is there no appetite for what Canada has to offer? Guest: Bill Brioux, TV blogger, brioux.tv

Hamilton's potential urban boundary expansion is a topic that's divided many people and upset even more. On top of that, there is some heavy viewing that needs doing and it has got to be enough to dissuade anyone from wanting to be on council! Guest: Larry Di Ianni, Host & Community Producer, Cable 14 & Former Hamilton Mayor - There's is likely going to be some big changes to the price of food at restaurants however it won't be because the owners are getting greedy. What would be causing this potential increase that could land in the double digit percentile? Guest: Chef Matt Kershaw, Executive Chef, The Other Bird - Lots of hockey news both from the NHL and beyond which is why Scott welcomes Steve Foxcroft to the show to talk about it all and more! Guest: Steve Foxcroft, Sports Broadcaster, NFL Chain Gang Member, NBA Court-side Administrator, Referee & Vice-President, Fluke Transport

The teen accused of fatally stabbing Devan Selvey has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder just before his jury trial was to commence. Guest: Jeff Manishen. Former prosecutor. Criminal defence counsel now with Ross & McBride, Hamilton.  With the death of Angelo Mosca, Scott takes the time to remember him and his legacy with Don Robertson. Along the way, they reminisce about other local sports legends, philosophize about the nature of the sport of football, talk senior hockey and so much more! Guest: Don Robertson, owner Dundas Real McCoys.

Hosting the Grey Cup may seem amazing at the initial blush however that doesn't necessarily mean that it is the best course of action for Hamilton? Large events cost a lot of money to put on so does that mean it's better to find out how much is being spent after it's locked in or before? Guest: John Paul Danko, Ward 8 City Councillor, City of Hamilton - COP26 has brought together many of the world's leaders to discuss climate change and how to address it going forward. Wouldn't it be great if they did everything they could to minimize the conference's impact on the climate? It sure would be. Too bad that instead many more people were brought than were necessary, flying in on their own private planes, taking massive motorcades and eating off menus that featured foods that are known to be some of the least carbon efficient out there. Way to set a good example for everyone to follow. Guest: Stephen LeDrew, Political Commentator; Host, The LeDrew Three Minute Interview; Former President, Liberal Party of Canada - The world of sports never stops because there is always someone trying to do something or the exact opposite because wow can some teams manage to do absolutely nothing. Talk about all of that and more can be found right here as Bubba O'Neil joins Scott. Guest: Bubba O'Neil, Sports Anchor, CHCH-TV

Today's edition of Ben's Story of the Day features: 1) A man in Hull, England got upset over the sexual nature of a bottle of ketchup while at a Pizza Hut. The bottle reads, "shake, squeeze & squirt," and if that doesn't get your motor running, I don't know what will. As you can clearly see, Ketchup is the sexiest of the condiments. 2) If you're stocking up for Christmas dinner and need to save time, why not get all of the best parts at once? Introducing Heinz's Christmas Dinner Big Soup! Featuring pigs in a blanket, brussels sprouts, stuffing balls, potatoes and "big chunks" of turkey along with a gravy and cranberry sauce. Will it look like dog food? Probably. Will it taste like dog food? Stay tuned. 3) Being under house arrest is not supposed to be an enjoyable way of serving a criminal sentence however it is supposed to be better than jail. A man in Italy would argue against that after he asked to be jailed as an escape from being forced to live with his wife. Something tells me that being legally forced to stay at home violates the rules of 'happy wife, happy life'. Which one will be crowned Ben's Story of the Day? Which one is your story of the day?

If you enjoy products that involve dairy in some way, get ready to start paying even more for them because reports are pointing towards a big increase to the price of dairy that may be coming. Guest: Dr. Sylvain Charlebois a.k.a. The Food Professor, Senior Director, Agri-Food Analytics Lab, Dalhousie University - A court ruling has been delivered saying that the City of Hamilton is going to be allowed to enforce its bylaw prohibiting encampment in public spaces. What does this mean for us in our current situation? Guest: Jason Farr, Ward 2 Councillor, City of Hamilton - The 20th anniversary of a revolutionary piece of technology came and went without too much attention being paid to it. Despite this, how did the iPod change the way we consume music (among many other things)? Guest: Alan Cross, Music Historian & Journalist; Author 'A Journal of Musical Things' & Host, The Ongoing History of New Music

Today's edition of Ben's Story of the Day features: 1) When you own cool cars, other people will want them too. It's really unfortunate that after 17 attempts at stealing those cars, the 18th thief had to be met by the naked gun-wielding man whose successful meat business has allowed him to buy such vehicles. 2) Some Chinese parents are buying molds to put on their babies' heads in the hopes of making them more circular and thus more aesthetically pleasing. You know how we sometimes look back on things we've done in the past and ask ourselves, "what were we thinking?' Yeah, this is going to be one of those things for a lot of people. 3) When Facebook changed its name to Meta, many Hebrew-speaking people took to Twitter to mock the new name. Why? Because 'meta' sounds extremely similar to the Hebrew word for 'dead'. Talk about a truly grave mistake. Which one will be crowned Ben's Story of the Day? Which one is your story of the day?

Parents care about what kind of education their child receives and as such, many parents want to be involved in deciding what their children learn about. Should parents have a say in what the curriculum contains and if so, how much say should they have? Guest: Monika Ferenczy, Education Consultant & Author - Don Robertson joins Scott to talk about all of the big stories in the realm of sports on this week's edition of Sports Talk with Don Robertson. Guest: Don Robertson, Head Coach & Owner, Dundas Real McCoys & Broker of Record, ComChoice Realty

When you call your Friday show The Brightest Conversation in Hamilton, you need someone who can help uphold that name which is why Scott welcomes Bob Cowan to talk about what should be done with the Canadian flag on Remembrance Day, if schools should be culling certain books from their school libraries, Canada's new Olympic kit and more. Guest: Bob Cowan, Co-host, Morning Live, CHCH-TV

Politicians have to deal with scrutiny and criticism with nearly every decision that gets made. Sometimes people take things too far and send threats and/or vandalize property which appears to be on the rise. Could we be heading down a path that no one wants to take? Guest: Jason Farr, Ward 2 Councillor, City of Hamilton - Supply chain issues are affecting companies both near and far so Scott brings on a man who's built a company here in Hamilton that's gained fame around the world. How are supply chain problems impacting how business is done? Guest: Ron Foxcroft, Philanthropist; Founder & CEO, Fox 40 International Inc; Chairman, President & CEO, Fluke Transport; Basketball Referee - How important are autographs in this day and age? Paul McCartney says that he will no longer be taking selfies nor signing autographs. Will this eventually pay off or is he making a massive mistake? Guest: Eric Alper, Publicist, Music Commentator & Shameless Idealist

We're revisiting a topic we spoke about earlier in the week regarding the recent interview with former Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chrétien and more specifically one of his comments which has raised some eyebrows. Was absolutely nothing really said about the abuses Indigenous children were suffering while he was both Minister of Indian Affairs and Prime Minister? Guest: Richard Brennan, former Queen’s Park and Parliament Hill reporter for The Toronto Star - A very difficult story out of the Chicago Blackhawks is revealing itself more and more every day. A former player has publicly come forward as the victim of the sexual assault scandal but there's a lot to uncover here so Scott welcomes Bubba O'Neil to the show to talk about it all. Guest: Bubba O'Neil, Sports Anchor, CHCH-TV

An interview with former Canadian Prime Minister, Jean Chrétien, revealed some interesting opinions about the current government's policy decisions and approach to just about everything. Should our current government take Chrétien's advice and listen to the old guard or is our current and future financial situation just fine the way it is? Guest: Dr. Ian Lee, Associate Professor, Sprott School of Business, Carleton University - The likelihood of earthquakes around here may be higher than you think. This coming thanks to the work being done by a McMaster geologist. Will the next 'big one' happen here or is the issue potentially less destructive than the image in our minds? Guest: Dr. Alexander Peace, Assistant Professor, Earth, Environment & Society, McMaster University - When there's a football that was given away before people realized it could be worth around $500,000, cheaters are back in the World Series and fans of the Toronto Maple Leafs are angrier than ever, you can be sure that there's conversation about it all between Scott Radley & Don Robertson. Guest: Don Robertson, Head Coach & Owner, Dundas Real McCoys & Broker of Record, ComChoice Realty

On this edition of the Scott Radley show podcast, Scott sits down with Annette Hamm from CHCH's Morning Live about all things Hamilton and more! This includes getting up early to host the morning show, the urban boundary expansion, how much heating will potentially cost this winter with gas prices rising, and much more! Guest: Annette Hamm, Co-host, Morning Live, CHCH-TV

On this episode of the Scott Radley Show Podcast, it's sports talk! The Ti-Cats are not only hosting the Grey Cup in 2021, but it was announced that they will also host the 2023 Grey Cup. Guest: Matt Afinec, President and COO, Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Forge FC Hamilton. Last night, fans of the Canadian Soccer team saw their team play like a World Cup worthy team against Panama. Guest: Bubba O'Neil, Sports Anchor, CHCH-TV

The October 13th edition has Health Reporter at The Hamilton Spectator Joanna Frketich join the show to discuss unvaccinated individuals in the hospital system. Scott was also joined by Dan McTeague President of Canadians for Affordable Energy to discuss rising energy costs.

Today's edition of Ben's Story of the Day features: 1) Having fun is something everyone can enjoy and elderly grandparents can sometimes find themselves getting into just as much trouble as any youngster. Here's your proof of that being true and all it'll take is a drunk elderly couple and a water park at night. 2) It's perfectly legal to sell a catalytic converter but if you do, remember to keep the focus on what you're trying to sell. This guy didn't quite understand this because the police were quick to stop by and arrest him because of the big bag of meth in the background of his ad. Unfortunately the "it's medicinal" argument is much harder to make here. 3) Getting cursed is a horrible thing and things get compounded when the psychic you hire to get rid of it doesn't follow through with their end of the deal. So what do you do if you find yourself in this position? Sue them! Which one will be crowned Ben's Story of the Day? Which one is your story of the day?

The unemployment rate seems to keep climbing and yet at the same time, so is the number of employers who are saying they can't find anyone to fill positions. How can this be and what can be done to fix it? Guest: Marvin Ryder, Associate Professor of Marketing, DeGroote School of Business, McMaster University - What do you do when you have an asteroid hurtling at your planet at tens of thousands of kilometres an hour? Send something fast and heavy right back at it! Or at least that's what NASA is intending to test with its DART program. Could intentionally crashing something into an asteroid slow it down enough to have any real effect? Guest: Dr. Jesse Rogerson, Astrophysicist; Assistant Professor, Department of Science & Technology Studies, York University - When two teams have a strong enough rivalry, fans will come from near and far to see them play because you always know that you're going to get a good show. Have rivalries reach their climax and are they getting to be too much or are fans getting exactly what they want? Guest: Steve Foxcroft, Sports Broadcaster, NFL Chain Gang Member, NBA Court-side Administrator & Vice-President, Fluke Transport

As if Facebook wasn't under enough fire and controversy already with its recent outage, the company is now having to deal with the massive dump of information stemming from a whistleblower who recently spoke in front of a congressional hearing. What's been revealed and is there any legal recourse that can happen as a result? Guest: Allen Mendelsohn, Canadian Internet and Tech. Lawyer - Getting to know the inside scoop on your favourite musicians is easier than ever thanks to all of these memoirs and documentaries being made. Now the question must be asked, why are so many artists making these series and writing these books about their lives and adventures in the music industry? Guest: Eric Alper, Publicist, Music Commentator & Shameless Idealist

Today's edition of Ben's Story of the Day features: 1) Being Shakira isn't easy. You have to be flawless on stage, always have something in the works and do something that very few people have to do even once in their life, run away from some wild boars while walking in a Barcelona park! 2) Kicking an addiction isn't easy and many people find that when one addiction goes it gets replaced by something else to fill the void that's created. This guy falls into that category because after quitting alcohol, he found a new love for eating nuts, screws, bolts and knives. Good thing doctors were able to surgically the kilogram of assorted metals from his stomach because passing that must be a real pain. 3) Wedgies suck and if you ask anyone, they're sure to agree with you on that. On top of being uncomfortable, this lady can now also say that she was almost killed by one after contracting sepsis due to her shorts being so short. Excuse me miss but this isn't what Bart Simpson meant by eat my shorts! Which one will be crowned Ben's Story of the Day? Which one is your story of the day?

A speech from the throne was delivered in Ontario's legislature today and from what it sounded like, everything and somehow nothing was said. What does the plan seem to be and how attainable is it actually? Guest: Dr. Ian Lee, Associate Professor, Sprott School of Business, Carleton University - Why is baseball's batting average drastically dropping? Would you get vaccinated if it meant you had to do your job and get paid $15 million? Questions like these get asked, answered and debated in this week's edition of Sports Talk with Don Robertson. Guest: Don Robertson, Head Coach & Owner, Dundas Real McCoys & Broker of Record, ComChoice Realty

This week's edition of The Brightest Conversation in Hamilton features Jamie West who joins Scott to talk about Justin Trudeau's vacation in Tofino, BC on the inaugural National Day for Truth & Reconciliation, referendums and surveys in Hamilton, having good hair, the future of the James Bond franchise & more. Guest: Jamie West, Host, The Jamie West Show, Global News Radio 900 CHML; Executive Producer, The Scott Radley Show & CEO, Westpro Media

Today's edition of Ben's Story of the Day features: 1) If you go missing for long enough, people will eventually come looking for you. That was something a man discovered after drunkenly walking off into a forest where he discovered a manhunt. He decided to help them out and after a while they found who they were looking for, it was him! 2) A Danish museum lent an artist $84,000 to produce a piece however he instead turned in two blank canvasses entitled Take the Money and Run and oh boy did he take the money! 3) Car horns have a somewhat uniform sound that's super loud and in India, it seems like everyone on the road loves to make their horn heard. This has bothered India's Union Minister so much that he's proposing that car horns give off the sounds of Indian musical instruments. Organized chaos may someday become musical organized chaos. Which one will be crowned Ben's Story of the Day? Which one is your story of the day?

