The 905er Podcast
The 905er is a news, politics and discussion podcast for the GTHA region focusing on the region outside central Toronto where 4 million people live, but where news coverage and discussion hardly exists. Presented by Roland Tanner and Joel MacLeod, long-time activists, volunteers and sometimes even wannabe-politicians, we aim to provide a lively weekly podcast featuring interviews with people in the news, round-table discussions, analysis and more. It aims to be intelligent, though-provoking, lively and entertaining. Get bonus content on Patreon
Tue, April 15, 2025
How Do We Make the Right Decision This Election?
With only a few weeks left before the federal election, we ought to have a good idea of who the candidates are and what each party will be like for the next four years. The decision is looming, and a choice will need to be made. However, how do we know we're making the right choice? Ironically, just before the election, Joel read a book called Too Dumb For Democracy, by former guest David Moscrop. The book is a fascinating insight into how we construct our political behaviour. Many factors, from biology to our personal histories, to our environment, all contribute to how we choose who we vote for. We thought it would be interesting to invite David back to discuss the book in general, as well as how we can apply it to this election cycle. https://www.davidmoscrop.com/ You can find our previous episode with David here It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can, so we can keep improving and paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing.The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, April 08, 2025
Is Maplehurst Ontario's Guantanamo?
With the federal election happening, a front-page news story from here in the 905 is not getting much attention. The Toronto Star for the past week has published a series of articles on abuse and inhumane conditions at Maplehurst Correctional Facility in Milton. The facility is an Ontario-owned and operated jail, where most inmates are charged with crimes and are awaiting their day in court to have the charges proven in a court of law. It is important to highlight that the majority of these inmates are still considered innocent in the eyes of the law. The stories have focused on conditions in which the facility is over capacity, leading to overcrowding in cells. Toilets are backed up for weeks on end, leading to inmates being forced to use noodle cups instead. Lack of basic needs like toilet paper abounds. And one inmate reported a rash on their body, due to not being able to shower regularly. The big standout issue, though, is the reporting of the use of the Institutional Crisis Intervention Unit, the Riot Squad, to strip search and punish inmates in December of 2023. We reached out to the investigative reporter who is covering this story to come on and talk about this in depth. Joining Joel today is Brendan Kennedy from the Toronto Star, to discuss how this happened at Maplehurst, what led to this culture and what is being done or not done to address the issue. Brendan's journalism can be found here: Ontario's Jails are Deadlier than Ever - and This One is Worst in Every Respect She thought leaving her nephew in jail would help him get clean. His fatal overdose raises hard questions about how drugs get inside ‘Welcome to Wong-tanamo Bay’: Maplehurst jail officials conspired to ‘cover up’ mass strip-search of inmates, court document alleges It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can, so we can keep improving and paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron
Tue, April 01, 2025
Measles is Making a Comeback, What are We Doing About It?
It feels like we were settled on the case for vaccinations after COVID-19. Their efficacy and safety are reliable. And they are the best way to prevent public health outbreaks of preventable diseases. We all remember the pandemic, lockdowns, and the toll that all took on us. So why are we seeing a resurgence of measles in Peel region, along with other areas of the province? Outbreaks of measles are being reported by public health agencies, predominantly amongst unvaccinated populations. Public Health agencies are putting out the warning for all people to get their vaccinations updated. However, could more be done? What are the consequences if we don't take the necessary actions? To talk about why a vaccination campaign is so important, as well as what Peel region is doing to get ahead of this situation, we invited to the podcast Alvin Tedjo, Mississauga Councillor, as well as Jill Promoli, a vaccination advocate. It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can, so we can keep improving and paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing.The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, March 25, 2025
Well, Here We Go Again...
Just when we think we're out, they pull us back in. Back into election season that is folks! Less than a month out of the Ontario provincial election, Liberal Prime Minister Mark Carney has called a federal election for April 28th. Last year, the idea of a federal election struck terror in the hearts of Liberals across the country. However, in only a month, Mark Carney has flipped the script on Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre. The Liberal Party is leading in the polls and the idea of a fourth term is not out of the question. All of this is based on one question of who is best to deal with American President Donald Trumps, threats against Canada? We here in the 905 are only an hour away from the American border, which puts us on the front line of this unprecedented period in Canadian-American relations. So what do we do now? Well to talk about this moment, I sit down with a long-time friend of the podcast Laura Babcock. Laura is the host of The O-show and President of the Powergroup. The O-Show It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving and paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing.The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, March 18, 2025
What are the Solutions to the Auto Theft Crisis?
It is impossible to not hear a story from your city, town or neighbourhood about a car theft. You can find doorbell cameras of thieves stealing cars right out of a driveway in the middle of the night. Or you can hear stories of cars being stolen in mall parking lots. Auto thefts are an organized, big business in Ontario. Pressure is on for definitive action to be taken on auto thefts in Canada. Police have been saying stricter penalties are required to send a message of deterrence to criminals. To make sure that criminals pay the price when they are arrested and to truly break up these organized crime rings. In Halton, Chief of Police Steve Tanner issued a statement in February stating clearly that the federal government needed to implement tougher penalties for those found guilty of auto thefts. Will that be enough to put an end to this scourge in the 905 and Ontario? To find out, Chief Tanner joins the podcast to talk about this and give us the facts. It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving and paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing.The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, March 11, 2025
The 905 Prepares for a Tariff War
Since taking office, President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened Canada with on-again-off-again tariffs. Canada has in turn replied with reciprocal tariffs on American products. We are entering into an unprecedented period of antagonism between Canada and the United States. What was once the most prosperous trading relationship in the history of the world is being dismantled arbitrarily by the American government. What will this mean for Canada, Ontario and the 905? To discuss this we invited to the podcast Chris Emanuel, President of the Central York Chamber of Commerce as well as Terry Caddo, President of the Burlington Chamber of Commerce to talk about what lies ahead for our region, province and country in a trade war. It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving and paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing.The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, March 04, 2025
What Lies Ahead for the Ontario Liberal Party?
We recorded this episode the Friday morning after the 2025 Ontario Election. It was an election that didn't see the dynamic at Queen's Park change all that much. Doug Ford and the Ontario PC returned with a third majority mandate, Marit Stiles and the NDP returned to the official opposition, and the Ontario Liberals returned as the third-place party. The biggest shock of the night was the fact that Ontario Liberal leader Bonnie Crombie failed to win not just her seat in Mississauga but any seat in Peel region. A fact that flew in the face of the promise she made to Ontario Liberals when they elected her as leader. That she would be able to win the 905 region handily. What does this failure mean for the party's future and Bonnie Crombie, and what can we expect going forward? To answer some of these questions and more, we invited Theresa Lubowitz back to the podcast. A former communications staffer for Kathleen Wynne and the Ontario Liberal Party, to give her insight on the path forward. What is the Future of the Ontario Liberal Party? It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving and paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing.The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, February 25, 2025
So what comes after this election?
We are into the final week of this Ontario election. It seems that people are finally starting to check in to the fact that we are having one, and we're starting to see some change in the polls. But is it enough to change the government? What happens if nothing changes? What would happen to Bonnie Crombie or Marit Stiles's leadership? Both made promises to their members but are they going to be able to deliver this election? We invited back to the podcast Ahmad Elbayoumi, from Policorner.ca. Ahmad has been covering the Ontario election in detail and we welcome him to talk about what's at stake for the various parties this election day. And what might come after all the ballots are counted? Policorner.ca It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving and paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing.The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, February 18, 2025
Can We Vote Smarter in this Ontario Election?
As this Ontario Election moves, the polls slowly shift away from Doug Ford's Ontario PC. Is there time for the opposition parties to capitalize on this trend? Or will the opposition once again split the vote? That's the risk in our first-past-the-post system. Without the anti-Ford vote coalescing around one party or leader at the moment, those who want a change in government are forced to consider strategic voting. The question is, does this work? Well, one person is hoping it will. JB Burrows of TikTok fame has created a website to help progressive voters make the best strategic vote in their riding this election. His website Smartvoting.ca aims to let voters know which party is best positioned to unseat the incumbent Ontario PC choice. Will it work? Well, we sit down and talk with him today to find out. https://smartvoting.ca/ Our Episode on the London Municipal Ranked Ballot Election It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving and paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, February 11, 2025
What do our Municipalities Need from this Ontario Election?
As the Ontario Election moves a long, we seem to drifting further and further away from the issues that were prominent in our provincial dialogue only a few months ago. Housing, development fees, homelessness. These were the things that we were covering in previous episodes. The matters which were front and centre for many 905ers. Going so far as to potentially invoke the notwithstanding clause to deal with encampments in cities. So why isn’t this the top issue of this election? What is it that our municipalities are looking to hear from the party leaders that will help them deal with the supposed top issue of Ontario? To talk about that we invited on to the podcast Jonathan Scott, Councillor for Bradford West-Gwillimbury. To hear from the municipal government perspective about what a provincial government ought to be doing. It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving and paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing.The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, February 04, 2025
Hey Don't Forget There's a Provincial Election on Right Now!
It has been a whirlwind 2025, and we're only through January. Trudeau resigned, sparking a Liberal Leadership race, and most recently, as this podcast is being recorded, President Donald Trump is imposing 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico, sparking a trade war in North America. In the shadow of all of this, Ontario Premier Doug Ford has decided to call an election. Citing the need for a strong mandate from the Ontario people to deal with Donald Trump. Despite the fact, that he has an overwhelming majority already. There has never been a greater level of uncertainty in our provincial politics at this time. We wanted to take a moment and get a lay of the land for what is going to be a wild 27 days in Ontario. Sabrina Nanji of the QPObserver joins us to talk about the provincial election. Why it's happening and whether this gamble on the part of Doug Ford is going to blow up in his face? Can Bonnie Crombie and Marit Stiles take advantage of this to win government? You can read Sabrina Nanji's fantastic work here: QPobserver.ca It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving and paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win-win! Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing.The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, January 28, 2025
Loblaws and Sobeys Haven't Learned their Lesson
Earlier this month, the CBC broke a story detailing how Loblaws and Sobeys were overcharging customers for meat, but underweighting the amounts sold. With the cost of living increasing this was a blow to their brand and hurt consumers where it matters most. What was most shocking perhaps about the story is how it wasn't that shocking at all. This isn't the first time Loblaws and Sobeys were caught in a price-fixing scheme. In 2018, it was discovered that they were fixing the price of bread in their favour, which led to them admitting their fault and Loblaws paying out $500 million to customers in the form of prepaid cards. It is clear that this behaviour isn't an isolated incident. The rising price of groceries and this kind of behaviour spurred our guest today to take action. Emily Johnson is the organizer of the Loblaws boycott. We had her on previously to discuss the boycott just after she met executives with Loblaws. We invited her back again to talk about this latest news and what powers people need to tackle this exercise in corporate greed. The CBC Article on the Meat Pricing Scheme at Loblaws and Sobeys CBC Article on Bread Pricing It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving and paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win-win! Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing.The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, January 21, 2025
How Doug Ford Came Around to Agree with Kathleen Wynne
Whether or not we're going to an early provincial election has been hanging in the air over Ontario for a few months now. Doug Ford has been playing coy with will he won't he'll call one. However, the hints that he's keen to have been in the news recently. His government has announced several big policy initiatives. Minister of Energy, Stephen Lecce announced that the Ontario PC government will be building more wind farms and solar projects in rural Ontario. As well as a green energy home retrofit tax credit, for windows, doors and other energy-saving upgrades. Including Solar panel installation. And most recently, Doug Ford instructed Metrolynx to invest in "GO Transit 2.0." A lot of this should sound familiar to you. All of these projects were what Doug Ford initially ran on dismantling from then-Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne in 2018. Ford campaigned on the premise that these projects were costly to Ontario taxpayers and bad policy from the then Ontario Liberal government. So where did this 180 come from? To discuss this reversal 6 years later, we invited back to the podcast Kathleen Wynne. We ask her about this sudden change in heart from Doug Ford and why the Ontario Liberals brought in these policies to begin with as well as what could have been had Ontario not hit pause on these projects 6 years ago. It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving and paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win-win! Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing.The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, January 07, 2025
905 Round-Up: Good Rental News and Teacher Investigations
Happy New Year 2025! We are back in the saddle for what is shaping up to be a huge year in Canada, Ontario and the 905. As we start the new year, we found some good news to reflect on. Rents in the 905 are dropping. As more and more inventory comes onto the market the laws of supply and demand the price of rent is dropping. After that, we look at Hamilton Wentworth District School Board's decision to hire private investigators to go after teachers they suspect are taking unjustified sick days. We ask...' who cares?' With only 11 sick days permitted, why not let adults take care of themselves? No other profession would accept this so why should teachers? Toronto Star Article on Rents Six Hamilton-area education stories to watch in 2025 It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving and paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win-win! Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, December 17, 2024
905 Round-Up: Crombie’s Housing Plan and Ford Hits Back on Trump
Coming off our previous episode with Evan Scrimshaw, the Ontario Liberals announced a major part of their housing platform. Their plan would eliminate development charges from municipalities, replace them with a provincial fund, end the Land Transfer Tax for new home buyers and bring in phased-in rent controls for renters. Is this what progressives seek to win themselves to the Ontario Liberals? And are we going to be eating our words after our previous episode? Well yes and no. We discuss why this is good and its shortcomings in actually getting housing built. Our second story focuses on how Premier Doug Ford of all people in Canada is the one punching back at President Donald Trump. In retaliation to Trump's proposed 25% tariffs, his promise to cut off electricity to American states is the standout statement in what is shaping up to be a trying time between our two countries. Joel walks back his initial statement on social media and both of our hosts ask, is this what's needed? Ontario Liberal Housing Plan Doug Ford on Donald Trump It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving and paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win-win! Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Get bonus content on Patreon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, December 10, 2024
Why the Ontario Liberals Are Going to Have a Hard Time in the 905
The Ontario Liberal Party attempted something of a rebrand of their leader, Bonnie Crombie at the start of December. At their leadership dinner fundraiser, the party brought in $1.65 million for their coffers before an expected spring 2025 Ontario election. However, what made headlines was her keynote address where she broke ranks with their federal cousins and denounced the Carbon Tax, calling it a mistake and vowing not to implement one should she become Premier. This after years of the Ontario PC's branding her as a Trudeau Carbon Tax Liberal. In addition to that announcement, Bonnie Crombie also announced her support of funding police departments across the province. This is on the heels of many runaway policing budgets, as municipalities struggle to get their finances under control. This sharp turn to the right, in search of chipping away at Doug Ford's base, has alienated many progressives in Ontario. Many of them are Ontario Liberal supporters who now feel alienated from the party. Will this rebranding of Bonnie Crombie 2.0 pay off? To discuss this, we invited onto the podcast Evan Scrimshaw of Scrimshaw Unscripted. Evan has been openly critical of the Ontario Liberals as of late and his recent substack article has taken to task this recent strategy of the Ontario Liberals and made us question how viable their chances are of winning a majority of seats now in the 905. Evan's Article on Scrimshaw Unscripted is here CBC's Article on Bonnie Crombie's Leadership Dinner It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving and paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win-win! Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, December 03, 2024
Mayor Carolyn Parrish Breaks her Silence on Police Funding
Police budgets are the biggest line item on any municipalities budget. It would logically follow that it would also be the most scrutinized. As it turns out it is virtually impossible to openly criticize and debate the use of tax dollars when it comes to policing in Ontario. This is something our guest today resigned their position on Peel's Police Board for. Newly elected Mississauga Mayor Carolyn Parrish resigned from the Peel Police Board over a proposed 23.3% budget increase which would lead to increased property taxes for Mississaugans. Something as Mayor, she was concerned with but not allowed to discuss openly due to the code of conduct for Police Board members not being able to openly criticize decisions. We discussed a similar issue with Hamilton Councillor Cameron Kroetsch when he was disciplined by the Hamilton Police Board over his objections to their proposed budget increase. If duly elected municipal officials cannot publicly debate the spending of public tax dollars what does that mean for oversight or accountability? These are some of the questions we put forward to Mayor Parrish as she joins us today on the podcast. Our episode with Cameron Kroestch on the Hamilton Police Board can be found here. It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win-win! Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, November 26, 2024
Councillor Haley Bateman Stands Against the Notwithstanding Clause
We rarely expect to return to the topic so soon when we air our episodes. However, that was the case with our last episode with St. Catharine's Mayor Mat Siscoe. We spoke with him about his reasons for signing a letter with 12 other Ontario Mayors requesting Premier Doug Ford give municipalities the power under the Notwithstanding Clause to remove homeless encampments from public parks and spaces. This proved to be a controversial debate. We were happy to have Mayor Siscoe on to provide his reasoning and give this topic the discussion it deserved. Following the release of that episode though, a rebuttal letter was released signed by 40 councillors from municipalities across Ontario. The letter laid out the clear opposition to the Mayor's request for the notwithstanding clause to be used and made a direct appeal to the Premier to refuse their request. One of the signatories to that letter was Councillor Haley Bateman. Councillor Bateman represents St. Catharines in the Niagara Region. As Councillor Bateman and Mayor Siscoe represent the same constituents they would also be familiar with the details of St. Catharines' homeless population. We thought this would be a good apples-to-apples examination of the issue. As such we welcome to the podcast Councillor Haley Bateman of St. Catharines to discuss why she thinks the notwithstanding clause is a step too far in dealing with the homeless encampments in our cities. Last week's episode with Mayor Mat Siscoe is here . It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win-win! Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, November 12, 2024
Mayor Mat Siscoe backs his decision to request the Notwithstanding Clause
On October 31st, 12 Mayors from across Ontario wrote a letter to Premier Doug Ford, requesting more powers to deal with the growing homeless and encampment crisis in our cities. Five of those mayors were from 905 cities. In the letter, the mayors went the extra step to request the Notwithstanding Clause be used if necessary to give them the ability to override court decisions regarding the Charter Rights of homeless. Needless to say this has proven to be a controversial point. Some have gone so far as to say it’s an overreach of government and a step too far. Mayors on the other hand are saying they have exhausted the limited powers granted to them to deal with this problem. We wanted to reach out to one of the signatories from the 905 to find out what made them decided to request such a controversial and impactful option with the Notwithstanding Clause. Joining us today is Mayor of St. Catharines Mat Siscoe, who outlines his argument for why this option needs to be on the table. It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our own patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win-win! Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, November 05, 2024
Is Mississauga Changing the Ways Hospitals are Built in Ontario?
For the better part of a decade, municipalities have been expected to chip in a portion of new hospital infrastructure. This practice was brought in under the previous Ontario Liberal government and is continued by the current Ontario PC. When hospital infrastructure runs upwards into the billions of dollars this can become quite the burden on a municipality's bottom line. This issue came to the forefront last week during Mississauga City Council's deliberation over whether or not to fund the Trillium Health Partner's request for $450 million to help fund the Peter Gilgan Hospital redevelopment. The main reason cited was that the funding of health care is the sole responsibility of the province. Municipalities do not have the funds or fundraising mechanisms to invest in healthcare infrastructure of this size. According to the city, to fulfill this request would mean that the city would need to raise property taxes to pay off the debt for many years to come. Stepping back away from this specific issue, the matter of municipalities paying for what is essentially the province's responsibility is one that we keep coming back to time and time again on this podcast. If this is going to be the expected model going forward, then perhaps a new deal for cities is required. To discuss the city's rationale, and the matter of who pays for what in Ontario, we invited back to the podcast Alvin Tedjo, Mississauga City Councilor for Ward 2. He joins us to give us insight into how the city is pushing back on the province's pressure to fund their responsibilities and to discuss why Ontario's cities need new ways to fund their responsibilities. It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our own patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win-win! Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, October 29, 2024
905 Round-up: The Malicious Incompetence of Doug Ford
There have been a few stories that popped onto our radar recently that made us think we ought to do a 905 Round-Up Episode to cover them all. In the course of our discussions about them though, we discovered a common thread. All of the problems we discuss are a result of the poor decision-making of the Ontario PC Government. The Mississauga LRT project is under threat of not being completed due to questions of where funding to pay vendors and suppliers will come from. The funding has turned into a mess of who's owed who and who is paying for it. Metrolinx is the Ontario government's transit corporation in charge of this project so why isn't the province stepping in to sort this out? Another project that the current government is leading to failure. In Hamilton, The Spec reported how a new distribution model for home care supplies has left major gaps in the way they are distributed to patients. The result is that patients and home care providers are not operating with the tools they need. All due to the current government's need to upend the old way of doing things, resulting in a mess. Lastly, we look at the fact that Burlington is raising property taxes again. We face the reality that it's due to the Ford government's upending the municipal funding formula but not replacing it with a new model for 905 municipalities to operate with. What is the common thread we mentioned at the beginning of this note? We describe it as malicious incompetence. Listen to the episode to understand what it means. Hurontario LRT track trouble and delays threaten credit rating, completion timeline ‘We’re panicking,’ says home care co-ordinator dealing with supply shortage crisis with ‘no end in sight’ It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our own patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win-win! Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on
Tue, October 22, 2024
Is Ontario Facing a Teaching Shortage?
As reported by Global News earlier this month, an internal document to then Minister of Education Todd Smith states that the province could be facing a teacher shortage. Too many teachers are leaving the profession with fewer new teachers joining their ranks. The Ministry of Education is predicting that as early as 2027 we could start seeing a gap in available teachers and the number of students. If this continues we could see an already burdened education system stretched to its limits. The current Minister of Education Jill Dunlop says that this looming crisis will be addressed by dealing with absenteeism as well as shortening the time for teaching candidates to get in front of classrooms. Our guest today though has a different viewpoint. Karen Brown is the president of the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario. Previously she was on to discuss the issue of violence against teachers in the classroom. Today she joins us to expand on that topic and discuss why Ontario has enough teachers. Just the province isn't stepping up to the plate to make the profession attractive to the qualified. Classroom Crisis: Ontario student, teacher disparity to ‘widen’ more, internal document warns Previous Podcast: Karen Brown of ETFO Talks Violence in Our Schools It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our own patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win-win! Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, October 15, 2024
Does Marineland Have a Future in Ontario?
Last week saw news that another beluga whale died at Marineland. For years now, the Niagara Falls-based theme park has been under intense scrutiny, after evidence of animal mistreatment and deaths have emerged at the park. The Ontario Solicitor General has stated that the park is under inspection by the province but will not divulge what it has been examining or looking for. Meanwhile, the park has reduced its operations to a mere shadow of its former glory. The idea of Marineland overcoming its current woes and becoming a prestige destination attraction in Ontario is long gone. As people speculate on what the future of the park will be, the remaining Beluga Whales and Dolphins welfare is questioned. We invited on to the podcast the whistleblower who brought to light the mistreatment and condition of the animals at Marineland, Philip Demers to discuss the current state of the park and what its future might be. His not-for-profit organization to protect marine animal life is called UrgentSeas, and today he joins us to talk about Marineland https://urgentseas.org It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win-win! Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, October 08, 2024
Ahmad Elbayoumi on What Happened at the Ontario Liberal AGM
Last month the Ontario Liberal Party held their AGM in London. Normally this isn't newsworthy, but this time a few items put it on our radar. Policy proposals to change the nature of the party's provincial council, limiting the number of Young Liberals on it, as well as potentially changing the leadership review process allowing current Leader Bonnie Crombie to stay on, even if she does not deliver for Ontario Liberals in the next election. The proposals ultimately failed. However, the fact that such divisive motions made it as far as they did caught our attention. Furthermore, accounts from the AGM show a party that is not unified together. A problem for the Ontario Liberals as it appears Premier Doug Ford may try to call an early election early next year. So what actually went down in London? To get the inside scoop, we reached out to Ahmad Elbayoumi, the publisher of the Policorner.ca substack. Ahmad is a political reporter, covering Queen's Park politics for the last four years and is now an independent journalist. He was one of a handful of journalists to cover the AGM and published a detailed account of what he saw. We asked him to come on the podcast to give his account and insight into what is happening to the Ontario Liberal Party leading into a potential election in 2025. Policorner Substack on the Ontario Liberal Party AGM It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win-win! Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, October 01, 2024
905 Round-Up: We Call Out Doug Ford on his A-S-S
The last week has seen many out-of-touch comments on the part of Ontario's Premier, Doug Ford. A visit to Hamilton saw him brush off criticism of his failure of the housing file by stating that the plight of homeless encampments in 905 cities would be solved if those living there got off their quote 'A-S-S' and applied for jobs. The fallback position of him to a Ronald Reaganesque quote demonstrates how out of touch he is with the problems his lack of action has caused on the number one problem of the province. Not letting that statement stand alone though, later in the week, Ford announced a multi-billion boondoggle in the waiting of promising to build a tunnel under the 401 from Brampton to Scarborough to alleviate traffic on Canada's busiest stretch of highway. Rough estimates state that it could cost over $100 Billion. Not to mention the fact that government projects never end on time. The money could be spent infinitely more wisely and have a better impact on Ontarians. This week we have to look at the staggering incompetence and realize that when it comes to the people of Ontario, we are last in priorities for this Ontario PC government. Doug Ford's A-S-S Comment Doug Ford's announcement of the 401 Tunnel It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win-win! Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, September 24, 2024
Downtown Hamilton’s Future
It seems that downtown Hamilton has been under fire for the last few months. The federal tax court recently shut down citing gun violence. Tent encampments are a feature in city parks, and most recently the President of LiUNA made the outrageous claim that busloads of homeless people were being brought into the city to take advantage of services in the downtown core. The problems downtown Hamilton is facing are monumental. Development of affordable housing is desperately needed, as well as encouragement of economic development. These problems didn’t pop up overnight. They have been stewing for decades. And are the result of a myriad of policies from all levels of government. However, that is no excuse to stop trying to solve the problem. But are our government’s up to the task? To talk about the task ahead and to help sort through the hyperbole we invited back to the podcast downtown councillor for Hamilton, Cameron Kroetsch. Cameron is the councillor for Ward 2 and has been most vocal on many of the issues affecting the downtown of Hamilton and what needs to be done to change the course It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win-win! Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, September 17, 2024
Walking for Mental Health In Burlington
This week we’re talking to Melanie Walker, co-chair of “Walk to the Lighthouse” in Burlington, and social worker in Mental Health and Addiction Services at Burlington’s Joseph Brant Hospital, where she has worked for 22 years, in addition to her own private practice. In the previous decade Jo Brant hospital received a major expansion and renovation via a large new patient tower, funded by the province, the city and community donations. At the time this was described by people involved - even some in provincial government - as ‘Phase 1’, and there was a clearly appreciated need and perhaps even expectation of a Phase 2. At the top of the list of ‘Phase 2’ needs was the urgent need to upgrade the cramped and aging facilities used by Mental Health and Addiction Services. Infrastructure built for a small suburban town in 1960s, today handles the needs of a major urban centre. And then COVID-19 hit in 2020. COVID may have been a virus that caused physical symptoms, but one of its greatest knock-on public health effects was a massive increase in demand for mental health services. I saw first hand mental health professionals exhausted by the increased demands being put on them in 2020, but that demand has never returned to pre COVID levels. Despite these pressures, the staff at Jo Brant, like so many around Ontario, Canada and the rest of the world, have risen to challenge magnificently, providing excellent services to their community, even if their facility is almost literally bursting at the seams. Walk to the Lighthouse aims to raise both awareness of this need, and practical money towards the day when ‘Phase 2’ finally happens. We wanted to learn more, and to help spread the word about this fantastic community initiative. https://www.equilibriumburlington.com/ It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win-win! Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.f
Tue, September 10, 2024
905 Round- Up: Ontario is Failing It's Children
Warning this episode deals with child abuse and endangerment We welcome back to the podcast Ajay Sharma for this episode. As we prepared to cover this episode several news items broke ground in Ontario that we felt could not be ignored. First was the Ontario PC government's plan to back out of the $ 10-a-day daycare funding formula for private daycare providers. The result could be disastrous for parents, children, and ECEs who were enjoying a $2 an-hour pay increase. This sudden reversal is going to leave a big game and lead to what we think will be two-tiered daycares in the province. Result in greater costs for parents with less return. The second and rather quite alarming news item was a story broke by Global News that under this Ontario government, wards of the state in Children's aid programs were dying at the rate of one every three days. A dishonour that should bring down any provincial government. So why is there so little outcry or attention being paid to this travesty? Links to the articles and previous episodes mentioned in the episode are here. Karina Gould, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development: Will the Province Blink First on Childcare? Ontario cutting funding from daycare centres not in $10-a-day program ‘The system has fallen apart’: A child dies every 3 days under Ontario’s care network It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win-win! Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, September 03, 2024
It's the End of Summer, Where are Bonnie and Marit?
It's the end of summer and Ontario and the 905 are returning to work and school. We thought it prudent to take a moment and look back on the summer that was. This summer, Doug Ford faced the first LCBO strike ever, suddenly shut down safe consumption sites across the province based on his gut feeling, and lost his Education Minister at the last minute just before the start of the school year. Normally this would be the cause for alarm and stress in the Ontario PC government. At least that's what probably should be happening if an effective opposition was present. Which begs the question: Where have Bonnie Crombie and Marit Stiles been all summer? Why haven't we seen the Ontario Liberal and Ontario NDP Leaders around the province much this summer? Have they blown their chance at making a good first impression with Ontarians in the 905? These were the questions we posed to Sabrina Nanji of the QP Observer. Sabrina is the publisher, founder and reporter for the QP Observer a substack that covers the ins and outs of Queen's Park politics. We've had her on before to talk and we welcome her back this episode to discuss why the opposition in Ontario has yet to find traction in the province and what the fall might look like for the Ontario Liberals and Ontario NDP. You can check out the QP Observer here: https://qpobserver.ca/ It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win-win! Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, August 27, 2024
Will a San Francisco Start-Up Make EVs Cheaper in the 905?
