Placeline Hamilton

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.

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.