Whether it's the pension, salary or severance package, politicians are paid handsomely. This means the big wave of incumbent MPs who didn't get reelected still has a way of getting your money. Why is this? Guest: Franco Terrazzano, Federal Director, Canadian Taxpayers Federation - There is a lot of money to be made in the art world and as such, some people try to cut in on the action by creating forgeries of already existing art. If you were given some clues about a certain artist and their tendencies, would you be able to tell the difference between a real and fake painting? The Art Gallery of Hamilton's newest exhibit "Tom Thomson? The Art of Authentication" takes that question and lets you make the call while viewing the works of Tom Thomson. Guest: Tobi Bruce, Director, Exhibitions and Collections & Senior Curator, Art Gallery of Hamilton

Today's edition of Ben's Story of the Day features: 1) NASA is looking for a new van to take astronauts to and from their spacecraft. Luckily a company with a well known vehicle has offered their services. The question now stands, would NASA be willing to let its astronauts ride in the Oscar Mayer WEINERMOBILE? 2) Sleeping is crucial for humans, just like eating. Meth, on the other hand, is anything but essential... unless you're this guy from Alabama. When police arrested him, he was found asleep on a pile of chicken fingers & meth. I guess we have to update the age-old question to the 2021 standard what came first, the chicken fingers or the meth? 3) Humans are weird in so many different ways. Many people have hidden talents that involve something to do with their body like being double jointed or being able to turn their foot around 180 degrees. This lady's talent trumps nearly every other one out there thanks to her empty eye socket. After all, who else can blow air out of there? Which one will be crowned Ben's Story of the Day? Which one is your story of the day?

As many Canadians celebrate the return of Michael Kovrig & Michael Spavor back to Canada, some are still remembering those who remain locked up in China. One such person is a lady from Burlington whose husband has been imprisoned as a political prisoner for 15 years without any family contact.. Guest: Kamila Telendibaeva, Wife of Huseyin Celil - The price of groceries is on the rise and that's undeniable however some people are saying the price is rising at one rate while others are saying it could possibly be even higher. Who's to be believed and how might the pandemic play a part in all of this? Guest: Dr. Sylvain Charlebois a.k.a. The Food Professor, Senior Director, Agri-Food Analytics Lab, Dalhousie University - The Toronto Blue Jays are starting one of their most important series of the season against the New York Yankees to determine if they've got a shot at the playoffs this year. How did things get to this point? Also, today is the anniversary of Paul Henderson's goal in the 1972 Summit Series. Scott's parents were there that day and Scott still has the tickets, brochure, program & more and you'll never guess how much it cost to go see the games, ballet and more. Guest: Mark Hebscher, Author; Podcaster; Former Host, CHCH-TV; Former Co-Host, Sportsline

Some new information regarding Hamilton's bid to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games is being revealed but will it be enough to secure the win? What are the proposed ideas and how would they work? Guest: Robert Livingstone, Producer & Senior Journalist, GamesBids.com - We can say, without a doubt, this year had some interesting weather. The rain, heat, sunshine and more all impacts how grapes grow and when you're in world renown wine country, that means this year's vintage could be amazing or garbage. Will we have to wait and see what kind of wine the grapes grown this year will create or can it be determined ahead of time? Guest: Britt Dixon, Winery Media/PR consultant - The NHL wants to crackdown on cross-checking but why haven't they been calling it every time it happens to begin with? Why stop at cross-checking? Also, would the Tampa Bay Rays flourish or flounder if they split their home games between Montreal & St. Petersburg? Guest: Don Robertson, Head Coach & Owner, Dundas Real McCoys & Broker of Record, ComChoice Realty

This week's edition of The Brightest Conversation in Hamilton features Scot Urquhart who joins Scott to talk about COVID-19, the stress level when in large groups/traveling, China, Canada's government post-election & more. Guest: Scot Urquhart, Co-Host, The Hamilton Network, Cable 14

Today's edition of Ben's Story of the Day features: 1) A Boston high school had to hire a private bus company due to a school bus shortage so they could take students on a field trip. When the bus pulled up to the school and the students got on, it was quickly realized that this was no ordinary bus, this was a party bus complete with LED light strips and a stripper pole! Getting to the field trip was probably more exciting than the trip itself! 2) If a ref makes a bad call, groan & complain but then get over it because you don't want to catch a charge or two like these students & teachers. All it took was a couple bad calls for them to barricade the referees in their locker room with vending machines and the like. 3) How can you enter a 10k run but run more than 10 kilometres? Well it turns out that all it takes one wrong turn as an English man discovered. In fact, not only did his excursion place him among the half marathon group, he ended up winning with a 4 minute gap! Which one will be crowned Ben's Story of the Day? Which one is your story of the day?

As the light gets shone more and more on mental health, are we doing any favours by devaluing the marks our students are receiving? Is it time to get rid of the idea of grading as a whole? Guest: Dr. Paul Bennett, Founding Director & Lead Consultant, Schoolhouse Consulting and Author, "The State of the System" & Educhatter blog - Where did COVID-19 come from? Some said a lab in Wuhan, China while others suggested bats found in Chinese wet markets were the point of origin. Is there a possibility it could be both? Will the Chinese government ever open up to allow for an unfettered investigation? Guest: Dr. Gordon Houlden, Director of the China Institute, Professor of Political Science, University of Alberta - Many athletes find ways to police their games independent of the referees and umpires, fighting in hockey & hitting the batter in baseball are two such examples. We're seeing leagues cut down on players' ability to get revenge on dirty players/teams. Does that make for a better game or is it making things less interesting to watch? Guest: Steve Foxcroft, Sports Broadcaster, NFL Chain Gang Member, NBA Court-side Administrator & Vice-President, Fluke Transport

Today's edition of Ben's Story of the Day features: 1) The saying, "If something seems too good to be true, it probably is," rings very true with these two guys from Mississippi. While walking down the street they saw a car with a sign in the window that said it was free and the keys were in the ignition. After taking it home, they found something, or rather someone, in the trunk that they weren't expecting. 2) New Zealand's strict lockdown measures have prevented many restaurants from offering takeout. This has prompted smugglers to start trying to get the people what they want and based off of a recent bust, the people want KFC. 3) Taliban fighters in Afghanistan are reportedly quite sad now that the US, Canada and other countries have/are pulling out. They're sad because now they can't be killed and become martyrs which means they can't enter paradise. Which one will be crowned Ben's Story of the Day? Which one is your story of the day?

We've been hearing political promises and hopes for the future for a little over a month but it's now time to get back to reality and the real issues that are happening right now. Many of these issues are based in the financial realm which is precisely why Scott welcomes Dr. Ian Lee to the show so help put these problems into perspective. Guest: Dr. Ian Lee, Associate Professor, Sprott School of Business, Carleton University - Is there anything any of the Toronto Maple Leafs' players can say that will satisfy fans until we get into the playoff season? Also, would you ever play football while wearing a vial of your deceased fathers' ashes around your neck? Guest: Bubba O'Neil, Sports Anchor, CHCH-TV

As we approach closing time for the polls, Scott is joined by someone who might be able to help shine some light on where we're at going into the final hours of the 2021 federal election. Guest: Kate Harrison, Vice Chair, Summa Strategies - Today's edition of Ben's Story of the Day features: 1) Baby showers are supposed to be full of joy and celebration however this one took a turn for the worst. How bad can a gift be that a family goes from celebrating a baby shower to gun-slinging? 2) There is no reason to hold up a 911 phone operator but apparently this guy isn't smart enough to know that because he felt the need to keep calling 911 simply because he needed to make it known that he's tired. 3) Many guys have tried to measure their privates but few have tried to do it with a USB cord with even fewer anchoring from the inside. Thank you modern medicine for being able to fix stupidity. Which one will be crowned Ben's Story of the Day? Which one is your story of the day?

Today's edition of Ben's Story of the Day features: 1) Sometimes it's better to not ask a question because the answer can leave you more confused than you were to begin with. For example, why was this guy shooting out of a window? Apparently it was because he thought he was shooting at aliens. I don't know about you but I'm certainly more confused and have many, many more questions all because of that answer. 2) If you need to bring positive vibes, generate some laughs and spread love, joy & happiness, wearing a pair of overalls and a Michael Myers mask while holding a fake bloody knife and walking around the beach probably isn't the way to do it. A Texas lawyer found that out the hard way after he got arrested while doing exactly that. 3) The LAPD is shopping for a new van to transport explosives after they blew up their current one all thanks to a bunch of fireworks and a miscalculation. In other words, their 'total containment vessel' is now a bit more of a 'totaled containment vessel'. Which one will be crowned Ben's Story of the Day? Which one is your story of the day?

While an election boils down to who gets the most votes, there's always much more that goes into garnering those votes. To help break down who's doing what and how this election is going as a whole, Scott invites Stephen LeDrew on to the show. Guest: Stephen LeDrew, Political Commentator; Host, The LeDrew Three Minute Interview; Former President, Liberal Party of Canada - Hamilton will play host to the NHL's Heritage Classic game where the Toronto Maple Leafs will square off against the Buffalo Sabres. To talk more about this, Steve Milton joins the show. Guest: Steve Milton, Sports Columnist, The Hamilton Spectator; Member, Canadian Football Hall of Fame & Skate Canada Hall of Fame - Change has come to television, as it does to all things. Why is it changing and how have streaming/on-demand platforms begun to replace network television? Guest: Bill Brioux, TV blogger, brioux.tv

Today's edition of Ben's Story of the Day features: 1) Cup Noodle, a ramen noodle company, is celebrating their 50th anniversary by creating a line of ramen noodle flavoured soda pops. This lineup will consist of their basic Cup Noodle soda, a seafood-accented cream soda, a curry-accented cola and a chili-tomato soda. Thirsty yet? 2) Trying to fake documents when traveling is not an easy thing to do and that's by design. If you ask anyone who knows anything about documents, legal or not, one of the first things they'll tell you is that you must spell everything correctly. Looks like this lady vaccinated with the "Maderna" shot must have missed that memo. 3) Boris Vishnevsky is running for municipal office in St. Petersburg, Russia and is facing a tactic used by his opponents to confuse voters so they might vote for a fake candidate. That's why the beard-sporting, balding & greying Boris Vishnevsky is running against two other candidates, Boris Vishnevsky who's balding, greying & has beard and the bearded Boris Vishnevsky who happens to also be greying & balding. Which one will be crowned Ben's Story of the Day? Which one is your story of the day?

If you compare most of the political platforms that are being put forward by the candidates in Canada's federal election, you'll see that there are many similarities. Despite this, there are some topics that the party leaders differ on and one such topic is childcare. What are their perspectives, how would they implement their program, if at all, and what would it cost to do so? Guest: Peter Shawn Taylor, Senior Features Editor, C2C Journal - The Tiger-Cats have found themselves in an interesting position as their lineup of great quarterbacks has been hit hard with injuries. Is this the best time for it to happen or the worst time? Guest: Rick Zamperin, Host of The 5th Quarter, News Director & Sports Director, Global News Radio 900 CHML

Today's edition of Ben's Story of the Day features: 1) Running late for your flight is always nerve wracking and extremely stressful however one lady found a sure fire way to make sure the plane doesn't take off for a few more hours... call in a bomb threat! Now you don't have to worry about being late for your flight ever again! 2) Some people from Florida have a whole new approach to life. While police had a massive standoff with an armed man on a house's roof, a buck-naked woman pulled up in her golf cart and got out to watch the show. Where else but Florida? 3) If you ever find yourself building a complex in Cuba, take a page out of this guys book and make sure to include plans to stand up an army of attack iguanas. Don't ask why, just accept that you need one of these too. Which one will be crowned Ben's Story of the Day? Which one is your story of the day?

There is already much controversy over the upcoming Olympics that are set to take place in China. Activists have been sending letter pleading for countries to reconsider sending athletes to the Games and also, interestingly enough, to television networks. Why television networks and how could they help protest China's atrocities? Guest: Lhadon Tethong, Political Activist, Co-Founder & Director, Tibet Action Institute & Former Executive Director, Students for a Free Tibet - Some interesting results have come up following the federal leaders' English-language debate. To help interpret which numbers have changed, in what direction and what it could mean, Scott has enlisted the help of Nik Nanos from Nanos Research. Guest: Nik Nanos, Chief Data Scientist & Founder, Nanos Research - Minor league hockey stars as the first of many topics covered in this week's edition of Sports Talk with Don Robertson. Guest: Don Robertson, Head Coach & Owner, Dundas Real McCoys & Broker of Record, ComChoice Realty

Tonight's debate between the leaders of Canada's federal parties will see a lot of words get exchanged but that doesn't always dictate what message gets portrayed. Scott speaks with someone to help explain what different signs mean and what to watch for during tonight's debate. Guest: Robyn Braley, Brand Specialist, Unimark Creative; Blogger; Body Language Interpreter - Political candidates will often promise new things that cost money however we don't seem to have any candidates that want to cut back on things to lighten the national debt. If we don't cut back on the national debt, who will pay for it? Guest: Jake Fuss, Senior Economist, Fraser Institute

Today's edition of Ben's Story of the Day features: 1) Criminals aren't always the smartest and we've found another to add to that pile. When it comes to cocaine smuggling, there are many ways to do it but under a toupee is definitely one of the worst. 2) Stealing a car is a bad idea and stealing one while running from the police is even worse but this criminal found a way to take things to a whole new level. All it took was stealing a mortuary van while it was being loaded up with a body! 3) Game-worn/used items are very popular with sports memorabilia collectors but does that mean that every article of clothing worn is worth something? Well we're about to find out because a pair of Michael Jordan's underwear showing signs of "definite use" are now up for auction. Which one will be crowned Ben's Story of the Day? Which one is your story of the day?

