The Hamilton Today Podcast with Scott Thompson:

Happy Friday, why not celebrate and go out for a night at the theatre? Tonight and over this weekend, Theatre Ancaster is staging a unique production of ‘A Christmas Carol’ at the Voortman stage of the Ancaster Memorial Arts Centre! Scott spotlights director, Al Croxall. The Biden Administration arranged a prisoner trade with Russia, to return Brittney Griner home to the U.S. in exchange for a man called the “Merchant of Death”. Elliot Tepper joins Scott for more on whether this trade was fair or sets an unfortunate precedent. There is a new Harry & Meghan doc on Netflix but… is the couple reaching a point of oversaturation in the public eye, and is this documentary’s very existence going to push them over the edge? Elissa Freeman, PR expert joins for that. Canadian treasure Celine Dion has been diagnosed with a terrible and rare illness, music publicist Eric Alper gives Scott the lowdown. The RCMP’s radio frequency contract with a Chinese-affiliated company is still in the news, tech expert Carmi Levy gives his opinion. As well, we have more on health care and Canada’s EV economy. It is all coming up on the Hamilton Today Podcast!

Guests:

Al Croxall, Director, Theatre Ancaster.

Elliot Tepper, Emeritus Professor of Political Science with Carleton University.

Elissa Freeman, PR and Pop Culture Expert.

Eric Alper, Publicist and music commentator.

Carmi Levy Technology Analyst & Journalist.

Henry Jacek. Professor of Political Science, McMaster University.

Dr. Timothy Sly, Epidemiologist and Professor Emeritus in the School of Population and Public Health with Toronto Metropolitan University.

Ian Lee, Associate Professor with the Sprott School of Business at Carleton University.

Scott Radley, Host of The Scott Radley Show, Columnist with the Hamilton Spectator.

Host – Scott Thompson

Content Producer – William Erskine

Technical/Podcast Producer - William Webber

Podcast Co-Producer – Ben Straughan

News Anchors –Dave Woodard & Diana Weeks

Want to keep up with what happened in Hamilton Today? Subscribe to the podcast! https://megaphone.link/CORU8835115919

The Hamilton Today Podcast with Scott Thompson:

Off the top Scott talks about a great initiative in Hamilton - A clothing drive that helps children and teenagers in Hamilton look spiffy for life events returns next week for the first time in three years. The founder of this boutique joins Scott. ONA members are striking, Scott picks up on that. Tonight the YWCA features a great food drive, Scott speaks with one of the sponsors at Merk Snack Bar. The Conservatives continue to rave about the Trudeau Government’s monetary policy, accusing him of “inflationary waste” and Scott speaks with the shadow minister of finance. The Ford government has finally passed the strong mayors bill to give Toronto and Ottawa mayors the power to bypass certain bylaws related to housing. Alan Hale, reporter at Queen’s Park Today, joins Scott for the lowdown on that. It is all coming up on the Hamilton Today Podcast!

Guests:

Kelly Duffy-Kariam, social worker, founder of the Precious Moments Boutique clothing drive.

Leslie Gauthier, Hamilton Health Sciences VP of Clinical Support Services and Surgery.

Mark Baker, owner and chef at Merk Snack Bar, 189 Ottawa St N, Hamilton, Ontario.

Kevin Donovan, Chief Investigative Reporter, Toronto Star.

Jasraj Singh Hallan, MP for Calgary Forest Lawn, Alberta; Conservative Shadow Minister for Finance.

Alan S. Hale, Ontario legislature reporter for Queen's Park Today.

Brad Clark, Ward 9 Councillor, City of Hamilton.

Daniel Perry, Consultant, Summa Strategies.

Scott Radley, Host of The Scott Radley Show, Columnist with the Hamilton Spectator.

