A powerful interview with three Hamilton Councillors on the role elected leaders play in combatting hate, racism and bigotry. Ward 1 Councillor Maureen Wilson, Ward 3 Councillor Nrinder Nann and Ward 9 Councillor Brad Clark. ___________________________________________________________________ Host, Graham Crawford Alex Zafer, producer…

In an ongoing series discussing Hate in The Hammer, we feature two very special guests, Cameron Kroetsch and Lyla Miklos discussing the relationship between our 2SLGBTQIA+ communities and our civic institutions. Both Cameron and Lyla are active and engaged citizens of Hamilton as well as the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. Police, Power, Politics are on the …

Listen to Graham's audio op-ed on Cardus. Our City Council is about to vote to enter into negotiations with Cardus on their use of Balfour House, and blocking any other groups from consideration. If you haven't looked at some of the content Cardus publishes on their website, you should. Here's Graham's thoughts on what he found. The Graham Crawford…

After a hiatus, Producer Alex Zafer and Host Graham Crawford introduce the return of the Graham Crawford Show. Have a listen. Enjoy! Podcast produced by Alex Zafer with your host Graham Crawford

YES we are back after a long hiatus. Please listen to Producer Alex Zafer's preview to the upcoming episodes of The Graham Crawford Show, including his insightful perspectives on standing up to hate in Hamilton. Enjoy.

A special edition of the Cityist. Civic Panel regular, Maureen Wilson, joins Graham to discuss the future of the Discovery Centre on our waterfront. City Council is considering selling this public building and the 8 acres on which it sits to a private developer. We think there are ways to re-imagine the building’s use and keep it in public hands. J…

Our Civic Panel sinks their teeth into 3 very current topics on this edition of the podcast. 1. Downtown Densification - High Anxiety Link from The Hamilton Spectator: "Beasley neighbours back development, but not at any price Hamilton’s new downtown plan makes arbitrary changes without adequate consultation" https://www.thespec.com/opinion-story/8…

There was a time when all members of the senior leadership team at the City of Hamilton were men. What was the most recent year that was true? Was it 1990? 2000? 2005? If you picked any of those years, you’d be wrong. The correct answer is 2018. That’s right, the unstoppable City of Hamilton is once again run by men. Next to the City Manager, the m…

On this edition of the Graham Crawford Show we talk with Paul Wilson about the bright neon lights of Hamilton, those that once were and those that still light the night sky. Cultural Heritage is defined as an expression of the ways of living developed by a community and passed on from generation to generation, including customs, practices, places, …

We’re very pleased to have Jason Thorne, General Manager of Planning & Economic Development for the City of Hamilton join us for an in-depth, one-on-one discussion about urban design in Hamilton, from how demographics affect planning, to what is excellent urban design, to how the Planning Department contributes to the achievement of our Vision, to …

On this edition of the Cityist, like many boys and girls throughout Hamilton, I sent Santa a note that began: Dear Santa, I know you’re a pretty busy person, but I’d really appreciate it if you could take a look at my list of 8 Civic Gifts I’d love for you to bring to my town….. Listen to what I asked for from Santa for Hamilton. __________________…

"Driving us Crazy" - A very lively discussion from several points of views. Our featured panelists Peter Graefe, Maureen Wilson and Tom Flood discuss with Graham the attitudes around urban design and roads. Do drivers in Hamilton own more than the road? _________________________________________________ The Graham Crawford Show, with your host Graha…

Architectural gems on Wentworth sit empty Paul Wilson discusses two boarded up beauties on Wentworth Street South, one a mansion, the other a lovely apartment building. Both in need of some attention. The original link to the Hamilton Spectator article can be found here: https://www.thespec.com/opinion-story/7563034-paul-wilson-architectural-gems-o…

The City of Hamilton spent half a million dollars on a proposal to Amazon for Hamilton to become the site of its second headquarters for up to 50,000 employees. I hate to be the party pooper, but I think our senior bureaucrats and elected officials need to have a drink of reality. Chasing expensive rainbows is one way to spend our money and our ene…

Mark Richardson joins us to talk about his experience challenging the City of Hamilton about their decision to ignore the recommendations of the consultants they hired to redefine the 15 Ward boundaries to create a more balanced distribution of Wards and population. Problem is, when Watson & Associates presented their findings and their recommendat…

After a long summer break The Graham Crawford Show returns with our regular Civic Panel where we discuss a melange of topics. Our featured panelists include Ryan McGreal, Peter Graefe and Maureen Wilson. Pier 8 Design Competition - The Process & the Results Redefining Ward Boundaries - How we got to where we are now Assigning resources (time, money…

Like many others have, I’ve accused Councillors of being tone deaf on these sorts of issues that are completely within their control to remedy. Why is it that they try to ignore us? I have a theory. I think they ignore us for as long as possible because they don’t really want to be seen as reacting to feedback about their own behaviours. You got a …