The negative impact that closing our schools has had on our students hasn't been dealt evenly. This disparity has prompted many experts in the education realm to start sounding the alarms because there are many red flags that are waving. Guest: Irvin Studin, Chair, Worldwide Commission to Educate All Kids; Editor-in-Chief, Publisher & Founder, Global Brief Magazine; President, The Institute for 21st Century Questions - Larry Walker has been welcomed into the Baseball Hall of Fame however his entry brings up memories of 1997 and who should have won the Lou Marsh Award that year. Guest: Steve Foxcroft, Sports Broadcaster, NFL Chain Gang Member, NBA Court-side Administrator & Vice-President, Fluke Transport

Today's edition of Ben's Story of the Day features: 1) People were protesting outside of Facebook's offices in London in the hopes of changing the way they moderate pictures of nipples vs tattoos of nipples on breast cancer survivors. Though some protestors dressed up as giant breasts, hopefully no one acted like one. 2) Gender reveals have caused much damage and devastation around the world. An expectant father from Tennessee got the good news and simply had to fire off a few celebratory rounds from his shotgun into the air prompting 3 nearby schools to go into lockdown. 3) Some collectors have extremely detailed and expensive collections of just about everything you can think of. One such collection was tragically thrown out by a man's parents after he moved out. A lawsuit was filed and won by the 43-year-old man whose parents now have to pay him $30,0441 to cover for the collection of pornography and sex toys. Which one will be crowned Ben's Story of the Day? Which one is your story of the day?

How is this election moving along? Are things going the way we expected when the writ was initially dropped? Guest: Kate Harrison, Vice Chair, Summa Strategies - The price of meat is rising rapidly and there's no denying it. The question, however, is why? Has it been the pandemic alone that's caused this spike or is there something more to it and is it time to start stashing tonnes of meat in your freezer? Guest: Dr. Sylvain Charlebois a.k.a. The Food Professor, Senior Director, Agri-Food Analytics Lab, Dalhousie University - Naming a band is a daunting task because whether you like it, or not, it's going to stick with you forever. Some names have cool stories behind them while others stem back to a spur-of-the-moment idea. Unfortunately, only so many names can exist before we enter the realm of bands with weird characters and symbols, with no way of pronouncing them, in their name. What are bands and musicians doing to ensure their name is unique to them, and them alone? Guest: Alan Cross, Music Historian & Journalist; Author 'A Journal of Musical Things' & Host, The Ongoing History of New Music

This week's edition of The Brightest Conversation in Hamilton features Graeme Mackay who joins Scott to talk about the current situation in Afghanistan, vaccine hesitancy, the fact that Hamilton has 9,000 employees, conscious cartooning and more. Guest: Graeme Mackay, Editorial Cartoonist, The Hamilton Spectator

Why are social media platforms willing to ban people like Donald Trump from their platforms while at the same time allowing members of groups like the Taliban to use it. Where is the line drawn and why aren't social media companies fully enforcing their own, self-imposed, policies? Guest: Allen Mendelsohn, Canadian Internet and Tech. Lawyer - There's a chance that you remember the company Consumers Distributing. 25-years-ago this week, Consumers Distributing went out of business despite it being used by so many people. What's caused this business, and many like it, to fade into the history books? Guest: Craig Patterson, Editor-In-Chief & Founder, Retail Insider

Today's edition of Ben's Story of the Day features: 1) Crashing your car is one of the last things that you want to do. What can make it even worse is when you crash a nice Audi Q7 into a 371-year-old house built by the ancestors of Abraham Lincoln. Wouldn't it be crazy if all of this actually did happen and just because the driver tried to avoid hitting a squirrel? 2) What do you do when there's a tree that sits right on the property line and one owner wants the tree while the other doesn't? Split it! One side gets beautiful canopy and other side gets pruning cuts. 3) Donating your body to science is something that helps allow medicine and science to progress in many different ways. What you might not expect is for your best friend to find your body being the one that gets pulled for anatomy class. Which one will be crowned Ben's Story of the Day? Which one is your story of the day?

A new poll has found that around one third of Ontarians say they are house-poor meaning the majority of their income goes towards their mortgage and/or house-related bills. Of that third, half of them say they're concerned they won't be able to make ends meet in this coming year. Guest: Don Fox, Principal, IG Private Wealth Management & Co-host, Planning Your Financial Future on Global News Radio 900 CHML - Bob Ross is one of the few people who's loved by just about everyone and a documentary all about him and the battle for his business is set to be released on Netflix. Guest: Dr. Kristin Congdon, Professor Emeritus, Art and Media, University of Central Florida & Co-Author, "Happy Clouds, Happy Trees: The Bob Ross Phenomenon"

Interesting numbers are arising as the federal election campaign gets underway. Where can we expect to be seeing support and for whom will that support be for? Guest: Nik Nanos, Chief Data Scientist & Founder, Nanos Research - If you take a look at who's running in your local riding chances are you won't see anyone familiar. How might this lack incumbent MPs impact the outcome of this election? Guest: Larry Di Ianni, Host & Community Producer, Cable 14 & Former Hamilton Mayor - Don Robertson joins Scott to talk about the Honus Wagner baseball card that sold for a whopping $6.6 million, childhood heroes, the kids of famous athletes trying to imitate their parents' success and more in Sports Talk with Don Robertson. Guest: Don Robertson, Head Coach & Owner, Dundas Real McCoys & Broker of Record, ComChoice Realty

This week's edition of The Brightest Conversation in Hamilton features our friend Mike Fortune who joins Scott to talk about the new Jeopardy! lineup, the potential for a federal election, how people vote, vaccine passports and more. Guest: Mike Fortune, Co-host, The Hamilton Network, Cable 14

Today's edition of Ben's Story of the Day features: 1) The University of Wisconsin is removing a rock from its campus because some people are saying it's racist. That's because of a name that it was referred to as at one point in time. 2) If there's one place OJ Simpson will never return to, it's Los Angeles. Why might you ask? Well isn't it obvious, the killer is still there! 3) They say that a picture is worth a thousand words however you only need a couple words to paint this picture. Flasher. Swinging. They were used in a police report to describe what someone was doing at traffic and now they're two words that can be used to describe what you're envisioning in your mind. Which one will be crowned Ben's Story of the Day? Which one is your story of the day?

What do you do when you're the president of the United States and you cancelled an oil pipeline from being built on your first day but your country needs more oil to bring gas prices down? Request more oil! But don't order it from Canada, request it from countries like Saudi Arabia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates and more. Guest: Stephen LeDrew, Political Commentator; Host, The LeDrew Three Minute Interview; Former President, Liberal Party of Canada - The movie set where Field of Dreams was shot has welcomed the MLB to take it from fiction to reality. Complete with Kevin Costner and the players entering the diamond from the corn, what else can we expect to see from tonight's game in Iowa? You're also going to be hearing none other than our friend Bubba O'Neil doing the play by play for this weekend's Ticats game! Guest: Bubba O'Neil, Sports Anchor, CHCH-TV

Monday, August 9th saw Hamilton City Council vote 10-2 to remove the homeless encampments. This vote specifically removes a Superior Court injunction that prevented the tent cities from being removed. Renewed regular enforcement will resume in 3 weeks. Scott spoke with the Councillor who introduced the motion, Jason Farr. GUEST: Jason Farr, Ward 2 Councillor Hamilton   As the situation in Afghanistan quickly deteriorates, in light of the US army's departure from the region, many people are wondering the same thing: Was it worth it? Guest: Dr. Geoffrey Hayes, PhD. History professor with special research interests in Canadian Military History and Afghanistan.   Then, in a rare showing for Scott, we replay an old interview with W.P. Kinsella, in honour of the Field of Dreams game White Sox vs Yankees. Guest: W.P. Kinsella (archived), Canadian author of "Shoeless Joe" a sports fiction novel later adapted to film as "Field of Dreams"

Today's edition of Ben's Story of the Day features: 1) Some people really, really love certain bands to the point of getting tattoos of them. A mother from New Zealand may have taken that love to a whole new level when she decided to name her kids after three of her favourite heavy metal bands, Metallica, Pantera and Slayer. Let's hope that her kids will grow up to share her love for metal. 2) Extracting teeth is not something just anybody can do. Years of schooling, examination and practice must be completed or at least that would be the case for someone who wants to do it the right way. Instead, this lady broke into a dentist's office where she pulled 13 teeth on top of some other shenanigans. 3) Flying over 2,000km from England to Russia is an amazing feat regardless of what kind of animal you're talking about. When it gets accomplished by a bat the size of your thumb, that makes things even more spectacular! How do we know that this bat is from England? You can thank an unfortunate run in with a cat for that. Which one will be crowned Ben's Story of the Day? Which one is your story of the day?

All around the world, there is a growing anti-government sentiment. Where is this feeling coming from and where could we see it lead to? Guest: Bill Kelly, Host, The Bill Kelly Show, Global News Radio 900 CHML - Licensing private rental properties is the basis of a new pilot project that got the green light from Hamilton City Council today. Why do they want to license these properties and how would it work? Guest: John Paul Danko, Ward 8 City Councillor, City of Hamilton - When you lose one of the great players from any game, there's always a sombre feeling however the passing of NHL Hall of Famer Tony Esposito also evokes memories of when goalies were simply the coolest player on the ice. How have sports changed since the time of Esposito and why are different sports being played so similarly? Guest: Steve Foxcroft, Sports Broadcaster, NFL Chain Gang Member, NBA Court-side Administrator & Vice-President, Fluke Transport

Today's edition of Ben's Story of the Day features: 1) The Olympics added some new sports to its long list of disciplines and sports which has prompted a guy to petition the International Olympic Committee to add another. He, and others, think that it's an "injustice" that the heart-racing, high-octane sport of Yu-Gi-Oh! (a trading card game) is not a part of the Games. Could we see the Olympics relent and welcome this as its next sport or could it be banished to the Shadow Realm instead? 2) Scented candles can really change the atmosphere of a room and while usually for the better, there are some that have some rather unusual smells. Ikea has thrown its hat in the ring with candles that smell like their iconic Swedish meatballs. Whether you think this would smell amazing or dålig is up to you. 3) Breaking up with someone introduces a whole ton of questions about what comes next. Very few people would ever expect their now-ex to take their car and run through a bunch of red lights and yet that's exactly what this one lady did 49 times! Which one will be crowned Ben's Story of the Day? Which one is your story of the day?

How can you get today's kids interested in the news? Is it just a matter of interest or perhaps it's attention span that's lacking? Guest: Joyce Grant, Freelance Journalist, Children's Author & Co-Founder, TeachingKidsNews.com - When people in the sports world make moves that will get them massive amounts of money, and they're from Hamilton, you can bet that Scott and Don Robertson will talk about it! Also, is it time for the Canadian Premier League to launch a women's league that'll run parallel to the current CPL? Would you pay to see some of the best women in the world play soccer? Guest: Don Robertson, Head Coach & Owner, Dundas Real McCoys & Broker of Record, ComChoice Realty

Ontario’s big city mayors call for decriminalization of drugs and Burlington Mayor Marianne Meed Ward joins Scott to talk more about what this may look like. Also addressing a few common misconceptions about decriminalization.   There have been some rumblings that Live Aid may come back in aid of COVID this time. Scott brought on music publicist Eric Alper for this one.   And Bubba O'Neil from CHCH discusses the state of NHL and MLB officiating. Is it ruining the sports as some commentators say? Or is it no big deal?

