The Frequency

This week on MorningFile, Campus Media Content Coordinator George Elchuk speaks with Jovan Popovic, founder and CEO of Break First Entertainment, about the inaugural Route 905 Country Festival, taking place July 24 and 25 at the Ancaster Fairgrounds.

Popovic, a recent McMaster alumnus and former McMaster Students Union president, discusses how his experience helping bring large-scale events back to campus shaped his approach to launching a new country music festival in Hamilton.

In the interview, George and Jovan talk about how Route 905 went from an idea to a full festival, the challenges of launching a first-year event, why Hamilton was the right place to build it, and what attendees can expect, from Canadian and international country artists to local vendors, line dancing and on-site festival experiences.

This week on MorningFile, Campus Media Content Coordinator George Elchuk speaks with Christopher Stanton, Festival Director of the Hamilton Fringe Festival, taking place across the city from July 15 to 26.

An award-winning performer, director, sound designer, composer and educator, Stanton joined the Hamilton Fringe team as Festival Director in February 2020.

In this episode, Christopher and George discuss what Fringe is, how the festival works and why its lottery-based model matters for independent theatre. They also explore the role Fringe plays in supporting artists and connecting Hamilton’s broader arts community.

Christopher also shares advice for people who may not consider themselves theatre fans but are curious about Fringe, including how to get involved, try something unfamiliar and step outside their comfort zone.

This week on MorningFile, CFMU Programming Director Jamie Tennant speaks with Harvey Brownstone, a retired judge of the Ontario Court of Justice and Canada’s first openly gay judge.

Brownstone recently released his memoir, Without Prejudice: My Life as a Gay Judge. The book explores the obstacles he faced throughout his life and career, including parental rejection, poverty, depression, homophobia and professional sabotage.

Jamie speaks with Brownstone about his path to the judiciary, the experiences that shaped his career and why now felt like the right time to tell his story.

CFMU Program Director Jamie Tennant hosts this special summer episode of The Spotlight, featuring two conversations with Hamilton creatives.

First, Jamie speaks with Christopher Giroux of Precious Metal Productions about romantic comedies, Hamilton’s film community and his latest feature, Bee My Love. Giroux shares more about the film, the creative process behind it and what makes Hamilton an exciting place to produce independent work.

Then, Jamie sits down with legendary local chef Ken Lefebour to discuss his life, his passion for food and his new memoir and conceptual cookbook, I’m Just Gonna F**king Cook. Lefebour reflects on his career, his approach to cooking and the experiences that shaped the book.

This week on MorningFile, Campus Media Content Coordinator George Elchuk takes a deep dive into one of Hamilton’s most pressing local issues: AI data centres.

George speaks with three guests to understand the issue from multiple angles. First, Nathan Bawaan of The Hamilton Spectator, who has been closely covering the story, provides an overview of where the issue currently stands.

Then, John-Paul Danko, Liberal MP for Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas, joins the show to discuss his support for data centre development and how it connects to the federal government’s National Artificial Intelligence Strategy.

Finally, George speaks with Nick Tsergas and Dan Shannon, organizers with Hamilton’s Stop The Datacentre[s] protest movement. They explain their concerns about the current frameworks for AI data centre development and what they believe these facilities could mean for Hamilton’s environment, infrastructure and future.

This week on MorningFile, Campus Media Content Coordinator George Elchuk speaks with Ian Wallace, publisher and founder of The Hammer Monthly.

Described as “Greater Hamilton’s Monthly Entertainment Guide,” The Hammer Monthly offers readers a wide-ranging look at arts, culture and entertainment events happening across the city.

In this episode, Ian shares why he decided to create the magazine and what goes into running an independent publication. George and Ian also discuss Hamilton’s arts and culture scene more broadly, what they love about the city, and some of their favourite local spots.

Check out The Hammer Monthly at thehammermonthly.ca, or look for the magazine on stands in local businesses across Hamilton.

This week on MorningFile, we have a doubleheader beginning with local history before moving into current affairs.

First, Campus Media Content Coordinator George Elchuk speaks with Alyssa Gomori, site supervisor at the Battlefield House Museum & Park National Historic Site, about the annual Battle of Stoney Creek Reenactment and the history of the War of 1812.

Then, George is joined by John Zerucelli, Secretary of State (Labour) for the federal government and Liberal MP for Etobicoke North, to discuss the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit. The conversation begins with what listeners should know about the CGEB before broadening into a discussion about affordability in Canada, including what federal measures could mean for McMaster students and new graduates.

This week on MorningFile, Campus Media Content Coordinator George Elchuk speaks with Skye Rogers, artistic associate at Aeris Körper and community outreach lead for the upcoming Here&Now dance festival, taking place June 6 and 7 at McMaster’s L.R. Wilson Hall.

Here&Now brings together choreographers from Hamilton and across Canada at different stages of the creative process, with a focus on audience connection and conversation. The festival features fully realized performances, dance workshops and six Hamilton-made works-in-progress that invite audiences into the development of new dance pieces.

In this episode, Rogers shares what audiences can expect from the festival, what Here&Now aims to create, and why community connection is central to the event. She also discusses her passion for dance, her own creative process and the local dance community behind the festival.

Tickets and festival information are available at aeriskorper.com/herenow.

This week on MorningFile, Campus Media Content Coordinator George Elchuk speaks with Chris Ritsma from Cycle Hamilton and Peter Topalovic, program manager of sustainable mobility at the City of Hamilton.

Chris discusses this year’s Bike Month events, the importance of building a stronger cycling culture in Hamilton, and how community advocacy can help make streets safer and more accessible for everyone. Then, George speaks with Peter about the work behind Hamilton Bike Share, the city’s long-term vision for sustainable transportation, and how cycling, transit and public spaces can help create healthier, more connected communities.

This week on MorningFile, Campus Media Content Coordinator George Elchuk speaks with Laurie Sherry, a member of Six Nations of the Grand River Territory and an Indigenous Pre-Doctoral Fellow in McMaster’s faculty of social sciences.

Laurie was the lead organizer of McMaster’s Moose Hide Campaign Day event, held on campus on May 14. The Moose Hide Campaign is an Indigenous-led movement calling on men and boys to take action against gender-based violence while empowering individuals and communities to stand together for change.

In this episode, Laurie shares more about the campaign, why it matters, and what inspired her to bring the event to McMaster. She also discusses the importance of Indigenous leadership, ceremony and cultural practices in shaping the day’s programming.