We are back from vacation folks! After some needed time off Roland and Joel are back to talk shop and of course the first you do when getting back to work is...cleaning out the ol' email inbox. In the process, we discovered an interesting email from a San Francisco start-up Optiwatt. Optiwatt is partnering with The Atmospheric Fund here in Ontario to offer an app that can lead to cheaper rates to charge electric vehicles in the 905. As the push for electrification of the auto industry intensifies, saving money on our energy bills is always a good thing. More importantly, saving money on charging new electric vehicles can help to make them more affordable to everyday consumers which in turn helps promote greener, less carbon-intensive measures on our environment—helping to take on climate change. Small things like this always catch our eye. We want to look at any measure to help us take on climate change. So in that regard, we reached out to Optiwatt to invite them to discuss what their app will do exactly, what their plans are for the electrification of North America, and ultimately why they decided to do this in the 905 of all places on the continent. If you'd like to learn more about the app you can visit their website at: https://www.optiwatt.com It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win-win! Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, August 08, 2024
905 Roundup - Is Downtown Hamilton Too Dangerous to Work?
A day late, but hopefully not a dollar short. Joel is away, and for technical reasons the upload is a little later than usual, but hopefully you'll forgive us. Standing in for Joel, we have a return visit from Ajay Sharma, professor in the political science department at the University of Guelph, and a contributor to the Toronto Star on recent political events in Mississauga. We take a look at a couple of stories. First, the decision of the Canadian Tax court to unexpectedly and apparently unilaterally close its doors in Hamilton, citing the danger posed to its staff and users of the court following a recent shooting nearby. Nobody claims Hamilton is perfect, but should the court be allowed to get away with this claim unchallenged? Should a court, which can presumably call on the daily protection of the provincial and federal police, really 'give up' so easily? Then we take a look at the new regime in Mississauga, where it appears Carolyn Parrish's new mayoralty has been marked by a number of high-profile firings, followed by some high-profile resignations from people who've decided they want no part of the new order. And does the mayor have the power to do what's needed to handle the housing crisis? It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win-win! Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, July 30, 2024
905 Round-Up: Climate Change Doesn't Affect the 905
The news moves fast and people are moving on from the flooding in the 905 last week. However, those affected by the intense rainfalls still struggle to make themselves whole again. Joel's neighbourhood was one of the most intensely impacted by flooding, and thus he attended a neighbourhood meeting with his city councillor to discuss what came next. What he took away from the meeting is that ten years ago, the province, region and city response to this level of damage was monumentally different. All levels of government seemingly mobilized to help put people together and supposedly to take measures to mitigate future flooding. Instead, the message is only the bare minimum will be done. Insurance is expected to pick up the tab, even though it won't cover all the damage for some. This echoed what Mark Cripps mentioned in our previous episode. As these climate change events continue to grow and become more common, the costs to people will mirror the severity. The question comes though, what happens when people who can't afford the costs are impacted? Are they to be written off as expendable? Last week's episode with Mark Cripps is here: https://905er.ca/2024/07/the-905-flooding-is-only-the-beginning/ It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win-win! Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, July 23, 2024
The 905 Flooding Is Only the Beginning
Last week the 905 saw flooding that overwhelmed many parts of its respective cities. Burlington, Oakville, Mississauga and Toronto saw an estimated $3.1 billion in damage to infrastructure and homes. This isn't an isolated incident either. In the last few years, the region and Canada have seen an increase in the frequency and severity of storms and conditions affecting our communities. The fact is that this is exactly what scientists predicted would happen as a result of climate change. As we emit greater quantities of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, our weather and climate will become more and more extreme. Unfortunately, the situation is too politicized to address it head-on. Politicians are making their careers on reversing climate change policies, and denialism runs rampant across all parts of Canadian society. There is one industry though that is taking it incredibly seriously. They are working on the numbers of what the true costs of this catastrophe will be. The insurance industry for years has been forced to pay out increasing sums due to climate change events. We've talked about this before on the podcast, but in light of recent events, we thought it prudent to revisit the topic. To that end, we've invited back to the podcast Mark Cripps from the Insurance Bureau of Canada to explain that whether our leaders are taking climate change seriously or not, the insurance industry is. So whether we like it or not, we're going to end up paying for it, one way or another. It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win-win! Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, July 16, 2024
What's Behind the LCBO Strike?
It looks like this is going to be a dry summer for Ontarians. Just as schools let out, the government's talks with LCBO Unionized employees broke down. All LCBO retail locations are closed for the summer, leaving only grocery and convenience stores available for Ontarios to purchase wine or beer. For the union, this is to ensure that LCBO locations retain the sale of ready-to-drink cocktails from private retailers. The Doug Ford, Ontario PC Government isn't backing down. They are doubling down on moving ahead with greater privatization in the sale of alcohol to Ontarians, promising greater choice in the marketplace when it comes to where Ontarians can purchase their alcohol. However is this what this strike is actually about? Who gains from this strike action? And in fact, are Ontarians trading a publicly owned monopoly for a private one in alcohol sales? These questions are being asked by our guest, from the independent news site Corruptario. Morgan Grenfell is a journalist who has looked into the makeup of the board of the LCBO and uncovered several conflicts of interest when it comes to who gains from the strike, and whether or not they do have Ontario's best interests at heart. You can read the article from Corruptario here It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win-win! Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, July 09, 2024
We ask Emma McIntosh: Where are the plans for Highway 413?
The proposed Highway 413 is the Doug Ford government's landmark project. It has been promised for years by the Ontario PC, despite facing court battles and criticism from grassroots organizations and environmentalists. It has been heavily criticized for its effectiveness and the environmental impact it could have on habitats and farmland. Yet despite all this opposition, the project is still being pushed forward at the highest levels of the Ontario government. So with the pressure to move forward, one would think a plan and budget had been formulated for the project. Thanks to reporting by Emma McIntosh of The Narwhal, information has come to light about the lack of a solid plan and budget on this highway. Despite assurances that shovels will be in the ground next year to start the project, there is no budget, assessments or definitive plans on how this highway will be built or designed. So what does this mean going forward? We have Emma McIntosh on the podcast to discuss her article and what's next for the Ford Government's legacy project. Emma's article on The Narwhal Website is here It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win-win! Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, July 02, 2024
905 Round-Up - Doug Keeps Teasing Hamilton's LRT
Last week, Premier Ford visited Burlington's small business community. The purpose of which, of course, was to find clout with the small businesses. In the lead-up to a potential election? Who knows. During the visit, however, Premier Ford was asked about Hamilton's LRT project, and when it would begin construction. Ford reiterated his government's support for the project, but the question remains...when will it start being built? For almost 6 years now, the LRT has been just a promise on paper. No tenders have been issued for work and ground has yet to be broken on King St. Yet Ford re-committed to the building of Hamilton's LRT. The catch though, is this comes in light of the government's failure to sufficiently fund the Ontario Science Centre, forcing it to close due to the risk of collapse. In June, a heat wave raised concerns about sufficient air-conditioning in Ontario schools and the Ford government refusing to commit the necessary money to ensure schools are suitable for children. Our point is that this government is tepid on actually spending money, even on items that some would deem crucial. So why would they want to spend money on Hamilton's LRT? After our break, we face facts that Conservativism is on the rise in North America. We recorded this episode the day after the disastrous debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump in the United States. Trump is going to be a real contender to become president. Here in Canada, we appear to be eager to select Pierre Poilievre as Prime Minister of Canada. And in Ontario, Doug Ford is riding high in the polls. Why is it, that we appear to be giving conservative right-wing authoritarian parties the keys to democracy for the foreseeable future? We have some theories, have a listen. The CHCH News Clip that we reference in the episode is here. It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win-win! Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choice
Tue, June 25, 2024
Ajay Sharma on the Raw Deal of Ontario's Cities
We planned on finishing our coverage of the Mississauga Mayor's By-Election with our episode last week. However, something crossed our path that we couldn't ignore. A column appeared in the Toronto Star, titled Good luck, Mississauga. With your new mayor, you’re going to need it. The column was written by Ajay Sharma, a university political science lecturer specializing in municipal governance. His column outlined many of the problems involved with the system we have for electing municipal politicians, and that the system itself does not reward change. A link to the column is below. We reached out to Ajay to invite him on to the podcast to let him elaborate on his column and how our current system of municipal government promotes a passing-of-the-buck culture, resulting in many of the real problems we have never been properly addressed. Ajay has been a lecturer at the University of Guelph since 2010, specializing in Municipal governance and Environmental Policy His column is here . It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win-win! Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, June 18, 2024
Nokha Dakroub on the Mississauga Mayor By-Election
When Bonnie Crombie stepped down as Mayor of Mississauga to be the Ontario Liberal Party leader, it triggered a by-election to replace her in the city's top seat. Twenty people put their names in the ring to run for Mississauga Mayor. Of those twenty, four rose to the top as contenders for the job. Dipika Damerla, Alvin Tedjo, Steve Dasko and Carolyn Parrish. A close four-way race emerged, with polls showing Carolyn Parrish maintaining a lead while Dipika Damerla and Alvin Tedjo bit away at her support bit by bit. However, at the end of election day, Carolyn Parrish emerged as the duly elected Mayor of Mississauga. This was the first election in Mississauga's history, with a real contest. No long-time incumbent, or heir apparent to the position, this was an election where real ideas were presented to Mississaugans. So, what is the future of Ontario's third-largest city? And what will the impact be on Ontario's provincial politics as politicians adjust to new political leadership at Mississauga City Hall? That's where our guest comes in. Nokha Dakroub, a former school board trustee, co-hosted the Beyond the Ballot podcast for Sauga 960 AM for this by-election. She followed closely the ins and outs of the election and today she joins us to discuss how the election played out, what the people of Mississauga are expecting of their new mayor and how this will shape Peel and 905 region politics for the foreseeable future. It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win-win! Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, June 11, 2024
905 Round-Up: Doug Shuffles Cabinet then Takes a Break
It's a good old-fashioned 905 Round Up! The Ontario government is on break now until October. However, Doug Ford shuffled his cabinet before he let out the Ontario Legislature. It's not anything incredibly noteworthy in our opinion. However, one raised our attention, and we thought threw fuel on the rumours from last week of an early election in Ontario. Stephen Lecce is out of the Ministry of Education and into the Ministry of Energy. With such little time left until the actual scheduled election, that doesn't leave a lot of time to execute an agenda or major plans in the energy field. It does, however, leave enough time to make some friends with industry insiders and those with deep pockets in the field who might help fuel Lecce's future political ambitions. After our break, we looked at a local 905 story in Burlington that we weren't able to talk about until now. The rebellion of sorts of local councillors against the big mayor powers given to Mayor Marianne Meed Ward. Clearly, not all are comfortable with a big city mayor in the 905 having this much power. How tenable is council cohesion going forward? And why are they so timid to speak out about this? It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win-win! Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, June 04, 2024
Sabrina Nanji Talks Early Ontario Election Rumours
Rumours are circulating in Queen's Park of Doug Ford's interest in an early election for Ontario. Polls show he is riding high, possibly earning another majority for the Ontario PC party. He just won two by-elections in Milton and Lambton Kent Middlesex. He is moving ahead on the construction of the new Highway 413 in the 905 and is currently announcing beer in corner stores by year's end. All in all it's been a good year so far for Doug Ford and the Ontario PC Party. So is it no wonder that the Premier has been reluctant to stomp down persistent rumours of an early election call? However, is this just posturing or is there a real chance that we'll have an election in Ontario before June of 2026? We thought we'd dive into the rumour mill and see what is going on in the back rooms of Queens Park. So we invited back to the end the founder and publisher of the QP Reporter, Sabrina Nanji to discuss if there are any merits to the rumours running around and if we should be preparing for an election soon. It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win-win! Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, May 28, 2024
Is the 905 Pushing Back Against More Housing?
A couple of stories caught our eye the previous week. In Newmarket, the town council heard pushback from the community over a proposed 9-story condo project, over concerns that a Tim Horton's drive-thru down the road could face increased times at the window. In Oakville, the Town Council received a harsh letter from Federal Liberal Housing Minister Sean Fraser threatening to withdraw their Housing Accelerator money due to its refusal to grant higher density in the city around Sheridan College. Are we facing a pushback against the needs of density and development in our 905 communities? Despite the need for more housing, it seems that fewer and fewer communities are willing to let their neighbourhoods grow and change to accommodate that need. People want housing affordability to come down, but are they willing to see the change in their communities that will result in more affordable pricing? What might happen if NIMBYs win the arguments against change in the 905? We invited back to the podcast, housing economic expert Mike Moffatt to discuss this new wrinkle in the housing crisis, and what might happen if we don't solve it. ‘Completely out of character’: Concerns raised about proposed Newmarket 9-storey condo building Federal minister threatens to pull housing funding after Oakville reneges on promises It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win-win! Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, May 21, 2024
Are Loblaws Days Numbered?
Times are tough these days. It's getting harder and harder to make ends meet. Rent, mortgage, and gas are increasing, outpacing real wages and salaries for the average Canadian. Most noticeable to Canadians coast to coast is the price of food. It's harder and harder to stretch your dollar when feeding your family these days after stepping foot in a supermarket. Politicians like Pierre Poilievre like to espouse that it is taxation that has caused the increase in prices. Justin Trudeau on the other hand is saying he's keeping an eye on grocery stores about the increase in prices. So where does that leave the average Canadian? For a subreddit community, it's forced them to take action on their own. To send a message to the corporate conglomerates that own the food retail business in this country, using the only tool available to them...their hard-earned money. The subreddit community, LoblawsIsOutOfControl is organizing a nationwide boycott of the country's largest supermarket conglomerate. What started as a small protest against the rising cost of groceries, has turned into a national movement of ordinary Canadians trying to send a message to the corporations that control food in this country. Canadians aren't going to take it anymore. However, does this movement have legs? Especially in the 905? If this boycott can make an impact on the ledger of Loblaws it will be here in the 905. So to that end, we reached out to the organizers of the boycott, Emily Johnson. Emily is a single mother, who lives here in the 905 and is taking on Canada's richest grocer, Galen Weston. We spoke with her to talk about the origins of this boycott, how it's going, and what victory looks like to them. It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win-win! Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, May 14, 2024
Pam Damoff Talks Civility in Politics
At the beginning of May, Pam Damoff, the Liberal MP for Oakville - North Burlington announced that she would be retiring from federal politics at the end of this term. She would not be seeking re-election. Her reasoning was a common refrain from female politicians across all party lines. The misogynistic and violent threats to her personhood and family had become too great to make the job worth it. While it takes tough skin to make it in politics it's another thing entirely when it becomes impossible to go out in public to grocery shop or run errands because threats are lobbied across aisles. What does it say about our politics that we consider threats a common part of our civil dialogue now? Where it's no longer satisfactory to simply vote out a politician we disagree with, we must now drive them from office under threats to their person? When political parties use rhetoric to drive support and build up anger in the populace? More important, what happens to that anger if it has nowhere to go? We asked Pam Damoff to join us today to discuss how she came to this decision in her career, the state of political discourse at the moment in Canada, and where do we go from here. It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win-win! Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, May 07, 2024
Milton Votes Tory, So We all Get the Highway 413
Well, the Milton By-Election has come and gone. The people of Milton handily supported Zee Hamid and the Ontario PC’s to represent them in the Ontario Legislature until the next general election. During the by-election, Doug Ford gave special attention to the riding. In the last week of the campaign, Doug Ford made a point to reiterate that the controversial Highway 413 construction would begin in 2025. The proposed highway would connect Milton to King City bridging the 401 and 400 highways. Doug Ford says it will alleviate traffic congestion in the 905, while critics of the proposed highway say it will save a mere 30 seconds of travel time, at the cost of invaluable farmland and an unknown price tag, estimated in the billions. With the by-election victory in Milton, Doug Ford is taking this as a sign of permission from the electorate to move ahead on this project. But is that what we all want? How much did this announcement play into winning Milton? What were the factors that led to the Tories keeping Milton? To answer those and a few other questions we have, we reached out to a friend of the podcast Laura Steiner to join us. Laura covered the Milton By-election for the Milton Reporter and today she joins us to discuss whether or not Highway 413 is wanted in Milton, how exactly the Tories won the Milton By-Election, and how they got a long-time Liberal supporter like Zee Hamid to carry their banner into the next general election. Our Episode with Sabrina Nanji of The QP Observer: https://905er.ca/2024/04/sabrina-nanji-and-the-milton-by-election/ It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win-win! Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Fri, May 03, 2024
Taking Ontario to Court over Basic Income
When we started this podcast, one of the first episodes we ever did was covering the aftermath of the basic income pilot project here in Ontario. One of the first acts the then-newly elected Doug Ford government did was to break their word and cancel the project without warning. In that episode, we interview Jessie Golem, a resident of Hamilton who was one of the recipients of basic income. We spoke with her then about the impact the project had on her life and what the repercussions were of the cancellation. Recently, Jessie has appeared in the news again with basic income, but this time on the offensive. Last week, it was announced that a class action lawsuit would be filed against the Ontario government for breach of contract over the basic income pilot project. This lawsuit marks another breach of contract that the open-for-business Doug Ford Conservatives have faced since taking office. To learn more about this case and what the repercussions might be we reached out to Jessie and Stephen Moreau the lawyer representing the plaintiffs in the matter. You can listen to our previous episode with Jessie here: https://905er.ca/2020/10/episode-11-hope-and-betrayal-the-human-stories-and-human-cost-of-ontarios-cancelled-basic-income-pilot It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win-win! Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Fri, May 03, 2024
Are Ontario Municipalities Safe Against Cyber Attacks?
The City of Hamilton saw itself come under attack by cybercriminals in early 2024. City Council, apps, phone communication and the city's library system were all inaccessible or unavailable. Criminals used malware to hold the city hostage until it paid a ransom. The city did not pay and eventually, and order was restored. This is not an isolated event though. Toronto Public Library saw its system become unusable for a year due to a cyber attack, and numerous small municipalities in Ontario have reported similar events over the years. This isn't going away. Cyber attacks and ransomware are the new norm. A common feature that governments and businesses alike need to face reality about. In the modern age, if you possess data you're a target, and everyone possesses data. Municipalities are ripe targets though, as they have a treasure trove of our data stored. Everything including tax records, business files, social insurance numbers, and credit cards, chances are goes through our municipalities at one point. So naturally we asked the question, are our municipalities up to the task of securing our personal information? To answer the question we invited on to the podcast Seyed Hejazi of MNP. Seyed is a cyber security expert who is hired by government institutions as well as private enterprises to consult on their cyber security needs. We spoke with him today to find out exactly how large of a problem this is, what is needed to secure our data from cyber criminals, and are our municipalities capable of meeting the challenge. It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win-win! Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, April 30, 2024
Taking Ontario to Court Over Basic Income
When we started this podcast, one of the first episodes we ever did was covering the aftermath of the basic income pilot project here in Ontario. One of the first acts the then-newly elected Doug Ford government did was to break their word and cancel the project without warning. In that episode, we interview Jessie Golem, a resident of Hamilton who was one of the recipients of basic income. We spoke with her then about the impact the project had on her life and what the repercussions were of the cancellation. Recently, Jessie has appeared in the news again with basic income, but this time on the offensive. Last week, it was announced that a class action lawsuit would be filed against the Ontario government for breach of contract over the basic income pilot project. This lawsuit marks another breach of contract that the open-for-business Doug Ford Conservatives have faced since taking office. To learn more about this case and what the repercussions might be we reached out to Jessie and Stephen Moreau the lawyer representing the plaintiffs in the matter. You can listen to our previous episode with Jessie here: https://905er.ca/2020/10/episode-11-hope-and-betrayal-the-human-stories-and-human-cost-of-ontarios-cancelled-basic-income-pilot/ It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win-win! Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, April 23, 2024
Are Ontario Municpalities Safe Against Cyber Attacks?
The City of Hamilton saw itself come under attack by cybercriminals in early 2024. City Council, apps, phone communication and the city's library system were all inaccessible or unavailable. Criminals used malware to hold the city hostage until it paid a ransom. The city did not pay and eventually, order was restored. This is not an isolated event though. Toronto Public Library saw its system become unusable for a year due to a cyber attack, and numerous small municipalities in Ontario have reported similar events over the years. This isn't going away. Cyber attacks and ransomware are the new norm. A common feature that governments and businesses alike need to face reality about. In the modern age, if you possess data you're a target, and everyone possesses data. Municipalities are ripe targets though, as they have a treasure trove of our data stored. Everything including tax records, business files, social insurance numbers, and credit cards, chances are goes through our municipalities at one point. So naturally we asked the question, are our municipalities up to the task of securing our personal information? To answer the question we invited on to the podcast Seyed Hejazi of MNP. Seyed is a cyber security expert who is hired by government institutions as well as private enterprises to consult on their cyber security needs. We spoke with him today to find out exactly how large of a problem this is, what is needed to secure our data from cyber criminals, and are our municipalities capable of meeting the challenge. It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win-win! Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, April 16, 2024
Sabrina Nanji Talks About the Milton By-Election
Sabrina Nanji of the QPObserver joins us on this episode as we get into the weeds with the Milton By-Election. When Parm Gill announced that he was stepping down from the Ontario PC's to run for Pierre Poilievre's Conservatives, it of course opened up a By-Election to replace him as Milton's MPP. Normally, By-Elections are sleepy affairs with little fanfare, however, this one has an undercurrent of importance to it. To start, the Ontario PC's need to show that they are still relevant in the 905, and to do so they have scooped former Ontario Liberal supporter as well as Milton Councillor Zee Hamid to run for them. Fans of the podcast will remember our interview with him when he ran for Mayor last municipal election. For the Ontario Liberals, there were talks about whether or not new leader Bonnie Crombie would seek a seat in the Legislature via Milton. However it appears after a lot of back and forth over candidates, Galen Naidoo-Harris will carry the banner for the Ontario Liberals in this race. What does this say about Bonnie's leadership and the Ontario Liberal brand? Especially as they only lost this seat by a narrow margin in the last general election? To discuss this all and to share her insight, we are joined by Sabrina Nanji. Sabrina is a former reporter with the Toronto Star and has since gone off to start her venture in journalism with the QPObserver. You can find her work here: https://qpobserver.ca/ Our previous episode with Zee Hamid is here: https://905er.ca/2022/09/the-race-for-milton-zeeshan-hamid/ It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win-win! Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, April 09, 2024
Cameron Kroetsch Vs the Hamilton Police Board
Hamilton Police have been having a pretty bad start to 2024. Last month, the Hamilton Police Board made headlines when it took disciplinary action against one of its members, Ward 2 Councillor Cameron Kroetsch for asking questions surrounding its budgetary process. As of this airing date, Councillor Kroetsch is suspended from serving on the Police Board in Hamilton. This bold action on the part of the police board raises serious questions about how much oversight and accountability do our elected officials have over the municipalities biggest expenditure. Do police in this province operate without the same conditions that other municipal agencies have? We thought we'd get into this topic where it started, by asking Councillor Kroetsch to join us. We've had him on before to The 905er when we first launched this podcast a few years ago. Since that time, he was elected to represent Ward 2 on Hamilton City Council in the last election. Today he joins us to discuss what happened around the table at the Hamilton Police Board. It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win-win! Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, April 02, 2024
What Happened to the Hamilton Jewish Film Festival?
Last month, we released an episode on the rise of anti-semitism in the 905. We released it and thought it would be some time before we might have to revisit the topic. We were shocked to find out that only a few weeks later the topic would rear its ugly head once again in Hamilton. On March 19th, without warning The Playhouse Cinema in Hamilton announced unilaterally it would be postponing the Hamilton Jewish Film Festival, slated to happen in April, citing concerns from emails and social media surrounding the event as justification for the decision. Later, the Cinema would clarify that no specific threats had been issued to the venue, just a general atmosphere towards the event itself because it was a Jewish Film Festival. Nevertheless, pressure on the Cinema to cancel the event because it was a Jewish cultural event can only be described as anti-semitic. We reached out to the Playhouse to invite them for comment, however they did not respond to our requests. We did want to discuss this though with the organizers of the festival to hear their side. To that end, we invite back to the podcast Jazmyn Rymberg of the Hamilton Jewish Federation, to present their side and how this setback will not deter Hamilton's Jewish community from celebrating their heritage. Tickets for the Film Festival can be found here: https://www.jewishhamilton.org/film-festival Our Previous episode with Jazmyn Rymberg can be found here: https://905er.ca/2024/01/confronting-anti-semitism-in-the-905/ It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win-win! Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, March 26, 2024
Mayor Liz Roy Asks Where's Whitby's Hospital?
For years, the Doug Ford government has promised Whitby a new hospital. As the region continues to grow it is becoming apparent that the status quo in terms of its health care will not do. In a notoriously safe PC riding like Whitby and Durham, it seems like they would be a shoo-in for a brand spanking new hospital, just like Doug promised. So where is it? Why hasn't the Doug Ford PC's started the process of fulfilling their promise to the people of Durham Region? In a notoriously safe conservative part of the province like Durham and Whitby, it shocked us to hear about Whitby Mayor Elizabeth Roy's campaign to put public pressure on the Ontario PC party to own up to their promise. Why did she have to start a PR push last month to ask the province to spend only $3 million to start the process of development for a badly needed hospital? To answer those questions and learn more about how dire the situation is in Whitby's healthcare system, we invited her to the podcast. It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win-win! Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, March 19, 2024
Scott Radley on Hamilton's Looming Gridlock
A few weeks ago, Hamilton City Council voted to redesign its major street running into its downtown core. The new plan is to essentially divide Main St, a one-way six-lane wide boulevard running through the middle of its downtown into a two-way street, despite concerns from city staff that this would create a problem with traffic, leading to congestion. Their concern is that this move will limit the ability to travel down and through the downtown. Is this a pointless and ultimately futile move on the part of Hamilton City Council? Or is this a brave decision to take steps to transform a decaying downtown into a vibrant pedestrian and people-friendly place to live, work and play? One person who is highly critical of Hamilton City Council's decision is Hamilton Spectator columnist Scott Radley. His opinion piece criticizing the council's decision caught our eye and so we invited him to share his opinion in-depth and see if we were wrong in our approval of the city council's decision. What happened was a great conversation with two sides of the topic on how best to revitalize and improve one of Canada's most important cities. Did either side win? Not sure, but some great ideas hopefully popped out for you to listen to. This is how these debates are supposed to go, isn't it? Scott's Column in The Spec It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win-win! Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, March 12, 2024
Paolo De Buono on Catholic Education in Ontario
Coming off our previous episode, we wanted to examine the state of Catholic education in Ontario. Sparked by the recent York Catholic school board controversy, along with the stories of Catholic school boards fighting against raising the Pride flag, we were wondering about its future in Ontario. What is the support for Catholic education, and does it have a purpose in today's multicultural and diverse mosaic in Ontario? To dive into this topic we reached out to Paolo De Buono. Paolo is a former Catholic school teacher in Ontario as well as a lawyer, who has been highly critical of the institution in recent years. Citing its curriculum encourages homo and transphobia, and that in a modern diverse society such as Ontario and Canada, it is outdated and harmful. He is also behind the website Stop the Catholic Harm. He joins us today. https://stopthecatholicharm.ca/ It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win-win! Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, March 05, 2024
905 Round Up - York Catholic Sex Ed and Higher Education Woes
A few things in the world of public education cropped up on our radar this week. In the York Catholic District School Board, the Our Lady of the Lake Academy, saw students upset at what they viewed as an inappropriate presentation from a right-wing anti-abortion organization. The Canadian Centre for Bio-Ethics gave a presentation in the school auditorium, as reported by City News contained graphic depictions of aborted fetuses and upset many students and teachers with its content. In light of its history with the PRIDE flag debate, we were pondering what was happening at YCDSB. How was this permitted to happen? And is this a symptom of a larger issue in Catholic education across the 905 and Ontario? After the break, we look up to higher education and another new potential scandal emerging from the Doug Ford government. Despite being elected on a promise to stop cash-for-access fundraisers, it seems the Ford government can't help itself. As reported by The Trillium, this time it's Minister of Colleges and Universities Jill Dunlop who is in the hot seat. This time seemingly encouraging donations from Presidents and Executive Directors of private colleges. The same private colleges which have encouraged a spike in foreign students in Ontario, to fill seats in what are essentially degree mills. Little credentials are being offered but big bucks are being taken in from foreign students. It is coming to light that these executives of the private colleges have been donating to the Minister and the Ontario PC party for some time now. What does this mean for higher education? Especially when their funding problems are coming to light due to the inaction of the Ontario PC government. The Story from City News on YCDSB The Story from The Trillium on Min Jill Dunlops Private College Fundraisers It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win-win! Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megap
Tue, February 27, 2024
How to Fix Political Culture in Ontario?