The HSR has a new director in charge. As the new director for the HSR, Maureen Cosyn Heath is going to face some new challenges. Is she ready? What challenges await her? Guest: Maureen Cosyn Heath, Transit Director HSR, London school bus CAO. Paul Bernardo's parole hearing has taken place, and to many Canadian's relief, it didn't go well for Bernardo. But why should he have a parole hearing when many Canadians believe he won't be released? Guest: Jeff Manishen, Criminal Lawyer & Associate Counsel, Ross & McBride LLP Vinyl records are seeing such a resurgence in popularity that vinyl manufacturers can barely keep up with the demand. What is driving the interest in vinyl? Guest: Alan Cross, Music Historian & Journalist; Author 'A Journal of Musical Things' & Host, The Ongoing History of New Music

Hamilton legend Ron Foxcroft has recently launched his new book "The 40 Ways of the Fox", and he joins Scott on the podcast to talk more about it. Guest: Ron Foxcroft, Philanthropist, Founder & CEO, Fox 40 International Inc and Chairman, President & CEO, Fluke Transport & Basketball Referee The U.S. Open took place yesterday, and with it, Canadian golfer Mackenzie Hughes finishing 15th, potentially making Canadian golf history. Also, the Olympics, and their absurd COVID restrictions that (while safe) take the fun out of the game It's all coming up in Sports Talk with Don Robertson. Guest: Don Robertson, Head Coach & Owner, Dundas Real McCoys & Broker of Record, ComChoice Realty

This week's edition of The Brightest Conversation in Hamilton features Jen Watson who joins Scott to talk about cancelling Canada Day, students being sent home for wearing inappropriate clothing, embarrassing stories, removing honours programs from high school and more. Guest: Jen Watson, Voice Actor, McQueenVoiceOvers.com & former CHML News Anchor & Reporter

A new Angus-Reid poll found that many people think the price of things are increasing more than they actually are. What is making people think this? Guest: Marvin Ryder, Associate Professor of Marketing, DeGroote School of Business, McMaster University - There are collections of pretty much everything under the sun but one man in Hamilton likes collecting letters and signatures from people who never intended to be famous but rather found themselves thrust into historical moments. How does he get these letters from people who've done just about everything from walking on the moon to following Charles Manson? Guest: Mike Tabone, Collector - He's back! Our friend Bubba O'Neil has healed up and is ready for some more debates and conversations about everything the sports world has to offer. Today, Scott & Bubba discuss who should and shouldn't be nominated for the NHL's GM of the Year award. Guest: Bubba O'Neil, Sports Anchor, CHCH-TV

Today's edition of Ben's Story of the Day features: 1) When your drugs get seized by the police it's best to just cut your losses and leave. This guy, instead, made his first stop, presumably after posting bail, the drug lockup to get his drugs back. Clearly all of the previous bad ideas didn't get the message across so let's add trying to raid the police station and City Hall to the list! 2) Sometimes YouTube's algorithms take you on a ride to learn about topics you never would have searched on your own, other times you're just plain bored or curious. Whatever the reason is, don't take the bomb you just built from a YouTube video to the police station for deactivation. 3) Living near an airport has its inherent risks but rarely does the topic of falling poo come up in the conversation. What comes up even less is the likelihood of a half-meter wide mound of poop coming real close to annihilating your car. Which one will be crowned Ben's Story of the Day? Which one is your story of the day?

As we approach the end of the school year, there are a lot of Grade 12 students who aren't sure where they should go next. Is Grade 13 the way to go or is progressing into post-secondary education what students should do? Guest: Michele Vesprini, Guidance Counselor, St. Thomas More Catholic Secondary School - There are two stories unfolding on opposing ends of the country that aren't dissimilar however the way politicians are treating it is night and day. What's going on in Alberta and Quebec? Guest: Stephen LeDrew, Political Commentator; Host, The LeDrew Three Minute Interview; Former President, Liberal Party of Canada - The Vancouver School Board is cutting out its honours programs from its high school. What purpose is this suppose to serve and are the words equality and equity misused too often? Guest: Monika Ferenczy, Education Consultant & Author

Today's edition of Ben's Story of the Day features: 1) Girl Guide cookie sales have dropped through the floor thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic and now they're sitting on 15 million boxes of cookies! Oh what I'd do to get into that warehouse... 2) Unfortunately McDonald's Happy Meals aren't served all day long much to the dismay of this guy. How did he react to this news? By threatening to execute everyone in the restaurant! 3) Simply wearing your underwear over your pants and putting on a cape isn't enough to bestow you with the powers of Superman. A self-identified comedian from Mexico found that out the hard way after he tried to stop a bus while donning the classic red, blue and yellow costume. Who won this battle? Certainly not the guy who got flattened by a bus! Which one will be crowned Ben's Story of the Day? Which one is your story of the day?

We now know what it would cost to run the LRT in Hamilton... we think. Have all the questions been answered or is there still more to discover? Guest: Lloyd Ferguson, Ward 12 Councillor, City of Hamilton - Some new concerns are on the rise over cannabis use but this time it's revolving around children's use of it. Is this something that actually merits concern or is a ruckus being made about nothing? Guest: Dr. James MacKillop. Peter Boris Chair in Addictions Research. Director of the Peter Boris Centre For Addictions Research. Co-director of the Michael D. DeGroote Centre for Medicinal Cannabis Research - The CFL has announced its new season and the Ti-Cats are going to be having a doozy of a year! 4 games against the Argonauts!? Guest: Rick Zamperin, Host of The 5th Quarter, News Director & Sports Director, Global News Radio 900 CHML

This week's edition of The Brightest Conversation in Hamilton features Neil Lumsden who joins Scott to talk about the reopening of restaurant patios and loosened restrictions in Ontario, taking another look at our history through the lens of today's standards, bringing back things from our youth and more. Guest: Neil Lumsden, Vanier Cup Champion, Grey Cup Champion, CFL Hall of Fame Member, former Athletic Director of Brock University & Amazing Race Canada Contestant

Today's edition of Ben's Story of the Day features: 1) School's aren't often fully evacuated unless under the most dire of situations like say, a bobcat in the school. Whoever called in this bobcat sighting needs their eyes checked because when the school was finally cleared, it was found to be nothing more than a house cat. 2) Semi-trucks and the trailers they tow are truly some of the most important things to ensuring our society and its businesses can function. Unfortunately things occasionally go wrong while en route and it isn't until you realize that you've leaked an entire trailer's worth of tomato paste mixed with olive oil on the highway for as far as the eye can see. Though it may look like blood, it's only a horror scene for those who love the culinary arts. 3) It's a bird! It's a plane! It's a sex-toy wielding quadcopter? Just some of the words that were almost guaranteed to have been said by onlookers of a a mayoral speech that was being conducted by a mayoral candidate. Whether the goal was to slap the candidate's head with the toy or just to simply divert peoples' attention, it was clear that the only way it was going to be removed was by 'gripping and ripping'. Which one will be crowned Ben's Story of the Day? Which one is your story of the day?

A parole hearing is coming up for Paul Bernardo but everyone is asking, is there really a chance at him being released from his life sentence? Guest: Tim Danson, Lawyer representing the French and Mahaffy families - The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed many weaknesses in our education system. This is something that Dr. Paul Bennett has helped distill down to 5 headlines that describe what exactly is going on with our students, teachers and the system as a whole. Guest: Dr. Paul Bennett, Founding Director & Lead Consultant, Schoolhouse Consulting and Author, "The State of the System" & Educhatter blog - Hockey fans are yet again wondering what punishment, if any, is going to be delivered by the NHL. This comes after another player was injured to the point of being stretchered off of the ice. Is it time for the enforcer to come back or is the NHL actually going to do what it says? Guest: Sean Fitzgerald, Senior National Writer, The Athletic

A long meeting was held at Hamilton City Hall between Councillors and the head of Metrolinx about the proposed LRT system. Was anything accomplished? Guest: Chad Collins, Ward 5 Councillor, City of Hamilton - The Prime Minister said that Quebec can call itself a nation unto itself with the ability to make unilateral changes to the Canadian Constitution. One such change would be the ability to declare French its only official language. By that standard, could any other province declare English to be its only official language? Is it time to end Canada's official bilingualism? Guest: JJ McCullough, Columnist, The Washington Post - You can watch those TV shows you loved as a kid once again! Thanks to a website that's broadcasting the commercials, shows, news, sports & more from the 1970s, 80s, 90s & 00s! Scott speaks with the creator of these websites to find out how the My Retro TV series came into existence and what inspired their creation. Guest: Joey Cato, Creator, My Retro TV series

Today's edition of Ben's Story of the Day features: 1) Dead bodies decompose & get extremely smelly over time, that's a fact. A court inquest uncovered that someone, who was knowingly living with a dead body, decided to fight that stench with the help of 70 bottles of air freshener. At what point does someone decide that they've got to get rid of something? 2) Art is something that often finds its place coming from the mind and heart but an Italian sculptor has taken that to a whole new level with his latest sculpture that sold for 15,000 euros ($22146.15 CAD). That very same sculpture is one of an immaterial nature which is fancy talk for it's entirely imaginary and has no physical or digital form. Who thought this was something they wanted to buy?! 3) PC gaming is full of weird and wonderful games from expansive fictional sagas to intricate simulators. One of those simulators has been released under the title, "Chair Simulator". This distinct simulator allows for the player to sit in a chair. Genius. Which one will be crowned Ben's Story of the Day? Which one is your story of the day?

Today's edition of Ben's Story of the Day features: 1) If you were to buy a lottery ticket, you generally want it to be in the drawing you want. This lady didn't have that experience as she entered 3 minutes late which put her into the next drawing. It might not be the lottery she wanted but it sure was the outcome she was hoping for, winning a cool $2 million. 2) Pulling a sports jersey off is usually straight forward and any professional player has done it thousands of times. A pro baseball player's recent injury might make you think otherwise, after all, a broken thumb is no small thing in America's pastime. 3) North Korea's leader, Kim Jong-Un has found the solution to preventing the spread of capitalism through a simple ban on two things: mullets and skinny jeans. Congratulations Kim, you've beat capitalism. Which one will be crowned Ben's Story of the Day? Which one is your story of the day?

It's rather well known that governments aren't always the best when it comes to spending money and, unfortunately, that trend is continuing. The federal government will be spending $17.7 billion next year just on consultants. Couple that with the fact that the federal government has approximately 380,000 civil servants and it starts making you wonder why there's so many people who can't do the job on their own. Guest: Stephen LeDrew, Political Commentator; Host, The LeDrew Three Minute Interview; Former President, Liberal Party of Canada - As the Toronto Maple Leafs head into Game 7 of their playoff round against the Montreal Canadiens, fans on both sides are holding their breath to see if their team will go on to play the Winnipeg Jets. It's been 17 years since this match was last made and everyone is wondering, how is this game going to go? Guest: Kevin Shea,  Hockey Historian and Author of ‘Voices in Blue and White: Pride and Passion for the Maple Leafs’ - The prospect of completely autonomous cars is something that's long been held in the realm of science fiction but scientists are working on making it reality; in fact, they've been working on it for years! What's holding them back and are streets full of cars that drive themselves something that's still far off in the future? Guest: Dr. Krzysztof Czarnecki, Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Waterloo

This week's edition of The Brightest Conversation in Hamilton features Scot Urquhart who joins Scott to talk about the price of tickets to see the Toronto Maple Leafs play against the Montreal Canadiens, Hamilton's proposed LRT system, a rise in the number of smokers worldwide, whether you would want to know if you'll get Alzheimer's before you start showing symptoms and more. Guest: Scot Urquhart, Co-Host, The Hamilton Network, Cable 14

It seems like there's a nice thick layer of pollen coating every surface in Hamilton this spring. Where did it all come from and what exactly is pollen? Is there any reason it's here in such abundance? Guest: Barbara McKean, Head of Education, Royal Botanical Gardens - Is this the year we'll see the Toronto Maple Leafs continue all the way to win the Stanley Cup? If this first round between the Maple Leafs & Canadiens is anything to go off of, things are looking good for the Leafs. Guest: Rick Zamperin, Senior Sports Director, Global News Radio 900 CHML - UFOs are synonymous with aliens and conspiracy theorists however there might be a shift towards talking about these in a more serious & academic light. Is it time we start talking about the possibility of aliens as something that might actually be real and something that should be studied rather than dismissed as tinfoil hat wearing non-sense? Guest: Dr. Jesse Rogerson, Astrophysicist; Assistant Professor, Department of Science & Technology Studies, York University

Ontario's education system seems to love moving students forward but hates to keep them back regardless of their readiness to progress to the next grade. What happens if a parent doesn't think their kid is ready for the next grade? What can they do? Guest: Monika Ferenczy, Education Expert, Consultant & Author - Metronlinx will be sending its big wigs to Hamilton City Council to answer some questions about the proposed LRT system. What do Councillors want to know? Guest: Lloyd Ferguson, Ward 12 Councillor, City of Hamilton - The 2021 Daytime Emmy nominations have been released and one of the nominees is a guy from Hamilton. You might know him as Dante Falconeri from General Hospital but his real name is Dominic Zamprogna. Are soap fans as crazy as they might seem? What's it like being nominated in the "Lead Actor in a Drama Series" category? Guest: Dominic Zamprogna, Actor & 2021 Daytime Emmy Nominee

Today's edition of Ben's Story of the Day features: 1) When the graduating class pulls a prank, there's usually some appreciation for the genius with a pinch of insanity needed to a good one work. These students weren't that lucky instead getting suspended just long enough to miss the graduation ceremony. 2) There isn't often a lot of overlap between the mentality of a criminal and a police officer. This is one of those rare occasions where the officer was probably just as surprised as the criminal who, after stealing a bike and a ham (odd combo but ok), decided to hide in the ceiling of a Subway restaurant. The overlap comes from the surprise everyone felt when he came crashing through the ceiling to the officers' feet. A painful lesson to learn in many different ways. 3) Can't hold your wedding because of COVID-19 restrictions? There's a fix for that! Just charter a plane with everyone you've invited on board and get married that way! Sure the airline might get investigated for disobeying the restrictions but hey, you're married now! Which one will be crowned Ben's Story of the Day? Which one is your story of the day?