First of all, a small confession. I’m a member of the Board of Directors of the Westdale Cinema Group, the non-profit organization that has purchased the old Westdale Theatre and that will be restoring it to its 1935 glory. That makes me, and this edition of the Cityist, less than objective. But this project is so exciting that I feel more than com…

We talk to Paul about a column he called: New mayor can’t sit on this throne that appeared in the Hamilton Spectator on October 21, 2014.It’s a story about the City of Hamilton’s secret warehouse full of Hamilton artifacts the City has been collecting throughout its history that it doesn’t have the space to put on permanent display. While Paul does…

Just when you didn’t think it was possible for Councillors to be more tone deaf, they prove us wrong. I’m talking about the recent recommendation by Councillors at a Governance Review Subcommittee to spend $5000 for service rings for themselves. Apparently, rings have been given in the past to Councillors who are either retiring or who have died. N…

This time, we talk to Paul about a column he called: Harmony’s proud, but sad, story to be unveiled that appeared in the Hamilton Spectator on September 2, 2014. It’s about the Harmony Apartments at Bay and Barton. If you haven’t been by the building, it’s worth taking a look if you’re in the area. Located on the west side of Bay Street, one buildi…

One year, and tens of thousands of downloads after this adventure began, I sit down with the mastermind of The Graham Crawford Show - Executive Producer Alex Zafer to discuss the original vision for the show, what we’ve accomplished and where we go from here. And we talk about Dave Beatty, the owner of QED Media in Hamilton where we record the how …

I’m joined by an artist and satirist I’ve admired for years. I admire his wit. His artistry. His ability to boil oceans of issues to their essence and to present what he sees in ways that leave us smiling or even, dare I say, LOL’ing. His name is Graeme MacKay and he’s the editorial cartoonist for the Hamilton Spectator. I think you’ll really enjoy…

We talk to Paul about a column he called: Storied House Amid Highrises Has a Future Again. It appeared in the Hamilton Spectator on May 17, 2016. It’s a story about tenacity. In this case, the tenacity of a beautiful house and the tenacity of a dedicated owner. The house was built in 1860, just 7 years after Central School was built on Hunter. Toda…

This edition of the Cityist is called Dithering, Blithering & Slithering. It’s a three word summary of the last City Council meeting about LRT. We may be relieved and thankful that the LRT Environmental Assessment 2.0 was approved in a 10 to 5 vote by Council. But, there’s more to this than simply getting enough votes to keep LRT moving. That meeti…

We’re calling this edition of the Civic Panel Some Counsel for Council. If you're a regular watcher of Hamilton City Council, you’ll probably agree that Council’s behaviour is questionable at times. And, at other times, downright appalling. Our panelists each provide some advice to Council based on problems they see happening. And they provide some…

It was telling that Spectator columnist Andrew Dreschel began a recent column by saying, “City Manager Chris Murray’s face may not have been sickly green, but he has rarely looked as crestfallen and crushed.” Chris Murray was down because an internal audit about how consulting dollars were spent had just been shared with Council. It was a damning r…

We talk to Paul Wilson about a column he called, “Hamilton is the Town Where Time Stands Still” that appeared in the Hamilton Spectator on March 15, 2016. http://www.thespec.com/opinion-story/6390115-paul-wilson-hamilton-is-the-town-where-time-stands-still/ It focuses on some of Hamilton’s public clocks that have stopped working. Clocks at Leon’s f…

This Cityist is about the most recent LRT meeting at City Hall. A marathon meeting for sure. 12 hours long. But not even nearly 12 hours worth of content. Although, that might be said about many of the meetings that take place at City Hall. If one person was given a dollar for every 15 minutes of every meeting of Councillors and another person was …

This is the second edition of our Civic Panel Mélange, where we focus on 3 topics worth discussing. They are: Coleman Broadcasting Resolution - 40 Miles of Bad Road Ahead? Design Review Panel - Now You See It, Now You Don’t, Now You See It Downsizing - When You Can’t Change the Working Culture, Change the Number of People Who Work In It Hope you en…

Gather round your mobile devices dear listeners. I want to tell you a sad story about lost relevance. I want to speak about Ward 8 Councillor Terry Whitehead. It’s become very clear that Terry has lost his way. He’s flailing about looking for political relevance. His consistently inconsistent communication damages not only how we view and participa…

Over 6 months ago, I did a Cityist called The Benchmark Project. It was a simple proposal for the City of Hamilton to provide affordable opportunities for Hamiltonians to place a plaque on a city bench honouring a family member or someone else important to them. In that podcast, I included information about the City’s existing program where for bet…

On this show, we talk about a local project that’s received a fantastic outpouring of goodwill from Hamiltonians across the city. The project is the revitalization of the Westdale Theatre. A project being called an urban barn raising, Hamilton-style. I’m joined by three members of the Board of the Westdale Cinema Group, the non-profit organization …

Civic engagement takes many forms. Perhaps the oldest form is an old fashioned protest. A public gathering of like-minded people about a specific topic who show up at a specific place at a specific time to make a statement and to listen to the statements of others. A ‘demonstration’ of our civic rights. Our Civic Panel regulars Ryan McGreal, Mauree…