Host – Scott Thompson

Content Producer – William Erskine

Technical/Podcast Producer - William Webber

Podcast Co-Producer – Ben Straughan

News Anchors –Dave Woodard & Diana Weeks

Want to keep up with what happened in Hamilton Today? Subscribe to the podcast! https://megaphone.link/CORU8835115919

The Hamilton Today Podcast with Scott Thompson:

What role can/should masking play in this flu season? Should flu vaccines be the higher priority? Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board has a temporary masking policy coming on the horizon which students will be able to opt out of. Canada – and other nations around the world – continues to look into the alleged presence of secret “Police Stations” operating on behalf of Xi Jinping’s Chinese Communist Party, as well as the overall issue of foreign interference. Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, one of Canada’s most esteemed music collectives, celebrated their 25th anniversary and their 11th studio album earlier this year. Now, coming up on Saturday, December 10, Colin Linden, Tom Wilson and Stephen Fearing will be performing at Hamilton’s FirstOntario Concert Hall. What do we need to know about this flu season and the viruses spread, alongside COVID-19 and its variants, as well as the spike in RSV? All this and more coming up on Hamilton Today.

Guests:

Thomas Tenkate, Professor at the School of Occupational & Public Health with Toronto Metropolitan University University.

Dawn Danko, Chair, Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board.

Sam Cooper, National investigative Global News, author of Wilful Blindness: How a Criminal network of narcos, tycoons and CCP agents infiltrated the West.

Jennifer Johnson, Washington correspondent with Global News.

Tom Wilson, Mohawk author, visual artist, and musician (LeE HARVeY osMOND, Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, Junkhouse), focus of the new documentary film Beautiful Scars.

Sean Simpson, VP of IPSOS Public Affairs.

Dr. Isaac Bogoch, Staff Physician, General Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases Associate Professor, Dept. of Medicine, University of Toronto.

Michael Veall, Professor Economics at McMaster University, Academic Director, Statistics Canada Research Data Centre.

Scott Radley, Host of The Scott Radley Show, and Columnist with your Hamilton Spectator

Host – Scott Thompson

Content Producer – William Erskine

Technical/Podcast Producer – Tom McKay

Podcast Co-Producer - Ben Straughan

News Anchor – Diana Weeks & Dave Woodard

Want to keep up with what happened in Hamilton Today? Subscribe to the podcast! https://megaphone.link/CORU8835115919

The Hamilton Today Podcast with Scott Thompson:

Kirstie Alley has died at the age of 71. Billions in ineligible COVID-19 benefits are at risk of going uncollected due to Ottawa’s “lack of rigour,” according to Auditor-General Karen Hogan. As the inquiry into the federal government's decision to use the Emergencies Act during the 'Freedom Convoy' protests nears the finish line, a new survey has found that two in three Canadians say they support, at least to some degree, the invocation of the Act. A Quebec civilian judge has acquitted Maj.-Gen. Dany Fortin of sexual assault over an allegation that dates back to 1988. Flu season is upon us and medical practitioners are seeing the results. Are parents getting the right messaging? What do parents need to know about getting their kids – and themselves – a flu shot? It is all coming up on Hamilton Today.

Guests:

Bill Brioux, television critic and author.

Ian Lee, Associate Professor with the Sprott School of Business at Carleton University.

Elissa Freeman, PR and Pop Culture Expert.

Nik James Nanos, CMC FCRIC Chief Data Scientist and Founder, NANOS RESEARCH

Rory G. Fowler, Lieutenant-Colonel (retired), BComm, LL.B., LL.M., CD

Dr. Iris Gorfinkel, Family doctor, vaccine researcher, founder of PrimeHealth Research, medical columnist.

Nelson Wiseman, Professor with the Dept. of Political Science at the University of Toronto.

Phil Gurski, President of Borealis Threat and Risk Consulting, Distinguished Fellow with the University of Ottawa’s National Security program, and former CSIS analyst.