The Doug Ford government is looking to protect political staffers in Ontario's city halls. As reported by The Spec on February 21, 2024, Minister of Municipal Affairs Paul Calandra will be tabling legislation that would see Mayors and Councillors thrown out of office for workplace harassment. Ontario Liberal MPP Stephen Blais had similar legislation defeated by the Ford Government, at the time Min Calandra cited that the voter should be the one with the final say to remove an elected official from office. So what brought about this 180 degree reversal? Activists for better workplace protections in political settings have put pressure on the government to reverse their reversal. Our question is, does this go far enough? What about Queen's Park? Exactly how does the political workplace differ from an everyday workplace? We thought it would be prudent to dive into this topic. To that end we invited to the podcast Jennifer Olchowy a former federal Conservative staffer, and Prof. Julie MacFarlane of the website: https://www.cantbuymysilence.com/ A group advocating for the end of Non-Disclosure Agreements in workplaces. The Spec: https://www.thespec.com/politics/provincial/ford-government-says-law-to-punish-local-politicians-who-harass-staff-coming-soon/article_79feb4c5-dd4f-5c2a-9049-f55c32497add.html#tncms-source=hamilton-region It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win-win! Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, February 20, 2024
Lorraine Sommerfeld Returns
Lorraine Sommerfeld, author of the long-running Motherlode column in the Hamilton Spectator and multi-award-winning journalist at Driving.ca returns to discuss her new novel "A Face at the Window", before taking the time to dive into what on earth is going on with the recent driving-related announcements from the provincial government. "A Face at the Window" by Lorraine Sommerfeld is published by Winding Road Stories and is available from your local independent bookstore, as well as from Chapters, Indigo and Amazon. It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win-win! Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, February 13, 2024
The Coming Change in the 905
Anyone who has looked at the news in the past 6 months knows of the enormous shift in political leanings happening. Polls from various sources have shown that an enormous shift is coming in the federal government. According to the polls, the overwhelming number of Canadians in the 905 and the country at large want Pierre Poilievre and the Conservative Party of Canada to form the next government. However, on the ground, it's almost impossible to find someone who is eager for this shift in politics. We saw this as a sign of our social media bubble and thought it would be prudent to step outside and find a different perspective. To that end, we welcomed Kerri Black, an entrepreneur, mother and wife from Hamilton. She is a former political agnostic who has said in recent years she's drifted right. While we're not sure that this conversation isn't going to change anyone's political leanings, it was a welcomed insight into what apparently the majority of people in the 905 are embracing. It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win-win! Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, February 06, 2024
Laura Babcock on Mayor Horwath Abandoning Hamilton's Homeless
In previous episodes, we examined the City of Hamilton's flirtation with the Tiny Shelters project—a collection of shed-sized shelters with heat and power for the homeless to get back on their feet. However, the project has bordered on failing for the better part of last year. Hamilton City Council has yet to build support for the project and find a suitable location. In the meantime, homelessness has continued to grow. Tent encampments are becoming increasingly common in Hamilton's parks and streets. It is becoming a crisis. In response, Hamiltonians look to their leaders for answers and plan to tackle this issue. To that end, Mayor Andrea Horwath has remained silent mostly on the file, failing to take leadership on the HATS project and refusing to declare a plan of action to address the encampments in parks. Mayor Horwath hasn't been visible on numerous issues facing Hamilton. The city is starting to notice, that their Mayor doesn't seem to take the lead on anything of importance at Hamilton City Hall. One critic of the Mayor's lack of leadership is a long-time friend of the podcast, Laura Babcock. Laura has been especially critical of the Mayor's absence on the homelessness file. As well Laura has a unique perspective on the matter, having been volunteering with the homeless in Gore Park, getting to know the families, individuals and volunteers literally on the front lines of this crisis. She gives us her insight on the matter of what is happening on Hamilton's streets. She also helps us answer the question that is on everyone's mind with this crisis...Where's Mayor Horwath? To volunteer with the Gore Park Outreach visit their website here: https://goreparkoutreach.ca/ It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win-win! Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoic
Tue, January 30, 2024
The 905 Round-Up: Niagara & Gaza, Foreign Student Shortfalls and Liberal Milton
A lot of stories have come through the news cycle this week. Roland and Joel have taken several of them to follow up with for a 905 Round-Up! Coming off our episode on Anti-Semitism in the 905, we travel down the QEW to Niagara Region. This week past at Niagara Regional Council, the Middle East found its way onto the Council's agenda. A motion was made to call for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip to be endorsed by the Niagara Regional Council. St. Catharines Mayor and Chair Jim Siscoe put a stop to it by removing it from the agenda before the vote, citing it being a divisive topic for citizens of the region. We talk about why he's right and why our political leaders in the region want to weigh in on topics outside their mandate. Then after our break, the federal government is restricting the number of foreign students able to come into Canada. This is already proving to play havoc with post-secondary institutions as overnight it seems that a major source of their funding has dried up. At Queen's University alarms are sounding on the viability of programs and bankruptcy is being floated in the air. How many more post-secondary institutions are under threat, from decades of underfunding about to catch up with them overnight? The Ford government needs to ensure that post-secondary education remains vibrant and accessible to all. Will they make the necessary funding adjustments? Lastly, the PC MPP for Milton, Parm Gill is stepping aside to run federally for the Conservatives. If you can do the math like we did, this leaves an opening for newly elected Ontario Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie to run and win a seat in the Ontario Legislature. Will she do it though? We have thoughts on why she should. It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win-win! Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, January 23, 2024
Doug Ford Sells Us Out to Staples
In the last few months of 2023, while we were all preparing for Christmas and New Year, Doug Ford was busy with plans to further privatization of Ontario's public service. Namely Service Ontario. This month, Richard Southern of CityNews reported that Doug Ford sold several privately operated Service Ontario locations to Staples Canada. The sale would see Staples Canada move the locations inside their stores and operate by Staples employees. To further complicate matters, the contract was sole-sourced and is still not entirely public knowledge. All of this under the guise that it would save Ontario tax dollars. There is a lot to unpack in this deal. To do so as best we can, we invited you back to the podcast Frank Domenic. Frank is a well-known social media political commentator, that you might know from Twitter and Tik Tok. He has been focusing on this story for a while. He joins Joel for a discussion on what the ramifications of this deal going through would mean for the Ontario taxpayer, our privacy rights and what the costs truly might be. It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win-win! Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, January 16, 2024
Confronting Anti-Semitism in The 905
In October, Hamas launched an attack on Israel that killed 1,300 people and kidnapped 250 hostages. Israel launched a retaliatory strike campaign into the Gaza Strip to destroy Hamas and rescue its citizens. Around the world, countries saw protests against Israel's retaliation and for it pop up. Here in Canada and around the province, news has been highlighted with Pro-Palestinian organizations marching along overpasses, at city halls and interrupting public gatherings. Along with those protests, there have been reports of anti-semitic rhetoric used by the protestors. Reports of Jewish businesses being targeted and vandalized, and even violence towards people. In Vaughan, two individuals were targeted with violence, for no other reason than that they were Jewish. While peaceful expression and protest for opinions that one may find objectionable is protected by the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, it is not an excuse to explicitly target businesses or people on the basis that they are Jewish. Such behaviour can only be described as one thing: Anti-Semitism. As more and more anti-semitic actions have been reported we thought it would be important to talk about this dangerous rise in Canadian politics. We wanted to discuss the anti-semitism we are seeing in our streets. We do not dive into the Middle East's issues, mostly as that is not our beat and is not our experience. However, a community in our region, province and country is feeling isolated and alone. That is something we can talk about. To do so, we reached out to the Hamilton Jewish Federation and invited Jazmyn Rymberg to discuss this rising trend, and what can be done about it. Links to the Federation's website are here: www.jewishhamilton.org It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win-win! Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adch
Tue, January 09, 2024
Life with Peel Region: Doug Ford Goes Back On His Word for Mississauga
Happy New Year 2024! After a welcomed break we are back and ready to dive into what awaits us in 2024! To start the year though, it appears that for Mississauga and Peel region, it will be more of the same. As loyal listeners of this podcast know, we interviewed then-Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie back in May about her push to see Mississauga leave Peel region. Shortly after that episode aired, Premier Doug Ford announced a special team to investigate how to accomplish this within two years. And then...shortly after that, Bonnie Crombie announced her bid to become Ontario Liberal Party Leader. In November, her bid to win was a success and apparently, Doug Ford's commitment to Hazel McCallion's dying wish wasn't there anymore. In December, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Paul Calandra announced that the province would no longer be dissolving Peel Region citing a possible increased tax burden on the residents of Peel. This reversal upset a few folks on Mississauga's City Council. One of whom is Ward 2 Councillor Alvin Tedjo. Alvin has taken to social media to make the continued argument for Peel Region's dissolution. We reached out to invite Alvin to the podcast to discuss what is behind this sudden reversal from the Ontario government and what's next for the city of Mississauga. It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win-win! Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, December 25, 2023
Merry Christmas 2023! A year-end Recap and Whats Next for 2024!!!
This is it! Our final episode for 2023! As is usual for our year-end spectacular, and is the norm for every other news podcast and show, we wanted to focus on the year that was. What were the big stories, and how close did we get our predictions for this year? Well, as it turns out...we were pretty close. In 2022, we thought that the Greenbelt scandal would still prove to be a thorn in the side of Premier Doug Ford. Little did we realize how big of a thorn it truly was. We talk about the fantastic reporting by the Narwhal and the grassroots activism of Environmental Defense in bringing to light the depth of the corruption and incompetence surrounding the Greenbelt scandal and the Doug Ford Progressive Conservative government at Queen's Park. What at first looked like a bit of a faux pas by the Ford government has turned out to be one of the biggest political corruption scandals in Canadian History. The Federal, Justin Trudeau government finally got off the sidelines and into the housing file. Many guests on this podcast, concerning that file, from Mike Moffatt to Jennifer Keesmaat and Michelle Bilak have all said that the federal government could loosen the purse strings and change the tax code to promote affordable housing to be built. Well this summer after Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre jumped in the polls, it seems that it has triggered this government to get involved. Will it change the game? Time will tell, but at least movement is being made. Lastly, we turn to a theme we returned to time and again on this podcast. The issue of trans rights in our school system. This year conspiracies of teachers forcing students to identify as trans encouraged people to protest en masse at school boards across the 905 and province. We spoke with former Premier Kathleen Wynne about the matter, as well as our first-hand coverage of the protest outside the Halton District School Board. Where was the outcry from the provincial government to set the record straight about what policy is in Ontario schools? What does it bode for the future as more and more Ford government policies fail and they need to mobilize a base that is open to believing such conspiracies? We predict 2024! Our past episodes this year for reference: https://905er.ca/2023/05/mike-moffatt-critiques-canadas-housing-plan/ https://905er.ca/2023/09/jennifer-keesmaat-draws-the-line-on-the-greenbelt-scandal/ https://905er.ca/2023/08/the-summer-of-the-tent-is-a-failure-of-housing-policy/ https://905er.ca/2023/10/what-comes-next-in-the-greenbelt-scandal/ <a href="https://905er
Tue, December 19, 2023
905 Round-Up: Proof of What We've Been Saying All Along
It's a good old-fashioned 905 Round-Up! There have been a few stories that have cropped up in the last few weeks that have caught our eye. Rather than try to pick which one to spend time on, we decided to do a few for this episode. Our theme has been stories which back up things we've stated in the past on this podcast. Hamilton City Centre has been slated to be redeveloped into a four-tower condo project adding some 2,000 badly needed units for the city. Last year, the city approved the proposal and the new landlord began the process of getting the remaining small business tenants out of the site to begin demolition. Last week, the developer announced that it would put the project on hold due to financial concerns. Namely, it's no longer viable for the developer to make their projected profit on the development. Leaving Hamilton City Centre empty and Hamilton short 2000 housing units. Speaking of Hamilton, an inquiry into what happened with the report on the issues of the Red Hill Valley Parkway was released. Showing that a culture in city halls still exists to protect their own. Rather than serve the public good. Lastly, how do 905 cities plan for the future when they are addicted to sprawl? Burlington recently passed their budget. Instead of looking to build a transit system that served a denser community. It puts off any road safety initiatives. How are cities supposed to build themselves in the 21st century if they still rely on 1950's planning to do so? Burlington isn't alone in this thinking. New ways are needed if 905 cities are going to build themselves for the future. This Episode is brought to you by Graham Agnew of Dominion Lending https://grahamagnew.ca/ It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win-win! Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, December 12, 2023
What is the Future of the Ontario Liberal Party?
We are closing off a series of episodes we did at the beginning of the summer on the Ontario Liberal Party leadership. Originally we interviewed all the candidates in separate episodes so you'd have a chance to hear their priorities and plans for Ontario and the 905. When the Ontario Liberal Party chose former Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie to lead them into the next election, we thought it prudent to cap off those discussions and see what the path forward for them. The Ontario Liberal Party is a former shell of itself. The big red machine no longer seems ready to take them back to the government at Queens Park. So what is the path ahead for the Ontario Liberals with Bonnie Crombie at the helm? What does she need to do to rebuild this once mighty political force in Ontario politics? And more importantly is she what voters in the 905 and Ontario are looking for to replace Doug Ford and the Ontario PC government? To that end, we invited on to the podcast Ontario Liberal party veteran staffer, Theresa Lubowitz. Theresa spent the leadership campaign studying the various camps' policies and actions, finally settling on Bonnie Crombie herself as her choice for leader. We speak with her today about the reasoning behind her choice, and what exactly is needed to bring back the Ontario Liberals to power. This Episode is brought to you by Graham Agnew of Dominion Lending https://grahamagnew.ca/ It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win-win! Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, December 05, 2023
Michael Geist on the Hypocrisy of Bill C-18
Last week, the federal government announced a deal with Google to keep Canadian news indexed on their search engine. This was fortunate for us on a few levels. The first was that we had been waiting for a while to learn what Google would do in the face of Bill C-18. As we had reported earlier, we were caught up in the Bill C-18 fiasco when Meta decided to block our posts on their platforms. We were waiting to hear whether or not Google would follow suit. With this new agreement, it appears that the worries from Google are no longer there, however, Meta's holdout still affects us, which brings us to the purpose of our episode today. The second fortunate part of the news was that it coincided with our recording of this episode with our guest. We had invited Michael Geist to discuss what seemed to us to be some inherent hypocrisies in the federal government's Bill C-18 application. With the government trying to offset the losses for media giants, through payroll tax credits, we pondered where was the support for small operations like us in this scheme. What is the future of Canadian media in this environment? Will this help or hinder us? We asked Michael all about it. You can listen to our previous episode on Bill C-18 here: https://905er.ca/2023/07/matt-cundill-on-how-bill-c-18-will-hurt-podcasters/ This Episode is brought to you by Graham Agnew of Dominion Lending https://grahamagnew.ca/ It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win-win! Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Fri, November 24, 2023
Why Does Milton Want Doug Ford's Boundaries?
The provincial government has rolled back all of its greenbelt and development policies. Being caught in one of the biggest scandals in Canadian history tends to do that. Included in that rollback have been the urban boundary changes the province introduced for Halton, Hamilton and other communities in the 905. The consensus around this move is that it's a welcomed reset and in general what people in the 905 want. A return to protected environment and farmlands, and hopefully a renewed focus on intensification within our communities. This is why a story in The Globe and Mail caught our eye. According to the article by Jeff Gray, Milton Mayor Gord Krantz has written to Premier Doug Ford as well as Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Paul Calandra to insist on the boundary reversal to be well...reversed. What is behind this move by Mayor Krantz? And how does it play into the larger picture of solving the housing crisis in the 905? We asked Milton Reporter, Laura Steiner to find out what's going on in Milton You can read Jeff Gray's story in the Globe and Mail here: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-fast-growing-milton-asks-province-to-reinstate-urban-boundary/ This Episode is brought to you by Graham Agnew of Dominion Lending https://grahamagnew.ca/ It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win-win! Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, November 21, 2023
Mayor John Taylor on Why Ontario's Housing Plan Falls Short
Part of the Ontario government's plans to address the housing crisis was to break up the 1.5 million new homes needed among the various municipalities in the province. Each municipality would be obligated to build an amount of the total housing in exchange for funds. Every municipality in the province signed on except for one. Newmarket Mayor John Taylor refused to sign the province's pledge, bringing the criticism of Premier Ford on him. He was often cited by the Premier as being an example of nimbyism in the province and not being on 'Team Ontario'. Is this the case though? Well according to Mayor Taylor, there is a very good reason for his refusing to sign the pledge. According to Mayor Taylor, along with many other Mayors in the 905, with Bill 23's elimination of development charges, they have lost the financial resources to ensure the supporting infrastructure for these new houses is built as well. For Newmarket in particular, it is a question of wastewater and how to dispose of the waste from thousands of new homes, safely. We had Mayor Taylor on to discuss Bill 23 when it was first signed into law, and many of his criticisms pointed to the loss of funding for needed infrastructure around the 905. As the urgency to build grows, how are we going to ensure that the infrastructure to support that growth is met? This Episode is brought to you by Graham Agnew of Dominion Lending https://grahamagnew.ca/ It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win-win! Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, November 14, 2023
FORGEing a Dynasty in Hamilton
An underreported story in the 905 happened a few weeks ago. The Canadian Premier League championship was played at Tim Horton's Field. In extra time Béni Badibanga Diata, scored on a corner kick to win the game for Forge FC against their rivals Calgary Calvary FC. The victory secured a fourth championship title. In the five years since the league and the franchise's founding, Hamilton Forge FC has won 4 of the 5 championship titles. That level of accomplishment is rare in any professional sports league. So the question is being raised by soccer fans in Canada, are we seeing the creation of a soccer dynasty in Hamilton? Our host Roland Tanner was in the stands for the thrilling goal and caught Forge FC fever. He was won over by the fans and players. But coverage of the Forge's success in local media has often been slim to non-existent. So what's happening here? Fans and players are fiercely determined to see success not just in Hamilton but in the Canadian Premier League as a whole. We wanted to get a better insight into this phenomenon. To do that we extended an invitation to Kyle Bekker, Captain of Forge FC, and Erick Harrisson, the leader of Forge FC's official supporter group the Barton St. Batallion to come on the podcast. We talk about that game and how the landscape of sports fandom in the 905 and Canada might change. This Episode is brought to you by Graham Agnew of Dominion Lending https://grahamagnew.ca/ It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win-win! Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, November 07, 2023
The Story of Corruption in Ontario
Last episode we spoke with Tim Gray of Environmental Defense, about their ongoing legal action against the Ontario Government to get to the bottom of the Greenbelt Scandal. Little did we know how deep the rabbit hole went. A few days after the episode aired, Environmental Defense alongside Eco Justice released close to 7,000 pages of documents obtained under an FOI request. Those documents illuminated the shady backroom politics and deals that have been a symptom of this Ontario government. Newsrooms have put their interns and resources into plowing through the trove of documents to see what it tells us. At an early glance, the tale tells of a government which carved up the greenbelt and protected lands at the whims of particular developers who had their ear. Those stories are coming to light slowly but surely. We didn't want to repeat or take credit for the hard work of other journalists, so that's not what this episode is going to do. Instead, we're going to look for a pattern in what the documents reveal. How does the relationship between the development industry and this government work? What can they tell us about where we are in the housing crisis currently? Is there hope at the end of the tunnel to solve this crisis responsibly and efficiently? Or is there no process at all and it's clear that it is all just insider bag men and quid pro quo politics? This Episode is brought to you by Graham Agnew of Dominion Lending https://grahamagnew.ca/ It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win-win! Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, October 31, 2023
What Comes Next in the Greenbelt Scandal?
The Greenbelt scandal is a fast-moving story. Each week it seems that a new layer to the shady backroom deal to carve up sensitive protected land for a select few developers is revealed. Just how far down the rabbit hole does this story go? Thanks to grassroots organizations like Environmental Defense and Eco-Justice, as well as independent news like The Narwhal, we are learning more and more about how this scandal operates. Last week, Environmental Defense and Eco-Justice announced that they would be suing the government to learn what more details were to be learned about the Greenbelt scandal. When Environmental Defense originally sued the provincial government to uncover what happened in the Greenbelt, it sparked an avalanche of information. At that time we invited Tim Gray, their Executive Director to discuss the action. So this time we extended the invitation once again, and Tim graciously accepted. However, in true Greenbelt scandal fashion, the morning of our recording the government announced that they would be rolling back their zoning orders concerning the urban boundaries of 905 cities. Nevertheless, we used the opportunity to discuss what more is there to uncover and what trust is left between Ontarians and this government. This Episode is brought to you by Graham Agnew of Dominion Lending https://grahamagnew.ca/ It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our own patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win-win! Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, October 24, 2023
Joey Coleman Weighs in on Doug Ford Silencing Sarah Jama
In the last few weeks, news of the horrific attacks by Hamas against Israel shocked the world. As was expected, Israel responded aggressively against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. We aren't going to get into the midst of that conflict on this podcast. That isn't our beat. What is our beat however is local politicians. Namely how they have responded to the attacks in the Middle East. One MPP has waded into the highly politicized and contentious issue through a public statement affirming her support for the Palestinian people while at the same time ignoring the attacks against Israelis. By now, you realize we are talking about Hamilton Centre MPP, Sarah Jama. Sarah Jama's statement has drawn much criticism, in the way it omitted any reference to the attack on innocent Israeli lives. The response to it has been calls from her leader to issue a retraction and apology for the statement. To this date, she has not retracted the statement. As well, Premier Doug Ford has taken the extraordinary step of issuing a motion in the legislature to prohibit the Speaker from recognizing her in the chamber. Essentially silencing her voice as a representative of the people of Hamilton Centre. While Ms Jama's point of view is indeed controversial it is a shocking step to bar her entirely from participating in the democratic process. At least that's the view of our guest today. Joey Coleman returns to the podcast today to discuss his opinion piece from his website The Public Record. In which he argues that the Ontario PC government is taking extreme and possibly dangerous measures to silence their opposition. That decision should be left to the citizens of Hamilton Centre at the next election. A link to his piece is below. We talk with him about his opinion as well as the greater risk to democratic norms and how the media is covering this. **NOTE**: We recorded this episode prior to Monday's announcement that Marit Stiles the NDP Leader was removing Sarah Jama from caucus. https://www.thepublicrecord.ca/2023/10/coleman-free-expression-sarah-jama-and-the-governments-motion-to-remove-her-from-the-legislature/ This Episode is brought to you by Graham Agnew of Dominion Lending https://grahamagnew.ca/ It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our own patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy w
Tue, October 17, 2023
It's a Housing Crisis...Who's Doing the Building?
We like to keep ahead of what we see as important to the 905 and Ontario. As such, we think we've been keeping you informed on the intricacies of developments and housing before they became household topics. In that spirit, we wanted to focus this episode on an aspect of the housing crisis that hasn't had a lot of focus to date. Our federal political leaders like to speak about tax cuts and red tape elimination to spur development, and here in Ontario, the provincial government is mired in the Greenbelt scandal in an attempt to free up land to developers. However, what none of our political leaders seem to be focused on is who will be building the new housing that is needed. It is not news that we are currently in a skilled labour shortage in Ontario. So how will we find the carpenters, electricians and plumbers we'll need to build millions of new homes? We turned to Craig Brockwell to ask that question. Craig is a former tech teacher in Ontario high schools and worked in government relations for the Ontario Secondary Schools Teachers Federation as well as Support Ontario Youth, a not-for-profit that helped put students into the skilled trades. He joins us today to talk about this important yet often secondary concern of the housing crisis. This Episode is brought to you by Graham Agnew of Dominion Lending https://grahamagnew.ca/ It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our own patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win-win! Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, October 10, 2023
The Myths and Realities of Housing in Ontario
We've been wanting to do this episode for a few weeks now—however, other more immediate stories needed to be addressed fully. However, we are getting back on schedule and talking to set the matter straight on the issue of housing in the 905 and Ontario at large. This summer, it seemed that the Conservative Party of Canada would be taking the lead on the housing issue. Pierre Poilievre surged to take a massive lead in the polls over Justin Trudeau with his addressing the housing crisis and placing that at the centre of his political identity. And then, Trudeau changed the script. At the end of the summer, the federal Liberals announced a policy that affordable housing advocates that we've had on this podcast have been advocating for. The elimination of HST on new rental accommodation builds. While this was happening, however, in Ontario the provincial government became embroiled in the largest land speculation scandal in the province's history. As it sounds now, the Greenbelt scandal is continuing to unfold and shows no end in sight. Amongst all of this whirlwind in the news, we got wind of some mistruths and rumours that started to circulate. Myths that landlords would be the beneficiaries of the tax cut. We took it upon ourselves to sit down and review everything we've learned about the housing crisis so far from our episodes surrounding it and put together this episode to clear the air and set the facts straight. So plug in and have a listen as we set the record straight on the myths and realities of the housing crisis in Ontario. This Episode is brought to you by Graham Agnew of Dominion Lending https://grahamagnew.ca/ It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our own patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win-win! Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, October 03, 2023
Ontario High Schools Face 16 Bomb Threats and Ford Says Nothing?
You can support our podcast by visiting our website at https://905er.ca September is supposed to be busy for students as they head back to school. Get acquainted with new schedules and expectations for a productive school year. Instead at four Hamilton high schools, a total of 16 bomb threats have forced four high schools to close for student safety over four separate days. Hamilton police have open investigations into all of them, and preliminary reports have the threats linked to anti-LGBTQ+ and Trans rights motives. In September, the 1 Million March for Children came through Ontario advocating for policies that would put Trans students' safety at risk and eliminating pro-LGBTQ and Transgender policies from schools in the province. We don't believe in coincidences, at least not ones this big or obvious. So the question we had on our minds was, why is no one speaking up about this risk to student safety? To date, Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Minister of Education Stephen Lecce have issued no statement condemning the threats to student safety. We invited on to the podcast, long-time friend and colleague Laura Babcock to dive into what is going on with this issue. As well we take the opportunity to broaden our inquiry into Ford's attitude towards Hamilton, as a prominent business Collective Arts Brewing is threatened with a massive tax bill from archaic and harmful tax laws. For a pro-business government, they seem to not care about policies that are hurting Ontario industries. We talk about it all! This Episode is brought to you by Graham Agnew of Dominion Lending https://grahamagnew.ca/ It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our own patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win-win! Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, September 28, 2023
**Special**A Follow Up from the Frontlines
Please support us by visiting our website https://905er.ca We bring to you a special follow-up episode from our report on the front lines of the 1MillionMarchforChildren. As our host, Joel MacLeod reported in our last episode at the end of the protest he had the opportunity to speak with a group of teenagers who attended the Halton District School Board who identified on the trans spectrum. At the time, it was peculiar that a protest which was essentially held to protect their issues and concerns, would not include them. At no time during the protest did Joel see a protester reach out to them to converse with them or to hear their concerns. Even though they were only 50 feet away. Amongst the national rhetoric and politicking on both sides, the voice that seems to be ignored the most in this debate is that of teenagers who identify as transgender. In Joel's chat with the teenagers, one of them came across as quite passionate and articulate on the nuances and intricacies of the topic. As it's easy to find advocates for both sides to argue back and forth over what trans teens need in our schools, we thought it would be prudent to just ask them directly. To that end, and with their parent's permission, we invited on to the podcast Jayden Hill. Jayden is a grade 12 student in the Halton school system and identifies as a trans student. We invited them on to the podcast to allow them to share their unique story and what they want both sides to understand in this national debate about what is actually going on in our school system. This Episode is brought to you by Graham Agnew of Dominion Lending https://grahamagnew.ca/ It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our own patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win-win! Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, September 26, 2023
From the Frontlines of the 1MillionMarch
Please support our work at our website https://905er.ca On Wednesday last week, crowds appeared in cities across the country protesting pro-LGBTQ+ student policies in school boards. Remnants of the Freedom Convoy, have transformed from being anti-vaccine mandates into anti-LGBTQ+ policies in school boards. Under the guise of protecting students, these groups argue that pronouns should be disclosed to parents, as well as the elimination of gender identity and sexual orientation education from the Ontario curriculum. At the same time, pro-LGBTQ+ organizations and individuals want to ensure that students who identify as such are protected and kept safe while attending school and at home. Both sides met face-to-face at many school boards across the country last week. At the Halton District School Board in Burlington, protesters and anti-protesters met. Our host, Joel MacLeod, went down to see the protests in person and talked to people from both sides to see if there could be any common ground on this divisive topic. As well as to get a sense of what is driving this latest aspect of the culture war in Canada. This Episode is brought to you by Graham Agnew of Dominion Lending https://grahamagnew.ca/ It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our own patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win-win! Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, September 19, 2023
Can Hamilton Find a Place to Hang it's HATS?
You can support the work we do by visiting our website at https://905er.ca Last week a civic meeting at the Bennetto Community Centre in Hamilton was shut down due to attendees' disruptive behaviour. The issue of the meeting was to inform the local community about the proposed site for the Hamilton Alliance for Tiny Shelters, or HATS. We've spoken about the HATS project before on the podcast. However, over the last year, what seemed to be an innovative way to address the tent encampments and rising homelessness around Hamilton, has turned into a lightning rod of controversy. Seemingly the city has been unable to take the leadership to find a suitable location and encourage local support for this project. While cities around Ontario, namely Waterloo and Kingston have embraced the concept, Hamilton still seems in turmoil over whether or not it wants HATS to succeed. As the housing crisis continues across the country, where could HATS fit into a new housing strategy that seeks to help people get back on their feet and climb the social ladder again? We reached out to Tom Cooper, one of the co-founders of the HATS project and director of the Hamilton Roundtable for Poverty Reduction to talk about where the project stands and what is at stake with it's success or failure. This Episode is brought to you by Graham Agnew of Dominion Lending https://grahamagnew.ca/ It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our own patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win-win! Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, September 12, 2023
Jennifer Keesmaat Draws the Line on the Greenbelt Scandal
You can support us by visit our website: https://905er.ca The Greenbelt scandal continues to grow and become a bigger and bigger albatross around his government's neck. Each day new revelations add a new level to the scandal. How deep does this scandal go? And how is it undermining our belief in good and responsible government? Our guest today wants to examine exactly that. Jennifer Keesmaat is the former city planner for Toronto, and founder of the not for profit development firm Markee Developments. She joins us to examine how Doug Fords actions threaten our democratic norms and distracts us from taking action on the housing crisis. This Episode is brought to you by Graham Agnew of Dominion Lending https://grahamagnew.ca/ It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our own patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win-win! Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, September 05, 2023
The Hon. Kathleen Wynne on What is at Stake with Student Pronouns
Please support our work at our website https://905er.ca As families and students get prepared to return to school for another year, the LGBTQ+ community is coming under undo scrutiny once again. Over the summer, New Brunswick and Saskatchewan provincial governments changed their policies regarding notifying parents of a student's wish to change their pronouns or assigned name from birth. Here in Ontario, the Minister of Education Stephen Lecce voiced support for the policy and opened the door to Ontario making a similar change to its policy. This of course kicked open the hornet's nest of public debate with those on the right arguing for the policy under the guise of 'parental rights'. LGBTQ+ advocates, unions, and education professional organizations have stated that this policy would in fact harm students who wanted to change their pronouns. All of this comes under the umbrella of an Ontario government that is desperate to change the channel on its ongoing Greenbelt scandal. We thought it would be prudent to discuss the politics and practicalities of what a change in this policy might have on Ontario schools and students. To that end, we invited to the podcast the Hon. Kathleen Wynne to discuss the matter. Ms. Wynne is a former Toronto School Board Trustee, Ontario Minister of Education, Canada's first openly gay Premier, a mother and a grandmother. We thought her expertise on the topic would be invaluable. She joins us today. This Episode is brought to you by Graham Agnew of Dominion Lending https://grahamagnew.ca/ It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our own patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win-win! Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, August 29, 2023
Our Libraries Tell the Stories of The 905
Please support our work at https://905er.ca Now and again we come across what seems to be a small idea that could have a significant impact. The Burlington Public Library has one of those ideas. Their Digital Archive was recently launched, putting their collection of historical documents online for the world to see. Now while most would see this as just an added service that the library would offer to its citizens, we see it as something more profound. When we started this podcast, we knew that the 905 region was changing into something different something more than what it used to be. What that is is yet to be realized, however, if the people who live, work and play in the cities of the 905 are to take charge of that change and steer it in the direction they want it to go, then they need to know where they've been. The Burlington Digital Archive can help make that story more accessible to not just Burlingtonians but all of the world. We invited the Library's CEO Lita Barrie to share with us the importance of this project what it could mean for Burlington going forward and what lessons can be applied to other cities around the province. This Episode is brought to you by Graham Agnew of Dominion Lending https://grahamagnew.ca/ It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our own patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win-win! Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, August 22, 2023
Are 905 Cities Able to Deal with our Homeless?