You would have been considered a hardcore conspiracy theorist a while back if you said that COVID-19 was created in a Wuhan lab but is there a chance that that might be the case? Guest: Dr. Charles Burton, Senior Fellow, Macdonald-Laurier Institute, Centre for Advancing Canada’s Interests Abroad - It would appear that there's a shift in people's usage and opinion of self-checkout vs. cashier. More people are starting to use the self-checkout lane despite a previous aversion to them. What has changed and has the COVID-19 pandemic played a role in this? Guest: Dr. Sylvain Charlebois a.k.a. The Food Professor, Senior Director, Agri-Food Analytics Lab, Dalhousie University - Many people have held the role of TV analyst across the multitude of sports we enjoy. Some of the best analysts are those who've fallen into the role following their athletic career. Does The Great One, Wayne Gretzky, have what it takes to be one such athlete? Scott discusses that very question with Don Robertson to find out. Guest: Don Robertson, Head Coach & Owner, Dundas Real McCoys & Broker of Record, ComChoice Realty

The Brightest Conversation in Hamilton welcomes Annette Hamm back to the show to talk about Hamilton's COVID Memorial Wall, CHCH's new building, an investigation into Martin Bashir's interview with Princess Diana, unkempt lawns and more. Guest: Annette Hamm, Co-host, Morning Live, CHCH-TV

The announcement has been made and it sounds like Ontario is going to be allowed to slowly start opening back up. What does the plan put forward by Doug Ford mean for Hamilton? Guest: Paul Johnson, Director, Emergency Operations Centre, City of Hamilton - Hamilton is now the third least affordable city in North America to live in. This puts it above Los Angeles, Miami, New York City, Seattle, Chicago and many more. The two cities that are even less affordable than Hamilton are Toronto & Vancouver. What kind of challenge does that make for those who are trying to provide affordable housing? Guest: Graham Cubitt, Director of Projects and Development, Indwell - For the first time in a very, very long time, the Toronto Maple Leafs & the Montreal Canadiens will be playing against each other in the playoffs. Scott turns to someone who's played for both the Habs and the Leafs to get some insight into what it's like to be on the ice. Is more pressure generated by Toronto or Montreal fans? Guest: Ric Nattress, Former NHL Defenceman & Stanley Cup Champion

Today on the Scott Radley Show Podcast:   CAD has been trending above $0.83 USD on average which is great news! But why is it trending this way? And what is up with crypto currencies lately? That is what our first guest is trying to decode with us. As well he details what he likes to call the "Scott Radley Show curse." Marvin Ryder, Degroote School of Business, McMaster University.   The sport of baseball has changed a lot in recent years, will it ever go back? Mike Wilner, sports columnist for the Toronto Star. His podcast is Deep Left Field, and it can be found here: https://www.thestar.com/podcasts/deepleftfield.html

Winning a game of bingo feels great but being able to do so with a belly full of great food is even better! A big game of bingo involving restaurants from all over Hamilton is currently underway. With dishes that span everywhere from Thai food & barbeque to butter tarts & chocolate dipped ice cream cones and more, there is something for everyone and you're helping small businesses all over this great city of ours. How did it start and how do you enter? Scott gets the rundown from Chan Thatch. Guest: Chan Thach, Founder, Ask for Chan

Justin Trudeau has recently come out and said that Quebec has the ability to unilaterally make amendments to the Constitution of Canada. Is this accurate and if so, does that mean every province is free to change parts of the Canadian Constitution? Guest: Ryan O'Connor, Lawyer & Partner, Zayouna Law Firm - Working from home has left many employees asking if they have the right to not answer the phone should work come calling outside of normal hours. The best person to answer this question is an employment lawyer so Scott does just that and brings one on the show. Guest: Mackenzie Irwin, Employment Lawyer, Samfiru-Tumarkin LLP - Apparently there are some intentions for Bill C-10 to help promote Canadian content. But aren't there already laws in place to aid in the promotion of Canadian content? Do we need to promote our content even more? Is it time to take it easy with how hard we push it? Guest: Eric Alper, Publicist, Music Commentator & Shameless Idealist

Today's edition of Ben's Story of the Day features: 1) There are many things that don't belong on a plane. An example of this is a mask-less, shoe-less passenger who's acting aggressive and making stabbing motions to everyone while spewing racial & misogynistic slurs just after snorting some white powder. I wonder what that powder could have been... 2) It's no secret that the service and hospitality industry has been truly wrecked by the COVID-19 pandemic but there might be a solution being proposed in the Britain. Everyone has a job to do and that job is simple, every adult must drink around 124 pints of beer in order to save the pub industry. For the first time ever, you can be drunk and doing your part at the same time! 3) Winning the lottery is an astronomically unlikely thing to do which makes it that much more special for those who win. Of those who have drawn the winning ticket, how many do you think have washed a pair of pants that holds that very same ticket? The stars must have aligned because we found someone who did just that! Which one will be crowned Ben's Story of the Day? Which one is your story of the day?

Bob Bratina has announced that he won't be running for his seat in the House of Commons in the next election and with a mayoral race not far off in the distance, questions about if he'll run in it or not are starting to crop up. Who else has been tagged as being likely to run for the Mayor of Hamilton? Guest: Bill Kelly, Host, The Bill Kelly Show, Global News Radio 900 CHML - Quadmester is the word of the day for Hamilton and Toronto's school boards. What would this new format of dividing up the school day mean for students and teachers as well as the curricula? Guest: Vanessa Vakharia, Founder & CEO of The Math Guru - Athletes often say that the fans and crowd noises don't influence how they play but we'll be getting a chance to see if that's actually the case as American and Canadian hockey teams play their playoff games with very different amounts of fans in the stands. Despite being a team that has many of the traits that make for a high grossing team in terms of fan base, the Toronto Blue Jays only seem to garner attention when they're winning or scoring big, why is that? Scott and Don discuss these and more in this week's edition of Sports Talk with Don Robertson. Guest: Don Robertson, Head Coach & Owner, Dundas Real McCoys & Broker of Record, ComChoice Realty

This week's edition of The Brightest Conversation in Hamilton features Rick Zamperin who joins Scott to talk about the idea of reintroducing grade 13 to schools, Hamilton's age-old debate over LRT, the Toronto Maple Leafs finally making a playoff appearance, potentially changing the way homes are bought in the hopes of combating rampant house prices and more. Guest: Rick Zamperin, Senior Sports Director, Global News Radio 900 CHML

The CFL relies on fans being in the stands, and the revenue they generate, to carry on but some recent news from the provincial sports minister sounds like that crucial life line might not be there. What could this mean for the CFL and this year's season? Guest: Steve Foxcroft, Sports Broadcaster, NFL Chain Gang Member, NBA Court-side Administrator & Vice-President, Fluke Transport - SCTV is a staple for many people thanks to iconic skits and characters and that goes for both sides of the screen as its launched the careers of many comedians and actors. A documentary that was set to be directed by Martin Scorsese about an SCTV reunion was in the works however we're hearing it's been delayed. Scott speaks with Bill Brioux to find out more about this. Guest: Bill Brioux, TV blogger, brioux.tv

Today's edition of Ben's Story of the Day features: 1) CCTV cameras are infamous for their grainy quality video feeds but one bakery has decided they can still work with that after being broken into. Why not take the best photo they have of the burglar and put it on some of their food? 2) A lady in Australia got her wisdom teeth removed but awoke from the general anesthetic to find that her mouth isn't the only thing that changed, her voice did too! Despite never visiting Ireland in her life, she now has an Irish accent! 3) Having your car broken into is really bad but what's even worse is having your prosthetic arm stolen too! Luckily enough for this one-armed pitcher, his thief threw away the arm only for it to be found by workers at a recycling plant who sent it back to him. Which one will be crowned Ben's Story of the Day? Which one is your story of the day?

Inflation is a constant when it comes to the economy but that doesn't mean the rate of inflation is ever constant. In fact it's the word of the day with economists worrying about if it's time to start bracing for a big hit and in the event that it does come, how bad will the hit be? Guest: Marvin Ryder, Associate Professor of Marketing, DeGroote School of Business, McMaster University - Should the Olympics go forward and take place in Japan this year? There's a growing number of people who think the answer should be no and many of them are in Japan. Scott chats with an expert on the Olympics who's also played soccer at the professional level to here what he thinks about the situation. Guest: Dr. Jules Boykoff, Author of Power Games: A Political History of the Olympics; Professor of Politics, Pacific University; Former Professional Soccer Player - With an announcement about Hamilton's pending LRT system expected to happen tomorrow, Scott has spoken with people who are in favour of the project happening and now it's time to hear from someone who's a little more reserved about the project. Guest: Chad Collins, Ward 5 Councillor, City of Hamilton

Today's edition of Ben's Story of the Day features: 1) A politician in India has made a video where he can be seen drinking a liquid that he claims, if ingested on an empty stomach every day, will prevent COVID-19 from infecting you. What is this magical liquid you might ask? Cow urine. Is this one of those cases where the cure is worse than the disease? 2) It turns out that Auckland, New Zealand has a pothole problem and someone has taken it upon their self to do something about them. Draw some phallic imagery that features the pothole and then boom, the pothole is gone! The pen may be mightier than the sword but spray paint seems to be much quicker. 3) An ugly picture on your ID may suck but you only have to show it every now and then. An ugly mug shot, on the other hand, sucks much more, especially when the police is posting it everywhere. This criminal found a solution to this, get some better pictures taken and then send the police one of them. Which one will be crowned Ben's Story of the Day? Which one is your story of the day?

This Thursday will see an announcement be made by the federal government that will either give Hamilton's proposed LRT project its final nail in the coffin or the green light to put shovels in the ground. What does Hamilton's Mayor think of this and what preparations are being made? Guest: Fred Eisenberger, Mayor, City of Hamilton - The Toronto Rock is moving to Hamilton! There's just one catch, they're staying the Toronto Rock. While it's awesome that Hamilton's presence in the professional lacrosse realm but why can't the name be changed to match? Guest: Jamie Dawick, Owner, President & GM, Toronto Rock - A company in California is making whiskey without the alcohol. Why would someone want to drink non-alcoholic whisk(e)y and if the law requires a minimum of 40% alcohol by volume, can you even call what they make whiskey? Guest: Davin de Kergommeaux, Spirits Author; International Whisky Judge; Founder, Canadian Whisky Awards

Today's edition of Ben's Story of the Day features: 1) A child with a credit card will often result in some rather expensive charges being put on said card and this is no different. This 4-year-old kid managed to get on his mom's Amazon account and placed an order of Spongebob popsicles to the tune of nearly $3,000. 2) People look for different things in their partners but once this lady discovered her fiance didn't know how to multiply by 2, she called off the wedding! If you're going to multiply, it's important to know how. 3) The name Chernobyl is synonymous with radioactivity, post-apocalyptic conditions and nuclear activity. Apples from the area are being used to make 'ATOMIK Apple Spirit'. Does it glow in the dark? Is there a nuclear zing our booze is missing? Unfortunately we may never know thanks to the Ukrainian Security Service who seized the first batch of 1500 bottles. We'll just have to wait and see if some day it'll grace the shelves of the LCBO. Which one will be crowned Ben's Story of the Day? Which one is your story of the day?

Being fully vaccinated means you're fully protected against COVID-19, right? A comment from Dr. Theresa Tam might make you think otherwise. If we're still at risk of contracting and spreading COVID-19 despite receiving both doses of vaccine does that mean we won't be returning to "normal" even with everyone vaccinated? Guest: Cara Zwibel, Director, Fundamental Freedoms Program, Canadian Civil Liberties Association - Medina Spirit testing positive, finding Mr. Perfect, how the Stanley Cup playoffs will be played, whether or not it's fair to compare Connor McDavid to Wayne Gretzky and more is all on the docket today for this week's edition of Sports Talk with Don Robertson. Guest: Don Robertson, Head Coach & Owner, Dundas Real McCoys & Broker of Record, ComChoice Realty

CHCH evening news anchor Nicole Martin joins Scott to talk about, what else, COVID. Possible "passports" being used for admittance to sports events. If implemented, how long would that go on for?   On a lighter note, people are showering less now that COVID has us at home. Does anyone at CHCH have a stink about them? Nicole has more on that. As well, how is Bubba O'Neil doing? It's all coming up on the Scott Radley Show Podcast!   Follow Nicole on Twitter: https://twitter.com/nicolemartintv 

We learned that people are doing a good job staying at home. This is due to technology that supposedly doesn't track you... so how do they know we're staying home? Guest: Allen Mendelsohn, Canadian Internet and Tech. Lawyer - According to an article in the C2C Journal, entertainment appears to be seeing a rift. The possibility might have something to do with politics and who we follow based on their political views. Guest: Aaron Nava, Author at C2C Journal - The IOC (International Olympic Committee) asked 3,500 olympic athletes if they should allow protests or demonstrations on the podium or on the field. They have voted no. Is this a good thing? Guest: Steve Foxcroft, Sports Broadcaster, NFL Chain Gang Member, NBA Court-side Administrator & Vice-President, Fluke Transport

Today's edition of Ben's Story of the Day features: 1) Fell asleep with your contacts in? Woke up with some dry eyes? You might want to double check you're grabbing your eye drops and not the suspiciously similar bottle of nail glue... be a shame if a second person glued their eyes shut. 2) Police in Harrisburg, Illinois are arresting parents if their kids skip school. But what do you do when you've elected the remote learning option and they still show up? 3) Schools exist solely to further the education of the attending students and in Florida, they paint on the road where school zones are so drivers know. It looks like this line painter didn't do so great in school because the word 'school' was spelled wrong on the road! On the bright side, Florida might very well have the world's first schohol zone now. Which one will be crowned Ben's Story of the Day? Which one is your story of the day?

Bans on certain kinds of food are currently present in many schools in Ontario but there are some scientists who are looking into whether or not there's a better way to be going about this. Could blanket bans on food like peanuts not be the answer? Guest: Dr. Susan Waserman, Director of the Adverse Reactions Clinic, Firestone Institute of Respiratory Health, Professor of Medicine at the Division of Clinical Immunology & Allergy, Department of Medicine, McMaster University - Athletes are in the best shape they've ever been and yet they are still far from perfect. Injuries are still a rather common occurrence in sport despite all the supports being there. Are we maxing out the human body's potential? Guest: Steve Lidstone, Associate Director, Sports Performance, Brock University - The COVID-19 pandemic has driven people crazy! Or at least you'd think so after seeing this list of stupid names given to babies since the beginning of the year. So gather up your kids named Salad and Pandemica because Scott and Ben have quite the unique list lined up for you.