Scott Radley, Host of The Scott Radley Show, and Columnist with your Hamilton Spectator

Host – Scott Thompson

Content Producer – William Erskine

Technical/Podcast Producer – Tom McKay

Podcast Co-Producer - Ben Straughan

News Anchor – Diana Weeks & Dave Woodard

Want to keep up with what happened in Hamilton Today? Subscribe to the podcast! https://megaphone.link/CORU8835115919

The Hamilton Today Podcast with Scott Thompson:

The Christmas Tree of Hope was lit in Gore Park and 900 CHML was back on the scene this year. How is the Children’s Fund doing, how can people contribute all year round? What is going on with Ontario and the shortage of children’s medication? The G7 has imposed a price cap on Russian Oil. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Ontario Premier Doug Ford marked a Canadian milestone Monday, celebrating the launch of the country’s first full-scale electric vehicle manufacturing plant. Food prices in Canada will continue to escalate in the new year, with grocery costs forecast to rise up to seven per cent in 2023, new research predicts. How effective would Bill C-21 be in its current form and will there be unintended consequences for those who collect historical firearms? We're visited by the City of Hamilton’s Economic Development team to find out what they're doing to help improve Hamilton. Hundreds of people took to the forecourt at Hamilton City Hall on Sunday afternoon to rally against a provincial law that aims to take 7,400 acres of land out of the Greenbelt. It is all coming up on Hamilton Today.

Guests:

Olivia Mckay, President of the Children's Fund

Jen Belcher, RPh, Vice-President, Strategic Initiatives & Member Relations, Ontario Pharmacists Association

Dan McTeague, President of Canadians for Affordable​Energy, Former Liberal MP

David Booth, Senior Writer/Postmedia Driving, driving.ca

Andrea Rankin, Master of Public Administration candidate at Dalhousie University, Author of the 2023 report

Tony Bernardo, Executive Director of the Canadian Sports Shooting Association

Michael R. Marini, MA, Cert. PR, APR, Ec. D.; Coordinator, Marketing; Invest In Hamilton

Peter Graefe, Professor of Political Science with McMaster University

Scott Radley, Host of The Scott Radley Show, and Columnist with your Hamilton Spectator

Host – Scott Thompson

Content Producer – William Erskine

Technical/Podcast Producer – Ben Straughan

Podcast Co-Producer - Matt Taylor

News Anchor – Diana Weeks

Want to keep up with what happened in Hamilton Today? Subscribe to the podcast! https://megaphone.link/CORU8835115919

The Hamilton Today Podcast with Scott Thompson:

Vancouver got hit with snow last night. How were they affected, and what is the scene today? The Canadian Space Agency, through the Canadian CubeSat Project, is providing professors in post-secondary institutions with an opportunity to engage their students in a real space mission. Prince William’s godmother, who also served as the late Queen Elizabeth’s lady-in-waiting, has stepped down after she made racist and “unacceptable” comments to a Black guest at Buckingham Palace. Former President Trump’s tax troubles carry on. We get the Ontario perspective on the the Liberal government’s new dental care benefit for children, which is now open for applications to get help for their children’s dental costs. We look at housing in Ontario, and the municipal concerns in addition to how this is effecting the coveted Greenbelt. Premier Danielle Smith’s new Sovereignty Within A United Canada act would give her cabinet new powers to rewrite provincial laws without passing legislation to do so. She is trying to reassure Albertans that it has nothing to do with leaving the country. A new report from Hamilton’s Social Planning and Research Council shows that young people most affected by Hamilton’s volatile rental market, and suggests that more rent-control regulations in Hamilton are needed to mitigate the housing crisis in our city. We talk about it all here on Hamilton Today!

Guests:

Kristi Gordon, Senior Meteorologist on Global B.C., Global News, CKNW and AM730 Traffic

Tony Pellerin, Manager in Space Science and Technology, Canadian Space Agency

Elissa Freeman, PR and Pop Culture Expert

Reggie Cecchini, Washington Correspondent for Global News

Dr. Lisa Bentley, President of the Ontario Dental Association

Mike Collins-Williams, CEO, West End Home Builders Association

Peter Graefe, Professor of Political Science with McMaster University

Sara Mayo, Social Planner (Geographic Information Systems) with the Social Planning and Research Council of Hamilton

Scott Radley, Host of The Scott Radley Show, and Columnist with your Hamilton Spectator