The Yin and Yang of Civic Engagement and How Everything Connects. Yin and yang. The principle that all things exist as inseparable and contradictory opposites. If you’ve embraced a civic cause it’s likely you did so because it meant something to you personally. Often, civic engagement is focused on fighting back while at the same time pushing forwa…

We were pleased to welcome Ward 2 Councillor Jason Farr and two very engaged residents, Roz and Dale Mugford, who started the Park the Violence Campaign related to the planned urban park bounded by King William, John Street North, Rebecca and Catherine. We discuss the challenges facing the community caused by the violence around the nightclub on th…

This edition of the Cityist is called Debunking the Myth of Fiscal Prudence OR Read Any Good Books Lately? It’s an op-ed about a myth of near Shakespearean proportions that happened at, and after, some comments made by Ward 7 Councillor Donna Skelly about the Hamilton Public Library and their budget request for 2017. Think of it as Donna Skelly’s “…

Although there may be fewer than there were just a few years ago, there are still boarded up buildings in Hamilton. In this edition of the Paul Wilson interview Series, I talk to Paul about the Auchmar gatehouse, the lightkeeper's cottage on the Beach Strip, and storefronts along Barton Street. We discuss why unrented too often looks like unwanted.…

The Graham Crawford Show was pleased to welcome Matt Jelly, engaged and active resident, artist, and one of the sharpest wits in town to talk about a project he is leading. It’s called #EqualWardsNow and it is gathering signatures for Hamiltonians who support Ward boundary review. During the interview, Matt provides informed perspectives on how we …

Our Civic Panelists are Peter Graefe, Maureen Wilson and Ryan McGreal, begin the year by looking back at the previous one. They share their answers to questions in 7 separate categories, all focused on the City of Hamilton in 2016, and with an eye to 2017. All on this Civic Panel edition of The Graham Crawford Show we’re calling: Backward Glances. …

Whether it really makes any difference or not, many of us use the end of one year and the beginning of the next as a fresh start for new behaviours. Too often, that fresh start often ends with old behaviours. Change, although always possible, is usually difficult. But that truth doesn’t seem to stop us from believing we can do it this time. So, in …

Paul Berton is someone who spends every day on the job thinking about news. About how it’s collected, reported, illustrated and distributed. All via Hamilton’s oldest operating business. Paul Berton is a lifelong journalist - reporter, columnist, editor, and now Editor-in-Chief of the Hamilton Spectator, now celebrating 170 years of reporting in ou…

Each month, I do a Cityist column for The Graham Crawford Show. It’s usually about an issue, or an idea to overcome an issue, or to take advantage of an opportunity. This edition is much more personal. It’s about my first Christmas in Hamilton, having arrived from England in the summer of 1959. The memories are simple. Told through the eyes of a ch…

The weather outside is frightful, so that must mean it’s Christmas time. That’s why I asked Paul if he would select a Christmas-themed column to share with us on this seasonal podcast. Paul selected a column he called: Marie’s first Canadian Christmas tree. It appeared in the Hamilton Spectator on December 17, 2008. It’s a truly beautiful story, be…

He’s served at two levels of government, one as a Conservative MPP in Ontario, where he was a cabinet minister of two ministeries (Transportation and Labour), the other as Councillor for Ward 9 in Stoney Creek from 2006 to 2014. He ran for Mayor in 2014 where he placed second to current Mayor Fred Eisenberger and ahead of Brian McHattie. His name i…

A neighbourhood that’s healthy makes the people who live in it healthier - mentally, physically and socially. A neighbourhood, by definition, is more than just the building where you go to sleep each night. A neighbourhood is as much a way of thinking as it is a way of living. If you love your neighbourhood, chances are that affection is about much…

We’re calling this show a Civic Panel Mélange, because rather than focusing on a single topic or theme, we felt that there’s just too much going on to limit our discussion. So why don’t you pour yourself a coffee, or a tea, or something stronger, and join us for our free flowing, and very passionate, yap about all things Hamilton politics including…

LRT. Affordable housing. Ranked balloting. Ward boundary review. Area rating. Downtown casino. Biggest disappointment this term. Biggest accomplishment this term. Just some of the things I talk about with our special guest, Mayor Fred Eisenberger, on this very lively edition of The Graham Crawford Show. _____________________________________________…

You’ve probably heard of the term “Ward of the State”. It refers to a situation where the court takes responsibility for the well-being of an individual. I’d like to turn those words around and redefine them at the same time. Think of it as: State of the Ward. In this case, I’d like it to refer to a situation where the Councillor discusses the well…

On this edition of the Cityist - Can We Afford This Kind of Thinking About Affordable Housing? I talk about the decision by Councillors to finally include some affordable housing (of the affordable home ownership variety) on Pier 8. The 5% commitment is too low, but it’s a lot higher than what Chad Collins, and others, had planned for Pier 8. In fa…