Today's edition of Ben's Story of the Day features: 1) Police chases are supposed to be fast, right? Not in this case. In what's been described as the slowest, saddest police chase ever, an English police officer chased a boat along a channel for 8 miles while on his bicycle topping out at a whopping 4 miles per hour. 2) Airport security at New York's JFK airport caught a smuggler with some rather interesting wares. A man was caught flying in from Guyana with 35 competitive songbirds hidden on his person. One must ask, how didn't anyone hear these competitive birds on the flight from Guyana? 3) Some neighbours simply suck. This guy found a way to get him to shut up by building a wall of poop between them. Creativity comes in many ways, some of those simply stink and this one is no different, literally. Which one will be crowned Ben's Story of the Day? Which one is your story of the day?

Publicly available electric scooters could be gracing Hamilton's streets soon. While this will be similar to the SoBi bike program there's some rather large differences between an electric scooter and a bicycle. Would introducing these scooters be a good idea? Guest: John Paul Danko, Ward 8 City Councillor, City of Hamilton - He could have killed someone, literally, and yet he was only fined $5,000. That's how many people feel following an astonishing fight last night during the hockey game between the New York Rangers and Washington Capitals. What should the punishment be that Capitals winger Tom Wilson receives and why does the NHL suck at delivering punishments for bad behaviour? Guest: Mark Hebscher, Author; Podcaster; Former Host, CHCH-TV; Former Co-Host, Sportsline - Without a doubt, the COVID-19 pandemic has been devastating to the movie theatre industry but it looks like there will be a rather large resurgence in patronage. What does the future hold for cinema owners and cinema-goers? Guest: Robert Thompson, Director, Bleier Center for Television & Popular Culture; Trustee Professor of Television, Radio and Film

Today's edition of Ben's Story of the Day features: 1) They may be old but they're not out of the fight! An assisted living facility had two fewer residents after an elderly couple with early signs of dementia flew the coop. The entrance's keypad had buttons that all make unique beeps which the husband picked up on. Using some of his old army skills, he took note of which buttons made up the password and did a little deciphering. After cracking the password the couple made their escape. Normally you'll find weird, unusual or downright stupid here but this time it's nothing but pure genius! 2) It's finally happened. The most descriptive and yet least descriptive headline of all time. It features boulders, Boulder Canyon, the city of Boulder, Colorado and the Boulder County Sheriff's Office. Why overthink naming everything when 'boulder' does just fine? 3) Police officers have to deal with a lot on a daily basis. Fortunately, a colostomy bag wielding weirdo who's probably had a bit too much to drink in Kid Rock’s Big A** Honky Tonk & Rock ‘n’ Roll Steakhouse isn't one of those daily doses of dumb. Unfortunately for the responding officers, this is the (hopefully) one time they will have to use all of their training to figure things out. Which one will be crowned Ben's Story of the Day? Which one is your story of the day?

The City of Hamilton is trying to plant thousands of trees on both private and public land. How would these trees benefit Hamiltonians and make the city more efficient? Guest: Sam Scarlett, Forestry Manager, City of Hamilton - Brentnol "Cabbage" McPherson — aka Bonny Brent recently passed away however the way in which his viewing was conducted was less-than-conventional. Featuring a drum kit, bright yellow tracksuit, sunglasses and his body posed on the drum throne, people all over the world are talking about what's been called his 'final performance'. How was this done? Scott talks with the lady who made it all happen. Guest: Luann Jones, Funeral Director & Owner, Covenant Funeral Homes - Walks of Fame in Hamilton & Dundas, great players in garbage positions, building sports teams vs. playing on them and more is all included in this week's edition of Sports Talk with Don Robertson. Guest: Don Robertson, Head Coach & Owner, Dundas Real McCoys & Broker of Record, ComChoice Realty

This week's edition of The Brightest Conversation in Hamilton features Mike Fortune who joins Scott to talk about nudist resorts, censorship, COVID-19 becoming a political tool, donating for attention and more Guest: Mike Fortune, Co-host, The Hamilton Network, Cable 14

In a country with so many trees and so much wood, you'd expect the price of it to be rather cheap however it's anything but cheap right now. What's caused the price of lumber to skyrocket and is there a chance it might stay there? Guest: Ian Dunn, President, Ontario Forest Industries Association - What's prompting some provinces to get rid of their school boards altogether? Are boards putting themselves out of a job or is there something grander going on in the government? Other provinces have abolished their school boards, is it time Ontario follows suit? Guest: Dr. Paul Bennett, Founding Director & Lead Consultant, Schoolhouse Consulting and Author, "The State of the System" & Educhatter blog - Renting a cottage opens up many opportunities to spend time up north with nature as your neighbour. Unfortunately the cost of renting one has gone up drastically. Why have they gotten more expensive and could this increase be a permanent fixture of cottage life? Guest: Heather Bayer, CEO, CottageLINK Rental Management

Taxes are not a fun subject to talk about, however with the year we had in 2020 there are some things you need to know before you file them. Guest: Thie C.L. Convery, Financial Columnist, The Hamilton Spectator, , Wealth Advisor, IPC Securities Corporation - Mike Tyson says he's returning to the ring to fight Lennox Lewis, is that something that would be watched? Also, the Pioneer league proposed a "home run hitting contest" as a way to settle a tie game. Guest: Steve Foxcroft, Sports Broadcaster, NFL Chain Gang Member, NBA Court-side Administrator & Vice-President, Fluke Transport

Today's edition of Ben's Story of the Day features: 1) Finding a wedding venue is anything but easy so this Florida couple had an idea. Since it looks like no one lives in this massive estate for sale, let's have the wedding here; it's not like the neighbour is also the property owner or anything. 2) Gender reveals are all the rage which naturally means that someone has to take it to the next level and boy howdy did someone manage to do just that. Featuring 80lbs of Tannerite (an explosive that can be set off by shooting it) and a quarry, this guy shook pictures off the walls of nearby houses and registered as an earthquake because of the seismic activity it generated. Oh and it's a boy! 3) Children have amazing imaginations and when it's science fair time, those imaginations kick into overdrive and this boy is no different. The catch here is that his imagination was captured by his cat, more specifically the cat's bum hole and where it touches around the house. Now how would someone track what it touches, you might ask? How about using mom's lipstick! Which one will be crowned Ben's Story of the Day? Which one is your story of the day?

Canada is moving towards a future that could see the CRTC police everything you post online. Why is this putting so many experts on edge and what kind of real life impact would it have if the bill passes? Guest: Dr. Michael Geist, Professor & Chair of Internet & E-com. Law, Faculty of Law, University of Ottawa - Poutine is loved by many people all over the world and now there's a book coming out about the history of it and more. Get your cheese curds, gravy and french fries ready because this is one saucy story. Guest: Dr. Sylvain Charlebois a.k.a. The Food Professor, Senior Director, Agri-Food Analytics Lab, Dalhousie University & Author, 'Poutine Nation'

Today's edition of Ben's Story of the Day features: 1) When your internet goes out in Canada, usually it has something to do with the internet company but not this time! No one could have guessed that one of Canada's furry friends took a nice big bite out of an internet cable in Northern BC. 2) A guy from Japan has found himself in trouble with the law after it was discovered he's been dating 35 women at the same time. Why so many at once? He wanted some cool birthday gifts! 3) While trying to change her name, a lady in Oklahoma discovered there was a warrant out for her as a result of a felony embezzlement charge. Apparently that's what you get when you don't return the VHS tape of Sabrina the Teenage Witch you rented back in 1999. Which one will be crowned Ben's Story of the Day? Which one is your story of the day?

Hamilton was previously staring down the barrel of a massive financial deficit but it appears this isn't the case anymore and instead we've got a huge surplus! Where did this come from and how will the city be using its newfound money? Guest: Lloyd Ferguson, Ward 12 Councillor, City of Hamilton - Canadians have seen more and more restrictions get put in place with the hopes that they'll curb the spread of COVID-19. Regardless of what the end-goal is, there's no denying that there are some questions that need asking regarding the  constitutionality of those restrictions. Even if Canadians' charter rights are being violated, do Canadians care? Guest: Ryan O'Connor, Lawyer & Partner, Zayouna Law Firm - Should Olympic athletes all be given their full vaccinations so the Olympics can be held? Why did the IIHF cancel the Women's World Hockey Championship? Scott and Don discuss these questions and more in Sports Talk with Don Robertson. Guest: Don Robertson, Head Coach & Owner, Dundas Real McCoys & Broker of Record, ComChoice Realty

This week's edition of The Brightest Conversation in Hamilton features Lesley Stewart who joins Scott to talk about vaccines, aging action heroes, the likelihood of a CFL season this year, people's eagerness to return to in-person working and more. Guest: Lesley Stewart, Anchor & Reporter, CHCH-TV; CFL Cheerleader & Coach; Sideline Reporter & Host, Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Executive Sales Manager, Fox 40 International

Today's edition of Ben's Story of the Day features: 1) It's happened again! Someone has forgotten that their camera was on but this time, everyone in the Zoom call witnessed this lady administer a butt injection. 2) Getting time off from work feels wonderful but when it's paid time off, it's even better. This guy managed to extend that paid time off for so long they forgot he worked there! 15 years later he's been found out. 3) Driving down the highway comes with a plethora of dangers and that includes the potential for something to fly through the windshield. Though it might be surprising for this to happen to you, how would you ever predict the likelihood of a turtle doing the deed? Which one will be crowned Ben's Story of the Day? Which one is your story of the day?

Social media is filling up with people taking selfies as they get their vaccine injection. Is this due to social media's inherent narcissism, people trying to help combat vaccine hesitancy or something more? Guest: Tim Caulfield, Canada Research Chair in Health Law and Policy, a Professor in the Faculty of Law and the School of Public Health, and Research Director of the Health Law Institute at the University of Alberta - As the COVID-19 pandemic rages on, new music is starting to emerge about what it's like experiencing the pandemic restrictions that have been put in place. Do you want to keep hearing about the pandemic or would you rather it be forgotten once this is all over? Guest: Eric Alper, Publicist, Music Commentator & Shameless Idealist - It would appear that the federal government has declared its stance on racism and critical race theory. This comes as we find out how Canadian diplomats will be educated on racism and how apparently only white people are capable of being racist. Is this how we should be presenting Canada to the world? Guest: Tristin Hopper, Columnist & Reporter, National Post

Today's edition of Ben's Story of the Day features: 1) Air travel isn't always the most comfortable especially if you're of a larger stature. Luckily airlines has capitalized on this and are now charging for some extra leg room. Though it might be a bit of an expensive upgrade, surely it isn't worth over $700 million! 2) In Taiwan, you're allowed to take 8 days off from work after you get married. This couple realized you can get married again right as those 8 days are up and get another 8 days so they did just that. 4 marriages, 3 divorces and over 30 days later, someone finally caught on. 3) Drawbridges have been fascinating to many a motorist who's contemplated jumping their car. Someone in Florida finally took the leap of faith, or rather a jump of faith, putting their car and life on the line. Which one will be crowned Ben's Story of the Day? Which one is your story of the day?

Hamilton is seeing more and more people creating rental units on their already existing properties which has city council talking about it. What does this mean for those already mid-construction? Would things like lane-way housing and basement apartments help alleviate Hamilton's housing crisis? Guest: Jason Farr, Ward 2 Councillor, City of Hamilton - The Canadian Football League has good news! They are planning on playing a 14-game season with a delayed start but will this be enough to keep the league going? Is this a purely optimistic outlook for the later half of this year? Guest: Rod Pedersen, Host, The Rod Pedersen Show; Former Play-by-Play Announcer, Saskatchewan Roughriders

Today's edition of Ben's Story of the Day features: 1) Returning a patient home from the hospital is a relatively easy process, drive to their home address and drop them off. But what do you do when everything is right except for one thing, you brought the patient to the right address in the wrong town? 2) Demonstrating what can happen as a result of drinking and driving can help show the real danger it poses but nothing ratchets up the realness like having your demo get crashed by an actual drunk driver. 3) Women have been feeding their babies breast milk for many generations but it wasn't until one lady announced on TikTok that she can produce breast milk from more than just her breasts, she can also shoot it out of her armpit! Which one will be crowned Ben's Story of the Day? Which one is your story of the day?

