Scott Thompson Show

The Hamilton Today Podcast with Scott Radley: Documents obtained by The Canadian Press through access-to-information law show government officials in the Privy Council Office discussed a Conservative private member's bill launched in response to convicted killer Paul Bernardo's transfer to a medium-security prison, noting it would likely never hit Parliament. Today, Russia launched its first moon-landing spacecraft in 47 years, in a bid to be the first nation to make a soft landing on the lunar south pole – a region believed to hold coveted pockets of water ice. A recent piece in The Conversation presented the argument that Canadians are unprepared for natural hazards. The article itself built on the work of the University of Waterloo’s Partners for Action, a research initiative that seeks to empower Canadians to become flood resilient. In the U.S. the FCC has taken steps toward regulating Deepfake technology. Where is Canada on this? The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League has officially banned fighting. Will

The Hamilton Today Podcast with Scott Radley: Less than half of Canadians believe retail stores are implementing the right amount of security measures to prevent shoplifting but the majority say they would feel safe working in one, a new Leger poll found. Robbie Robertson of The Band has died, as you heard on during yesterday’s show. While we look back on his career, we also ask… who is the greatest living Canadian musician? An Ontario woman is facing criminal charges after submitting a claim for a $70-million Lotto Max prize, police say. Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic is picking up the pace in the space tourism marketplace with the launch Thursday of its VSS Unity space plane carrying an 80-year-old former British Olympian and a mother and daughter from Antigua and Barbuda who won their tickets to fly through a fundraising lottery for the nonprofit Space for Humanity. Sport organizations across Ontario are seeing high return rates for players from all ages and levels of play following the height of the CO

The Hamilton Today Podcast with Scott Radley: Hamilton is one of the central cities being affected by the ongoing writers and actors strikes in the U.S. MP Karina Gould, the new House Leader for the Federal Liberals, wants question period to be something Canadians will be proud to see. Global Affairs Canada (GAC) says it has detected an “information operation” targeting Conservative MP Michael Chong and it is “highly probable” — but not conclusive — that came from China. Developers in Ontario had direct influence over the province’s decision to extract lands from the Greenbelt and received “preferential treatment,” Ontario’s auditor general found in a blistering special report that showed the Ford government began working to remove protected land as soon as it won re-election. Writing in the Globe and Mail, Professor Michael Veal says that “amid Canada’s housing crisis, immigration needs to be slower, more focused.” What does the Greenbelt report from Ontario’s Auditor General mean for the Doug Ford governmen

The Hamilton Today Podcast with Scott Radley: A staggering number of vehicles are out on the road in Canada when they really ought not to be: we’re talking about the 6.6 million recalled vehicles and what they mean for our safety. After this weekend’s game, many were asking “is it time for some changes with the Ticats?” Ottawa LRT Trouble. Bad behaviour at Barbie, Oppenheimer and the movies in general. Despite what Trudeau may say, housing is a federal issue, or so argues our guest, in a piece she co-authored in The Conversation. A group of news publishers and broadcasters has asked the Competition Bureau to investigate Meta’s move to block Canadian news content from Facebook and Instagram. It is all coming up on the Hamilton Today Podcast! Guests: Lorraine Sommerfeld, columnist with Driving.ca and the Hamilton Spectator. Rick Zamperin, host of The 5th Quarter, following every Ticats Game (except for the one time when Dave Woodard hosted this year.) Host of Good Morning Hamilton. Adam Stanley, Golf Journalist

The Hamilton Today Podcast with Scott Radley: How have things changed for contractors since the big renovation boom that came out of the lockdowns? Tomorrow the Hamilton Tiger-Cats will be playing the Montreal Alouettes in what some might call a 'must win' game but is that really the case? The Festival of Friends is back for 2023, starting today! What can we expect this year? According to a new poll from Ipsos, 56% of Canadians consider Canada’s Armed Forces to be “old and antiquated.” The Great Canadian Meta News Blockage has begun! The Better Way Alliance, group representing Canadian businesses, is pushing for rental control for commercial units amid reported increases going 10 to 20 per cent. Canada’s unemployment rate rose for a third-straight month in July as the economy shed 6,400 jobs. Guests: Bob Assadourian, Triple R Inc, and host of Just Ask Bob on Cable 14 Rick Zamperin, Host of The 5th Quarter after every Ticats game & Good Morning Hamilton every weekday from 5:30am to 9:00am, Global News Radio 90

The Hamilton Today Podcast with Scott Radley: In a recent piece by that ran in The Conversation, Michael Von Massow writes that something must be done to control the price of groceries, because the rate hikes from the Bank of Canada are not having an effect. It may have been considered a fantastical idea that could serve as a good backdrop for a blockbuster action film – but, at this point in history, the U.S. may be on the brink of an actual second second civil war… according to one of our guests. After banning plastic bags at supermarkets and liquor stores nationwide late last year, the federal government has set its sights on the next target in its fight against single-use plastics: food packaging. Did you catch the breaking news this morning? That’s right, bursting forth with bright-red banner on sites like Global News, was the announcement that Taylor Swift herself has graciously expanded her Eras tour and added not one but six shows in Toronto, after initially snubbing Canada altogether. The unionized w