Support us at https://905er.ca We bring to you our second part of our dive into the homelessness crisis in the 905. In our previous episode we talked with Michelle Bilek of the Ontario Alliance to End Homelessness, to get the grassroots perspective of the issue. This episode, we speak with two councillors of two of the largest cities in the 905 to find out what barriers our cities are facing to address the issue of affordable housing and homelessness head on. Joining us are Maureen Wilson, Hamilton Ward 2 Councillor and Joe Horneck, Mississauga Ward 6 Councillor. They help us to better understand the limitations of what a municipal council can accomplish on this national file. You can listen to our episode with Michelle Bilek of the Ontario Alliance to End Homelessness here: https://905er.ca/2023/08/the-summer-of-the-tent-is-a-failure-of-housing-policy/ This Episode is brought to you by Graham Agnew of Dominion Lending https://grahamagnew.ca/ It takes money and time to this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our own patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win win! Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, August 15, 2023
**Special!!!** 905 Round-Up: We were all right about Doug Ford!
Support the Podcast at https://905er.ca We know we were supposed to bring you the second episode in our discussion about homelessness this week. That is still coming however something really important happened in the week between. Ontario's Auditor General, Bonnie Lysyk released her report on the Ontario PC Government's Greenbelt opening, and it did not go well for Premier Doug Ford and Minister Steve Clark. Essentially everything that we and every other respectable pundit has been saying about this deal has been confirmed. From the insider dealing to the too intimate arrangements between developers and the powers that be in this government, to the fact that the deal itself is unnecessary to achieve our housing needs. So...we couldn't pass up the opportunity to reflect, criticize and opine on the scandal that very well could bring down the Doug Ford dynasty in Ontario. This Episode is brought to you by Graham Agnew of Dominion Lending https://grahamagnew.ca/ It takes money and time to this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our own patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win win! Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, August 08, 2023
The Summer of the Tent is a Failure of Housing Policy
This summer and this year has seen tent encampments spring up across not just the 905 but across the entire country. As housing prices continue to skyrocket and wages remain stagnant, a very real and very immediate economic crisis has emerged. More and more people are being forced out of their rental properties and homes due to them becoming more and more unaffordable. The result has seen a crisis of homelessness on our streets. It is virtually impossible for one to walk through their community and not see those suffering from homelessness in an alcove or a tent in a park. We wanted to talk about this crisis on the podcast from a different approach however. To that end we devoting the next two episodes on the topic from different perspectives. This episode is devoted to learning about the homelessness crisis at the grassroots perspective. We invited on Michelle Bilek from the Ontario Association to End Homelessness. Michelle is a grassroots organizer in Peel, devoted to ended homelessness across Canada. She is a former candidate for all levels of government and is a tireless advocate for homeless and affordable housing in Ontario. She joins us today. This Episode is brought to you by Graham Agnew of Dominion Lending https://grahamagnew.ca/ It takes money and time to this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our own patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win win! Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, August 01, 2023
The 905er Looks for a New Liberal Leader - Adil Shamji
Support our work at our website https://905er.ca We complete our interviews with the Ontario Liberal Party Leadership candidates by sitting down with the last candidate to jump into the fray, Adil Shamji. Adil is one of two leadership candidates who currently has a seat in the Ontario Legislature. He is also a doctor who was on the front lines of COVID and ran and won in the last provincial election. So what drove Dr. Shamji to leave a promising career in medicine to jump into the mess that is Ontario politics and then to say he wants to lead the third place Liberal party back to government? Well we thought we'd ask him. This Episode is brought to you by Graham Agnew of Dominion Lending https://grahamagnew.ca/ It takes money and time to this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our own patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win win! Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, July 25, 2023
Matt Cundill on How Bill C-18 Hurts Podcasters
Support our work by visiting us at https://905er.ca A few weeks ago, we received an alarming notification on our Instagram page. Meta would no longer be sharing our content in Canada, in retaliation against the Federal government's Bill C-18. We had though that maybe we'd be too small to be affected by this move, however it turns out we were wrong. Instead we have found ourselves to be reduced to collateral damage in the fight between the federal government and two tech giants. So then, what are our options, and what can we do to protect ourselves going forward? To talk about that we invited on podcast professional, Matt Cundill of Sound Off Podcasts and Crier Media, to discuss the ins and outs of Bill C-18, how it will affect the digital and new media marketplace. You can visit Matt's website here: https://www.soundoffpodcast.com/ This Episode is brought to you by Graham Agnew of Dominion Lending https://grahamagnew.ca/ It takes money and time to this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our own patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win win! Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, July 18, 2023
Nathaniel Arfin Asks Why Are Teachers The Last to Be Asked on Teaching?
Now on Fountain.fm fountain.fm/the_905er987 Support us there and help keep the podcast going! The Ontario government recently announced a new curriculum for teachers to implement this fall concerning literacy. While it is based on updated techniques and science concerning children's development, it is of course not without controversy. Usually in developing and unrolling curriculum, it is a slow process. Testing to see what works and doesn't and ensuring that all teachers have the best tools to implement it and ensure success for students across the province. In Ontario's rush to implement this new curriculum it appears that one stakeholder has been left out of discussions. Ontario's teachers. Teachers are pointing out that they have been only given two webinars to learn how to implement an entire new process on teaching students how to read and write. One critic of the unrolling process is Nathaniel Arfin. Nathaniel is a former candidate for Trustee who is an advocate for public education. He is an entrepreneur and BIA board member. He has written an Op-Ed for the website and we invited him on to talk about it. This Episode is brought to you by Graham Agnew of Dominion Lending https://grahamagnew.ca/ It takes money and time to this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our own patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win win! Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, July 11, 2023
The 905er Crosses Over With The Breakdown AB
Now on Fountain.fm fountain.fm/the_905er987 Support us there and help keep the podcast going! We are venturing outside the 905 today. In fact outside the province all they across the prairies to the great province of Alberta. Don't worry we aren't changing our address, but in light of the aftermath of the recent Alberta provincial election of Danielle Smith we wanted to look at the effects of it on the 905. This might seem like a stretch for an episode but there is a method to our madness. For sometime, the Alberta government has been encouraging 905 and Toronto residents to move to the province with the promise of bigger houses, bigger yards and a lesser mortgage. And it appeared to be working with more and more Ontarians moving out west. As we often talk about the housing crisis on this podcast we thought it would be prudent to see how the Alberta provincial election of a right wing Premier might encourage or discourage some 905ers from backing up and making the move. We reached out to Nate Pike, the host of the excellent podcast The Breakdown AB. A similar venture in Alberta, focusing on that provinces politics and issues, much like we do here in Ontario. What happened was a lively and surprising discussion about the similarities between Ontario and Alberta and that despite what you often read in the media, the differences between the west and central Canada aren't that different to begin with. The Breakdown is available on Apple Podcasts This Episode is brought to you by Graham Agnew of Dominion Lending https://grahamagnew.ca/ It takes money and time to this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our own patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win win! Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="htt
Tue, July 04, 2023
The 905er Looks for a New Liberal Leader - Ted Hsu
Now on Fountain.fm fountain.fm/the_905er987 Support us there and help keep the podcast going! Our conversations with the Ontario Liberal Leadership contenders keeps going! We sit down with the only Ontario Liberal Leadership candidate who currently holds a seat in the legislatures. Kingston and the Islands MPP Ted Hsu joins us to discuss why he wants the top job in the Ontario Liberal Party. In the 2022 Ontario election, Ted successfully won back his home riding of Kingston and the Islands from the New Democratic Party. He currently holds critic roles for the Liberal caucus in the following areas: Energy Mines Natural resources and forestry Citizenship and multiculturalism This Episode is brought to you by Graham Agnew of Dominion Lending https://grahamagnew.ca/ It takes money and time to this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our own patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win win! Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, June 27, 2023
David Moscrop on Why Catholic Education Needs to End in Ontario
Now on Fountain.fm fountain.fm/the_905er987 Support us there and help keep the podcast going! In May, the York Catholic District School Board voted to not fly the Pride flag at it's properties for Pride Month. Followers of this podcast will know of our coverage of the Halton Catholic School Board's year long debate over raising the flag at it's properties and how contentious that proceeding was. The result was a questioning of how accepting are York Catholic schools for their LGBTQ+ students and staff? Opponents to the Pride flag often cite that the symbol goes against their Catholic beliefs and has no place within a Catholic School's walls. Which brings up the further argument of, in a multicultural and accepting society such as Canada, why should public tax dollars go to a system which is opposed to acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community. The question often asked is why should Ontario continue to fund a Catholic school system at all? One person who asked that question in an opinion piece on the TV Ontario website was David Moscrop. David has written about politics for numerous publications, hosts two podcasts and authors a Substack, and holds a PhD from the University of British Columbia in Political Science. His opinion piece titled "It's time to abolish the Catholic school system in Ontario" sparked our interest and we invited him on to discuss the matter in far more detail. It's time to abolish the Catholic school system in Ontario - TVO Today This Episode is brought to you by Graham Agnew of Dominion Lending https://grahamagnew.ca/ It takes money and time to this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our own patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win win! Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a
Tue, June 20, 2023
The 905er Looks for a New Liberal Leader - Yasir Naqvi
Now on Fountain.fm fountain.fm/the_905er987 Support us there and help keep the podcast going! Our conversations with the Ontario Liberal Leadership contenders continues! On his episode we sit down the Federal Liberal MP, Yasir Naqvi to talk about his career and why now he wants to run for the top job in the party. Yasir is the Member of Parliament for Ottawa Centre, and was the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Emergency Preparedness and President of the King’s Privy Council prior to stepping down to pursue this leadership bid. Prior to entering federal politics, Yasir was the Member of Provincial Parliament for Ottawa Centre and the former Attorney General of Ontario. He has also held several other Cabinet portfolios provincially, including the Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services, Government House Leader, and Minister of Labour. This Episode is brought to you by Graham Agnew of Dominion Lending https://grahamagnew.ca/ It takes money and time to this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our own patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win win! Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, June 13, 2023
The 905er Looks For a New Liberal Leader - Nate Erskine-Smith
The Ontario Liberal Party leadership race is finally kicking off. For the last two election cycles, the Ontario Liberals have failed to attain even official party status in the Legislature. The party has failed to seemingly capture the imagination and the support of the Ontario public. Many are seemingly writing off the party as a shell of it's former self. No longer a contender in Ontario politics. For Ontario Liberals though the hope is that this leadership race and rekindle momentum to government. The question for us on the podcast was whether or not that momentum would lead through the 905. In that spirit, Roland and Joel decided to invite on the declared Liberal leadership contenders for a sit down interview to put the questions to them about how they view Ontario's problems and how would they rebuild the Ontario Liberal Party and tackle solving those issues. The first contender up is Nate Erskine-Smith. The Federal Liberal MP for Beaches-East York who is making the leap to provincial politics to lead the OLP rebuilding process. Nate is a former lawyer who left the profession for politics and is now seeking the Ontario Liberal Leadership. He joins us today. This Episode is brought to you by Graham Agnew of Dominion Lending https://grahamagnew.ca/ It takes money and time to this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn't like sharing your generosity with that other 'patron' website, so we created our own patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you're not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win win! Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S1 E237 · Tue, June 06, 2023
Chandler Levack: "I Like Movies" in the 905 region
Now on Fountain.fm fountain.fm/the_905er987 Support us there and help keep the podcast going! “I Like Movies” is the debut film from Chandler Levack, set in 2003, and telling the story of Lawrence Kweller, a 17 year old boy attending Aldershot School in Burlington who is obsessed with movies and movie-making and who is hired to work in his local video store. Levack grew up in Burlington and attended the real-life Aldershot School, and so the film has a clear autobiographical side, but Levack chose to make her protagonist male rather than female, something that allows her to explore the world of obsessive young men in a fresh and interesting way. Isiah Lehtinen gives an outstanding performance as the awkward and sometimes infuriating Lawrence, and the movie features a number of other excellent portrayals from his co-stars, most obviously from Romina D’Ugo as Alana, Lawrence’s long-suffering boss at the video store. If you would like to see I Like Movies , it is released today (June 6th 2023) to on-demand services such as You Tube movies and Amazon Prime for viewing at home. More details can be found online at Mongrelmedia.com . We are delighted to welcome Chandler Levack onto the podcast to talk more about “I Like Movies”. This Episode is brought to you by Graham Agnew of Dominion Lending https://grahamagnew.ca/ It takes money and time to this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn't like sharing your generosity with that other 'patron' website, so we created our own patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you're not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win win! Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, May 30, 2023
Frank Domenic Returns to The 905er
Now on Fountain.fm fountain.fm/the_905er987 Support us there and help keep the podcast going! We welcome back to the podcast Frank Domenic! Frank joins Roland and Joel to recap two previous episodes and look at where we stand now on their issues. Previously we had on Karen Brown, President of the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario to discuss violence in Ontario schools against teachers. Frank is a teacher himself and so his insight into the dynamic in the classroom was invaluable. We also talk about how the trend hasn't decreased but has seemingly become more and more pronounced in our school system. What can be done about it and where are we falling short. Then we follow up on the story we did with the Ontario Health Coalition Executive Director Natalie Mehra. The Ontario Healthcare Coalition is kicking off a referendum for Ontarians to weigh in on the status of healthcare in Ontario. As the Doug Ford government pursues more and more private options for health care, what are people's concerns and fears about the direction the province is going. For the first time, Ontarians will have a chance to directly weigh in on how they view their health care options in the province. How did this conversation get to this point, and are we doing the best to provide Ontarians with the best choices for healthcare? Frank joins us for a lively discussion. This Episode is brought to you by Graham Agnew of Dominion Lending https://grahamagnew.ca/ It takes money and time to this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn't like sharing your generosity with that other 'patron' website, so we created our own patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you're not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win win! Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, May 23, 2023
The End of Peel Region
Now on Fountain.fm fountain.fm/the_905er987 Support us there and help keep the podcast going! Well its happening. Last week, the Minister of Municipal Affairs Steve Clark announced that they would be tabling legislation to break up Peel Region. The Town of Caledon, City of Brampton and the City of Mississauga after 50 years together will now be going their separate ways. What will this mean for the billions of dollars in shared costs and infrastructure between the municipalities? According to the Province they will have until 2025 to sort it out. Both Brampton and Mississauga Mayors are indicating that this may not be an amicable separation. Prior to the announcement we had the chance to sit down with Mayor Bonnie Crombie of Mississauga. In our interview we had the opportunity to dive into the question of why now and what did Mississauga hope to gain by going on their own away from Peel Region. As the 905 region is on the cusp of being changed irrevocably for the future, what could this mean for the region and for that matter future decisions on regional governance in Ontario? We pose the questions to Mayor Crombie and what the future is going to bring to Mississauga, Caledon, Brampton and the 905. This Episode is brought to you by Graham Agnew of Dominion Lending https://grahamagnew.ca/ It takes money and time to this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn't like sharing your generosity with that other 'patron' website, so we created our own patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you're not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win win! Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, May 16, 2023
Dale Bracewell Shows How Vancouver Could Help the 905 Get Around
Continuing from our previous episode on cycling in the 905, we are taking a trip outside of the region. All the way across the country to Vancouver to speak with Dale Bracewell. Metaphorically of course. Dale was in attendance at the Ontario Bike Summit in Hamilton that happened earlier this month. He was there to showcase the work he did in Vancouver to transform that city into a more cycling-friendly urban environment. We asked him to talk with us about the accomplishment, as well as the difficulties in transforming one of Canada’s major cities into a more cycling friendly one. More importantly, we ponder how can a city like Hamilton and other cities in the 905 to make the changes to allow more diverse modes of transportation to function in our cities. Dale is a former manager of transportation with the City of Vancouver. There he helped to bring about the changes needed to introduce cycling infrastructure to the city. More recently he is the principal consultant with Mobility Insights. A consulting firm that aims to help Canadian cities become more cycling friendly. This Episode is brought to you by Graham Agnew of Dominion Lending https://grahamagnew.ca It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our own patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win-win! Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, May 09, 2023
Can the Ontario Biking Summit Show the Way Forward?
Now on Fountain.fm fountain.fm/the_905er987 Support us there and help keep the podcast going! Last week, in Hamilton the Ontario Biking Summit was held. A conference to discuss how we can implement new policies and build infrastructure to create safer biking communities. This is a topic that comes up frequently in the 905. As we become a more denser and urban community, biking is a more and more viable option to get around. Biking lanes on major roadways, bike paths through our cities, and better infrastructure to support cyclists are often areas of contention and debate. However, does it have to be that way? Part of the summit was to look internationally to Europe and other cities around the world who are trying to make their places they live more friendly to all modes of travel. Can we incorporate that here in the 905? To dive into these ideas and questions we invited onto the podcast Eleanor McMahon. Eleanor is no stranger to the podcast. She was on previously to discuss the Trans-Canada Trail. Today she joins us as a founder of Share the Road. A not for profit to bring awareness to cyclists and cycling infrastructure in Canada. She was in attendance at the summit and we asked her to come on today to talk about the importance of cycling infrastructure and how we can make our cities better for all on the road. This Episode is brought to you by Graham Agnew of Dominion Lending https://grahamagnew.ca/ It takes money and time to this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn't like sharing your generosity with that other 'patron' website, so we created our own patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you're not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win win! Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, May 02, 2023
Mike Moffatt Critiques Canada's Housing Plan
Now on Fountain.fm fountain.fm/the_905er987 Support us there and help keep the podcast going! We are welcoming back to the podcast for his third time at the microphone Mike Moffatt. We’ve been wanting to do this episode for sometime now but had trouble with scheduling. Finally the stars aligned and we were able to make it happen. As no doubt you are aware both the provincial and federal governments layed out their budgets for the year. Billions upon billions are tabled to be spent. So one would expect that the number one issue for not just 905ers but all Canadians would be a top priority to be addressed. I am of course talking about housing affordability. Consistently, the issue of house prices and being able to make rent and mortgage payments have been polled as top of mind for Canadians. In the age of inflation we are in, this is understandable. On the surface the federal government is committed to spending approximately $4 billion on housing. And well, the provincial government’s plans are well known to Ontarians, and they are controversial and confusing at the same time. So clearly a path towards housing affordability is there right? Well not according to Mike Moffatt. He has been critical of both the federal and provincial governments for piecing together ad hoc policies and plans which don’t really seem to address the core problems Canadians are worried about. So what does he think ought to be done? Well, we invited him on again to give us his expertise and insight into this number one issue for Canadians. Mike is an economist with the Smart Prosperity Institute. His work centres on the housing market and housing affordability. This is his third time on the podcast and we welcome his insight. Have a listen. This Episode is brought to you by Graham Agnew of Dominion Lending https://grahamagnew.ca/ It takes money and time to this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn't like sharing your generosity with that other 'patron' website, so we created our own patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you're not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win win! Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonu
Tue, April 25, 2023
Do Police in the 905 Need More Power?
An article on the CBC caught our eye. The Hamilton Police Services has spent $30,000 to purchase drones for use. According to the report the drones have been used for simple search and rescue missions, as well as for use to monitor university parties, and protests against Justin Trudeau. This is such a wide range to use this tool we pondered what was the criteria for it being implemented? More importantly, what happens to the footage recorded? What might come of future decisions to implement facial recognition technology in these drones? All reasonable and justifiable questions to be asked. Yet we took it a step further in our discussion. Exactly where is the oversight for our police services? They are meant to serve and protect us the citizens of the 905 and Ontario. Yet when scrutiny and oversight is wanted to be introduced, especially in the use of drones by our law enforcement departments, often cries of anti police sentiment are thrown against the ones asking the questions. Right wing politicians who often are the first to decry over spending and mismanagement of public funds, often go silent when police departments consistently get higher and higher budget approvals with little to know pushback. When did we let hero worship run amok, that often our elected officials are unable to hold police departments to account to justify their spending? Roland and Joel look at what something like a police department owning a drone might mean for our Charter rights and where oversight and accountability might need to be brought into ensure abuse and mismanagement doesn't come into play. https://www.cbc.ca/newsinteractives/features/police-drones It takes money and time to this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn't like sharing your generosity with that other 'patron' website, so we created our own patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you're not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win win! Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, April 18, 2023
Karen Brown of ETFO Talks Violence in our Schools
Over recent months there have been some high profile stories in the media that concern Ontario’s schools, and even specifically schools in the 905 region. Some attracted a lot of media attention, and some attracted the sort of attention from far right groups that makes our stomach sink. But here’s the thing. Speak to a teacher, and it’s unlikely that the issues that have been prominent in the media are remotely what they see as the important challenges currently being faced in Ontario’s schools. Instead it is their feeling of a worsening risk from violence in the classroom, and a lack of tools and supports to handle students with sometimes very serious behavioural problems that we have found dominates their experience. This extends to a feeling that teachers are sometimes undermined by school administrators and board staff in their attempts to maintain basic order and a safe classroom, and that there is a wide culture of discouraging staff from making official reports of serious incidents. The Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario, or ETFO, has made violence in schools one of its key priorities over the last half decade. We are therefore delighted today to be joined by Karen Brown, President of ETFO, to discuss this story in depth. Karen began her career as a special education teacher with the Toronto District School Board in 1993. She has worked extensively in the area of autism and children’s mental health. Karen is passionate about the early years, and also holds a diploma in early childhood education. Since 2009, Karen has been a member of the ETFO provincial Executive, becoming president in 2021. She is committed to promoting equity, and social justice. It takes money and time to this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn't like sharing your generosity with that other 'patron' website, so we created our own patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you're not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win win! Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, April 11, 2023
Are 905 Cities Being Set Up to Fail?
Today we are joined by Laura Steiner once again from the Milton Reporter! The Ontario government is in a race to build 1.5 million new homes by 2031 in the province. In an effort to do so Minister of Municipal Affairs Steve Clark has reached out to the various municipalities to get them to pledge to build a specific number of homes by the provinces deadline. What is surprising to us is the number of municipalities in the 905 who are eagerly agreeing to the provinces demands. A number of these municipal councils, such as Burlington were elected on a mandate originally to keep development as localized as possible. Others like Hamilton are resistant to being forced to build beyond their urban boundaries. So why are they bending over backwards to accommodate this demand from the province? Especially without any new supports from the province to help with this development push? Laura joins us as we give an analysis over this new change to the political make up of the 905. It takes money and time to this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn't like sharing your generosity with that other 'patron' website, so we created our own patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you're not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win win! Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, April 04, 2023
What is the State of Healthcare in Ontario?
It is impossible to ignore the headlines on the state of Ontario's healthcare system. In Doug Ford's second term as Premier, despite a promise not to privatize the system, it seems that is exactly what is happening in Ontario. For private clinics are now part in parcel for healthcare in this province. Brought in under the pretence that it would help to alleviate the overburdened and crumbling system. Or at least thats how it's being sold to us by the government. A critic of that framing is the Ontario Health Coalition. A group of medical professionals and grassroots Ontarians who are committed to ensuring that the health care system remains a predominantly publicly funded one. Where Ontarians of all walks of life have equitable and efficient access to care, and are not forced to pay out of pocket for services that are normally covered by OHIP. To get a better sense of the status of Ontario's healthcare system, how it go to be this way, as well as what would be required going forward to improve the quality of care, we asked their executive director to join us. Natalie Mehra has headed up the Ontario Health Coalition for over 22 years. In that time the Health Coalition has grown into the largest and broadest public interest group on health care in the province, representing more than 750,000 Ontarians in its network of more than 400 member organizations and more than 50 local chapters. Natalie Mehra joins us today. It takes money and time to this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn't like sharing your generosity with that other 'patron' website, so we created our own patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you're not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win win! Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, March 28, 2023
How Project Arrow is Going to Change Canada
We welcome back to the podcast President of the Auto Parts Manufacturers Association of Canada, Flavio Volpe. A while back we had Flavio on, to discuss their still just and idea concept car, Project Arrow. At that time we promised that we'd have him back on once it was completed and unveiled. Well that time as come. This year Project Arrow was finally revealed to the public at the Consumer Electronics Show and later at the Toronto Auto Show. The potential of this car to reshape the automotive industry in Canada is unprecedented. As the industry shifts towards electric vehicle production, the importance of being able to show case our skills and talents to the world is more important than ever. We are a knowledge based economy so it's important for us to show off what we know. Project Arrow is hoping to do just that. When we first talked about Project Arrow we promised our listeners that we would have Flavio back on to discuss in detail what this concept car has in it. So today faithful listener we are doing just that. Flavio Volpe returns to talk with Joel about Project Arrow. They discuss some of the companies that contributed to the project, what the technology that is in it, and how this simple concept car could go on to transform not just the 905 but the country as well. It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn't like sharing your generosity with that other 'patron' website, so we created our own patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you're not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win win! Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, March 23, 2023
The 905 Round-Up: Big Change Announcement
After a bit of back and forth, Roland and Joel have made a decision on how the 905er is going to be structured going forward. We're looping all of you in on our decision making process and announcing how we'll be producing this podcast going forward. Have a listen. It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn't like sharing your generosity with that other 'patron' website, so we created our own patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you're not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win win! Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, March 21, 2023
Why You Are Going to Need Climate Change Insurance
Climate change is the biggest threat to our existence. Its effects can be seen all around us. So it's no surprise to find efforts being made to combat it's effects. Its common place these days to find companies engaging in public relations campaigns to showcase their efforts to be more conscious of climate change. Whether that's in the promotion of a more sustainable product or service, or perhaps trying to highlight a campaign to give back to environmentally friendly causes. However one industry is taking a far more serious approach to the problem. Your insurance provider. We've touched up on this before in previous episodes. The insurance industry in Canada has been crunching the numbers on the effects of climate change on their policies. For years now they have been raising the alarm. They do not like what they see. The costs of climate change are forcing the industry to see an increase in billions of dollars paid out under policies. That's a billion with a b, and that doesn't even go into what the uninsured costs can be. It is clear that climate change is no longer a larger than us concept. It's real, it's here and it is already starting to affect us in the 905. So going forward what can be done in this province to help you and us, mitigate the costs of climate change to the most important asset we own, our homes? To answer that question we asked Mark Cripps from the Insurance Bureau of Canada to come on today. Mark is a communications manager with the Bureau and works to help advocate to government and raise public awareness on the importance of shifting our mindset around climate change and how to prepare ourselves for it's effects. He has a background in communications and journalism as well, and he joins us today. It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn't like sharing your generosity with that other 'patron' website, so we created our own patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you're not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win win! Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit m
Thu, March 16, 2023
Has the 905 Turned into Car Jack City?
Long time friend of the podcast Laura Steiner returns! It's not news per se, that Peel region is a hot bed of car thefts. It's so common now, that you can find videos of thefts in broad daylight posted on social media. Cars have been reported found in shipping containers in Montreal or Halifax destined for the other side of the world to be resold by organized crime rings. Police have yet to make a dent in the ring, and it appears to be expanding. Laura shares her reporting on Halton Police's recent discovery of a chop shop in Milton along with the workings of an organized crime ring preying on the affluent cars and neighbourhoods of Milton. The evidence is mounting that this is not the actions of a few young kids looking for kicks each night. Rather a coordinated organized effort to steal cars on a whim and deliver them to overseas markets, all at our expense. The question Laura and Joel ponder, is are Halton and Peel police in over their head trying to tackle an international car theft ring? Where is the OPP or the RCMP on this file? Then after our break: The Hamilton Centre By-Election continues on. Recent reporting from early voting shows only 5% of eligible voters have cast a ballot in this election. Low turnout isn't new in a by-election. However, the recent stories of the two progressive candidates, Sarah Jama and Deirdre Pike accusing the other of anti-semitism and racism can't make for an enticing option for voters seeking an option rather than the Ontario PC party. Is this a case of just typical low voter turnout for a by-election, or is it an example of when you throw mud you only get dirty? It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn't like sharing your generosity with that other 'patron' website, so we created our own patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you're not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win win! Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, March 14, 2023
905 Round-Up: Brian Lilley Ruins Everything
Brian Lilley waded into the Hamilton Centre By-election with an accusation of antisemitism against the NDP. The Liberals jumped on his bandwagon with candidate Deirdre Pike demanding an apology from NDP candidate Sarah Jama to the Jewish community. Jama fought back by accusing Pike of racism. Jama and Pike have both dedicated their lives to activism on behalf of disadvantaged and persecuted groups. So it makes perfect sense to have an election that paints career community activists as antisemites and racists. And thus a man who, days later, would post a tweet ridiculing Jagmeet Singh's turban, and then furiously denied the tweet was racist asking why on earth would anybody think it was offensive, made the Hamilton Centre by-election worse for everybody, above all the people who live in Hamilton Centre. Later in the episode we ask what happened to the climate emergencies declared in every 905 city in 2018/19? Can you guess? It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn't like sharing your generosity with that other 'patron' website, so we created our own patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you're not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win win! Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, March 09, 2023
The 905 Round-Up: Liberal Rebirth and Third Party Validation
The Ontario Liberal Party for the better part of last year was written off for dead. A humiliating result from the last provincial general election made many in Ontario think that the party would quietly fall into the trash bin of history. With no gains of seats in the legislature, the Ontario Liberal Party does not even have party status at Queen's Park. It's former leader Steven Del Duca resigned on election night, and for sometime it was a question of why would anyone want to take on the mantle of leadership? Well all that changed this past weekend. At their Annual General Meeting, new life was seemingly breathed into the once dead Ontario Liberal Party. A major change to their constitution opens the leadership race to one member one vote for all Liberals. Something that opens the doors for new members to enter the party. However most important is that there seems to be a legitimate race brewing for the top job in the Ontario Liberal Party. With three and possibly four high profile names being thrown around as contenders for a leadership race. Could the Ontario Liberal Party return from defeat to become the big red machine once again? After our break, it appears that Doug Ford and the Ontario PC Government continue to rack up defeats in the courts. The latest loss is their Third Party Advertising legislation which was meant to curb the ability of unions and other grassroots entities from campaigning during an election. Third Party groups such as Working Families Ontario and Ontario Proud were legislated to limit the amount of money they could spend prior to a general election. Working Families Ontario took the government to court and won in the Ontario Court of Appeals, with the Court citing that the legislation infringed section 3 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. What does this mean for Ontario Elections? More importantly, does Doug Ford and his government know how to legislate? This government has not had a lot of wins since taking office and would rather invoke the Notwithstanding Clause than try to build consensus or write proper legislation. What does the future hold? Lastly, while Doug Ford can't write legislation apparently he can throw a party. To the tune of $6.5 million. That is the sum the Ontario PC Party took in at their last fundraiser dinner in Toronto. Attended by the who's who of the elite of Ontario and Toronto's society. Who says money is not an issue in politics? Clearly it can buy you a seat close to power with a chicken dinner to go with it! It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn't like sharing your generosity with that other 'patron' website, so we created our own patron system. Be
Tue, March 07, 2023
Stella Ambler Explains What is Municipal Watch
We like to pride ourselves on being open to opposing view points. We concede that sometimes we don't always get it right However, we also pride ourselves on offering the chance for those opposing viewpoints to come on and clear the record. Which is sort of the story on how we invited our guest this week to the podcast. Last week we listened to another local podcast called What's the Point, produced by the fine people at the Pointer. They had on to their podcast Stella Ambler, former Conservative MP for Mississauga South to discuss her new non partisan political watchdog organization Municipal Watch. Municipal Watch is billed as being a grassroots funded, non partisan organization tasked with keeping an eye on how municipal governments function and spend our tax dollars. All seemingly good things and something that no one would have an issue with...right? Well we had questions. We always do when it comes to people saying that they are keeping an eye on government. Usually it ends up being too good to be true. How does the organization decide what is worthy of their time? What makes a scandal in their books? How do they balance the competing interests and needs of the communities that they portend to look after? This is where watchdogs have to trend carefully in our opinion. To get answers, we thought we'd reach out to Stella Ambler to see if she'd want to come on. If you're a fan of this podcast you can understand our trepidation, as Conservatives do not tend to come on this podcast...ever. To our delight and surprise, Ms. Ambler agreed to take time from her busy schedule to share her vision and passion for Municipal Watch and to fill in some of the gaps we have on this project. We were thankful to have someone with a different political take on things on to the podcast for a lively discussion on matters and to see where this new organization could fit into the political landscape of not just the 905, but Ontario and Canada as well. Stella Ambler joins us today. Municipal Watch It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca . We didn't like sharing your generosity with that other 'patron' website, so we created our own patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you're not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win win! Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoi
S1 E220 · Thu, March 02, 2023
Joey Coleman: The First 100 Days of Hamilton's New Council
Nobody works harder than Joey Coleman to monitor and report everything done at Hamilton City Hall. His opinions demand respect. After October's change election saw major changes in personnel on Hamilton council, there were high expectations for not just a change in tone at City Hall, but an activist and courageous council. Yet it came into being with perhaps its greatest challenge already determined by the province, when the Ford government declared as the new council was being sworn in that the previous council's decision not to expand the city's urban boundary was to be thrown out. That was just the start, as the provincial government has since made sweeping changes that reduce municipal powers over the planning process, and slashed essential city funding sources, leaving a funding deficit at the heart of every city in Ontario. But how has the new council responded to these challenges? Who is doing well? Who is disappointing? And how are the novice councillors and old hands handling their most ... erm ... delicate relationship - the one every councillor in Ontario has with City Hall staff? Because one thing appears to be clear: while there have been some big changes on council, the institution of Hamilton City Hall has begun the new era much as it ended the old one. With a host of baffling decisions and proposals that seem designed to highlight an institution with deep and systemic problems. It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca. We didn't like sharing your generosity with that other 'patron' website, so we created our own patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you're not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win win! Or, why not buy us a coffee ? Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, February 28, 2023
The 905 Round-Up: Halton School Board Fails and Highway Follies
The 905 Round-Up is coming to you early this week! A follow up on stories we've already touched upon on the podcast. Starting with the Halton District School Board. Last year, the board made international headlines when a transgender teacher was photographed wearing enormous prosthetic breasts in a shop class at Oakville Trafalgar High School. At the time the board stated that it had no dress code policy to enforce teacher attire. It's concern was over the potential human rights violations when it came to any other transgender teachers in their employ. At the time, freedom convoy protesters shifted their focus from COVID-19 to the high school and set up shop outside. At the time we had Caryma Sa'd on to share her coverage of the protests. Since that time however, the story hasn't gone away. Parents have organized and petition not just the school board but the Minister of Education Stephen Lecce to intervene. Pressure is on for the HDSB to come up with a workable policy to solve this issue. Last week, the Toronto Star published a story detailing the latest developments at the board. Surprisingly, parents are not pleased with the latest proposals for a policy and the board is looking to re work it. Joel and Roland debate who's really to blame for this predicament and how can a solution be found? After the break, we look at the ongoing saga of Highway 413. The potential legacy of Doug Ford has had its problems. Despite the Premier's eagerness to see it built, he just can't seem to get the job done. It was one of the few promises he made during the campaign. Yet, it appears that not all the paper work is in order. According to the Toronto Star, the province is skipping over some of the environmental assessments that should be done prior to breaking ground on a project of this scale. This has caught the attention of the federal government and they have begun their own assessments of the project. Why the urgency to skip the rules in the first place? Could it have something to do with who will actually profit from this highway? Will it even be built? Joel and Roland discuss. It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. <
Thu, February 23, 2023
The 905 Round-Up: Hey Doug, Where’s our Housing?