Something that seems to be overlooked quite a bit is the fact that every year sees the federal government spend an incredible amount of money on nothing but interest payments for all the money it owes. There's many things those tens of billions could be spent on, too bad all those taxes go to the banks. Guest: Aaron Wudrick, Federal Director, Canadian Taxpayers Federation - About two weeks ago, the Toronto Blue Jays played their opening game in Texas in front of 40,00 fans, many of whom were unmasked. Fast forward to today and we'll see that there has yet to be any spike in COVID-19 cases as many predicted. Why was there no spike and is there something more going on? Guest: Dr. Karen Mossman, Professor, Department of Pathology & Molecular Medicine & Vice-President of Research, McMaster University - Today saw the Ontario Hockey League make the difficult decision to cancel this year's season. How will this impact the those who work and play in the league as well as Hamilton's own team, the Hamilton Bulldogs? Guest: Michael Andlauer, Owner, Hamilton Bulldogs - The trial of the former police officer charged in the death of George Floyd has come to an end with a guilty verdict on all charges. How did one act merit several charges? Could there be an appeal based on the words said by a member of Congress? Scott gets answers to all these questions and more. Guest: Jeff Manishen, Criminal Lawyer & Associate Counsel, Ross & McBride LLP

The federal government has released a budget that chock full of spending, spending and more spending with something for everyone. Canada's deficit has grown yet again but does that mean we're all going to hell in a hand-basket? Guest: Dr. Ian Lee, Associate Professor, Sprott School of Business, Carleton University - The first flight on another planet has officially happened! A helicopter took flight from the Red Planet's surface making for what was very much a Wright Brothers-esque moment. Unfortunately many other things may have buried this news from you which begs the question, has space lost what made it so special decades ago? Will putting boots back on the lunar surface reinvigorate that fascination? Guest: Dr. Jesse Rogerson, Astrophysicist; Assistant Professor, Department of Science & Technology Studies, York University - Why do players continue to pass the puck back when they start getting on a breakaway? It feels like there's no consistency in the NHL's rulings when it comes to suspending/fining players do they need different people making the decisions or should the players go back to fighting and policing themselves? Does Patrick Marleau's new record really mean that much when compared to who held it before him? These questions and more get answered in this week's edition of Sports Talk with Don Robertson. Guest: Don Robertson, Head Coach & Owner, Dundas Real McCoys & Broker of Record, ComChoice Realty

This week's edition of The Brightest Conversation in Hamilton features Jamie West who joins Scott to talk about the newest restrictions from the provincial government, capitalism, Canada's new Olympic uniforms, naked politicians and more. Guest: Jamie West, Host, The Jamie West Show, Global News Radio 900 CHML; Executive Producer, The Scott Radley Show & CEO, Westpro Media

The day you die is one that's not pleasant thinking about but it's one that you must prepare for. How do you do that and why should you do it regardless of how old you are? Guest: Clare Freeman, Executive Director, Dr. Bob Kemp Hospice - A poll from the US has released its findings about what people expect the media to be providing and what it actually is providing. According this poll, it is no longer the role of the media to be the voice of the less powerful, monitor the powerful, put information into the open or spotlight injustices. A third of the Americans who took this poll also said that it isn't the role of the media to provide the facts. Where is the disconnect and what does it mean for the media? Is the media of the US the same as it is in Canada? Guest: Janice Neil, Associate Professor & Former Chair, Ryerson School of Journalism, Ryerson University

Today's edition of Ben's Story of the Day features: 1) An error on behalf of the bank caused a lady to have $1.2 million deposited into her account and promptly did everything you shouldn't do, buy a house and some fancy cars among other things. Why did she do it? It's quite simple, finders keepers. 2) When you're an alleged mafioso who's been running from police forces around the world for 7 years, it probably isn't a great idea to start posting videos of yourself cooking online. 3) Holding your breath is something that sounds easy until you try it for yourself. It seems like time slows down only to find out that those two minutes were closer to 30 seconds. It makes you wonder, what did it feel like to win the world record for holding your breath for over 24 minutes? Which one will be crowned Ben's Story of the Day? Which one is your story of the day?

Coinbase, a cryptocurrency trading site, has now gone live on the stock market and its stock price skyrocketed! What does this mean for the rest of the crypto market and currency as a whole? Guest: Marvin Ryder, Associate Professor of Marketing, DeGroote School of Business, McMaster University - The conversation is opening back up for Hamilton to host the Commonwealth Games! What's the latest and are we any closer to securing a bid? Guest: PJ Mercanti, President, Hamilton 100 Group - It isn't looking like the CFL will be getting any support from the federal government. Will this be the final nail in the CFL's coffin or is there a glimmer of hope on the horizon? Guest: Bubba O'Neil, Sports Anchor, CHCH-TV

Today's edition of Ben's Story of the Day features: 1) Facebook, like many other websites, uses an algorithm to check for profanity and a little town in France happened to find itself in the cross-hairs thanks to its name. 2) One of the many rules of golf is a pretty simple one to understand, play the ball where it lands. But what do you do when your ball lands on an alligator? 3) Are your shoelaces too boring? Do they lack the savoury scent of bacon? Well you're in luck! Oscar Mayer is giving away shoelaces with the pleasant smell of bacon cooked right in. Which one will be crowned Ben's Story of the Day? Which one is your story of the day?

Questions and concerns are mounting as more and more vaccines are administered. Scott turns to Dr. Ahmad Firas Khalid to get some answers and quell some concerns. Guest: Dr. Ahmad Firas Khalid, Health Policy PhD graduate and Queen Elizabeth Scholar in Strengthening Health Systems - The way you get an autograph from your favourite athlete or celebrity may be changing in the future. Will digital NFTs ruin what makes autographs special? Guest: Alan Cross, Music Historian & Journalist; Author 'A Journal of Musical Things' & Host, The Ongoing History of New Music - A number of British universities will be disallowing its educators to deduct marks for incorrect spelling and grammatical errors. Will this help students or simply raise passing rates? Could it negatively affect students once they're on the job-hunt? Guest: Dr. Ken Coates, Professor & Canada Research Chair in Regional Innovation, Johnson-Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy, University of Saskatchewan; Co-Author, Campus Confidential: 100 startling things you don't know about Canadian universities

Today's edition of Ben's Story of the Day features: 1) It isn't unreasonable to expect your car to be the way you left it after it's parked. Unfortunately for this guy, he returned to find his car is now the proud home of a queen bee and her 15,000 bee colony! 2) A couple who was about to marry discovered quite a lot from the bride-to-be's birth mark thanks to some insight from the groom-to-be's mother. That insight likely made for a rather awkward conversation between the mother's son and his long-lost sister. 3) Once a woman is pregnant, it's generally accepted that she can't conceive another child again until after. Despite this, doctors have found that isn't always the case as an Englishwoman recently discovered. Which one will be crowned Ben's Story of the Day? Which one is your story of the day?

Today marks 41 years since the start of Terry Fox's Marathon of Hope. Scott speaks with Terry's older brother Fred to talk about the Marathon of Hope from when Terry first ran it to now. Also, how is the run compensating for the restrictions that have come as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic? Guest: Fred Fox, Terry Fox's Older Brother; Manager of Supporter Relations, Terry Fox Foundation - Today is the trade deadline for the NHL and some changes were made to the Toronto Maple Leafs' roster while over in the NFL, a quarterback has been collecting a rather large amount of negative press for the Houston Texans, what should the team do? What about the league? Scott and Don Robertson talk about this and more in this week's edition of Sports Talk with Don Robertson. Guest: Don Robertson, Head Coach & Owner, Dundas Real McCoys & Broker of Record, ComChoice Realty

This week's edition of The Brightest Conversation in Hamilton features Mike Fortune who joins Scott to talk about the death of Prince Philip, raising federal taxes, the anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge, what some of Canada's greatest moments are and more. Guest: Mike Fortune, Co-host, The Hamilton Network, Cable 14

Today's edition of Ben's Story of the Day features: 1) It isn't recommended that you try driving with your hands cuffed behind your back and yet this guy tried anyways after he broke free of the arresting officer. What followed after that was a car chase that reached speeds of 100mph! 2) Officers were pleasantly surprised when the dead body they were responding to was actually a life-size sex doll. Looks like someone will be getting home less than pleased. 3) Before you can immigrate to Quebec from out of Canada, you've got to prove your ability to communicate in French. Tests aren't always easy but how hard could it be if a man from France, who's spoken only French his whole life, can't pass the test? Which one will be crowned Ben's Story of the Day? Which one is your story of the day?

LRT is back in the news! The weird thing is that the reason we're talking about it is because the talking seems to be done by everyone except for Hamilton City Hall. Why isn't Hamilton being included in the discussion and how could that influence the outcome of the project? Guest: John Paul Danko, Ward 8 City Councillor, City of Hamilton - The federal government is set to announce its newest budget and chances are pretty good that it'll focus around one word, spending. That isn't always a good thing but fear not, there are ways we can minimize the potential damage and that's by following a couple pieces of advice. Scott gets those pieces of advice direct from the source. Guest: Bill Robson, CEO, C. D. Howe Institute - The Masters are underway and some interesting things have gone down on the course some of which came thanks to the ever-so tricky 12th hole. In addition to that, one of the players who's doing rather well in the tournament is none other than local Mackenzie Hughes! Guest: Jason Logan, Editor, SCOREGolf Magazine   Producer Note: Due to technical issues, Scott's audio was forced to come through the phone line part way through his interview with Jason Logan. This is the cause for the change in audio quality.

With the way Hamilton's home prices are going if you're anything but a member of a royal family, you probably can't afford a house around here. As we near the one million dollar mark as an average price, what's the future of Hamilton's housing market looking like? Guest: Rob Golfi, Real Estate Agent, The Rob Golfi Team, Remax Realty & Co-Host, The Golfi Real Estate Show: Hamilton Edition, Global News Radio 900 CHML - The Houston Astros are getting some real-time feedback from the fans, the coach who isn't pleased with the way his players are playing and more is talked about by Scott and Don in Sports Talk with Don Robertson. Guest: Don Robertson, Head Coach & Owner, Dundas Real McCoys & Broker of Record, ComChoice Realty

Today's edition of Ben's Story of the Day features: 1) A lady was given quite the scare after hearing some concerning moaning coming from her child's room only to find that the Bluetooth lamp in the room was connected to the neighbour next door who was watching some rather... adult material. 2) A Russian farmer has come up with a rather futuristic idea to help his cows produce more milk. Give them all VR goggles! 3) If you find yourself in court, it isn't a good idea to say that you meant to do the crime to someone else instead. Unfortunate that this lady didn't get the memo. Which one will be crowned Ben's Story of the Day? Which one is your story of the day?

Tomorrow is opening day for the Toronto Blue Jays! What can we expect to see from the team in not just a match-up that's set to be played in less-than-ideal weather but also all throughout the season? Guest: Kaitlyn McGrath, Staff writer covering the Toronto Blue Jays, The Athletic - A new documentary about Niagara peninsula will be coming out but this one has been filmed in a way that unlike any other! It's called "TRIPPING the Niagara" and can be seen this Friday on TVO. How can a story be told from a bird's eye view? Scott talks to the man behind this documentary to find out this and more. Guest: Mitch Azaria, Documentary maker

A "60 Minutes" report raises questions about the origin of COVID-19. The kind that might've made one sound like a conspiracy theorist might seem a bit more legit. Guest: Gordon Houlden, Director of the China Institute, Professor of Political Science, University of Alberta - Last week, a budget presented by the Ontario government showed that Ontario is going to spend $186.1 billion this year. Is this a good or bad budget? Guest: Steven Del Duca, Leader, Ontario Liberal Party - Don Robertson joins Scott for this week's edition of Sports Talk with Don Robertson to talk about George Springer's signing to the Toronto Blue Jays from the Houston Astros, and more! Guest: Don Robertson, Head Coach & Owner, Dundas Real McCoys & Broker of Record, ComChoice Realty

The Ontario government is going to spend $186.1 billion this year, setting Ontario's new projected provincial debt at $440 billion Guest: Ian Lee, Associate Professor, Sprott School of Business, Carleton University - With reports of a massive shortage of coffee shipping containers in Brazil, the possibility of a coffee shortage in North America could approach soon. Guest: Dr. Sylvain Charlebois a.k.a. The Food Professor, Senior Director, Agri-Food Analytics Lab, Dalhousie University - Audio of an NHL referee expressing a desire to find a reason to penalize a specific team. Scott speaks with Barry Mano about the troubling yet predictable comment Guest: Barry Mano, President, National Association of Sports Officials, National Advisory Board, Blog Author

Today's edition of Ben's Story of the Day features: 1) People who steal cars generally aim for cars that are easy to get into and easy to get rid of. That clearly wasn't the goal of this guy who stole a police cruiser and then, after a car chase, resisted arrest and managed to steal a second police cruiser! 2) A previous Ben's Story of the Day featured a story about a Taiwanese sushi restaurant who offered a free all-you-can-eat sushi dinner for 6 people to anyone who changed their name to Salmon. Turns out there's a limit to the number of times you can change your name in Taiwan and this guy found that limit! 3) Cows aren't known for their speed but they sure are known for their size. When one gets free, two officers are dispatched to return the cow however one thing led to another and now one of the officers is recovering from a gunshot wound. Of all possible outcomes, how is it that this one became reality? Which one will be crowned Ben's Story of the Day? Which one is your story of the day?

While everyone waits to hear what the verdict will be for Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs had some interesting words for the other governments of the world. Will his comment force Canada to make some decisions to avoid being hypocritical? Guest: Dr. Charles Burton, Senior Fellow, Macdonald-Laurier Institute, Centre for Advancing Canada’s Interests Abroad - There appears to be a bit of a lit at the end of the tunnel for Hamilton's entertainment, tourism and hospitality industries. We're planning on holding the Grey Cup in the city this year and City Hall is preparing to enter contract negotiations to host the 2023 Canadian Country Music Awards but will these be enough? Should Hamilton be begging and bidding to host as many events as it possibly can? Guest: Tim Potocic, Co-Owner, Sonic Unyon; Organizer, Supercrawl - It looks as though the Toronto Raptors' championship winning days are over this year. Though it looks like this is the case, we haven't heard or seen anything from the team's president, Masai Ujiri. Is there any hope for them? Guest: Rick Zamperin, Senior Sports Director, Global News Radio 900 CHML

Today's edition of Ben's Story of the Day features: 1) Airplane flights can be stressful so sometimes people will take something to help calm them down for the trip. This guy had anything but a calm flight after he bit the ear of another person and some powder was found on him. I wonder if that may have played a role here? 2) Oklahoma must have a problem with Bigfoots (Bigfeet?) because one of their legislators tried to pass a bill making it legal to hunt them! Despite the fact that the bill didn't pass, there's still a cool $2 million waiting forever whoever takes one down. 3) The people in the IT department are generally accepted as the smart people who know just about everything there is to know about their company's computer network and the programs it runs however an Australian university may have found an outlier. During some work on the entire university's network a little slip of the finger caused every computer to be set back to the factory defaults effectively nuking everything and anything they stored online. RIP. Which one will be crowned Ben's Story of the Day? Which one is your story of the day?