The Hamilton Today Podcast with Scott Radley: Electric Vehicles: are they selling like hotcakes or getting the cold shoulder, and are their fortunes about to change? It may depend on whether you are a Canadian or an American. The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is calling on Ontario Premier Doug Ford to introduce balanced budget legislation, as today’s Financial Accountability Office report shows Ontario’s budget recorded a surprise surplus last year. In late June, Chris Davies, director of special events for Ancaster Little League, arrived at Little League Park on Jerseyville Road to help set up for a baseball camp. He noticed on the gravel parking lot a set of pliers, and several nuts and bolts on the ground and walked over to the bleacher, which serves as Ancaster’s home bleacher. It was here that he discovered the seating was stolen. Where do we stand now and what does the future hold? It’s been roughly five years since the legalization of cannabis in Canada, and we still are lacking in government studies o

The Hamilton Today Podcast with Scott Radley: Remembering SARSfest 20 years later, following a global pandemic. Canada has worked for several years to quietly stabilize the African Nation of Niger, but now there is hesitation about our connections to it, following the recent coup. Move to Guelph if you’re looking for the best qualify of life around these parts. Waterloo is your next best bet. Hamilton not so much. That’s a conclusion you might draw from a new online tool called the Municipal Quality of Life Dashboard, unveiled July 14 by Statistics Canada. We get an insight on what is happening with non-residential Economic Development in the City of Hamilton. Sky Taxis and the World of Tomorrow! We look at the argument for more Canadians learning skilled trades, and what it would mean for Canada, and whether we are already doing enough. And, Trudeau took some time to swing at Poilievre during his housing announcement in Hamilton, yesterday, and that is being referred to as a "campaign-style attack." It is al

The Hamilton Today Podcast with Scott Radley: An investigative journalist working with the Canadian Taxpayers Federation has discovered that the feds spent big bucks on branded merchandise. Paul “Pee-wee Herman” Reubens has died. Today, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced 214 new homes in Hamilton. The Federal Conservative Party of Canada – and others – are questioning the plan and if it addresses issues adequately. Ontario's cannabis distributor is decreasing markups on its product, to make it cheaper. Meanwhile, many of the business that have opened after the initial "pot shop boom"—and survived thus far—are struggling. Writing in the conversation, Professors Omar Fares and Mark Lee of Toronto Metropolitan University note that… “today’s consumer landscape is witnessing a pivotal shift away from traditional ownership towards an access-based model. Rather than outright owning goods and services, people prefer to simply have access to them.” It is all coming up on the Hamilton Today Podcast! Guests: Franco

The Hamilton Today Podcast with Scott Thompson: Randy Meisner, founding member of the Eagles, has died. Trump Troubles, the McConnell Freeze, and the world of the U.S. How important is an inquiry into the handling of the COIVD-19 pandemic, what benefits can be reaped and what are our ethical obligations? The global supply of semiconductor chips has become an integral part of our lives, whether we recognize it or not. The Mayor of Hamilton, Andrea Horwath, held a working meeting on housing and affordability with the collection of officials dubbed "Team Hamilton." New faces in cabinet do not mean new ideas or new policies, but what if – this time – they do mean that, what could we see, and how much should we expect? It is all coming up on the Hamilton Today Podcast! Guests: Graham Rockingham, former music journalist, retired from The Hamilton Spectator. Reggie Cecchini, Washington Correspondent for Global News. Randall Denley is an author and columnist for the Ottawa Citizen and the National Post; author of mys

The Hamilton Today Podcast with Scott Thompson: A new poll by CAA delved into Canadians’ auto theft concerns. Is CSIS too restricted to properly brief provincial and municipal levels of government, and is it time to change in the face of foreign interference as well as other security dangers? A panel of experts made further calls for an independent inquiry into Canada’s COVID-19 response on Tuesday, stressing that the country’s pandemic response must be reviewed before it’s tested once again. This week, one of Canada’s – and the world’s – leading voices spoke to the U.S. Senate and gave a warning about the realities of artificial intelligence and where it is going. The shuffle affected more than just Trudeau’s cabinet and our country: it means something to international relations and particularly NATO. It is all coming up on the Hamilton Today Podcast! Guests: Elliott Silverstein, Director, Government Relations, CAA Insurance. Phil Gurski, President of Borealis Threat and Risk Consulting, former CSIS analyst.

The shuffle affected more than just Trudeau’s cabinet and our country: it means something to international relations and particularly NATO. Guest: Aurel Braun, Professor of International Relations and a Senior Member of the Munk School of Global Affairs at the University of Toronto. 