It shouldn't surprise you to know that housing is at a crisis in not just the 905, but all of Ontario. In fact, across Canada, housing prices and supply are in crisis mode. Our supply of housing in whatever form you wish to choose, whether it's a detached house, a condo or rental isn't keeping up with the population. We have just not built enough to keep up our numbers. We do not have enough places to live, is what it comes down to basically. Which is what Bill 23 was supposed to help solve. Premier Doug Ford and Minister Steve Clark were going to unleash the power of the development industry by allowing them to do what they do best. Build homes. According to the Ontario PC government, the biggest impediment to doing that was the red tape and dastardly municipal governments around the province that held back the honest hard working developers. So with that Bill 23 was enacted, the Greenbelt was carved up and we are all now living in a housing development paradise. Well not quite. This week, TVO published an opinion piece wondering what Plan B was for the province's housing plans? According to the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation new housing starts were down 31% in Ontario, in Toronto down 51% and only a 7% bump up in Hamilton. In essense our housing plans are not working and we are not building enough to keep up with demand. We need to build 1.5 million new homes over the next ten years so when is that going to happen? Why are we not building like crazy at the moment? In our second half of the episode, we flash back a few episodes to our chat with former Ontario Liberal candidate Kate Graham, who was a signatory to a now infamous letter asking Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner to run for the top job in the Liberal party. Well Mike finally got back to everyone, and it's a no. So what does that mean for the Ontario Liberal Party? Was it a good plan to ask Mike? And what does the future of the Ontario Liberals look like? In that regard what does the future of the opposition in Queen's Park look like for the next four years? Should Marit Stiles and the NDP be worried? Should Doug Ford? Plan A for Housing is Failing in Ontario. What's Plan B? - TVO Today Mike Schreiner's Response to the Ontario Liberal Letter It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interru
Tue, February 21, 2023
Kojo Damptey on Why Black History Month Matters
February as many of you are aware is Black History Month Each year through the month of February figures and prominent individuals of african origin whether they be activists, politicians, artists, musicians, authors or historical figures, are front and centre in our schools and libraries. People of African descent have lived and worked on this continent since the first Europeans arrived. Slavery was a part of colonisation of the continent and is tied to the foundations of Canada as much as it is the United States. The struggles for equality existed here in the 905 and in Canada too. And yet, how can over 400 years of history in North America be confined to merely one month of the year in our schools? No doubt you can agree this is very very surface level telling of a rich and complex history in Canada. So does this mean we aren’t doing a great job of telling what ultimately is our own story? The story of black Canadians and for that matter other minorities who have worked to build what today is the country of Canada that we all wish to enjoy? On that note, we welcome back to the podcast Kojo Damptey to talk on the importance of Black History Month, and how it ought to be a stepping stone to a much more rich and diverse conversation of the true history of this part of Ontario and Canada as a whole. And how it can help to dismantle systemic racism that permeates our culture. Kojo is the former executive director of the Hamilton Centre for Civic Inclusion. He is a former candidate for Hamilton city council, an award winning musician and instructor at McMaster University. Kojo joins us today. It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more abo
Thu, February 16, 2023
How Did The 15 Minute City Become a Conspiracy Theory?
If you're a fan of this podcast, then you'll no doubt be aware of our fan of smart urban design. For years the car guided how we designed and built our cities. The idea was that we would alway require a car to get from place to place where we live. Spawl became a way of life and almost official policy for development in the 905. In recent years however, sprawl has become problematic. We have come around to the notion that we cannot keep building over greenspace to accomodate the growth that the region is experience. So what does that mean for our cities? Well, for urban planner policy wonks, the notion of a city where the vital amenities of life would be within walking distance of our homes began to take hold. Thus came the idea of the 15 minute city. Groceries, doctors offices, small businesses, clinics etc, would all be within a 15 minute walk of one's home. Is this doable? We honestly don't know. But as a utopian goal for us collectively to build our cities around, it seemed like an interesting idea. It's entirely a policy wonk's fevered dream. Which is why we found it ridiculous to find it coming up in Op-Eds and rallies by the far right as an evil plot by the World Economic Forum. That this was just another step in an evil move by the WEF, or George Soros or whichever boogeyman you want to substitute into the argument to put us in manageable pens and fenced off districts to limit our movements. All of which is laughably ludicrous and not true. However, in the world post-pandemic these conspiracy theories have a life of their own and often tend to poison discourse around good ideas. We didn't want that to happen to the 15 minute city. In that spirit we reached out to former guest of the podcast Glyn Bowerman of Spacing Radio to come on to discuss how we got here, and how we can work to keep the 15 minute city from becoming a bad word in politics. You can catch Spacing Radio here http://spacing.ca/podcast/ It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! <p
Tue, February 14, 2023
The 905 Round-Up: Stag and Doughs and Resignations
The Premier hosted a Stag and Doe for his daughter's wedding last year and surprisingly all of his closest developer buddies got an invite whether they liked it or not to attend. To literally hand over envelopes of cash. How this does not topple his Premiership is a mystery to us. This event singlehandedly might make Doug Ford's government the most corrupt in Ontario political history. So where are the calls for his resignation? And speaking of resignations, we look at the resignation of John Tory as Mayor of Toronto. Surprising? Uncalled for? The last desperate play to save face? Joel and Roland can't seem to agree on what this means for politics in the 905's biggest neighbour? It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, February 09, 2023
The 905 Round-Up: The Nuclear Option
Another weekly brace of stories affecting the 905. When is disrupting a democratic meeting appropriate? Uncle Doug is building nuclear power plants. Uncle Justin is thowing money at the provinces to spend on healthcare to make up for the fact the premiers won't throw enough money at it themselves. Isn't that just rewarding the delinquents? And is the fact Canada's 'fiscally prudent' premiers are all demanding more money from the feds than they're being offered an example of nauseating hypocrisy? Yes. Yes it is. It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, February 07, 2023
Postcards from the Tram - What Edinburgh Can Teach the 905 About LRT
Roland spent most of January in Scotland, and took the time to record his impressions of Edinburgh's Tram network, which opened it's first phase in 2014. The tram's construction was anything but smooth (sound familiar?), but now it's here, what's it like? It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, February 02, 2023
The 905 Round-Up - Hurricane Hazel Departs
Laura Steiner sits in for Joel as we discuss the late Hazel McCallion's legacy for Mississauga and the 905 region. And we share some first impressions (recorded before Tuesday's interview with Kate Graham - go and listen to it if you haven't heard it yet) on the 40 Liberal insiders who have put their names to an attempt to co-opt Mike Schreiner from the Ontario Greens. It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, January 31, 2023
Kate Graham Talks About That Liberal Letter
At 10am on Sunday former Ontario Liberal leadership hopeful Kate Graham posted an open letter on her Twitter account which certainly achieved something Ontario's Liberals have not done too often lately--it got people talking about the Ontario Liberals. The letter was a public invitation, signed by forty prominent Liberals, including such noteable party grandees as Greg Sorbara, Deb Matthews and Lyn McLeod, for Mike Schreiner, leader of the Ontario Green Party, to throw his hat into the ring to run for the Ontario Liberal leadership. The reaction from Liberals, Greens and independents has been strong, and runs the gamut from strong support on one side to feelings of betrayal on the other. Some voices within the OLP (some likely supporting rival leadership candidates) are, quite simply, furious and feel the letter is damaging in both what it says about the once mighty Ontario Liberals, and what it says about prominent Liberals' faith in their own party. And while many would agree that politics in Ontario needs to change, is headhunting a leader from a rival and less-successful party the way back to electoral relevance for the Ontario Liberals, or a demonstration of callous disregard towards both the Ontario Greens and the party grassroots? Kate Graham joins us today to answer these questions and more in a fascinating exclusive interview. It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, January 26, 2023
The 905 Round-Up: Roland Returns to the Show!
Roland returns to the show, and Joel has the privilege of bringing him up to speed on all he's missed around the 905 and the province in his absence. Share in the shock and awe! We recap privatization of health care. It turns out Hazel McCallion, who made her reputation on sprawl in Mississauga is now over seeing the Greenbelt. And speaking of which it appears our property taxes are poised to take a hike. It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, January 24, 2023
Michael Twigg Shares with The 905er a New Vision for The Greenbelt
The Greenbelt continues to be front stage in Ontario politics. Doug Ford's reversal on his stance to allow developers to begin building inside the Greenbelt is proving to be rather unpopular to say the least. According to the Ontario Progressive Conservative government the land is too valuable to not build housing on. However, is that the only way to view the Greenbelt? As a plot of land waiting to build housing on? Michael Twigg of the Smart Prosperity Institute says otherwise. He helped to author a paper which views the Greenbelt as an invest waiting to be made in the conservation of the land. Helping to preserve it to offset insurance costs, environmental concerns as well as the recreation values to be extracted from the Greenbelt. The paper goes on to see how actual fiscal rewards can be extracted from the land now, rather than as land speculation down the road. We speak with Michael on this episode about his report and how we can shift our thinking on the Greenbelt to something more productive for all Ontarians. Read the report here: https://institute.smartprosperity.ca/publications/investing-ontarios-greenbelt It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, January 19, 2023
The 905 Round-Up: Laura Babcock Guest Hosts
Joel is joined by guest host Laura Babcock for this episode. The last municipal election saw Hamilton being the only municipality which saw real change. An old council was effectively replaced by fresh blood. Bringing in new ideas and perspectives to solve long time problems in the city, and possibly re-shape the relationship between the city and possibly the 905 and the province. A few months later, we ponder has the lustre been lost from that vision? Laura chats with Joel about how new Mayor Andrea Horwath is settling into her new job as leader of the 6th largest city in Canada. And if she's in step with the needs of Hamilton? It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, January 17, 2023
Frank Domenic Chats with The 905er
While searching for stories to cover on this podcast, we often look through social media to keep an eye on what we think is relevant to life in the 905. In that process, we come across various personalities online. If you’re on Tiktok and follow anything political, chances are you’ve come across Frank Domenic. If you’re not entirely familiar with his online content we’ll provide a link to his profile in our show notes for you to get caught up. Those of you who do follow Frank, you are no doubt familiar with his passion for social equality, justice and fair play. As well as his equal criticisms of the Doug Ford and Justin Trudeau governments. Especially as both awkwardly navigate the effects of runaway inflation and the growing inequality in our economy. Frank caught our eye with his quick and effective criticisms of Doug Ford’s overreach in the Notwithstanding Clause against CUPE workers. And he continues to target the growing scandal list of the Ford government in their second mandate. As conservatives in Ontario seemingly enact more and more legislation without consultation of the public or accountability to anyone other than themselves, where does outrage and anger go? Is there a role for individuals like Frank and to be truthful us, to inform and channel that anger into something productive? Frank's Tiktok account: https://www.tiktok.com/@frankdomenic It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, January 12, 2023
The 905 Round-Up: Laura Steiner Guest Hosts
With Roland on a break for a bit, we reached out to a former guest of the podcast, Laura Steiner to come on and fill in on the mic. We pick up on our closing story of 2022, and how Doug Ford's greenbelt troubles are only starting. This week the OPP announced they were looking into what actually happened in Bill 23. As well what the results of no development charges will actually mean for a town like Milton and others like it in the 905. And lastly, it seems Burlington got a win, or did it? It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, January 10, 2023
Karl Dockstader and The 905er Ponder the Thin Blue Line
We are back from our break for 2023. Just prior to the New Year, word spread around the province of the tragic killing of OPP Officer Gzregorz Pierzchala in the line of duty, just outside of Hamilton. The accused in that case have been apprehended and will face their charges in a court of law. This episode is not about the details of that case. Instead this is about a tweet. Just after news of this tragedy spread across the province, condolences and messages of sympathy were expressed by all peoples towards Officer Pierzchala's friends, family and colleagues. One of those messages came from the Halton Police in the form of the Thin Blue Line logo on their Twitter feed. In response to that, Indigenous journalist and former guest to the podcast Karl Dockstader tweeted a response, advocating his unease at the imagery being used. Shortly afterwards the Halton PD took down the tweet. For many in the BIPOC community the Thin Blue Line imagery contains a lot of emotions and history to process. And yet in a time like this, that image is perceived by many in the law enforcement community as a sign of respect and honour to a fallen comrade. I wanted to chat with Karl to get his perspective on this and see where a common ground could be reached and what relations between all Canadians and their law enforcement services should look like in 2023 and beyond. It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, December 22, 2022
The Year That Was 2022
This is our last episode for 2022 folks! As per a yearly tradition, Roland and Joel look back at what they saw as their top stories of 2022. Without going too much into detail, the Halton Catholic School Board's fight over the Pride Flag as well as the surprising twists and turns of the Hamilton Municipal race topped out the stories. As we highlight in the episode, Hamilton is turning into a new media ecosystem with more and more new media filling in gaps in coverage. It's a trend we're proud to be a part of. As well, we look forward to what's next. Speaking of what's next, we look a head to 2023 and what we predict will be the top story for the beginning of the year at least. Our suspicion is that Doug Ford's greenbelt troubles are only starting. And that this will prove to be an even larger scandal as more and more details become known. This is it for us in 2022!!! We'll see you in 2023!!! This episode of The 905er is brought to you by our sponsor: South River Brewing. Listen to this episode to see how you can save money on your next order by visiting the link below: South River Brewing It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, December 20, 2022
Greenbelt Sell-Off Scandal: Tim Gray of Environmental Defence discusses the call for a Police Investigation
(Updated with corrected interview file.) Once again we are looking today at the Ford government’s attack on environmental protections, and its handing of power and financial windfalls to a small number of major developers who just happen also to be major PC donors. Last week Environmental Defence and Democracy Watch formally called for a police investigation into the circumstances surrounding apparent insider information leaks to developers ahead of the announcement of lands being removed from the greenbelt. Joining us to discuss the nature of the evidence, and the implications for both the environment and our democracy if the allegations prove to be true, is Tim Gray of Environmental Defence. Tim has over 25 years of experience developing and implementing environmental policy change efforts, and has worked with multiple governments across the political spectrum in pursuit of better environmental protections, working both with government, and alongside other activists on the front lines of the battles to combat climate change and defend the environment. This episode of The 905er is brought to you by our sponsor: South River Brewing. Listen to this episode to see how you can save money on your next order by visiting the link below: South River Brewing It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, December 15, 2022
The 905 Round-Up: Doug Ford Vs. Women
Doug Ford in a public interview shot back at criticism of his Bill 23 from Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie, by saying she should 'quit her whining'. Earlier this month he shot back at Auditor General Bonnie Lysyk's analysis of his government's handling of casino money laundering by telling her to stay in her lane. Why would he use such sharp language to these public figures? Our theory is that it's because they are both women. Which leads us to ask if Doug Ford has a problem with women criticising his actions? And then after the break we look at whether or not the Ontario NDP might have hurt their soon to be new leader Marit Stiles by not giving her a leadership race. How is it that the opposition couldn't find another person to run for the leader of that party and potentially becoming the next premier of Ontario? What does it say that no one else wanted the job? And does Ms. Stiles have a bigger problem now of introducing herself to the province? This episode of The 905er is brought to you by our sponsor: South River Brewing. Listen to this episode to see how you can save money on your next order by visiting the link below: South River Brewing It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, December 13, 2022
Dawn Danko Dishes on the HWDSB’s New Masking Policy
This month the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board reinstituted a masking policy. A decision which to no surprise drew the attention of both sides of this contentious debate. After a few pauses in the meeting, and a few removals of people by the police, the board was able to become the first board in Ontario to put in place an official masking policy. Why did the board decide to wade into this hotbed issue? We invited on board chair Dawn Renchko Danko to the podcast to find out the answer. This episode of The 905er is brought to you by our sponsor: South River Brewing. Listen to this episode to see how you can save money on your next order by visiting the link below: South River Brewing It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, December 08, 2022
Our 200th Episode Spectacular with a Special Guest
This podcast started as a bit of a passion project at the start of COVID-19. We wanted to be able to talk about the issues and news of the region in a way that legacy media just wasn't able to. A podcast seemed to be the best option to do that. Two years later, this is still a passion project for us but it's grown so much beyond just that for us. We have been wanting to grow and expand to reach more people and take this project to a next level. Recently an opportunity has presented itself to us to do just that. On this podcast we are joined by radio personality as well as podcaster, Dean Blundell as we announce our joining with his network to bring The 905er to a greater audience and help us develop resources to expand our coverage and storytelling for the next 200 episodes. This episode of The 905er is brought to you by our sponsor: South River Brewing. Listen to this episode to see how you can save money on your next order by visiting the link below: South River Brewing It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, December 06, 2022
Amber Crawford from AMO talks with the 905er about Bill 23
The latest law to upset Ontarians by the Doug Ford government is the More Homes Built Faster Act. Or Bill 23 as it's more affectionately referred to. This act is going to carve up 7,400 acres of the Greenbelt for developers to use free from oversight from conservation authorities and in violation of Premier Ford's word to Ontarians to leave the greenbelt alone. A major critic of the act is the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, or AMO. AMO is the go between organization for municipalities and Queen's Park to address the various issues and needs that would naturally arise. AMO is critical of the act, as it frees developers from the fees that they incur as part of the development process. Fees which go to pay for the upkeep of municipal services to the new developments and the cities at large. AMO predicts that the total loss revenue would total approximately $5 billion per year. As well as the unknown risk for municipalities in costs associated with flooding and other disasters, due to the stripping of oversight of Conservation Authorities. To better understand AMO's position and concerns, we reached out to them to invite them to the podcast for today's episode. Today we are joined by Amber Crawford, a senior policy advisor with AMO to present their case and to understand what the long term ramifications of this act could have down the road on the 905 and Ontario at large. This episode of The 905er is brought to you by our sponsor: South River Brewing. Listen to this episode to see how you can save money on your next order by visiting the link below: South River Brewing It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informa
Thu, December 01, 2022
905 Round-Up: Sewage Leaks, HATS in Hamilton and Greenbelt Spin
It turns out that the city of Hamilton continues to have problems with sewage. This time it appears that for 26 years raw sewage has been emptying out into Hamilton Harbour. The good news in this situation is that it also appears that Hamilton City Council is not covering it up and working to act proactively on the issue. A sign of things to come? We shall see. A few weeks ago we talked with now Councillor Ted McMeekin about the Hamilton Alliance for Tiny Shelters or HATS. For sometime they were looking for permanent site for the shelters, and it appears they are one step closer to it. A site on Barton St is where they are currently housed. Will it last? Lastly, Bill 23 has passed at Queen's Park. Critics have been pointing out the costs that will be downloaded onto the municipalities of the 905 on top of the loss of greenbelt land. However, the government is immediately going into spin mode to convince Ontarians that this will save them money. Spoiler: It won't. This episode of The 905er is brought to you by our sponsor: South River Brewing. Listen to this episode to see how you can save money on your next order by visiting the link below: South River Brewing It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, November 29, 2022
Nick Morrison Shares Safe Streets Halton’s Vision for The 905
A question we constantly come back to on this podcast is what do we want our communities to be like. One of the ways to accomplish this is to ensure that our streets are pedestrian focused and safe for all who are on them. This year a grassroots organization mobilized to bring this issue to the forefront of Halton politicians. Safe Streets Halton is a community organization focused on the elimination of traffic-related deaths and serious injuries in Halton region while promoting sustainable and healthy forms of transportation. It is a resource for the community and local government in reaching these goals and making Halton a safer and healthier region for all. We invited on Nick Morrison their founder to discuss with us Safe Streets Halton's vision for the 905. https://safestreetshalton.ca This episode of The 905er is brought to you by our sponsor: South River Brewing. Listen to this episode to see how you can save money on your next order by visiting the link below: South River Brewing It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, November 24, 2022
905 Round-Up: Is Doug Ford Good for Democracy?
There is a disturbing trend emerging in Ontario politics from the Doug Ford government. As Doug Ford pursues his vision of paving over the greenbelt to help out his developer friends, resistance is popping up in unexpected places. Most recently the Association of Municipalities of Ontario has made public their concerns regarding Bill 23. Namely that they project a cost of approximately $1 Billion a year to municipalities due to loss of development fees. As well as the untold projected costs of environmental damages due to the consequences of potentially building on flood plains or watersheds in the Greenbelt. What is Doug Ford's response? It turns out that AMO has been excluded from committee meetings. This isn't a unique trend. The Ford government is moving ahead with plans to curtail the democratic authority of municipalities by allowing votes to pass with only 30% of councillors support. With the recent use of the Notwithstanding Clause as a negotiation tactic, its clear to us that this government hates the idea of democracy. The idea that consultation and compromise is important to ensure the democratic process is vibrant and we all have a say in how our government is run. Instead this government continues to show that it is their way or the highway, consequences be damned. This episode of The 905er is brought to you by our sponsor: South River Brewing. Listen to this episode to see how you can save money on your next order by visiting the link below: South River Brewing It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphon
Tue, November 22, 2022
Franz Hartmann Talks to The 905er About Saving the Greenbelt
Bill 23, the More Homes Built Faster Act is the latest controversy from the Doug Ford Ontario PC Government. It is an abrupt violation of a promise Premier Ford made to voters last election to NOT touch the Greenbelt under any circumstances. Well apparently his word doesn't count for very much. The More Homes Built Faster Act would open up 7,300 acres of Greenbelt land to development. Letting sprawl spread once again over Ontario's fragile farmland. Despite the government's own Housing Task Force report last year citing numerous opportunities to build homes within in municipal boundaries already. The Ontario Greenbelt Alliance is a network of environmental groups in Ontario working to preserve the vital part of land called the Greenbelt. They are working hard to try and stop sprawl from taking over this delicate stretch of farm and green land. Franz Hartmann of the Alliance joins us today to talk about the group the issue of Doug Ford's breaking his word to let developers destroy the Greenbelt. This episode of The 905er is brought to you by our sponsor: South River Brewing. Listen to this episode to see how you can save money on your next order by visiting the link below: South River Brewing It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, November 17, 2022
The 905 Round-Up: Health Care Collapse and Land Grabs for the Rich
There is a lot to get to on this episode of the 905 Round-Up! We start off with a brief summary of the Halton District School Board's inability to come up with a dress code for it's teachers in light of the enormous controversy it found itself in last month. Then we dive into the ongoing issue of the collapse of our health care system in Ontario. As hospital after hospital reports their emergency rooms and ICU's closing due to staffing shortages where is the priority in fixing this crisis? After our break, we examine the continuing shifting of rules around development in the province. Under the guise of building homes, the rules are being stacked more and more in favour of developers in spite of democracy or the environment. Lastly, the St. Catharines Standard's front page story was how a living wage in the Niagara region was roughly $20 an hour. Yet the last big increase in minimum wage was only to $15. In this age of inflation how are people supposed to make ends meet if they can't be paid properly? As Ontario collapses we stay on top of it all... This episode of The 905er is brought to you by our sponsor: South River Brewing. Listen to this episode to see how you can save money on your next order by visiting the link below: South River Brewing It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, November 15, 2022
Sex Workers Rights in The 905
In 2012, the supreme court handed down a landmark ruling which struck down many of the laws surrounding prostitution and sex work in Canada, citing that the laws violated sex workers charter rights as they imposed a greater risk of harm on sex workers. The court gave at that time the Stephen Harper government time to re write the laws. The result was the Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act. A law which at the time was viewed as just rearranging the deck chairs of the issue and did not actively address the issues of safety surrounding sex work in Canada. In 2015 Justin Trudeau promised in his campaign to rescind the law. That never happened. To this date the law is still on the books and in effect. Although that may not be for much longer. In a repeat of 2012, last month sex worker advocates took action and filed a lawsuit in Ontario Courts to challenge the constitutionality of the Protection of Communities and Exploited persons Act. Should they succeed in their challenge laws surrounding sex work could be struck down once again in Canada, forcing Canada to once again update it’s laws. One of the groups involved with the court case is a Hamilton advocacy group, Sex Workers Action Program Hamilton. We reached out to their Executive Director Jelena Vermillion to chat with her about the court case and what they hope to accomplish. As well as the issue of sex work and sex workers rights in general in Canada. We would like to give our listeners a word of caution before beginning the episode as we do talk about sensitive and mature topics and our language can get rather frank in this one. Discretion is advised. This episode of The 905er is brought to you by our sponsor: South River Brewing. Listen to this episode to see how you can save money on your next order by visiting the link below: South River Brewing It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https
Wed, November 09, 2022
905 Round-Up: Doug Ford Rolls Over for CUPE
WOW!!! What a week! Doug Ford blinked before the entire province this week by capitulating to CUPE and revoking Bill 28. Meaning the imposed contract on CUPE workers is nullified as well as the use of the Notwithstanding Clause to trample worker's rights. All of this happened as a result of the mobilization and solidarity of the labour movement in Ontario. The likes of which haven't really been seen in a few generations. While that might sound like a reason to celebrate (it is), Doug Ford and his team haven't wasted any time to back track on previous promises that they've made to voters. Namely to keep the Greenbelt in tact. The Ford government has made announcements that they are intending to reallocate 7,400 acres of land to development. This is direct violation of the promise he made to voters when he was first elected in 2018. Will the people be able to stop this broken promise the way CUPE did? This episode of The 905er is brought to you by our sponsor: South River Brewing. Listen to this episode to see how you can save money on your next order by visiting the link below: South River Brewing It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S1 E191 · Tue, November 08, 2022
Heidi Bernhardt: ADHD Mythbusting
I’m writing this introduction at 1am, about 6 hours before this episode goes live. I’m doing so despite the fact I could have written and recorded this introduction more conveniently at almost any time in the last five days. Instead, I left it to the very last minute, and literally the most inconvenient and unpleasant time to write and record. The reason why I’d do such a counterintuitive and counterproductive thing is, I learned about three years ago, because I have ADHD, like some three to five percent of adults, and have done my whole life. It’s a neurodevelopmental disorder - which, among many other things, means it’s something physically built into my brain that makes me bad at doing the things I’d ideally like to do at the times I’d ideally like to do them. But I'm an expert at delving into unexpected by-ways, rabbit-holes and tangents. For me, it’s both a blessing and a curse. It’s both what has caused me to do the things I’m most proud of in my life, and the thing which has lain behind the greatest unhappiness. For others, it can be anything from a daily irritation to a debilitating lifelong condition. ADHD is the subject of today’s episode. Heidi Bernhardt, is a psychiatric nurse by training, mother of three grown sons with ADHD and the founder of the Centre for ADHD Awareness Canada (CADDAC), a Canadian charity dedicated to awareness, education, and advocacy for ADHD. Heidi was the Executive Director of the Canadian ADHD Resource Alliance (CADDRA), a national not-for-profit organization of the leading clinicians and researchers in ADHD in Canada, from 2006 to 2012. During these years she built CADDAC in her volunteer life, nationally incorporating CADDAC as a not-for-profit in 2006 and becoming the Executive Director and President from 2012 to 2019. Heidi currently focuses on the development of ADHD education and advocacy material and systemic advocacy while holding the role of Director of Education and Advocacy for CADDAC. She also continues to teach and present on ADHD for CADDAC. This episode of The 905er is brought to you by our sponsor: South River Brewing. Listen to this episode to see how you can save money on your next order by visiting the link below: South River Brewing It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supp
Thu, November 03, 2022
905 Round-Up: Doug Ford Uses the Nuclear Option to Get his Way
In Ontario there is only one thing anyone is talking about right now. As negotiations with CUPE hit an impasse, Doug Ford and Stephen Lecce are forcing a contract on CUPE members and invoking the Notwithstanding Clause in the process. The Clause essentially ignores the fact unions have a Charter right to negotiate in good faith with their employers. The precedent that this move would set is a dangerous one for all Ontarians going forward. When the clause was introduced into the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, it wasn't intended to be used as a negotiation tactic in union contracts. This egregious overreach on the part of Doug Ford and his government is the entire topic of today's episode. What are the repercussions for CUPE and other unions in the province, what would a protest actually look like, and what are the options going forward to ensure that Charter rights are exactly that...rights for all of us. This episode of The 905er is brought to you by our sponsor: South River Brewing. Listen to this episode to see how you can save money on your next order by visiting the link below: South River Brewing It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, November 01, 2022
Lorraine Sommerfeld: Auto Destruction.