Host – Scott Thompson

Content Producer – William Erskine

Technical/Podcast Producer - Ben Straughan

News Anchors – Dave Woodard & Diana Weeks

Want to keep up with what happened in Hamilton Today? Subscribe to the podcast! https://megaphone.link/CORU8835115919

The Hamilton Today Podcast with Scott Thompson:

The average cost of a Christmas tree is up — like everything else this year — thanks to higher fuel, fertilizer and labour costs, climate change, higher insurance rates and, according to several growers, a continent-wide shortage of trees. Shortly before we went to air, we learned that Christine McVie – singer and songwriter for Fleetwood Mac – had passed away at the age of 79. How will the Federal Liberals handle the shift in how they address the Government of China? Some have notices that Trudeau may already have begun altering the way he discusses Xi Jinping’s government. What is happening in Alberta with Premier Danielle Smith’s Sovereignty Act? All this & more on Hamilton Today.

Guests:

Shirley Brennan, Executive Director, Canadian Christmas Tree Association.

Ian Lee, Associate Professor with the Sprott School of Business at Carleton University.

Gillian Hendry, Chair of the Holiday House Tour Committee.

Eric Alper, Publicist and music commentator.

Tim Powers, Chairman of Summa Strategies and Managing Director of Abacus Data.

Colin D’Mello, Queen’s Park Bureau Chief, Global News.

Phil Gurski, President of Borealis Threat and Risk Consulting, Distinguished Fellow with the University of Ottawa’s National Security program, and former CSIS analyst.

Duane Bratt, PhD, Professor of Political Science; Department of Economics, Justice, and Policy Studies; Mount Royal University.

Scott Radley, Host of The Scott Radley Show, Columnist with the Hamilton Spectator.

Host – Scott Thompson

Content Producer – William Erskine

Technical/Podcast Producer – Tom McKay

Podcast Co-Producer – Ben Straughan

News Anchors – Dave Woodard

Want to keep up with what happened in Hamilton Today? Subscribe to the podcast! https://megaphone.link/CORU8835115919

The Hamilton Today Podcast with Scott Thompson:

Quebec is getting a unique deal on a carbon tax from the Federal government. Why is that, and does it make sense? Students from McMaster University will be at the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) this week to finalize the preparation of their CubeSat – a type of miniaturized satellite – for launch into space. The purpose of NEUDOSE, the satellite, is to further our understanding of long-term exposure to space radiation. Today is GIVING TUESDAY and we can help raise more donations for the Children’s Fund! How? Olivia McKay joins us to explain. Is Xi Jinping’s government losing its grip on the people of China? Shortages of medications for children have been creeping up on usin recent weeks, and even while steps are being taken to resolve the issues, there are still struggles. DNA tracking websites like Ancestry assist in solving cold cases. All this & more on Hamilton Today.

Guests:

Franco Terrazzano, Canadian Taxpayer Federation Federal Director.

Taren Ginter, operations team lead for the McMaster Interdisciplinary Satellite Team & NEUDOSE project, McMaster University.

Olivia Mackay | President – Children’s Fund

Marvin Ryder, Professor with the DeGroote School of Business at McMaster University.

Elliot Tepper, Emeritus Professor of Political Science with Carleton University.

Opher Baron, Distinguished Professor of Operations Management, Academic Director, MMA Program at the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto.

Carmi Levy Technology Analyst & Journalist.

Stephen M. Saideman... Norman Paterson School of International Affairs, Carleton Universtiy; Director, Canadian Defence and Security Network [CDSN], www.cdsn-rcds.com, Co-Host, Battle Rhythm Podcast, author of the book For Kin or Country: Xenophobia, Nationalism, and War.

Scott Radley, Host of The Scott Radley Show, Columnist with the Hamilton Spectator.

Host – Scott Thompson

Content Producer – William Erskine

Technical/Podcast Producer – Tom McKay

Podcast Co-Producer – Ben Straughan

News Anchors – Dave Woodard

Want to keep up with what happened in Hamilton Today? Subscribe to the podcast! https://megaphone.link/CORU8835115919