The Art Gallery of Hamilton will soon be expanding to allow for more of its huge collection to be displayed regularly. Its collection is the third-largest in Ontario and worth more than $1 billion.

That will likely be a surprise to many around here.

Everyone is familiar with the McMichael Gallery and the Art Gallery of Ontario. Yet somehow the AGH in our own backyard has flown largely under the radar.

Shelley Falconer is CEO of the gallery. Why does she think getting Hamiltonians to become aware of their own gallery has been so challenging?

She talks about that, and more, on this episode of Placeline Hamilton.

When the Professional Women's Hockey League brought its Takeover Tour to Hamilton and nearly filled TD Coliseum, a conversation-slash-debate was launched.

Oak View Group, which manages the renovated building, has said it will be bringing a hockey team to town. The American Hockey League has always been mentioned. But some now wonder if the PWHL is a better fit.

What is the ideal scenario for Hamilton?

It comes down to a discussion on a number of points. Men's hockey vs. women's hockey. More dates vs. fewer dates. Ticket prices. Which would feel more meaningful to local fans? And on and on and on …

Teri Pecoskie is now managing editor of The Spectator but she covered hockey in town for years prior to that. Don Robertson runs the Dundas Real McCoys but has been involved in all levels of the game in this city over the years.

They join Placeline Hamilton to talk about the future of the game here.

It's been roughly three months since Rob Cooper was elected and sworn in as a member of Hamilton city council. That made this the perfect time to chat with him about figuring out how to navigate city hall and talk about the things that frustrate him in his new role.

(Hint: at the top of the list is strong-mayor powers)

A few more months from now, everything will be old hat to him. Right now, though, the gig is fresh and the eye-opening has just begun. So what are those things that he feels he can do to make a difference and where does he feel his power has been taken from him?

Everybody has a favourite Christmas gift (or Hanukkah, or some other celebration ... we're not leaving anyone out here).

So, we here at Placeline Hamilton asked a number of well-known Hamiltonians about their favourite of all time. Listen as they explain why they remember that gift - in many cases, many years later.

Year after year, EQAO scores show our kids are having a tough time with math. It's a vexing problem for schools and a concerning one for these students' futures.

By why is it such an issue? Who's to blame? Is it fixable?

Vanessa Vakharia (aka: The Math Guru) is one of Ontario's best math tutors. She talks about what's going on and what can be done. If you're a parent of a kid in school, you're going to want to hear this one.

There are plenty of opinions about what's going on in Hamilton and down at city hall. Placeline Hamilton is a place where you'll hear a variety of them. Including this episode.

Kojo Damptey is an instructor at McMaster, an activist in the local community, a musician and has been a political candidate.

With the early draft of the city budget set to be released, he talks about his thoughts on taxes, spending, council, the mayor and even battles between the left and the right. And whether real solutions for the city's problems can be achieved with a council has philosophically divided as the current one seems to be.

This is a huge week for soccer.

On Friday, the World Cup draw will be held. It'll determine not only who has a tougher or easier run to a championship, but also who Canada will play. This is particularly intriguing to those around here, since a number of games will be played just down the road in Toronto.

On this episode of Placeline Hamilton, Canadian soccer Hall of Famer John McGrane chats about the incredible price of tickets, whether the reported $380-million price tag to co-host is worth it, the impact on soccer in this area - and how much you might make if Canada was to host Italy in the first game in Toronto and you had a ticket you wanted to sell.

The reviews were almost unanimously positive when Paul McCartney re-opened the renovated TD Coliseum the other day. People loved the concert and people seemed to really like the re-imagined building.

But that's just the start.

It's long been argued that this facility is supposed to be a catalyst that will bring the entire downtown back to life. It'll be the thing that leads to cleanup and spawns development.

Can that really happen?

Lou Frapporti of the Hamilton Urban Precinct Entertainment Group (HUPEG), which is part of the private-sector consortium behind the renovation that has pitched this vision for years now, answers that question on this episode of Placeline Hamilton. Unsurprisingly (spoiler alert), he says, yes.

How?

The answer - part of it, at least - is laid out in the conversation.

It's one thing to write about crimes in the Westdale area that went on for seven years as Spectator columnist Susan Clairmont did in a series called Hunting Grounds, laying out the story of men peeping on women, videotaping them without their knowledge, and in some cases sexually assaulting them in the area around McMaster University.

But finding a balance between writing it in a compelling way while also maintaining enough of an emotional distance so as not to be consumed by the horrible details is a challenge. One Clairmont has had to navigate for years writing about the worst crimes in the city.

How does someone immerse herself in horrible things and not become totally torn up by what she sees and hears? Clairmont talks about that - and Hunting Grounds - on this episode of Placeline Hamilton.

Between the tens of thousands of students who attend and the staff who are employed there, McMaster University has a huge impact on the Hamilton community.

Susan Tighe was installed as the school's new president a few months ago. On this episode of Placeline Hamilton, she talks about the role of universities in 2025, challenges facing schools and whether students today are too easily offended on campus.

Also, what's Mac doing with the old Hamilton Spectator building just off the highway, anyway?