The Hamilton Today Podcast with Scott Thompson...

What could have made this week’s snowfall even more frustrating? Losing your keys somewhere in your yard, buried underneath the blanket of frosty hell like CHML's very own Rick Zamperin! What does the Canadian Federation of Independent Business think of today's announcement by Doug Ford regarding reopening and loosening of COVID-19 restrictions? As you may have heard, Canada’s inflation numbers have hit 4.8% in December which is the highest in 30 years and well ahead of expectations presented to the Prime Minister in early 2021. The situation in Ukraine remains tense with world leaders sharing words and sending troops in anticipation of potential action. Are the steps toward the province’s reopening – laid out by Ontario Premier Doug Ford laid out earlier today – a reasonable course of action?

Guests:

Rick Zamperin, Host of Good Morning Hamilton

Julie Kwiecinski, Director of Provincial Affairs for Ontario, Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB)

Pierre Poilievre, Member of Parliament for Carleton, Ottawa, Conservative Shadow Minister for Finance

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

Aurel Braun, Professor of International Relations and a Senior Member of the Munk School of Global Affairs at the University of Toronto

Thomas Tenkate, Professor at the School of Occupational & Public Health with Ryerson University

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

Diana Weeks, reporter & anchor with Global News Radio 900 CHML

Dave Woodard, reporter & anchor with Global News Radio 900 CHML

William P. Erskine, producer with Global News Radio 900 CHML

Host - Scott Thompson
Content/Technical/Podcast Producer - William P. Erskine
Podcast Co-Producer - Ben Straughan
News Anchors - Diana Weeks & Dave Woodard
Want to keep up with what happened in Hamilton Today? Subscribe to the podcast! https://omny.fm/shows/scott-thompson-show

Small Business Spotlight… Andiamo is more than a barber shop! It opened on July 7th, 2021 and offers a well-rounded experience, being a coffee shop, a full service bar, and even a music venue (when restrictions permit it). They are also good neighbours: yesterday, they helped out Electric Diner -- a recent Small Business Spotlight guest --  by setting up a GoFundMe to raise money for new heaters.

 Guest: Andre "Dre" Bucci, Owner and operator of Andiamo, 102 George St, Hamilton, ON

The Hamilton Today Podcast with Scott Thompson...

Last week, Tasha Kheiriddin wrote a piece on deterring people from carrying on unvaccinated and she's received a tsunami of responses both in agreement and in disagreement with a significant amount of vitriolic hate mail to match. She's now written a new article chronicling her experience and what's been taken away from it. Cadillac Bill has hosted his own show on Cable 14 since 2013 and over the years he's had many local musical acts on the show. To support those musicians and others who call Hamilton home, Bill has released a new DVD featuring some of the great performances from his show which can be picked up through local businesses and can be ordered for home delivery or computer download by e-mailing [email protected]. The rollout of Verizon’s and AT&T’s 5G technology in the U.S. has hit a snag pretty late in the game: it could cause some significant issues for air travel! Carmi Levy joins the show to further dive into 5G as well as the app Olympians will have to download and the security concerns surrounding it. Police documents newly unsealed by the court have revealed what the children, friends and business associates of the Shermans told detectives in their interviews – including the revelation that Barry Sherman owed $1 Billion to other companies. Keanin Loomis will stepdown from his role as president of the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce on March 4th and has announced he is throwing his hat into the ring for the position of Mayor of Hamilton.

Guests:

Tasha Kheiriddin, Principal at Navigator and a Lecturer with the Max Bell School of Public Policy at McGill University

Cadillac Bill, of Cadillac Bill & The Creeping Bent, host of The Cadillac Bill Show

Keith Mackey, Mackey International 

Carmi Levy, Tech Analyst and journalist

Kevin Donovan, Chief Investigative Reporter, Toronto Star

Keanin Loomis, President of the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce

Marianne Meed Ward, Mayor of Burlington

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

Diana Weeks, reporter & anchor with Global News Radio 900 CHML

Dave Woodard, reporter & anchor with Global News Radio 900 CHML

William P. Erskine, producer with Global News Radio 900 CHML

Host - Scott Thompson
Content/Technical/Podcast Producer - William P. Erskine
Podcast Co-Producer - Ben Straughan
News Anchors - Diana Weeks & Dave Woodard
Want to keep up with what happened in Hamilton Today? Subscribe to the podcast! https://omny.fm/shows/scott-thompson-show

Small Business Spotlight… That Planted Fork, Serving delicious plant-based food, offering meal kits, as well as tips and tricks for your meals online! You can also join a class or hire them for recipe development or catering, and -- now -- there is even a cookbook available! Meanwhile, wholesale items like their sausage rolls can be found in stores across the GTA, and you can drop by their stall at the Hamilton Farmer's Market!

Guest: Fraser Fitzgerald, Chef and Owner of That Planted Fork, and in Stall 28 at the Hamilton Farmer's Market, 35 York Blvd, Hamilton, Ontario

As you may have heard, officials in China are claiming that the case of Omicron in Beijing sprung from an envelope that was mailed from Canada… pretty much everyone agrees, that has a high degree of improbability. The likelihood is not the point, though: what matters is the claim and the blame. So where is this going?

Meanwhile, a new report by Spanish-based rights group Safeguard Defenders says that the Government of China has been expanding its use of coercion to force the return of Chinese citizens who have settled abroad, many of them in Australia, Canada and the United States, in a campaign targeting fugitives and dissidents.

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