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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Longtime journalist Steve Paikin's run as host of The Agenda has just ended as he moves on to pursue other interests. In this episode, he talks about the modern news industry, ways to inspire engagement with politics and which famous Hamiltonians he grew up with as a boy. 

What does the sale of Lime Ridge Mall mean for the future of the place? Maybe nothing. Maybe things stay as they were or get even better there. Maybe the plans for a massive development on the property that included condos and other housing press ahead. It matters because this story isn't just about shopping. There's a lot more to it than that.