The Hamilton Today Podcast with Scott Thompson: Today the Federal Liberals shuffled their cabinet… some familiar faces changed places, others stepped away while newbies filled up the spaces… but all around, loyal opposition says that it is still the same party and the same problems. Scott does the Cabinet Shuffle as we dive deep into this topic. Plus, sad news as Sinead O’Connor, (in)famous Irish singer and political activist, has died at the age of 56. And some are concerned about the plans being laid out by the NDP to address the ongoing housing crisis. It is all coming up on the Hamilton Today Podcast! Guests: Andrew Scheer, Conservative House Leader, Member of Parliament for Regina—Qu'Appelle, Saskatchewan; former leader of the Conservative Party of Canada. Sebastien Dallaire, Senior Vice-President, Canada and Managing Director for Quebec at Ipsos. Henry Jacek. Professor of Political Science, McMaster University. Eric Alper, Publicist and music commentator. Richard Shimooka, Senior Fellow at the Macdonald

The Hamilton Today Podcast with Scott Thompson: You usually hear Adam Oldfield appear CHML to talk about the latest tech issues… but today he joins us as a fellow Hamiltonian with deep concerns about the safety of the city’s citizens – housed and unhoused – and the state of the situation downtown. The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation dished out almost $27 million in bonuses in 2022 and the average compensation paid to its executives rose to $697,667. The Cabinet Shuffle is imminent, and more Ministers are announcing that they will not seek re-election: where are the Federal Liberals and what are they bracing for? As we move towards a net-zero future, opportunities to increase the generation of emission-free electricity and industrial heat are becoming a key part of energy planning in Canada, particularly when it comes to the deployment of small modular reactors (SMRs). According to economists with the Fraser Institue, Canada’s economy is stagnating and we must acknowledge this reality. It is all coming

The Hamilton Today Podcast with Scott Thompson: What attracts people to the RV Life, how do they learn the ins and outs, and do they need to get their own RV? Ice cream, widely regarded as a beloved treat for the masses, is experiencing a steady decline in demand within the Canadian market. Yesterday marked 40 years since an extraordinary day for the people of Gimli, Manitoba. Elon Musk & Co. are rebranding Twitter… to “X.” Stories are rolling in of Habitat for Humanity has been helping higher income Canadians than in the past, due to the housing crisis. It looks like a Cabinet Shuffle is in the works and we may find out where who gets a title change as soon as this Wednesday. It is all coming up on the Hamilton Today Podcast! Guests: Nikki Ferreira, RV Enthusiast. Jon Downing, Brewmaster, Professor, Niagara College Teaching Brewery. Dr. Sylvain Charlebois, professor of food distribution and policy, and the director of the Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University. Barb Gluck, president of the Gimli Gli

The Hamilton Today Podcast with Scott Thompson: Oh boy is it a pop culture day! From Jason Aldean’s drama over his music video, to Barbenheimer to the passing of Tony Bennett. Plus, the Ontario Hospital Association and the Ontario Nurses’ Association have reached a deal through arbitration in regards to raises. Nurses will see a raise of 11% over 2 years. But isn’t this what the Bank of Canada was worried about when it comes to tackling inflation? What has reaction been like to yesterday’s Bernardo report? And what about the psychology of all this? The political fallout? Has Putin weaponized hunger? And, a retired RCMP officer has been charged with conspiracy in relation to foreign interference. It is all coming up on the Hamilton Today Podcast! Guests: Marvin Ryder, Professor with the DeGroote School of Business at McMaster University. Elissa Freeman, PR and Pop Culture Expert. Tony Baldinelli, MP for Niagara Falls. Tony Volk, Professor of Child and Youth Studies, Brock University (expertise in psychopathy).

The Hamilton Today Podcast with Scott Thompson: The report into Paul Bernardo’s prison transfer was released this afternoon and the review committee found the decisions to reclassify Bernardo were ‘sound’. Nearly 60% of parents in Canada are fearful for the financial future of their children. Doug Ford and Olivia Chow yesterday announced that they’re teaming up to demand for more help from the Trudeau government for refugees. Yet before she was elected, Ford said that Chow would be an unmitigated disaster for Toronto. As well, with the release of the Bernardo report this afternoon, how will this play out for the federal government? What is the latest with the BC Port Strike? Port Dover’s South Coast Jazz festival is hitting it’s 10th anniversary and is expanding now into Brantford. Scott chats with one of the musicians who will be performing. It is all coming up on the Hamilton Today Podcast! Guests: Anthony Farnell, Chief Meteorologist, Global News. Jay Llewellyn (B.A., CFP®, CLU) Senior Financial Consultant

The Hamilton Today Podcast with Scott Thompson: The former US president says that he is a target in the federal January 6th investigation. With so many on council opposing development on the Greenbelt, Scott has a few questions – Is there land that we could develop on instead? Why shouldn’t we proceed with Greenbelt development? Some councillors say they’ll stand before bulldozers to protect the greenbelt – will our guest? What is the solution here? Toronto has seen an influx of asylum seekers and refugees. The Premier and the mayor are teaming up to demand for more help. But with there being a housing crisis among many other problems, should we be pausing immigration to help those already here? The Premier and Toronto Mayor are teaming up to demand more help for asylum seekers and refugees. The BC Port Strike is back on after the union decided to not agree to the tentative deal. They’ll resume striking as soon as Saturday after their job action was ruled illegal. Some groups are calling for back to work legi