We welcome back multi-award-winning journalist Lorraine Sommerfeld to the podcast. For readers in the Hamilton and Halton area, Lorraine may be most loved for her long-running Motherlode column in the Hamilton Spectator, but she is best known across Canada as an auto journalist who has worked for all of Canada’s three big national newspapers over he past two decades, and now writes for the National Post. But Lorraine is no stooge for the auto industry, nor is she someone who thinks all our problems will be solved by electric vehicles. She recently won an award for an article the new dangers being brought to our roads by electric vehicles. Another article took on one of the universally believed truisms of modern life - that the gas companies are gouging us more at the pump every day. Which leads us to the most profound question of all. How does an auto journalist who says Canadian gas is still cheap and what Canada needs most of all is fewer cars, not better ones, survive at the National Post? This episode of The 905er is brought to you by our sponsor: South River Brewing. Listen to this episode to see how you can save money on your next order by visiting the link below: South River Brewing It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, October 27, 2022
The 905 Round-Up: Doug Ford Ignores the Municipal Election
We recap a three and a half hour live stream of coverage of the municipal election results in the 905 region. What did we learn from Monday night's results? Also what should we expect from council tables in the region. All eyes are on Hamilton as the only city to actually embrace change in the region and elect new faces to their council. What are the challenges to be faced going forward? The Doug Ford government already is taking action to establish it's relationship with the municipalities in the province. With the NDP and the Liberals leaderless it will fall onto the muncipalities to provide opposition and hold his government to account for the issues facing Ontarians. Do the Mayors and Councils of the 905 have what it takes? Speaking of Doug Ford, before any council had a chance to be officially sworn in and meet in person, his government was already gutting conservation authorities and declaring their enthusiasm for Ministerial Zoning Orders. Ford and Minister of Municipal Affairs Steve Clark laid out a clear plan to over ride the environmental stewardship of conservation authorities and to use MZO's to push ahead housing in prime land surrounding the 905. What will this mean for development and council autonomy over the next four years? More erosion of powers, that's what. This episode of The 905er is brought to you by our sponsor: South River Brewing. Listen to this episode to see how you can save money on your next order by visiting the link below: South River Brewing It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megapho
Thu, October 27, 2022
Municipal Election Live Stream Catch-up
Did you miss the fun of the live results show on Monday? You did? Well do we have a treat for you. Over three hours of talk and analysis as the election results came in from across the province. We know you'll want to listen to every minute. And, you know what, the results were a lot of fun in some cities. There was genuine excitement in three cities at least where the mayoral race was extremely close, and it was an evening that saw a significant amount of change in quite a few places, even if other cities didn't see any change at all. This episode of The 905er is brought to you by our sponsor: South River Brewing. Listen to this episode to see how you can save money on your next order by visiting the link below: South River Brewing It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, October 20, 2022
905 Round-Up: Bad Trustees, MEXIT and Who’s Ahead in Hamilton?
This week, for your listening pleasure, we look at the contents of two previously confidential code of conduct reports against two controversial Halton Catholic School Board trustees and ask what it says about them and the trustee system; Mayor Bonnie Crombie's call for 'MEXIT' for Mississauga (more like 'MEH-XIT', amiright?); and the latest poll from Hamilton and whether it confirms our by-the-seat-of-our-pants guesswork last week about where the mayoral race seemed to be going, or whether we now have egg on our face. This episode of The 905er is brought to you by our sponsor: South River Brewing. Listen to this episode to see how you can save money on your next order by visiting the link below: South River Brewing It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, October 18, 2022
Kojo Damptey Talks to the 905er About Why He Won’t Quit
Racism has entered the Hamilton municipal race. Last week in Ward 14, candidate Kojo Damptey's bus shelter ad was vandalized by a poster saying "White Lives Matter" along with a link to a social media platform advocating white supremacist literature. The Hamilton Police Services have stated that they are treating this as a hate crime investigation. When something like this happens it draws our attention. We wanted to speak with the target of this intimidation, the candidate himself Kojo Damptey. Mr. Damptey is an Executive Director of the Hamilton Centre for Civic Inclusiveness. He is also a community leader and advocate along with educator. Would this attach deter his drive to win? What does this say about Hamilton and it's relationship with Anti-Black Racism? Will Kojo Damptey shy away from this intimidation? Find out by listening to the episode. This episode of The 905er is brought to you by our sponsor: South River Brewing. Listen to this episode to see how you can save money on your next order by visiting the link below: South River Brewing It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, October 13, 2022
905 Round-Up: Cowardly Candidates and Who’s Winning in Hamilton?
For this episode of the Round-Up we examine a disappointing trend in Halton of candidates for public office not showing up for debates. In the race for Halton Catholic School Board Trustees, a major debate was cancelled due to numerous candidates declining the invitation to attend. The Regional Chair position isn't fairing any better. These elections matter due to the power and influence they can have on the places we live. What is driving this troubling trend? What should we do about candidates not wanting to answer our questions? Democracy depends on proper engagement with the voters. When candidates don't show up to answer them, its a dark path we start down. Roland and Joel get quite heated about this one. Then, we look at how the Hamilton mayoral race is heating up. Despite our misgivings that this would be a snooze fest and Andrea Horwath would walk into the mayor's office without a fight, the race has been quite interesting. After a well publicized debate between Keanin Loomis and Andrea Horwath on Cable 14, the race has become a bit of a free for all. Horwath's campaign has struck out against commentator Laura Babcock for her support of Keanin Loomis, and third place Bob Bratina is resorting to the tried and true law and order tactic. Both Horwath and Bratina seemingly have their targets set on Loomis. Does that make him the front runner? We look at all of it and give you our analysis. This episode of The 905er is brought to you by our sponsor: South River Brewing. Listen to this episode to see how you can save money on your next order by visiting the link below: South River Brewing It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy
Tue, October 11, 2022
Halton Regional Chair Race - Andrea Grebenc
As we’ve mentioned before, we can’t cover every race, but we can highlight some of the races we think are most interesting. This week we're focusing on the Halton Regional Chair race. For the first time since the position became elected in 2000, there are three candidates in the race with clearly established credentials and contrasting platforms. Or, we assume they're contrasting, because two candidates have so far skipped all the debates, and also didn't reply to our invitation. Andrea Grebenc, former chair of the Halton District School Board did reply, and joined us to set out why she thinks she's the right choice for the job. The Region of Halton is home to half a million people and growing. It is a region usually considered to be among the most prosperous and safe in Canada, but which is home to a city and two towns (each themselves cities in all but name) experiencing the growing pains of intensification in municipalities designed almost entirely around cars, with no coherent regionally organized transit system. How Halton will grow as a region over the next half century exemplifies the challenges facing the 905 region. Andrea joins us to talk transit, housing, and more, as well as help us decide where exactly her two competitors are hiding. This episode of The 905er is brought to you by our sponsor: South River Brewing. Listen to this episode to see how you can save money on your next order by visiting the link below: South River Brewing It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, October 06, 2022
905 Round Up: Activists, Coyotes and Politics What More Do You Need?
It seems that in the 905, it belongs to the coyotes and we just live here. Coyotes continue to dominate the discussion around dinner tables in Burlington where 4 coyotes have been put down. Response from City of Burlington has been its people's fault for feeding or leaving food sources open for wild animals. This information isn't new to officials though. A conservation group Coyote Watch Canada put out a blog posting stating that as far back as 2014 they urged the City of Burlington to better educate the public on how to safely live with coyotes to prevent incidents like we've seen lately from happening. Why didn't the city take action then? After the break, a former guest of the podcast TVO Reporter Justin Chandler wrote an interesting article highlighting the fact that four candidates in Hamilton are former activists in various backgrounds, who are stepping up to the plate this election. Should they win what sort of change might Hamilton see? As well are activists in general good politicians? Short answer yes...long answer? Well check out the podcast! Coyote Watch Canada Blog: https://www.coyotewatchcanada.com/site/blog/2022/09/21/wildlife-encounters-are-preventable-if-timely-action-is-taken?fbclid=IwAR2gnV9hDD6TfTmMCc_rqmIM6QGl6_8mucKhVhhHnDVNze7DvL_ut3mujd4 Justin Chandler Article: https://www.tvo.org/article/what-happens-when-an-activist-runs-for-office This episode of The 905er is brought to you by our sponsor: South River Brewing. Listen to this episode to see how you can save money on your next order by visiting the link below: South River Brewing It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Vi
Tue, October 04, 2022
Taking the P Out of Politics: Racing to the Bottom in ’Bramton’ and the Hammer
Regular guest Alan Kan joins us again to chat about the latest news from the municipal election trail. And leading the pack for 'oh, good grief, really?' moments in this election are the good cities of Brampton and Hamilton. We look at the latest stories from those two cities, asking whether Patrick Brown's main challenger is much of an alternative, and whether what some assumed was a 'slam dunk' win for Andrea Horwath is being undone by, well, Andrea Horwath. Read and listen to Alan Kan at https://munipolimatters.substack.com/ This episode of The 905er is brought to you by our sponsor: South River Brewing. Listen to this episode to see how you can save money on your next order by visiting the link below: South River Brewing It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, September 29, 2022
905 Round-Up: When the Landlords Make the Rules
It's rare that we get to focus on federal politics when talking about the 905 region. However, we found our chance to with a story by Davide Mastracci over at Readpassage.com. His hard work discovered that close to 40% of all MP's were either landlords or invested in the housing market in some way. This list included recently crowned Conservative party Leader, Pierre Poilievre. Who got that crown by claiming he'd take on the gatekeepers holding back housing affordability. Well it seems that he is one of those gatekeepers. So isn't that a little hypocritical? Also, is it dangerous for any politician who's able to make decisions on the affordability of housing to be able to directly create or vote on legislation which can affect the price of housing? Roland and Joel have differing opinions on that one. After the break, we ponder what is the hold up on the $10 a day daycare that was promised to Ontarians prior to the election? Back then, we had on Minister Karina Gould to discuss the federal proposal and offer to fund the daycare program. At the 11th hour the Doug Ford provincial conservative government signed the deal taking it off the campaign table so to speak. Except we are now 6 months out from signing that agreement and we still do not have a roll out of the daycare plans. The federal government is concerned about what seems to be the Ford government's changes to the way funds would be distributed to providers, and Ontarian families who need the plan are left in the lurch. What's going on? Davide Mastracci's Article: https://readpassage.com/nearly-40-of-mps-invested-in-real-estate-during-housing-crisis/ Toronto Star Article on Daycare: https://www.thestar.com/news/investigations/2022/09/23/ontario-weakened-its-10-a-day-child-care-funding-rules-now-the-federal-government-is-demanding-answers.html This episode of The 905er is brought to you by our sponsor: South River Brewing. Listen to this episode to see how you can save money on your next order by visiting the link below: South River Brewing It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions.
Tue, September 27, 2022
Caryma Sa’d On Why the Freedom Convoy Came to Oakville
Last week, a picture shared to social media of a trans woman teacher at Oakville Trafalgar High School erupted into an international controversy. The showed the teacher in question wearing overly large prosthetic breasts covered with a tight sweater, with the outline of the prosthesis nipples visible. Needless to say this attracted a lot of attention to the school and the school board. While the Halton District School Board rushed to contain the public relations story, elements on the far right were already mobilizing to use the issue as a new front in their culture war. On Friday afternoon, Freedom Convoy members along with other protestors gathered outside the school's exits to demonstrate. Covering that demonstration was Caryma Sa’d. You are no doubt aware of Caryma's work on covering the Freedom Convoy. Well today she joins Joel and Roland to share what she saw and why this high school attracted so much attention. This episode of The 905er is brought to you by our sponsor: South River Brewing. Listen to this episode to see how you can save money on your next order by visiting the link below: South River Brewing It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, September 22, 2022
The 905 Round-Up: Corruption, When it Fits
It was brought to our attention that Burlington Councillor Paul Sharman's campaign was collecting donations from developers, which was helping to fuel his fourth time being elected to Burlington City Council. It brought people claiming that he was corrupt to come forward. We wanted to take a look at this and so we did. The thing is nothing Councillor Sharman has done is corrupt or in the wrong. It's all perfectly legal and in keeping with his self proclaimed values and priorities. If we're going to want a better democracy in the 905, Ontario and Canada, then we need to be better at criticizing our opponents. After the break, we travel up to Brampton to look at it's integrity commissioner finding Patrick Brown innocent of charges of using taxpayers funds to pay his staff for his failed Conservative leadership bid. But does that get him off the hook for everything else? This episode of The 905er is brought to you by our sponsor: South River Brewing. Listen to this episode to see how you can save money on your next order by visiting the link below: South River Brewing It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, September 20, 2022
The Race for Milton: Zeeshan Hamid
It may be over 20 years since Gord Krantz faced a serious challenger in Milton. Back then it was Colin Best who got as close as 1000 votes to beating Krantz, before settling for a long career as a Milton councillor. Zeeshan Hamid, first elected in 2010, has the background and credibility to launch a serious challenge to a mayor so confident in his position he acts as if it's 1965 and email hasn't been invented. Whatever the relative merits of Hamid and Krantz, we think this is a race worth watching. In our interview today, Zeeshan Hamid is detailed and refreshingly frank about the challenges facing Milton, and what he believes he can bring to the table if elected. Wherever you live, you should definitely listen to this interview before you go to the polls in October. If you live in Milton, because it will decide who leads your town. If you live elsewhere, because we need to hear what credible candidates are offering and demand the best from candidates where we live. This episode of The 905er is brought to you by our sponsor: South River Brewing. Listen to this episode to see how you can save money on your next order by visiting the link below: South River Brewing It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, September 15, 2022
905 Round-up: Scrooge McFord and the Coyotes
We live in a country where the prime minister can't even declare a national day of mourning. So Ontario's workers will work while millions upon millions elsewhere in Canada and the Commonwealth nations either spend the day watching the funeral of the late Queen Elizabeth II, or, just as validly, enjoying one of the tangible benefits of living in a constitutional democracy via an unexpected day off. But Uncle Doug knows best, right? Right. Two stories from Burlington. Is City Hall successfully walking the fine line of allowing councillors to do their jobs without using it as part of their re-election campaigns? Or are we seeing pattern of weakness by the city manager and clerk in the face of a strong mayor and her most loyal councillor? Would mayoral hopeful Marianne Meed Ward have accepted in 2018 what Mayor Marianne Meed Ward insists is business as usual in 2022? Hmm. And Burlington's coyote problem has escalated alarmingly and dangerously. Should things have been done differently? Should things change now? And what about those whistles? This episode of The 905er is brought to you by our sponsor: South River Brewing. Listen to this episode to see how you can save money on your next order by visiting the link below: South River Brewing It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, September 13, 2022
The Race For Hamilton - Keanin Loomis
In the run up to the municipal election on October 24th we want to give our listeners the opportunity to hear directly from candidates in some of the most hotly contested and important races. Unfortunately we simply can’t cover every candidate in every race, but there are certain high profile races where we hope to bring you interviews with the candidates who seem to us to be among the front runners. Nevertheless, exactly who we interview will depend as much on the candidates as on us. We can only interview those willing to be interviewed. We hope to speak to the three frontrunners in the race for Mayor of Hamilton, but only time will tell if all three would like to be interviewed. But we're kicking off today with an interview with Keanin Loomis. Keanin certainly got out of the gate early, and has been up front with policy ideas since day one. Will that be enough to tip the balance towards him and away from names that may be more familiar? This episode of The 905er is brought to you by our sponsor: South River Brewing. Listen to this episode to see how you can save money on your next order by visiting the link below: South River Brewing It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, September 08, 2022
905 Round-up: Another Fight with the Teachers is Brewing; Corporate Donations Still Dominating Politics
On the first day back at school we ask whether the province is looking for another fight with teachers, to restart the battle that was called off in March 2020. But teachers have been on the frontline of the COVID battle for the last two years, so don't they at least deserve pay increases that keep their salaries in line with inflation? The province says no. A story from the campaign trail in Hamilton highlights two points: the role of Third Party Advertising and the role of 'personal' donations which represent corporate interests. Did any good come out of the so-called ban on corporate donations, or were they just forced into a murky untraceable netherworld? This episode of The 905er is brought to you by our sponsor: South River Brewing. Listen to this episode to see how you can save money on your next order by visiting the link below: South River Brewing It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, September 06, 2022
The 905er Asks: ”What Makes a Strong Mayor”
As is the PC government's style since 2018, especially when it comes to municipal matters, a surprise announcement with major implications for at least two cities was announced as part of the throne speech on August 9th. It wasn't in the PC election platform (because they didn't publish a platform) and there wasn't even the pretence of consultations ahead of the announcement of a finalized plan to legislate. That announcement was the plan to introduce 'strong mayors' in two Ontario cities - Toronto and Ottawa - with the possibility that Hamilton could follow shortly afterwards. Prima facie, it's an idea worth at least discussing. Strong mayors exist in some of the world's most famous cities, and Ontario's 'weak mayors', some might suggest, are not so much weak and entirely lacking in power to do the job the public believes they are elected to do. But are the PC's plans well thought out? Or even slightly thought out? To discuss the implications and motivations, we are joined by André Côté, Head of the Secure and Responsible Tech Policy program at Toronto Metropolitan University. He also runs a mission-driven consulting firm that has worked with numerous clients on urban policy issues, as well as higher education, technology and public finance. Recent cities projects included a Canadian Urban Institute design lab for the new federal Housing Accelerator Fund; an Evergreen strategic foresight project with the City of Calgary; and supporting the Sidewalk Labs public consultations on behalf of Waterfront Toronto. These roles follow stints working for both the political and non-political sides of the government of Ontario, and as a manager at the Institute on Municipal Finance and Governance (IMFG). The result is a fascinating discussion of what makes cities tick, and whether the, er, Great Minds that produce policy for the provincial government have complex ulterior motives, or are producing legislation without much of a clue about how it is likely to work in practice. This episode of The 905er is brought to you by our sponsor: South River Brewing. Listen to this episode to see how you can save money on your next order by visiting the link below: South River Brewing It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er w
Thu, September 01, 2022
Alan Kan and Laura Steiner Bring The 905er Up to Speed
We have on this episode, old friends of the podcast! Laura Steiner of the Milton Reporter and Alan Kan of the Munipoli Matters Substack join us to give us their expert analysis of what this falls' municipal election could look like. As well as what to look for in the various races around the 905. You won't want to miss out! This episode of The 905er is brought to you by our sponsor: South River Brewing. Listen to this episode to see how you can save money on your next order by visiting the link below: South River Brewing It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, August 30, 2022
The 905 Round-Up - We’re Back from Summer!
Well we're back folks! After a restful recovery over the summer, from the tumult which was our most recent Ontario election, Joel and Roland decided to return to behind the microphones. Just in time for another election! This falls' municipal election. With the deadline to register as a candidate recently passed, we decided to take a look at who was throwing their hat in the ring for this election to decide the course of action for our communities in the 905 for the next four years. Let's just say our view of the playing field is less than optimistic. We give you our honest and no holds bar take on this election's offerings and ponder where is the vision and bold ideas that we need for the serious problems we all face in the region. This episode of The 905er is brought to you by our sponsor: South River Brewing. Listen to this episode to see how you can save money on your next order by visiting the link below: South River Brewing It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, August 25, 2022
Rebroadcast - The 905 Round-Up: Mayoral Rumours and Hamilton Social Media Hijinx
As one Ontario election ends, it appears that immediately we look at the upcoming municipal election in the fall. More specifically the rumours surrounding former Ontario NDP Leader, Andrea Horwath. For a little while now, the rumour mill has been circulating that Ms. Horwath is possibly looking to throw her hat in the ring for Hamilton Mayor this fall. What are her chances of winning? Should she run? More importantly, should the people of Hamilton reward another politician shopping around for elected offices? After the break, we look at social media shenanigans on the part of Larry DiIanni, who has no problem identifying male councillors by name and yet can't seem to remember the names of Maureen Wilson and Narinder Nann. Should we take such disrespect at face value as a slip of the fingers on Twitter? Or should we call out sexist behaviour as we see it? Lastly, yet another update on the ongoing saga at Burlington City Hall. Councillor Shawna Stolte seems to be getting what she asked for. The city is reviewing their procedures for in-camera sessions. So why the need to drag her name through the mud in the first place? Joel and Roland dive into all of this on this episode of the Round-Up! This episode of The 905er is brought to you by our sponsor: South River Brewing. Listen to this episode to see how you can save money on your next order by visiting the link below: South River Brewing It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, August 23, 2022
Rebroadcast - The 905 Round-Up: Bully Councillors and Secret Sales
Last week Mississauga's city council got in the news for something they didn't do. Specifically failing to address allegations of intimidation and vandalism on the part of one Councillor against another. Karen Ras repeatedly brought to the attention of the city that her car was being vandalized in her parking spot at city hall. Upon investigation by Peel police, they allege that her fellow Councillor Ron Starr. Why did the integrity commissioner fail to act for two years, and why was no action taken by the city council or Mayor Bonnie Crombie? Then Roland shares his perspective on the fact that Burlington city council is shaping up to make a major purchase of land from a former high school in the city. What is the problem with this plan? For starters, it all seems to be taking place behind closed doors. Meetings regarding the potential cost to purchase the former Robert Bateman High location are taking place in-camera. Meaning that public consultation isn't happening and that a lot of the details surrounding the plan are being kept from public scrutiny. Of course, we view this as bad, but why is it happening at all? And why does this seem to be a trend lately in how the city conducts its finances? This episode of The 905er is brought to you by our sponsor: South River Brewing. Listen to this episode to see how you can save money on your next order by visiting the link below: South River Brewing It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Don’t forget to check out 905er.ca , even if you get the podcast delivered to you automatically. We post additional news and stories there when we can, and welcome submissions and ideas for additional content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See <a href="https://acast.c
Thu, August 18, 2022
Rebroadcast - The 905 Round-Up: The Tories True Colours on Development
Originally aired on April 5, 2022 Don't worry, you didn't miss the week! Due to a scheduling conflict, our Thursday episode of The 905 Round-Up is today! This week had huge news in Hamilton. Local area MPP Donna Skelly earned some local headlines, by saying that #Hamilton city council made the wrong call in not expanding its urban boundary earlier this year. At the same time, the PC government tabled legislation based on the Housing Task Force report, and this gives a lot of power to developers, restricting municipalities in how they respond to proposals, and puts it all basically on the Ontario Land Tribunal to sort it out. It appears that the Tories are showing their true colours on development. This episode of The 905er is brought to you by our sponsor: South River Brewing. Listen to this episode to see how you can save money on your next order by visiting the link below: South River Brewing It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, August 16, 2022
Rebroadcast - A Stony Silence? Sarah Harmer, Graham Flint and Greg Sweetman debate the call for a moratorium on gravel mining.
Originally aired on March 22, 2022 If you live in the 905 Region, there is a good chance you live relatively close to a gravel quarry, and there’s a good chance that the existence of the quarry is or has been controversial. Aggregates, to give them their proper name, are one of the constituent ingredients in a huge amount of infrastructure. Multiple environmental groups have recently formed the Reform Gravel Mining Coalition aimed at province-wide change to the aggregates industry. They are calling for an immediate moratorium on all new gravel mining approvals in Ontario, to allow a pause and consultation on a new approach to balancing the need for aggregates for infrastructure with the needs of the environment. We are joined by Greg Sweetman, EVP of James Dick Construction to put the aggregate industry's case, and singer, songwriter and activist Sarah Harmer and activist Graham Flint, co-chairs of the Reform Gravel Mining Coalition, to explain why they think now is the right time for a moratorium. This episode of The 905er is brought to you by our sponsor: South River Brewing. Listen to this episode to see how you can save money on your next order by visiting the link below: South River Brewing It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, August 11, 2022
Rebroadcast - 2022 Provincial Election: The Ontario PC Platform (Somewhat)
Originally aired May 24, 2022 Last but not least, we present our review and take on the Ontario PC Party's platform, or lack thereof, for the provincial election. This episode of The 905er is brought to you by our sponsor: South River Brewing. Listen to this episode to see how you can save money on your next order by visiting the link below: South River Brewing It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes!20 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, August 09, 2022
Rebroadcast - Flavio Volpe Discusses the Aftermath of the Truck Blockades
Originally aired on March 1, 2022 Last year, we had on to the podcast Flavio Volpe, president of the Automotive Parts Manufacturers Association of Canada. We discussed their made in Canada entry into the world of electric vehicles. A bold and ambitious project to show to the world that the automotive industry here in Canada is poised to take on the 21st Century. We had followed developments of the project and wanted to reach out to him to give us an update and see how it was all unfolding. That was back in late January. Instead, the month of February saw us all glued to our phones and screens as we watched our nation's capital fall siege to the truck convoy and then the Ambassador Bridge between Windsor and Detroit was blockaded. Hundreds of millions of dollars were prohibited from crossing the border. Work was held up in both Canada and the US as badly need parts for assembly weren't delivered. Lines at factories across not only the 905 but all Ontario were shut down. Workers lost hours and wages due to no work being done. It was so bad that the Ford plant in Oakville was forced to shut down a line until the blockade was lifted. In the face of inaction by the federal and provincial governments, Flavio and the APMA took action to seek an injunction to end the blockade. Their decisive actions helped to give the police the direction and tools to end the blockade and open the bridge back up to trade. Needless to say, after this happened we knew our conversation wouldn't just be about Project Arrow. In this episode, we talk about it all. How the project has progressed, what drove them to take action against the blockades, what the current attitude is in the industry and what our reputation looks like to our largest trading partner. Read up on Project Arrow here: https://apma.ca/project-arrow/ This episode of The 905er is brought to you by our sponsor: South River Brewing. Listen to this episode to see how you can save money on your next order by visiting the link below: South River Brewing It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it re
Thu, August 04, 2022
Rebroadcast - The 905 Round-Up: Peel Trouble and Green Steel in Hamilton
On this episode of The 905 Round-Up, we have a special guest. Alan Kan writes a municipal politics blog titled #munipoli Matters. He is from Mississauga and often writes about what is going on in Peel Region. We invited him on to the podcast to give us a different perspective on what has been happening at Mississauga City Council with Karen Ras resigning over allegations of bullying and intimidation on part of another councillor. Then we look at Brampton City Council and its ongoing troubles with their CAO under charges of nepotism on part of Mayor Patrick Brown. What is going on and where is this going? Finally, Joel brings up the good news of Premier Doug Ford announcing a major investment in ArcelorMittal Dofasco to make their operations greener. But why now? Is it a deflection against criticism of the Ontario Government's handling of the Ottawa crisis and what has happened at the border to date? We talk about it all in today's episode. Read Alan's blog here: https://munipolimatters.substack.com/ This episode of The 905er is brought to you by our sponsor: South River Brewing. Listen to this episode to see how you can save money on your next order by visiting the link below: South River Brewing It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Don’t forget to check out 905er.ca , even if you get the podcast delivered to you automatically. We post additional news and stories there when we can, and welcome submissions and ideas for additional content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megapho
Tue, August 02, 2022
Rebroadcast - Denise Davy Discusses the Root Causes of Homelessness in the 905
In the last few weeks for this podcast, you might have noticed that a theme has appeared. Homelessness has crept into the forefront of discussions here in the 905. Especially in Hamilton, where the city has struggled to get a handle on the problem and find proper solutions. The public reception to the city’s policies has been controversial. In November, the police dismantled the homeless encampments in J.C. Beemer park leading to a large amount of criticism of excessive force and questioning if they were the best tool to solve the issue. Recently a grassroots initiative of building tiny shelters for the homeless on the site of the Sir John A MacDonald school showed real entrepreneurship and innovation to the problem. We had Ted McMeekin on to discuss the potential and hope for this initiative and how it might change the shape of Hamilton’s approach to homelessness in the future. However, we weren’t finished talking about this complex issue. Homelessness often gets framed in terms of a housing issue, rather than the complex one of social needs and mental health illnesses that often exist in the community. We wanted to get a better understanding of what exactly the issues happening on the ground were, and how we got here. Denise Davy is an award-winning journalist and former reporter for The Hamilton Spectator. Her book, “Her Name Was Margaret”, outlines the experience of Margaret, a woman Denise met who had been living for decades on the streets with severe mental illness. Denise has written numerous times on the issue of homelessness and its causes. We speak with her to understand better the issue how we need to reframe our conversations on homelessness if we are to solve it and work to help those on the streets. This episode of The 905er is brought to you by our sponsor: South River Brewing. Listen to this episode to see how you can save money on your next order by visiting the link below: South River Brewing It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closi
Thu, July 28, 2022
Rebroadcast - 905 Round-Up: Patrick Brown wants out of Brampton; and is the 905er anti-Urbanist?