Ontario's Sunshine List has been released and it's nothing short of amazing to see how many people working in the public sector are making over $100,000 a year. How can politicians say that "we're all in this together" when there is a very evident divide between those working in the public and private sectors? Guest: Jasmine Moulton, Ontario Director, Canadian Taxpayers Federation - Why aren't the Toronto Blue Jays more vocal about what they've got going on? Opening day is fast approaching! Which is the better championship, March Madness or the World Juniors? These questions and more get answered in this week's edition of Sports Talk with Don Robertson. Guest: Don Robertson, Head Coach & Owner, Dundas Real McCoys & Broker of Record, ComChoice Realty

This week's edition of The Brightest Conversation in Hamilton features Jamie West who joins Scott to talk about the Two Michaels and the fairness of their trials in China, ordering food online, past mistakes coming back to haunt people, whether or not the government should be able to determine what food you can buy, being required by law to save for retirement and more. Guest: Jamie West, Host, The Jamie West Show, Global News Radio 900 CHML; Executive Producer, The Scott Radley Show & CEO, Westpro Media

A poll commissioned by the Toronto Star has found that there is a lot of support for limiting donations to political parties by corporations and unions. Should it be abolished altogether or simply restricted? Guest: Stephen LeDrew, Political Commentator; Host, The LeDrew Three Minute Interview; Former President, Liberal Party of Canada - The Two Michaels are set to have their trials heard in the next few days. With a conviction rate of 99.96%, no media allowed, no notes, no talking between defendant and lawyer and a whole host of other restrictions, what is likely to be the outcome of these trials? Guest: Margaret McCuaig-Johnston, Senior Fellow, Institute for Science, Society and Policy, University of Ottawa; Member, Advisory Board, Canada China Forum - The most peculiar and intriguing place in Hamilton has been found! Whether you're looking for a new addition to your collection of curiosities or simply enjoy that feeling of hair standing up on the back of your neck, The Cabinet of Curiosities and Otherwise Needful Things has exactly what you need. Need we go further than the fact that it was once described as HomeSense through the eyes of Stephen King? Guest: Mark Draak, Co-Owner, The Cabinet of Curiosities and Otherwise Needful Things

Today's edition of Ben's Story of the Day features: 1) Every now and then you can't find where you last parked your car but it's a whole other ball game when the car you can't seem to find is also the car that you left your kid in. 2) Sometimes you might make yourself sound more important on a resume to increase your chance of getting a job. This lady went a bit further by pretending to be a plastic surgeon. What's worse than being operated on by a fake plastic surgeon? How about being operated on by a fake surgeon who was arrested mid-operation! 3) A man got scared to take an airplane trip so instead of boarding he just stayed at the airport. For 3-months he hunkered down calling a restricted area of the airport home with an ID badge he found. Which one will be crowned Ben's Story of the Day? Which one is your story of the day?

Do you think COVID-19 has brought out the best or the worst in people? Scott looks to tackle this question with the help of another one of 900 CHML's announcers, Bill Kelly. Guest: Bill Kelly, Host, The Bill Kelly Show, Global News Radio 900 CHML - The now-former police officer who knelt on George Floyd's neck is seeing his trial proceedings begin but finding unbiased jurors among other things is proving a challenge. Is he going to receive a fair trial? Does it matter if he does? Guest: Jaime Stephenson, Lawyer; Former President, Hamilton Criminal Lawyers Association - A surprisingly rare and unfortunate event happened in Russia that saw a young professional hockey player get hit in the head by the puck causing him to die on the ice. When you consider the speed of modern sports, the power of the athletes and how hard they can hit balls, pucks and each other, how doesn't this happen more often? Guest: Bubba O'Neil, Sports Anchor, CHCH-TV

Today's edition of Ben's Story of the Day features: 1) Nobody likes paying their taxes but it's an inevitable thing we all must do. When it comes to a barista with an income of around $17,000, you can imagine the surprise when they found out they owed a little over $8 million in income tax. 2) Being the Homecoming Queen is something many girls dream about however this girl and her mom took things to a whole new level. Appealing for votes is one thing but hacking the school computers to input fake votes takes desperation to a whole new level. 3) Pet lovers are sometimes known to take things a little far when it comes to their pets but who could possibly be willing to pay for surgery and a cast for a pet hamster? Which one will be crowned Ben's Story of the Day? Which one is your story of the day?

Major news is coming out of the business world with Rogers buying Shaw Media, Walmart closing some of its stores and more. For once in quite a while, this business news has the potential to impact your day-to-day life but how? Guest: Marvin Ryder, Associate Professor of Marketing, DeGroote School of Business, McMaster University - Today marks the 75 anniversary of one of Canada's most enamoring crime stories and it just so happens that the person at the centre of it is a Hamiltonian. Her name is Evelyn Dick and if you aren't familiar with her story of murder, Scott welcomes an expert to take us through what happened and how Evelyn's story continues to grasp imaginations today. Guest: Sarah Farr, Expert on Evelyn Dick & The Torso Murder; Blogger, The Evelyn Dick Files - The Grammys saw an astronomical drop in viewership this year when compared to previous years. Why might this be and could it be indicative of something larger that's happening to awards shows? Guest: Eric Alper, Publicist, Music Commentator & Shameless Idealist

Today's edition of Ben's Story of the Day features: 1) 2021 is set to be the final year that Ikea publishes their annual catalogue in print form. You might then ask yourself, "How are they going to help customers discover their next piece of furniture?" Through the theatre-of-the-mind extravaganza that is the new Ikea Audio Catalogue! This near 4-hour long podcast features a narrator flipping through the whole catalogue describing everything they see. 2) Vasectomy ads talking about 'Vasectomy Mayhem' can't possibly be confused with anything else right? The NCAA thinks otherwise according to their trademark complaint which essentially says that 'Vasectomy Mayhem' can cause some confusion with 'March Madness'. Looks like someone's shorts aren't what's all in a bunch... 3) The Price is Right has a pretty simple rule set, guess the price of something as best as you can but if you guess higher than its actual price you lose. Some Michigan doctors decided to take those rules into the operating room with them to guess the weight of problematic organs as they'd get removed from a patient. Which one will be crowned Ben's Story of the Day? Which one is your story of the day?

As we set the clocks to 'spring forward' the age-old debate of whether we should continue doing so comes back up. To get some better insight into the numerous biological and societal impacts that moving the clocks has, even by just a single hour, Scott welcomes Dr. Joseph De Koninck. Guest: Dr. Joseph De Koninck, Emeritus Professor, School of Psychology, University of Ottawa & Sleep Researcher for over 50 years - The Toronto Maple Leafs appear to be losing steam at a pretty quick rate. Golf courses come in easier and harder layouts, which do you prefer to play? Should sports organizations affected by COVID-19 get help from the government? Get answers to these questions and more during Sports Talk with Don Robertson. Guest: Don Robertson, Head Coach & Owner, Dundas Real McCoys & Broker of Record, ComChoice Realty

This week's edition of The Brightest Conversation in Hamilton features Jen Watson who joins Scott to talk about revenge travel, the Royals' most recent scandal, whether politicians should be the first or last to be vaccinated, if you can be taught to find someone beautiful and more! Guest: Jen Watson, Voice Actor, McQueenVoiceOvers.com & former CHML News Anchor & Reporter

Today's edition of Ben's Story of the Day features: 1) Have you ever found yourself checking the outside of your packages before you open them? Chances are you'd want to if you also got shipped some Marine Corps pee samples! 2) Threats come in many styles, lengths & types but occasionally they're super specific in an odd kind of way. After all how else should you respond to being kicked off a plane other than yelling to the flight crew that you hope they all get eaten by alligators? 3) It's hard to explain why you hit a gas station with your car. It's even harder to explain why your ID is actually a packet of 'Dank Gummies'. Which one will be crowned Ben's Story of the Day? Which one is your story of the day?

Cowboy stories are often quite interesting but how would putting a Jewish cowboy named Motl on a quest during the Holocaust work? Author and Hamiltonian Gary Barwin knows how! Scott catches up with Gary to hear more about his new book, Nothing the Same, Everything Haunted: The Ballad of Motl the Cowboy, and Motl's journey to keep his family line going through procreation but first he's got to find his testicles... oi vey. Guest: Gary Barwin, Award-winning author, 'Nothing the Same, Everything Haunted: The Ballad of Motl the Cowboy' & 'Yiddish for Pirates' - The CFL said earlier in the week that they're seriously looking at some sort of relationship with the XFL. What would this actually do or mean for the leagues and would it actually be beneficial to the CFL? Guest: Rick Zamperin, Senior Sports Director, Global News Radio 900 CHML

Today's edition of Ben's Story of the Day features: 1) If you ever find yourself in a car with the windows up, spraying a whole can of air freshener is probably a bad idea. What's an even worse idea is lighting a cigarette right after and a guy from England found out why. 2) 911 is for life-threatening emergencies only and York Regional Police is trying to make that clear after a teen called for what's most certainly not a life-threatening reason. That is, unless you consider getting locked out of the Xbox a matter of life & death. 3) In 1985, a drug smuggler dropped a 70lbs of cocaine from their plane in a duffel bag only to find that the parachute didn't open properly causing it to plummet into a forested area where it was found and eaten by a bear. What happened during this bear's massive cocaine bender? Find out in the movie Elizabeth Banks is producing called 'Cocaine Bear'! Which one will be crowned Ben's Story of the Day? Which one is your story of the day?

Being told to stay inside and the knowledge that there are cases of COVID-19 at the hospital is causing people to miss and not attend very important cancer appointments with doctors and specialists. Is this an example of one of the many unintended consequences of the lockdowns? Should someone go to the hospital despite COVID-19? Guest: Dr. Barry Lumb, Gastroenterologist; Physician-in-Chief & Executive Lead, Project Odyssey, Hamilton Health Sciences - The CFL has announced that its going to be exploring potential alignment with the XFL. How would this work? Would having The Rock come in help revitalize the ever-dwindling CFL? Is this a good idea for the CFL given the XFL has folded twice already? Guest: Rod Pedersen, Host, The Rod Pedersen Show; Former Play-by-Play Announcer, Saskatchewan Roughriders - A new show called Farmhouse Facelift is coming to HGTV featuring a brother-sister duo from Hamilton! How did they get their show and what makes them the people for the job? And the question many people have asked, who pays for the renovations? Guests: Carolyn Willbrink, Co-Host, Farmhouse Facelift               Billy Pearson, Co-Host, Farmhouse Facelift

Today's edition of Ben's Story of the Day features: 1) ELF is teaming up with the restaurant chain, Chipotle, to create a makeup line inspired by their food but now there's just one question, how does it taste? 2) A video door bell might sound like a good idea but a couple of guys have found a way to mess with them. All it takes is a mask to hide your identity and pants to drop for when the camera starts rolling. 3) Every app on your phone has a little image that gets pressed on to start it up. Amazon decided they needed to update their picture after some complaints saying it looked a little too similar to Adolph Hitler. Which one will be crowned Ben's Story of the Day? Which one is your story of the day?

The 2021 RBC Canadian Open has been cancelled and despite the fact that it wasn't set to be held in Hamilton, there are still ways in which the cancellation will impact our city. Guest: Bryan Crawford, Tournament Director, RBC Canadian Open - The Ontario Liberal Party has found a way to dig itself out of its massive debt. If this can be done by its current leader, could a major bite be taken out of the province's current debt that has us spending around $12 billion on the interest alone? Guest: Steven Del Duca, Leader, Liberal Party of Ontario - Bruno Mars is being accused of appropriating black culture by way of his music. Should black music be sung by black people only? Should black people only sing black music? Is music inspired by another culture alright? When does it become appropriation? Guest: Alan Cross, Music Historian; Author 'A Journal of Musical Things' & Host, The Ongoing History of New Music

If we taught kids about the religions of the world in school, would we have a more civil discourse? Seems pretty straightforward, if you're going to teach people about that, teach them while they are young so they have a better understanding of the diversity in religious thought. Guest: Dr David Haskell, Professor of Religion and Culture at Wilfrid Laurier.   Women's sports have not traditionally done well financially or in terms of viewership, so how can we fix that? Guest: Don Robertson, owner of the Dundas Real McCoys and frequent guest on the program.

This week on the Brightest Conversation in Hamilton: A true renaissance man Neil Lumsden joins Scott to talk about two substantial losses in Canadian sports, Dr Seuss books being pulled from circulation, and so much more. Guest: Neil Lumsden, Canadian Football Hall of Famer, Winner of 3 Grey Cups as a player with Edmonton and 1 as GM of the Tiger-Cats. Amazing Race participant, owner of Drive Marketing.

That moment of genius you get when you're about to fall asleep or the amazing revelation you had in the shower can be summed up as one word: a showerthought. Together, Scott and Ben explore some of the best showerthoughts the internet has to offer.