Placeline Hamilton

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.

Hamilton taxpayers are about to get the next installment in their annual property tax increase saga. The past three years have seen hefty bumps. This year could actually be the largest hike of them all.

Longtime city hall watcher and commentator John Best returns to Placeline Hamilton to chat about what's coming tax-wise, bylaws and the Jamesville housing development that's finally being removed.

The other day in The Hamilton Spectator, you might've read about a new documentary coming out this fall about Terry Fox based on more than 90 reels of long-lost footage that hasn't been seen almost since the days of the Marathon of Hope.

The director of the film is a Hamilton guy. Sean Menard has been quickly building a reputation as one of this country's leading documentary filmmakers. Which is a unique position to hold in a unique genre.

Why tell real stories when you can tell fictional ones with seemingly far more leeway to be creative? And what separates a great doc from a boring one? It all comes down to one word: Storytelling.

He tells his on this episode of Placeline Hamilton.

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.