Originally aired March 10, 2022 You just can't keep Patrick Brown out of the news this week, as his plan to run for the federal CPC leadership sees him put one story behind him, while another story is exploding in Brampton. We discuss what it says about him that he's trying to jump ship on another job. Then we look at a little bit of criticism we received for not being tough enough on Mayor John Taylor and what role the municipalities played in the creation of the Affordability Task Force Report. Is the Affordability Task Force Report "good" for Urbanists, or a superficial nonsense that would blow up in the government's face if ever implemented word for word? We love the feedback, both good and bad, so keep it coming! This episode of The 905er is brought to you by our sponsor: South River Brewing. Listen to this episode to see how you can save money on your next order by visiting the link below: South River Brewing It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Don’t forget to check out 905er.ca , even if you get the podcast delivered to you automatically. We post additional news and stories there when we can, and welcome submissions and ideas for additional content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, July 26, 2022
Rebroadcast - Mayor John Taylor Takes on the Housing Affordability Taskforce
Originally aired March 8th, 2022 On February 8th, the province’s Housing Affordability Task Force released its report on how to make housing more affordable in this province. Nobody can claim the recommendations aren't radical. And while the objectives of housing affordability are shared by all, and some of the ideas contained in the recommendations have been championed by advocates for less car-centric cities, many have argued that the specific recommendations would not achieve their stated goals, and place all the blame on the municipalities for getting in the way of developers -- perhaps not surprising given the municipalities were not consulted in the creation of the report. To better understand the criticism against the Task Force’s recommendations we invited the Mayor of Newmarket, John Taylor, on to the podcast. Mayor Taylor, along with other mayors including Burlington's Marianne Meed Ward, was at the forefront of the 'Small Urban GTHA Mayors' group released a statement on February 18th detailing the issues they had with the report. Mayor Taylor was first elected as a councillor in 2006 and held the position for 12 years before becoming Mayor. In 2014, as Chair of the Human Services Planning Board, John spearheaded a campaign called “Make Rental Happen” which conducted research and advocacy that led to the construction of the first major purpose-built rental building in York Region in over 25 years. He is the Chair of Housing York Inc., a member of the Human Services Planning Board (HSPB) of York Region, and a member of the Association of Municipalities Ontario’s Housing Task Force. He also sits on the Newmarket Economic Development Advisory Committee and the Board of Newmarket Tay Hydro. Today Mayor Taylor joins us as the head of the Affordable Housing Subcommittee of the Small Urban GTHA Mayors. This episode of The 905er is brought to you by our sponsor: South River Brewing. Listen to this episode to see how you can save money on your next order by visiting the link below: South River Brewing It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please co
Thu, July 21, 2022
Glyn Bowerman of Spacing Radio
Originally Aired June 14, 2022 This week we are joined by Glyn Bowerman of the Spacing Radio podcast. Spacing is something special and increasingly rare - a quarterly magazine printed on paper. But Spacing is also an important website and a highly recommended monthly podcast, hosted by Glyn. It all its formats, Spacing exists specifically to promote ideas and discussion relating to urbanism in Canada’s cities. Although it looks especially at urban issues in Canada’s big cities - Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Ottawa and Edmonton - it also explores the subjects which are very familiar to everybody in the 905 region. Check out Spacing at https://spacing.ca/ and make sure you subscribe to the Spacing Radio podcast wherever you get your podcast episodes. This episode of The 905er is brought to you by our sponsor: South River Brewing. Listen to this episode to see how you can save money on your next order by visiting the link below: South River Brewing It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, July 19, 2022
Halton’s Boundary Expansion Vote - Paul Sharman and Jane Fogal Share Their Perspectives
Originally Aired February 22, 2022 Halton Regional Council has just taken one of the most important votes it is likely to take this decade. At a meeting that went late into the evening last Wednesday, with over 50 delegates attending to give their opinions, the regional councillors voted 15-9 for a motion that will prevent the Region from updating its Official Plan to allow boundary expansion for further development. In doing so, Halton became the second council in recent months to vote against boundary expansion, in the face of both provincial and industry pressure to open up more lands for development. Indeed, Halton followed Hamilton’s lead in seeing a quickly established ‘Stop Sprawl Halton’ movement, mirroring Hamilton’s successful Stop Sprawl HamOnt campaign. It appears that the movement to end low-density sprawl in the 905 has gained huge momentum in the last four years. We wanted to speak to people on both sides of this debate, to give their arguments for why the boundaries should expand, or why they should stay the same. To that end, we invited two councillors who took part in last week’s vote to answer questions. Councillor Paul Sharman has been City and Regional Councillor for Burlington’s Ward 5 since 2010. In this role, he has frequently served as chair of city committees and boards has worked to implement Burlington’s net carbon-neutral plan, as well as representing the interests of his ward. Prior to entering politics, Councillor Sharman had a successful career in the private sector as an organization performance management consultant. Last week Paul Sharman was among the 9 councillors, including the mayors of Halton Hills and Milton, who voted in favour of urban boundary expansion. Councillor Jane Fogal has served her community in Halton Hills for over seven terms, dating back to 1997. She introduced the Climate Emergency Declarations at Halton Hills and Halton Region, and chairs multiple committees. She has been a core member of the Stop Sprawl Halton group and is co-chair of Halton Hills Climate Action. She voted with fourteen other councillors, including the mayors of Burlington and Oakville, last Wednesday to halt boundary Expansion in Halton until 2041. This episode of The 905er is brought to you by our sponsor: South River Brewing. Listen to this episode to see how you can save money on your next order by visiting the link below: South River Brewing It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners als
Thu, July 14, 2022
Rebroadcast - Grandmother’s Voice - Indigenous Women Leading a New Type of Healing and Reconciliation
Originally aired June 21, 2022 At the same time as the history of the Residential Schools was exploding on the front pages of newspapers, two women in Halton were creating something new and unprecedented with the potential to do much to bring about a genuine knowledge of the truth, and a real road towards reconciliation. They are seeking to bring healing to all based on indigenous treatments for, in their words, “healing of the body, mind, soul and spirit while connecting to the land.” Jody Harbour and Sherry Saevil are the two co-founders of Grandmothers Voice, the first urban Indigenous Center in Halton, but also a new kind of education and wellness centre where a collective of Indigenous Women are providing programs that emphasize healing based on traditional methods, open to all. This includes a Healing/Medicine garden, a Wellness Centre and a Community garden. But as you’ll hear in our conversation with Jody and Sherry, it seems like Grandmother’s Voice has the potential to grow from its Halton origins into something of national importance. https://www.grandmothersvoice.com/ This episode of The 905er is brought to you by our sponsor: South River Brewing. Listen to this episode to see how you can save money on your next order by visiting the link below: South River Brewing It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, July 12, 2022
Rebroadcast - Alex Bishop: Whatever Happened to Vision Zero In Hamilton?
Originally Aired April 12, 2022 There is carnage on the streets of Hamilton in recent weeks. It's too easy in the world of journalism and current affairs to reach for overly dramatic language when describing a problem. Too easy to suggest a disagreement is a crisis, or an inconvenience is a calamity. But if there is any word other than 'carnage' to describe what has been happening on Hamilton's streets in recent months, we'd like to hear it. Death after serious injury after death has been announced, reaching a grim milestone two weeks ago when much-loved conductor Boris Brott, who brought classical music to thousands upon thousands of Canadians, was senselessly killed in an alleged hit and run incident. Only weeks before, three people were killed by a car crashing into a sidewalk. Days later, a young man was killed on the mountain by another hit and run incident. Hamilton is signed up to Vision Zero ... an objective to eliminate road deaths through better design. As Vision Zero Canada states, "The essence of Vision Zero is not a nice sentiment or a target. It is, rather, the action of continuously and preemptively removing the very possibility of violence (and that means serious injury as well as death) from our transportation systems." It is about making so called 'accidental' road deaths and serious injuries impossible. But that objective appears to be a very long away from realization. To talk about this subject and much more, and the resistance of some Hamilton Councillors to consider anything that might inconvenience drivers, we spoke to Alex Bishop. Alex Bishop ( alexbishop.info ) is a business leader and consultant to executives and politicians. He has successfully created hundreds of millions of dollars in funding for mental health programs and has advocated to prevent legislation that would have trampled on Indigenous People’s Rights. His firm was credited by CUPE Ontario as the reason Ontario Schools didn’t go on strike in 2019. His advocacy work stems from turning his life around and getting sober in 2011 and a realization that any privilege comes with a duty to give back. He writes regularly for National Publications as well as being a regular contributor on television. He is most proud of being a father of two extraordinary children. This episode of The 905er is brought to you by our sponsor: South River Brewing. Listen to this episode to see how you can save money on your next order by visiting the link below: South River Brewing It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becomi
Thu, July 07, 2022
Rebroadcast - The 905 Round-up: The Shawna Stolte Saga
Originally aired on April 21, 2022 We have talked about a lot of bad behaviour at city halls in the two years this podcast has been running. We've seen bullying and threats on social media. We have seen councillors who see their entire reason for existence as disrupting and derailing council meetings. We've seen activists and volunteers abused and cross-examined for hours as councillors call their integrity into question. There are councillors who don't understand the most basic aspects of their job, who constantly need to be reminded about how meetings are supposed to be run. There are councillors who frankly don't work very hard, but get re-elected because nobody ever knows. There are councillors who work part time on other jobs. There are councillors who seem to take pride in just how rude they can be to constituents. None of these things apply to Shawna Stolte. Stolte has been a hard-working councillor since she was elected in 2018. She has worked especially hard on Burlington's tree by-law, housing affordability, and ensuring openness and transparency in council business. In council meetings she is polite and respectful and the opposite of disruptive - even at a meeting that talked for three hours about how much pay she should be docked. Whether you agree with specific policies or not, Stolte has been an exemplary councillor. She has now announced that she will not seek re-election in October 2022. Why? Because of complaints made by her colleagues against her of revealing confidential information. These complaints followed Stolte's campaign to have clearer rules via an updated Closed Session Protocol, a campaign that has frequently exasperated and irritated colleagues who make it clear they can't see any point. We dedicate this whole episode to discussing one of the most counter-productive and unhappy instances in recent Burlington history. This episode of The 905er is brought to you by our sponsor: South River Brewing. Listen to this episode to see how you can save money on your next order by visiting the link below: South River Brewing It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your prioriti
Tue, July 05, 2022
ReBroadcast - The Canadian Way: Eleanor McMahon and the Trans Canada Trail
Originally aired on March 15, 2022 Among the unexpected consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, surely one of the better ones is a nationwide rediscovery of the Canadian outdoors. Today we are joined by Eleanor McMahon, President and CEO of the Trans Canada Trail . Eleanor has over 30 years of experience within the private, public and non-profit sectors in a resume that defies easy summary because of the sheer number of areas in which she has played a leading and influential role. But she is perhaps best known as the founder of the Share the Road Cycling Coalition - formed in the wake of the tragic death of her husband - and then for the period between 2014 to 2018 when Eleanor served as MPP for Burlington, entering the Ontario cabinet as Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport and later President of the Treasury Board. But the reason we are speaking to Eleanor McMahon today is not connected to any of those achievements but in connection with her current role as President and CEO of the Trans Canada Trail. As we shall hear today, the Trans Canada Trail is much more than a pathway across Canada. Much more than “just” the largest trail in the world. Eleanor describes the numerous ways in which in the first thirty years since the Trans Canada Trail concept was born, it has come to embody and symbolize something truly important for our heterogeneous nation. This episode of The 905er is brought to you by our sponsor: South River Brewing. Listen to this episode to see how you can save money on your next order by visiting the link below: South River Brewing It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on
Tue, June 28, 2022
905 Round-Up: Rent’s Up, Gary’s Back, and Peel School Board is Dysfunctional
In our last episode before our summer break, we look at some different stories from around the 905. Rents have jumped in the last year. Why, and what are we doing about it? Gary Carr has announced he is running for Regional Chair again, torpedoing Jane McKenna's hope of an easy election to be regional chair of Halton. Does McKenna have what it takes to be a serious challenge to Carr? We look for evidence. And Peel District School Board has a racism problem, as trustees resist doing what the province has ordered them to do, and abolish streaming. We'll be back in good time for the municipal elections. Until then, have a great summer! This episode of The 905er is brought to you by our sponsor: South River Brewing. Listen to this episode to see how you can save money on your next order by visiting the link below: South River Brewing It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, June 23, 2022
905 Round-Up: Alan Kan talks about what to expect this falls Municipal Elections
We invited back to the podcast, fellow amateur municipal political pundit Alan Kan. For those who might not remember Alan writes the #munipoli matters newsletter, focusing on the news and politics of municipalities not just here in the 905 but across the country as well. Today we talk with him and ask him to share his take on what he predicts will be the more interesting municipal elections in the region. Coming off the provincial election outcome, the fall's municipal election is already starting to heat up. Check out Alan's newsletter here: https://munipolimatters.substack.com This episode of The 905er is brought to you by our sponsor: South River Brewing. Listen to this episode to see how you can save money on your next order by visiting the link below: South River Brewing It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, June 16, 2022
905 Round-up: Withering House Prices / Whither the Ontario Liberals after a Second Electoral Calamity
For the first time in a long time home-owners and home-buyers in the 905 are facing the prospect of house prices that go down instead of up. Is this entirely bad? A needed but hopefully limited adjustment triggered by interest rates? An unexpected fix to affordability? Or none of the above? The Ontario Liberals are beginning a new phase of reflection and self-analysis after finishing the provincial election exactly where they finished in 2018 - with a handful of seats and without official party status. Some voices claim that it's because the party is still perceived as too left wing? Does that really have anything to do with why the party completely failed to grasp the imagination of Ontarians? (Hint: no.) This episode of The 905er is brought to you by our sponsor: South River Brewing. Listen to this episode to see how you can save money on your next order by visiting the link below: South River Brewing It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, June 07, 2022
Myles Rusak Jams withThe 905er about the Sound of Music Festival
It's time to look forward to summer again. One of the largest music festivals in Canada happens right here in the 905. This year bands like Finger Eleven, The Trews and The Tea Party are playing to crowds of hundreds of thousands on Father's Day weekend in downtown Burlington. And most important, it's free. Yes, that's right free! The previous two years have been challenging for artists and live music fans due to the pandemic restrictions. However, as we start to put that behind us, it's time to get back to enjoying the things we love. To give us some insight into the challenges of coming back from a global pandemic stronger than ever, and to show us what to expect at this year's festival, we asked Myles Rusak the Executive Director of the Burlington Sound of Music Festival to join us. Myles is clearly a music fan, and if you're one too, you're going to want to listen to this episode. Festival webpage: https://www.soundofmusic.ca This episode of The 905er is brought to you by our sponsor: South River Brewing. Listen to this episode to see how you can save money on your next order by visiting the link below: South River Brewing It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Trailer · Thu, June 02, 2022
Join Us On YouTube For Our Live Election Webcast
Join us on YouTube at 9pm this evening (2nd June) when the polls close as Roland, Joel and special guests discuss the Ontario election results and what they mean for the 905 region. Here's the link you'll need: https://youtu.be/AMBnJb-JqT0 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, May 31, 2022
905 Round-Up: Ontario’s Election is Missing, Presumed Dead
Don't miss our election night live stream on Thursday. We'll spice up this election or die trying. Either way, it should be a fun evening for our listeners, and we're hoping to have some special guests. Join us and drown your sorrows or unexpectedly celebrate the (what colour do you get if you merge Green, Orange and Red?), er, 'Brown Wave'© of 2020. But, so far, this is not looking to be an election for the ages, unless something very unexpected happens on Thursday. Doug Ford's government has spent four years providing clear evidence that it would struggle to organize a fun evening at a brewery, while the sticker-magnate premier failed to make a sticker stick or a licence plate show up in the dark. But there was much worse. Seniors dying of COVID, abandoned by staff and and completely unprotected as the disease spread unhindered. Vacillation and ineptitude over multiple failed attempts to control spread by colour-codes and levels we've all now long forgotten. Federal COVID relief funds misappropriated and misused. And right back at the start in 2018, a budding green economy pointlessly destroyed. And yet it looks very much like Ontarians are about to convey a renewed mandate, while both Andrea Horwath and Steven Del Duca appear to be failing to land a single truly significant blow on Doug Ford during this election. W, as the the saying goes, TF? And talking of unbelievable, Councillor Terry Whitehead, Hamilton's regular entrant in the crowded field of challengers for 'worst councillor in Ontario', really went off on one last week, launching an extraordinary attack on the leftist cabal he claims is trying to take over the city. All we can say is that Comrade Danko's disguise as a middle-of-the-road moderate is pretty darn convincing, and he's keeping his copy of Das Kapital well hidden underneath a well-crafted disguise of stockbroker chic. And Councillors Wilson and Nann seem more like entirely reasonable and at least lucid voices on council than the shock troops of Hamilton's leftist fifth column.* Whitehead's ranting and raving gives serious concern for his wellbeing, and yet with the way local democracy works in this province, does his bizarre behaviour even actually harm his re-election chances? This episode of The 905er is brought to you by our sponsor: South River Brewing. Listen to this episode to see how you can save money on your next order by visiting the link below: South River Brewing It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.p
Thu, May 26, 2022
The 905 Round-Up: Bateman Highs and Lows
The saga surrounding Robert Bateman High in Burlington continues! First off we look at the Aird & Berlis report clearing the City Council of wrong doing in the Shawna Stolte disciplinary matter. While technically they are in the right, there is a big caveat of whether or not they should keep going with how they have been acting so far. Roland lays out a big criticism of the city council that still lingers over the whole affair. Then after the break, Joel looks at the city finally getting around to asking for public input on the purchase of Robert Bateman High. Only there isn't a lot more information than what is out there already. How are people supposed to make an informed decision when they don't have all the facts. Namely an estimate of cost to the public treasury. While technically this is a public consultation, it is the bare minimum of one in our opinion. We discuss it. ***NOTE*** On this episode we had some technical issues on the recording and so the quality is not up to our usual standard. We did not have time to re-record the episode and so we had to make do. This episode of The 905er is brought to you by our sponsor: South River Brewing. Listen to this episode to see how you can save money on your next order by visiting the link below: South River Brewing It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, May 19, 2022
The 905 Round-Up: The Proof is in the Polling
Here is The 905 Round-Up! Coming off our episodes on the Green Party, NDP and Ontario Liberal Party platforms, we get a chance to dive into some polling data! Abacus Data issued a poll on Monday, May 16th, which seemed to back up a lot of what Roland and Joel have been saying about the performance of the so-called progressive parties in this election. Then after the break, we look at a story from The Spec showing that a ban on drinking in public parks by law, hasn't existed since 2005. So why were fines issued in 2021? And more than that, why do we ban drinking in public parks at all? Isn't it time to update our Victorian-era Puritanical laws on alcohol? Lastly, as it turns out Brampton is a very diverse and multicultural city in the 905. So why doesn't its city hall bureaucracy match the facts? No doubt it's due to the fact that city halls are slow to adapt and change. And in case you were wondering, yes this is what structural racism looks like. This episode of The 905er is brought to you by our sponsor: South River Brewing. Listen to this episode to see how you can save money on your next order by visiting the link below: South River Brewing It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, May 17, 2022
2022 Provincial Election - The Ontario Liberal Platform
In keeping with our coverage to date of the Ontario Provincial Election, here is Joel and Roland's take on what works and what doesn't in the Ontario Liberal Party Platform. This episode of The 905er is brought to you by our sponsor: South River Brewing. Listen to this episode to see how you can save money on your next order by visiting the link below: South River Brewing It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, May 12, 2022
The 905 Round-Up:Tory Riding Bonuses and Scandal in the Red Hill Valley
This week saw the media and political parties foam at the mouth at the revelation by the NDP that Lisa MacLeod, Ontario PC MPP in Nepean was given an allowance of $44,000 over the last four years from her riding association. Further investigation saw that up to 8 other PC MPPs took thousands of dollars from their riding associations in similar manners. Including here in the 905, Mississauga East-Cooksville MPP, Kaleed Rasheed. While many at first looked at this as a clear scandal of financial abuse, Roland wrote for our website a detailed article on why it is not. Joel and Roland debate the ethics of this and whether or not this is actually a scandal or just a case of too much money to spend. Then, after the break, Roland and Joel focus their attention on Hamilton. Specifically, the latest revelations of the Red Hill Valley Parkway scandal. How did Hamilton get to this point? While the truth is slowly coming out, we have to wonder whether or not a culture of obtuseness, secrecy and arrogance was a factor in this report and truth being so difficult to come to the surface. These traits in 905 municipal governments are a troubling trend. Both Roland and Joel explore what this means for the region. This episode of The 905er is brought to you by our sponsor: South River Brewing. Listen to this episode to see how you can save money on your next order by visiting the link below: South River Brewing It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, May 10, 2022
2022 Provincial Election: The Green Party Platform
The Green Party of Ontario's platform gets the 905er treatment today. But first, are we even smart enough to manage to download the darn thing? Listen to find out. This episode of The 905er is brought to you by our sponsor: South River Brewing. Listen to this episode to see how you can save money on your next order by visiting the link below: South River Brewing It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, May 05, 2022
The 905 Round-Up: Elections Season is Here, so Off My Lawn!
Joel and Roland take a look away from the Ontario election beginning and focus on the municipal candidates declaring their candidacy for this falls election. Why is there such ridiculousness around the public property not being used for campaigning? It is publicly owned and are we not smart enough to know a campaign when we see it? They are already used enough by sitting councillors and mayors in between elections. Level the playing field. Then we look at the potential legal minefield the City of Hamilton is going into with their declaration that unvaccinated transit workers will be terminated on May 31. The problem is a combination of poor rules from the province and delayed action by the city in our opinion. We dive into it! This episode of The 905er is brought to you by our sponsor: South River Brewing. Listen to this episode to see how you can save money on your next order by visiting the link below: South River Brewing It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, May 03, 2022
2022 Provincial Election - The NDP Platform
Following our interviews with the leaders of the Greens and Ontario Liberals in the last two weeks, we take a look today at the NDP's platform for the election which gets properly underway on Thursday. The NDP are first out of the gate with their full platform, and we choose the things we think are good and not so good from the NDP's program for government. In the coming weeks we'll turn our attention to the other party platforms as and when they become available. This episode of The 905er is brought to you by our sponsor: South River Brewing. Listen to this episode to see how you can save money on your next order by visiting the link below: South River Brewing It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, April 28, 2022
The 905 Round-Up: A Mayor’s Response and COVID’s Unfinished Business
The 905 Round-Up is up and running! Coming off our coverage of the Burlington City Council's decision to reprimand Councillor Shawna Stolte we look at the very public and lengthy response to the situation from Mayor Marianne Meed-Ward. The Mayor pins the situation as a necessary task for the common good and explains the decision by relying on the integrity commissioner's report. However, there is a nuance to be explored here. And the secretive nature of Burlington City Council's repeated use of in-camera meetings without providing justification or explanation remains unaddressed. Roland and Joel look at the story and ponder just how damaged the relationship between the council and its citizens has been eroded after this sordid bit of Burlington history. Then after the break, we examine the rising cases of COVID-19 in Hamilton as well as the province at large. It seems that people are eager to ignore that a pandemic is still happening. While lockdowns have grown to be unnecessary in the current wave, there have emerged other problems that are not being addressed. Namely the fact that worker sick days are not flexible enough to handle the wave of illness we are facing. A new deal for workers coming out of COVID may be necessary. However, going into this year's provincial election none of our political parties seem to be wanting to address it. We take a look at all of it in this episode. This episode of The 905er is brought to you by our sponsor: South River Brewing. Listen to this episode to see how you can save money on your next order by visiting the link below: South River Brewing It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more
Tue, April 26, 2022
The Party Leaders Speak – Steven Del Duca
In the second of our interviews with Ontario party leaders, this week we are joined by Steven Del Duca, leader of the Ontario Liberal Party. Steven Del Duca was first elected to the legislature in 2012 when he became MPP for Vaughan following the retirement of Greg Sorbara. In 2014 he became Minister of Transportation, one of the most high-profile ministries in the Wynne government. He lost his seat in 2018 as part of the Liberal collapse, but in the ensuing leadership election in March 2020, he became leader of the Ontario Liberals on the first ballot with overwhelming support from the party membership. In what appears to be a highly confusing polling landscape just days before the election writs are issued, the Ontario Liberals appear to be running marginally ahead of the NDP, with a seat projection that might put them back into second place, but far from forming a majority. The extent to which Del Duca can make an impact with Ontario voters over the next few weeks will be crucial in deciding whether the OLP and NDP split the progressive vote, or one of them is able to unite the public behind them enough to prevent a second term for Doug Ford. This episode of The 905er is brought to you by our sponsor: South River Brewing. Listen to this episode to see how you can save money on your next order by visiting the link below: South River Brewing It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, April 19, 2022
The 905er Asks the Leaders the Tough Questions - Mike Schreiner
As promised, we are bringing you our talks with the leaders of the major Ontario political parties prior to the campaign starting next month. We had wanted to do this for some time leading up to the election. A chance to sit down with the various leaders and get a sense of how well they grasp the issues and problems we face here in the 905. Our goal was a simple interview where they would answer our questions, free from soundbites, spin and rhetoric. A chance for them to really project their vision for the region and province. And a chance for you to listen and really grasp if they got the issues or not. The idea was if you liked what they said, or if you didn't do well then it would be the fault of the leaders, not us. To that end, we bring you our episode with Mike Schreiner of the Green Party of Ontario. Mike is the first Green Party MPP elected to the legislature and currently represents the riding of Guelph as of 2018. He is of course looking to expand his party's seat count in the legislature and has his eyes on the 905 as a region that would respond well to his party's policies. This episode of The 905er is brought to you by our sponsor: South River Brewing. Listen to this episode to see how you can save money on your next order by visiting the link below: South River Brewing It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, April 14, 2022
The 905 Round-Up: The Downside of Nomination Meetings
This episode of the 905 Round-Up is short and sweet this week. Due to Joel feeling under the weather it was decided to keep this episode to the point. As well, despite Joel's assertions, the day after recording this episode he tested again and discovered indeed that he contracted COVID. Reminder folks! Masks work! The NDP made news this week when sitting MPP Kevin Yarde in Brampton was ousted by his own riding association in a nomination meeting for Sandeep Singh. In Brampton North, approximately 150 people were able to over rule the voice of 100,000 people before the provincial election this June. What does it say about our democracy when so few people in a riding association are able to decide the candidates to represent so many people in our places of power? Joel and Roland are no stranger to the machinations and mischief that can happen at nomination meetings. This episode they use their insight to critique something that all parties in Canada are guilty of and ponder how can the system be made more democratic and transparent for all citizens in a democracy? This episode of The 905er is brought to you by our sponsor: South River Brewing. Listen to this episode to see how you can save money on your next order by visiting the link below: South River Brewing It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, April 07, 2022
Halton Police Chief Steve Tanner Discusses the Opioid Epidemic
[The incorrect file was initially uploaded with this episode. It has now been corrected.] At the same time as society has been dealing with COVID-19, another public health crisis has been taking place. This is the epidemic of deaths being caused across North America by overdoses above all from synthetic opioids like Fentanyl. To discuss the scale and nature of the problem, we spoke to Halton Regional Police Service Chief Steve Tanner. Chief Tanner was born in Oakville and entered the police service in 1982. After stints in Guelph, Belleville and Kingston, he returned home to Halton as Chief of the Halton Regional Police Service in 2012. This episode of The 905er is brought to you by our sponsor: South River Brewing. Listen to this episode to see how you can save money on your next order by visiting the link below: South River Brewing Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, April 07, 2022
Halton Police Chief Steve Tanner Discusses the Opioid Epidemic
At the same time as society has been dealing with COVID-19, another public health crisis has been taking place. This is the epidemic of deaths being caused across North America by overdoses above all from synthetic opioids like Fentanyl. To discuss the scale and nature of the problem, we spoke to Halton Regional Police Service Chief Steve Tanner. Chief Tanner was born in Oakville and entered the police service in 1982. After stints in Guelph, Belleville and Kingston, he returned home to Halton as Chief of the Halton Regional Police Service in 2012. This episode of The 905er is brought to you by our sponsor: South River Brewing. Listen to this episode to see how you can save money on your next order by visiting the link below: South River Brewing It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes!
Thu, March 31, 2022
The 905 Round-up: Keanin, Bob and Judi too.
The mayoral race is heating up in Hamilton as a familiar face finally throws his hat into the ring. Meanwhile, Waterdown and Flamborough area councillor Judi Partridge announces she’s not running again, bringing the remaining Hamilton council to the verge of ‘lame duck’ status.Last week the announcement that Halton District School Board was re-allocating all its librarian teachers caused a stir online—a total of 90 school librarians will no longer be librarians. What’s it all about, and if anybody deserves to receive blame, who should it be? This episode of The 905er is brought to you by our sponsor: South River Brewing. Listen to this episode to see how you can save money on your next order by visiting the link below: South River Brewing It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, March 29, 2022
Maureen Wilson and Rory Nisan: Where was the Debate over Mask Mandates?
Rory Nisan is a city and regional councillor for Ward 3 in Burlington and Halton and Maureen Wilson is a councillor for Ward 1 in Hamilton. Both of them join us today to give their perspective on why the municipal votes in Hamilton and Halton to repeal mask mandates were so one-sided when the public seems far from united on the wisdom of abandoning masks. Last month, Doug Ford announced that vaccine passports and mask mandates would be a thing of the past. For many across Ontario, this was good news. For others real trepidation and fear took hold. What would this mean for possible future waves of COVID-19? No one could give clear answers. Only our scientists wished for more time to learn what was around the corner. But there was no time for that. Instead, Premier Ford pushed forward. Only he hit a snag. The provincial government wasn't the one who had implemented the mandates, it was actually the various municipalities around the province that did the heavy lifting. So it would be them to have the debate and determine the proper course of action right? Actually no. The municipalities of the 905 rushed with seeming little debate to lift all restrictions. Between Hamilton and Halton only three councillors voted in favour of keeping mandates. Three. Why was this the case? Why was the argument so one-sided? To get a sense of what was going on, we spoke to two of the three councillors who voted to maintain mandates. This episode of The 905er is brought to you by our sponsor: South River Brewing. Listen to this episode to see how you can save money on your next order by visiting the link below: South River Brewing It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon<
Thu, March 24, 2022
The 905 Round-Up: Fewer Masks & Why Can’t Parties Get Along More Often?
