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?

We are roughly a year away from the next municipal election in Hamilton. Which means those who are thinking of running for mayor (and in some cases, council) almost certainly have the wheels in motion by now.

Who will be running? What will be the main issue or issues? And will this election bring the kind of change the last one did?

John Best is back to chat about what city hall might look like by the time we go to bed on Oct. 26, 2026.

Paul McCartney won't be the only thing people are wanting to see in Hamilton on Nov. 21. Those going to see the former Beatle in concert will also be eager to check out the newly renovated TD Coliseum in which he'll be performing.

Eighteen months and $300 million later, the GM of the place says folks will be "shocked" when they see the changes.

What can people expect from an old arena that's been given a new life? The building's senior vice-president and general manager, Nick DeLuco, joins Placeline Hamilton to give a rundown.

This week, five new members of the Hamilton Sports Hall of Fame were inducted. Among them was longtime hockey fixture Don Robertson.

In a chat with Placeline Hamilton about minor pro leagues and teams back in the day when Slap Shot felt less like a fictional movie and more like a documentary, Don tells some tales. About fans and players brawling in the stands, players who could barely skate and even one incident in Collingwood that's almost too ridiculous to be true.

Not everybody has 115 skeletons lying around in their office. But Dr. Megan Brickley does.

It's OK. There's a good reason.

The McMaster bioarcheology professor is studying the remains of people who were buried long, long ago to learn about their health and perhaps how and why they died. Think of it as CSI-1800s.

No, skeletons can't provide all the answers but they can offer some.

And if you want to hear her talk more about this in person, check out this talk she's giving in town on Oct. 9

Paul Berton has been a journalist for four and a half decades, the past 15 years of that as editor-in-chief of The Hamilton Spectator.

This week, he retires.

All that time working in the trenches has given him a unique perspective on the media, how it operates and where it might be going.

In this episode of Placeline Hamilton, Berton talks about the future of newspapers, who qualifies as a journalist, media bias and the impact of social media on news — among other issues facing the industry and those who consume it.

Rob Cooper is the new councillor for Ward 8 after winning a byelection over 25 other candidates.

What did he hear as he went door to door talking to voters?

"People aren't happy across the ward," he says.

On this episode of Placeline Hamilton, Cooper talks about his priorities - controlling spending, reducing crime, fixing roads and improving transit - as he gets set to be sworn in and take his place around the council table. He also chats about his political background and his belief he can work with all the other councillors.

He learns he has a celebrity doppelganger, too.

Voters in Ward 8 have their work cut out for them sorting through 26 candidates to choose the one they prefer in the race to replace John Paul Danko. Assuming they show up at the polls, that is, which is never a sure thing in byelections.

But this is an important choice for the city. And it's an important moment for the person who ultimately gets selected. Former city councillor Judi Partridge talks about both sides of the equation - the crucial nature of the position but also what the winner can expect. And it's not always pretty.