We are joined by a special guest on this Round-Up. Milton Reporter, Laura Steiner returns to The 905er to share her insight on 905 politics! Doug Ford and the PC government is lifting mask mandates across the province, however...they forgot to tell the 905 municipalities. So every regional and municipal government in the 905 is rushing to hold special council meetings to repeal the mask mandates. We just ask, where is the debate over this? Shockingly there seems to be very little resistance to the idea of repealing mask mandates at the local level. Especially as the public mood over mandates is not uniform one way or another. We have to ask ourselves is this politics over science? Then we look at the party's various chances of success in the upcoming provincial election in the 905. Where are the star candidates and why does it seem that no one is eager to really have this election? Despite there being a feeling of exhaustedness with this current government in the air? Lastly, we have to discuss the impact the NDP and Liberal agreement in Ottawa will play on the provincial election here in Ontario? Will this be a sign of things to come in the provincial election? We examine it all on this episode of the 905 Round-Up. Check out Laura Steiner's work here: https://miltonreporter.ca/ This episode of The 905er is brought to you by our sponsor: South River Brewing. Listen to this episode to see how you can save money on your next order by visiting the link below: South River Brewing It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privac
Thu, March 17, 2022
The 905 Round-Up: Absent Mayors and Leadership Contests
On this episode of The 905 Round-Up, it's all political. Mayor Patrick Brown has announced his campaign to become the leader of the Conservative Party of Canada. One might think this would make his being mayor of Brampton rather difficult. We agree. Roland and Joel ponder what does it mean for the people of Brampton, now that they have a part-time mayor? And just what are Patrick's odds of winning anyways? Either way, it doesn't appear that the people of Brampton will come out on top. Then we look at Doug Ford's edict prohibiting his caucus members from helping any of the federal Conservative leadership candidates' campaigns in Ontario. This is a similar rule to one passed in the last federal election, in which no Progressive Conservative caucus member actively helped out their federal cousins. Is this a strategy of actively distancing the conservative party of Canada's largest province away from its federal counterpart? Lastly, we take a look at Hamilton City Council. Well, whether or not the allegation of former mayor Larry DiIanni that the council is too left has any merit. We don't think so. As well, maybe the shift we've seen in Hamilton lately is due to the longstanding desire to see business done differently in Hamilton. It's all discussed on this episode! This episode of The 905er is brought to you by our sponsor: South River Brewing. Listen to this episode to see how you can save money on your next order by visiting the link below: South River Brewing It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about
Thu, March 03, 2022
The 905 Round-Up: Paying Tribute to Mayor Mulkewich
This week, Burlington lost an elder statesman of local politics. Former Mayor Walter Mulkewich passed away this week. His legacy in Burlington and Hamilton's civic as well as political life will be missed by many. If you were involved in local politics in Burlington, there wouldn't be any doubt that in some circle or another Walter Mulkewich would be a figure. And always for the better. Roland and Joel take time to remember the legacy of Burlington's former mayor and how he was truly a rare breed in politics. Willing to put aside ideology and rhetoric in favour of compromise and finding a way to make the city a better place. After the break then, Roland and Joel take a review of the Ontario government's decision to start drastically rolling back COVID-19 rules. What will this mean going forward, and what does it say to the millions of Ontarians who sacrificed and followed through on the restrictions, only to have them suddenly end under the guise of having to live with COVID-19? This episode of The 905er is brought to you by our sponsor: South River Brewing. Listen to this episode to see how you can save money on your next order by visiting the link below: South River Brewing It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Don’t forget to check out 905er.ca , even if you get the podcast delivered to you automatically. We post additional news and stories there when we can, and welcome submissions and ideas for additional content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, February 24, 2022
The 905 Round-Up: Boundary Issues and Missing Populations
Coming off our well-received episode on the #halton boundary debate, Joel and Roland look at both sides and how we think the debate over land use needs to progress in #the905. After that, we look at recent statistics provided by our friend Alan Kan on #Mississauga's apparently drop in population. And lastly, we look at Doug Ford's loss of candidates leading up to this spring's #Ontario Election. Particularly Burlington MPP Jane McKenna's decision not to run again. What does it mean for the region? You can read Alan's piece here: https://munipolimatters.substack.com/p/sidebar-what-the-2021census-says?utm_source=url This episode of The 905er is brought to you by our sponsor: South River Brewing. Listen to this episode to see how you can save money on your next order by visiting the link below: South River Brewing It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Don’t forget to check out 905er.ca , even if you get the podcast delivered to you automatically. We post additional news and stories there when we can, and welcome submissions and ideas for additional content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, February 08, 2022
Ted McMeekin Discusses the Hamilton Alliance for Tiny Shelters (HATS)
Last Thursday we mentioned a new idea that had been mooted in Hamilton media the same day as a way to solve the current homeless crisis. That idea is being advocated by the Hamilton Alliance for Tiny Shelters - HATS - an alliance of poverty reduction activists, churches and Hamilton residents looking to reproduce a successful project launched in 2019 in Kitchener. To discuss the background to the HATS project, and why it is being argued to offer an innovative approach to providing decent transitional temporary housing for Hamilton’s homeless, we spoke to former MPP for Ancaster-Dundas-Flamborough-Westdale, and former minister of, among other ministries, Municipal Affairs and Housing and Community and Social Services, the Hon. Ted McMeekin. Today Ted describes himself as "a Lifetime community volunteer. Interested in affordable housing, homelessness and basic Income, and desirous of bending the world toward social Justice". This episode of The 905er is brought to you by our sponsor: South River Brewing. Listen to this episode to see how you can save money on your next order by visiting the link below: South River Brewing It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Don’t forget to check out 905er.ca , even if you get the podcast delivered to you automatically. We post additional news and stories there when we can, and welcome submissions and ideas for additional content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, February 03, 2022
The 905 Round-Up: Convoys and HATS for the Homeless
On this episode of The 905 Round-Up: Of course, all we can talk about is the trucker convoy in Ottawa. While the eyes of the country are on Ottawa right now, the convoy passed through the 905 drumming up supporters demonstrating at overpasses. One day the convoy is going to end and these people will return home, here to the 905. So what does that mean for our civil discourse and what ought to be done about it? Then on a note of good news, Hamilton has taken positive action towards the homeless issue in its city. Hamilton Alliance for Tiny Shelters (HATS) is building tiny homes for the homeless community at John A Macdonald School. Is this the positive direction Hamilton ought to be doing for its homeless population? Can this be the right foot forward on this issue? Spoiler, the answer is yes! This episode of The 905er is brought to you by our sponsor: South River Brewing. Listen to this episode to see how you can save money on your next order by visiting the link below: South River Brewing It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Don’t forget to check out 905er.ca , even if you get the podcast delivered to you automatically. We post additional news and stories there when we can, and welcome submissions and ideas for additional content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, February 01, 2022
The 905er Takes Time to Reflect on National Alzheimer’s Awareness Month
January is National Alzheimer's Awareness Month. Alzheimer's is the most common form of a range of diseases that is collectively referred to as dementia. In Canada, dementia affects over 500,000 Canadians. The annual costs to the Canadian health care system come in at around $10.5 billion. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, shortcomings in our health care system and more specifically our long-term care home system have been exposed. As the baby boomer generation continues to age is not just the 905 but Ontario and Canada at large, it is becoming increasingly apparent that we are not planning properly for the future. We invited Mary Burnett, the CEO of the Alzheimer Society of Brant, Haldimand Norfolk, Hamilton Halton, Phyllis Fehr who was given a working diagnosis of early-onset Alzheimer’s at 53 years old and works to break down stigmas associated with Alzheimer's and Dementia, and Jill Davis who is returning to the podcast to provide the experience of a caregiver to a loved one with dementia. This episode of The 905er is brought to you by our sponsor: South River Brewing. Listen to this episode to see how you can save money on your next order by visiting the link below: South River Brewing It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Don’t forget to check out 905er.ca , even if you get the podcast delivered to you automatically. We post additional news and stories there when we can, and welcome submissions and ideas for additional content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, January 27, 2022
The 905 Round-Up: Pride and Progressive Housing
On this episode of The 905 Round-Up: Roland and Joel look at the long journey to raise the #prideflag at #HCDSB schools, and the perils of live-tweeting 5-hour long board meetings. Then Roland reviews the leaked proposals from the Housing Affordability Task Force as reported on by TVO. Could this be the progressive policy to transform Ontario's housing market? Will the Ford government follow suit on it? Lastly, Joel and Roland talk about the cruelty of #HamONT forcing away the homeless from getting warm at City Hall. Taking away options without providing new ones only exacerbates the problem in Hamilton and the 905 at large. This episode of The 905er is brought to you by our sponsor: South River Brewing. Listen to this episode to see how you can save money on your next order by visiting the link below: South River Brewing It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Don’t forget to check out 905er.ca , even if you get the podcast delivered to you automatically. We post additional news and stories there when we can, and welcome submissions and ideas for additional content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, January 25, 2022
Todd Coleman Explains the Future of COVID-19
As the Omicron variant continues to paralyze the 905 and all of Ontario, we asked epidemiologist Dr Todd Coleman what we should be doing to live with COVID-19 as we enter the third year of this pandemic. Todd Coleman received his PhD in Epidemiology and Biostatistics in 2014 from the University of Western Ontario. After his PhD studies, I worked as a postdoctoral fellow at Ryerson University, then, as a Public Health Epidemiologist with the Middlesex-London Health Unit. Currently, he is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Sciences at Wilfrid Laurier University, where he teaches courses in Epidemiology and Population Health. His research focuses on issues of social inclusion and health equity in terms of health outcomes and health care access in minority groups. This episode of The 905er is brought to you by our sponsor: South River Brewing. Listen to this episode to see how you can save money on your next order by visiting the link below: South River Brewing It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Don’t forget to check out 905er.ca , even if you get the podcast delivered to you automatically. We post additional news and stories there when we can, and welcome submissions and ideas for additional content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, January 20, 2022
The 905 Round-Up - Poor Media & Last Development of Mississauga
For this episode of The 905 Round-Up, Roland and Joel look at a story from Durham on the far side of the region and ask why didn't the local media cover it better? And on that note, why doesn't the local media in the 905 do a better job of covering the issues and stories that make an impact on the region. Well, thank goodness there is the 905er! Following up on that story, we look at a story from the start of the year in Mississauga and the last developable land being sold off. What does this mean for Mississauga now that expansion is no longer an option? And what lesson can be taken away for other cities in the 905? Lastly, Roland looks at an editorial that he wrote for our website, and asks where did our leadership go during this pandemic? https://905er.ca/2022/01/a-polite-suggestion-to-ontarios-big-city-mayors-shut-up/ This episode of The 905er is brought to you by our sponsor: South River Brewing. Listen to this episode to see how you can save money on your next order by visiting the link below: South River Brewing It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Don’t forget to check out 905er.ca , even if you get the podcast delivered to you automatically. We post additional news and stories there when we can, and welcome submissions and ideas for additional content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, January 18, 2022
Brenda Agnew Tries to Fly the Pride Flag at the HCDSB One More Time
Download episode One of the biggest stories we have covered since this podcast began was last year's decision by Halton Catholic School Board over a motion brought that, if passed, would have seen the Pride flag fly over Halton's Catholic Schools during Pride month, along with a variety of other measures to demonstrate and support acceptance of LGBTQIA+ students in HCDSB schools. The motion, brought by Trustee Brenda Agnew following an initial question raised by a student, was not so much defeated as disassembled by a thousand amendments. But the message was clear - a majority of HCDSB trustees were opposed---some virulently so---to raising the Pride flag over Halton's Catholic Schools, and, at least for some, any suggestion of support for or endorsement of LGBTQIA+ students. It was a decision that received national and even international attention, and went against a trend seen at other Catholic School Boards in Ontario, where numerous votes saw support for raising the Pride flag. But Trustee Agnew is bringing a new motion to HCDSB this evening (January 18th 2022), and with it an opportunity for trustees to take a different approach. Trustee Agnew joined us late last week to discuss why she's bringing another motion, and what she expects from her fellow trustees this time, and why she believes HCDSB's decision over the Pride flag is so important. This episode of The 905er is brought to you by our sponsor: South River Brewing. Listen to this episode to see how you can save money on your next order by visiting the link below: South River Brewing It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Don’t forget to check out 905er.ca , even if you get the podcast delivered to you automatically. We post additional news and stories there when we can, and welcome submissions and ideas for additional content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href
Thu, January 13, 2022
The 905 Round-Up: Covid Deja Vu, Lawn Sign Loopholes and More Pride for HCDSB
Roland and Joel are back at it! Our first episode of 2022, has our intrepid hosts looking down the barrel of another lockdown and shutting of schools to mark the start of the year. At this point it's clear our provincial government in Ontario is winging this pandemic from wave to wave, with parents, students and the economy considered collateral damage. What are we all to do going forward with Premier Ford at the helm? Then Roland looks at the city of Hamilton adjusting their rules surrounding lawn signs during elections. It ends up they took what probably should've been a pretty simple and clear clarification of the rules, and ended up making them thicker than mud. Why the confusion? Is it political in motivation, or something far more mundane? Lastly, Joel brings up the fact that the Halton Catholic District School Board is going to give raising the Pride flag in June another kick at the can. The last time this was brought up, the entire process degenerated into a mess of bigotry and division. Is that the sign of things to come? Or has the school board finally learned its lesson and will stand on the right side of history finally? Time will tell... This episode of The 905er is brought to you by our sponsor: South River Brewing. Listen to this episode to see how you can save money on your next order by visiting the link below: South River Brewing It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Don’t forget to check out 905er.ca , even if you get the podcast delivered to you automatically. We post additional news and stories there when we can, and welcome submissions and ideas for additional content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy<
Thu, December 23, 2021
The Year 2021 in Review
Here it is! Our last episode of #2021! Joel and Roland look back on the year that was and select our top three stories that we'll be keeping an eye on in #2022. We look at the HCDSB Pride Flag debate, the impact the Federal election will have on this year's provincial election in Ontario and of course the story of Burlington Taxi's closure in Burlington! You can listen to those episodes by clicking on the links here: The HCDSB Pride Debate: https://905er.ca/2021/04/a-question-of-pride-for-halton-catholic-school-board/ Our Election Night Live Stream Special: https://905er.ca/2021/09/905er-election-night-special/ Scott Wallace on Burlington Taxi's Closure: https://905er.ca/2021/12/scott-wallace-of-burlington-taxi-sets-the-record-straight/ This episode of The 905er is brought to you by our sponsor: South River Brewing. Listen to this episode to see how you can save money on your next order by visiting the link below: South River Brewing It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Don’t forget to check out 905er.ca , even if you get the podcast delivered to you automatically. We post additional news and stories there when we can, and welcome submissions and ideas for additional content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, December 21, 2021
Urz Heer Shares How a Peel Community Turned the Tide on COVID-19
This is our Penultimate episode before the holidays. So we wanted this to be a good news story. Back in January, we did an episode on Peel Region's struggles with COVID-19. At that time Peel was an epicentre of the pandemic struggling to get a handle on the situation. Today, the region is the top spot in Canada for Vaccination rates. A big factor in that turnaround was the mobilization of various communities to get their people vaccinated. Groups like the Canadian Muslim COVID-19 Task Force worked to turn the tide on COVID-19. We invited Urz Heer to the podcast to discuss the hard work that went into achieving this accomplishment. This episode of The 905er is brought to you by our sponsor: South River Brewing. Listen to this episode to see how you can save money on your next order by visiting the link below: South River Brewing It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Don’t forget to check out 905er.ca , even if you get the podcast delivered to you automatically. We post additional news and stories there when we can, and welcome submissions and ideas for additional content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, December 16, 2021
The 905 Round-Up: Cabs, Council and Politics
We look at what we learned from our explosive interview with Scott Wallace of Burlington Taxi. Where is the outrage from Burlington City Council towards the failure of staff to follow through on its directive? Then Joel and Roland look at a recent poll of Ontario political leadership that shows a big uphill battle for Ontario Liberal Party Leader, Steven Del Duca as well for Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horvath. What do they need to turn things around in the #newyear? Stop operating like it's 1995 for starters. This episode of The 905er is brought to you by our sponsor: South River Brewing. Listen to this episode to see how you can save money on your next order by visiting the link below: South River Brewing It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Don’t forget to check out 905er.ca , even if you get the podcast delivered to you automatically. We post additional news and stories there when we can, and welcome submissions and ideas for additional content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, December 14, 2021
Scott Wallace of Burlington Taxi Sets the Record Straight
On November 26th Burlington Taxi, which began operation 53 years ago, shut down for good, leaving many local services and the residents who depended on them without any immediate replacement means of transportation. In the days that followed, it became apparent that there were more factors at work than just the inability of the company to remain profitable. A key element appeared to be the failure of City of Burlington staff to follow through on a council direction back in 2018. Somehow, an instruction from council to staff simply went missing. What happened? Today our interview is with Scott Wallace, President of Burlington Taxi. Scott sat down to give us a detailed account of his side of the debate. It was an interview that certainly added greatly to our understanding of the timeline of what went on. Yet, as you will hear, there remain significant questions for the city to answer about how and why the council’s direct instructions could simply be ignored. This episode of The 905er is brought to you by our sponsor: South River Brewing. Listen to this episode to see how you can save money on your next order by visiting the link below: South River Brewing It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Don’t forget to check out 905er.ca , even if you get the podcast delivered to you automatically. We post additional news and stories there when we can, and welcome submissions and ideas for additional content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, December 09, 2021
The 905 Round-Up: Hospital Short Changes and Bad Calls
In this episode of The 905 Round-Up, Joel and Roland take a look at Peel region. Specifically, the fact that while Mississauga is getting massive funding for a badly needed hospital. To the tune of $3 billion. While its neighbour to the north is getting nothing. This isn't the first time Brampton has called for more attention to its health care system. And it isn't the first time they've been ignored. Since the start of the pandemic calls from Brampton has fallen on deaf ears at Queen's Park. What is behind this? Is it a feud between Premier Doug Ford and Mayor Patrick Brown with Brampton citizens caught in the crossfire? Then we look at the Burlington Taxi controversy in you guessed it,...Burlington! More specifically the call by the Burlington Gazette to fire city clerk Kevin Ardoon. We examine why this is just looking for a scapegoat and the irresponsibility of calling for the sacking of a public official and tarnishing of his reputation, without a lot to back it. Lastly, some good news in Halton with the proposed plan to construct badly needed social housing in Georgetown, Milton and Oakville. This episode of The 905er is brought to you by our sponsor: South River Brewing. Listen to this episode to see how you can save money on your next order by visiting the link below: South River Brewing It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Don’t forget to check out 905er.ca , even if you get the podcast delivered to you automatically. We post additional news and stories there when we can, and welcome submissions and ideas for additional content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad
Tue, December 07, 2021
Graham Crawford Shares what Hamilton Thinks of its Politics
It is a tumultuous time in Hamilton, with major stories concerning the city's present and future cropping up every week. Events such as the recent violence associated with the clearing of the homeless living in J. C. Beemer Park, the successful Stop Sprawl HamONT campaign to persuade council to vote against urban expansion, and the ongoing saga of the behaviour of some of the most longstanding councillors. iElectHamilton, who we spoke to in the spring when their campaign for change at City Hall was launched, recently launched a survey of Hamilton residents and their views of the leadership at City Hall. The results of the survey appear to illustrate a city ready for change. To discuss this trend and what is going on on the ground in Hamilton, we invited back Graham Crawford, one of the organizers of iElectHamilton, to the 905er, to discuss the survey, recent events, and the preparations for a 2022 municipal election that promises to be one with a clear choice for voters to make at the ballot box. This episode of The 905er is brought to you by our sponsor: South River Brewing. Listen to this episode to see how you can save money on your next order by visiting the link below: South River Brewing It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Don’t forget to check out 905er.ca , even if you get the podcast delivered to you automatically. We post additional news and stories there when we can, and welcome submissions and ideas for additional content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, December 02, 2021
The 905 Round-Up: Park Protests and Political Plans
Over the weekend saw violence erupt in J.C. Beemer park in Hamilton over the tent encampments there. Protesters from Hamilton Encampment Support Network clashed with police. The details are being investigated by the province's SIU. However, the episode has brought to the forefront the issue of affordable housing in the city. Joel and Roland discuss the interconnection of the various issues that keep popping up in Hamilton, and the seeming unwillingness of city leadership to properly address them. Then Joel and Roland segue into the looming provincial election as NDP and Ontario Liberal Leaders both made big campaign promises. As talk and rhetoric continue to rise as the election draws closer, it seems that more and more the political leadership in Ontario tends to miss the mark in terms of what's actually needed for the people on the ground. What does this disconnect from Ontarians mean for our political options come election season, and is there time for a party or leader to seize the narrative and propose real substantive change? This episode of The 905er is brought to you by our sponsor: South River Brewing. Listen to this episode to see how you can save money on your next order by visiting the link below: South River Brewing It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Don’t forget to check out 905er.ca , even if you get the podcast delivered to you automatically. We post additional news and stories there when we can, and welcome submissions and ideas for additional content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoice
Tue, November 30, 2021
Lisa Kearns Discusses Why 905 Cities Need a Better Deal
Today's episode goes to the heart of the planning and development debate in the 905. The new council elected in Burlington in 2018 has undoubtedly achieved significant change to Burlington’s downtown planning framework, and extracted major concessions from the province--at least, it has on paper. Previously, the presence of Burlington’s provincially designated Urban Growth Centre and a Metrolinx Major Transit Station Area (MTSA) in the downtown acted like large neon signs pointing downtown which said ‘build highrises here’, regardless of what the city or residents wanted. All that appeared to change this year. On November 10th Minister of Municipal Affairs Steve Clarke confirmed in writing to the City the details of changes that had been announced at a press conference in June--the province had agreed to move Burlington’s Urban Growth Centre away from downtown, and closer to Burlington Go Station. Burlington will still have to take just as many new residents as it ever would have done, but they'll be located where the city council has argued is most appropriate. Meanwhile, the MTSA designation which claimed Burlington’s tiny bus station was a major transit hub, was also removed. Clarke said in June, “By re-designating the Urban Growth Centre away from the downtown and closer to the Burlington GO station we will ensure that the downtown area is preserved.” So, it seems like Burlington’s new council has gotten everything it wanted. Right? Not so fast... Today we speak to Burlington's Councillor for downtown Lisa Kearns, about the catch in the deal with the province, and the wider need for reform of how municipalities control planning. This episode of The 905er is brought to you by our sponsor: South River Brewing. Listen to this episode to see how you can save money on your next order by visiting the link below: South River Brewing It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Don’t forget to check out <a href=
Thu, November 25, 2021
The 905 Round-Up: A Grassroots Victory & First Nations Solidarity
This week saw a major victory for the grassroots organizers to protect the remaining rural area of Hamilton from development. Hamilton City Council voted not to expand it's Urban Boundary. This came after a sustained grassroots pressure from groups such as Stop Sprawl Ham ONT organized and campaigned to stop the expansion. Joel and Roland look at what this victory will mean for the city as it's undergoing a grassroots empowerment movement, and they ponder if this is a sign of a shift in culture from council. Then after the break, Joel and Roland look at how the Six Nations Land Defenders of 1492 Landback Lane are showing solidarity with the Wet'suwet'en peoples in downtown Hamilton. More than a year from the last #shutdowncanada protests over the gas pipelines on the Wet'suwet'en land, it appears that we are starting the cycle up again. Reconciliation is at the doorstep of the 905 region. We talk about what this means for the region, the province and Canada at large. This episode of The 905er is brought to you by our sponsor: South River Brewing. Listen to this episode to see how you can save money on your next order by visiting the link below: South River Brewing It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Don’t forget to check out 905er.ca , even if you get the podcast delivered to you automatically. We post additional news and stories there when we can, and welcome submissions and ideas for additional content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, November 23, 2021
How Do We Get Daycare Funding in Ontario?
Something all parents are all too aware of is the price of daycare. Not just in #the905 but across the province. In some cases, the cost is comparable to a second mortgage on a family's expenses. Finally, the federal government is getting a plan in place across the country to help bring the cost of daycare down to $10 per day. However, to date, only New Brunswick and Ontario have yet to sign. We asked the Federal Minister of Families, Children and Social Development Karina Gould to come on the podcast to explain exactly what is the proposed offer, and what the hold-up is to get a deal in place for Ontario. This episode of The 905er is brought to you by our sponsor: South River Brewing. Listen to this episode to see how you can save money on your next order by visiting the link below: South River Brewing It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Don’t forget to check out 905er.ca , even if you get the podcast delivered to you automatically. We post additional news and stories there when we can, and welcome submissions and ideas for additional content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, November 18, 2021
The 905 Round-Up - Bad Democracy and Civil Wars
Today Joel and Roland look over the Minister of Municipal Affairs finally moving the Urban Growth Centre. Spoiler it's a gift that's actually not a gift. The devil is in the details and it appears that Burlington is probably not getting what it actually wants. The fact is the development in this province under this government progresses no matter what. We then look at Hamilton City Council's decision to job interview for a new Ward 5 Councillor rather than ask the people of Ward 5 themselves whom they'd like to represent them on the council. It's anti-democracy in action at Hamilton City Council. Lastly, we sneak in a chat about Erin O'Toole demonstrating leadership by kicking Senator Denise Batters from the Conservative Caucus and in the process seems to have kick-started a civil war in the party. This episode of The 905er is brought to you by our sponsor: South River Brewing. Listen to this episode to see how you can save money on your next order by visiting the link below: South River Brewing It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Don’t forget to check out 905er.ca , even if you get the podcast delivered to you automatically. We post additional news and stories there when we can, and welcome submissions and ideas for additional content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, November 16, 2021
The Need for a Living Wage in the 905
This month the Ontario government announced it would be raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour. A reversal of the decision to cancel the minimum wage increase when they came into power four years ago.As the Ontario economy recovers from COVID-19 the question of why now, and whether or not this is too little too late permeates the discussion. Some who are saying this doesn't go far enough are the people at Ontario Living Wage Network. They released their numbers for what the living wage in the province and the 905 should be, and the proposed minimum wage increase falls far short.We invited Craig Pickthorne from the network to discuss the need for a living wage and why it's important to consider it now. https://www.ontariolivingwage.ca/ This episode of The 905er is brought to you by our sponsor: South River Brewing. Listen to this episode to see how you can save money on your next order by visiting the link below: South River Brewing It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Don’t forget to check out 905er.ca , even if you get the podcast delivered to you automatically. We post additional news and stories there when we can, and welcome submissions and ideas for additional content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, November 11, 2021
The 905 Round-Up - Bad Councillors and Redrawn Maps
Today Roland and Joel discuss the recent report by the Hamilton Integrity Commissioner on Councillor Terry Whitehead's conduct. Spoiler alert...it's not a favourable one. Both our hosts discuss the antics that go on at City Hall and what ought to be done to hold bad municipal politicians to account. And in keeping with the Hamilton theme, the folks at Stop Sprawl Ham ONT have shaken up the debate surrounding the Urban Boundary Expansion. By using their know-how and hard work, they have identified all the vacant and used properties in downtown Hamilton which could be rezoned or developed into housing, workspaces or other uses. Our hosts talk about how this has changed the argument drastically in this contentious debate. Here is the article from The Spectator in question: https://www.thespec.com/opinion/contributors/2021/11/04/mapping-hamiltons-vacant-spaces-helps-paint-a-picture-for-the-future.html?rf&utm_source=twitter&source=thespec&utm_medium=SocialMedia&utm_campaign=&utm_campaign_id=&utm_content= This episode of The 905er is brought to you by our sponsor: South River Brewing. Listen to this episode to see how you can save money on your next order by visiting the link below: South River Brewing It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Don’t forget to check out 905er.ca , even if you get the podcast delivered to you automatically. We post additional news and stories there when we can, and welcome submissions and ideas for additional content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on A
Tue, November 09, 2021
The 905 as Inspiration for Thrills
Something we take for granted in the 905, is how unique a setting our own backyard can be. It can be a terrific backdrop to our imagination and whisk us away on adventures. One local Burlington author has done exactly that. Doug Cockell is a local author who has written a trilogy of supernatural mysteries, all taking place in the Niagara Escarpment. His novels: Requiem for Thursday, Requiem for Noah and most recently Requiem for Mary Mac are all currently on the Amazon Bestsellers list. Requiem for Thursday was a semi-finalist for the 2020 Booklife Prize Fiction contest. He joins us today to discuss how the 905 has driven his inspiration for his writing, and what makes it such a potent backdrop for his stories. As well you can find his works here. This episode of The 905er is brought to you by our sponsor: South River Brewing. Listen to this episode to see how you can save money on your next order by visiting the link below: South River Brewing It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Don’t forget to check out 905er.ca , even if you get the podcast delivered to you automatically. We post additional news and stories there when we can, and welcome submissions and ideas for additional content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, November 04, 2021
The 905 Round Up -Disappointing Development and HCDSB Bad News
Burlington is in a pickle. Recently the Ontario Land Tribunal ruled in favour of developers at Lakeshore and Pearl to increase their height to 29 stories. Over the objection of council and citizens. This sparked a public statement from the Mayor. Joel and Roland analyze the situation that the city is in and what options they really have. Then it appears that the Halton Catholic School Board can't keep its bad news out of the press. This time a well-intentioned webinar for parents of black students was cancelled. Instead of looking at how to better educate students on anti-racism measures, the board appeared to be telling black students how to deal with it. Joel and Roland look at what's going on and how the board keeps finding itself in these situations. It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Don’t forget to check out 905er.ca , even if you get the podcast delivered to you automatically. We post additional news and stories there when we can, and welcome submissions and ideas for additional content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, November 02, 2021
The Fight To Protect the Greenbelt from Highway 413
In recent days Doug Ford and the PC government have been doubling down on their intention to build Highway 413, an additional radial highway planned to run almost entirely through Green Belt lands from Halton at the 407 and Winston Churchill, between Brampton and Caledon, joining Highway 400 a few kilometres north of Canada's Wonderland. Irene Ford joins us from the grassroots Stop the 413 group to discuss the latest developments and the many reasons why she believes Highway 413 should be stopped. Can you guess what might be motivating the government? For more on the campaign to stop the 413, see https://www.communityclimatecouncil.org/stopthe413 and our previous episode discussing the excellent Community Climate Council seminar in February. It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Don’t forget to check out 905er.ca , even if you get the podcast delivered to you automatically. We post additional news and stories there when we can, and welcome submissions and ideas for additional content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, October 28, 2021
905er Round-Up - Sprawl, Bikes, Vaccines and Persistence
Coming off our episode this week with Stop Sprawl Ham ONT, Roland looks at using bike share and cycling as an innovative tool to help curb sprawl in 905 communities. Afterwards, Joel questions if the current Ontario government is giving up on getting vaccines in the arms of the remaining 20% of the population to be inoculated, as it appears all masking and vaccine mandates will be lifted in the new year. It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Don’t forget to check out 905er.ca , even if you get the podcast delivered to you automatically. We post additional news and stories there when we can, and welcome submissions and ideas for additional content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, October 26, 2021
Nancy Hurst of Stop Sprawl HamONT Draws the Line on Hamilton‘s Boundary
If you've been following Hamilton municipal politics recently, then no doubt you are aware of the contentious debate over whether or not the city should expand its urban boundary. The small sliver of land of viable farmland that exists between the developed part of Hamilton and the border of the greenbelt is the current battleground for developers in the 905. The current city council is in vigorous debates over whether or not to allow the boundary to extend into this space. Developers are eager to build new single-family unit homes, and the debate has even gotten the attention of Ontario's Minister of Municipal Affairs Steve Clark, who wrote an Op-Ed in The Hamilton Spectator advocating the urgency for developing this plot of land. However, to get their way, they'll have to go through a grassroots organization mobilizing to keep the Urban Boundary right where it is. Stop Sprawl Ham ONT is fighting to turn attention away from expansion into farmland and to direct the focus to intensification in the downtown core. One of the founders of this group is Nancy Hurst. Nancy helped to found Stop Sprawl Ham ONT in January 2020. The campaign has gathered over 5000 supporters and peppered the city with anti-sprawl lawn signs. She joins us to discuss the campaign and how we should be thinking of our cities in the 905. Stop Sprawl Ham ONT Website - https://www.ssho.ca If you are interested in delegating or otherwise providing your opinion to Hamilton Council on this subject, sign up to learn how: https://www.environmenthamilton.org/delegate_workshop It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Don’t forget to check out 905er.ca , even if you get the podcast delivered to you automatically. We post additional news and stories there when we can, and welcome submissions and ideas for additional content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus conten
Thu, October 21, 2021
905 Round Up - Del Duca Makes a Statement, and the Tories have Boundary Issues
On this episode of the 905 Round Up we are focusing on politics. This past weekend, Ontario Liberal Party leader Steven Del Duca made a bold proclamation. Declaring that ranked ballots would be returning not just as an option for Ontario municipalities, but will be the way we elect our provincial legislature going forward. As well the Basic Income pilot project that the Progressive Conservatives cancelled, would be reinstated and the Liberals would introduce a four day work week. These were impressive promises, however we've heard this rhetoric before from Liberal leaders. It's a question of if the people would believe he would follow through. As well is it enough to get Del Duca into the Premier's office? After that, we look at how the Progressive Conservative Minister of Municipal Affairs Steve Clark is inserting himself into Hamilton's Boundary Expansion debate. Why does a Minister need to write Op-Eds in favour of expansion when it is up to the municipality to make that call? More important, why is this government so forceful on siding with developers in this region? It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Don’t forget to check out 905er.ca , even if you get the podcast delivered to you automatically. We post additional news and stories there when we can, and welcome submissions and ideas for additional content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, October 19, 2021
Kristin Archer Tells Us What‘s Cool About Hamilton
Cities are made up of more than just buildings and roads. It's the people and the entrepreneurs that live and work in them that come together to create something unique. Each city has its own quality that makes it what it is. Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver...all of them have a distinct image in your mind. Part of what makes each city its own is the arts and culture that the city creates. We wanted to take a look at Hamilton's music and culture scene this week. And how it is working to define a changing city into a 21st-century arts hub. And how that in turn is changing the way Hamiltonians view themselves. To help us out, we invited Kristin Archer. Kristin is the creator of the blog I Heart Hamilton where she has documented experiences around her hometown since 2011, growing a local social media presence along the way. Kristin is also the host of the weekly show “I Heart Hamilton” on community radio 93.3 CFMU where she further showcases Hamilton with an emphasis on the local arts & culture scenes. She is a major supporter of the local music scene through promoting local music, booking shows, and DJing. It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Don’t forget to check out 905er.ca , even if you get the podcast delivered to you automatically. We post additional news and stories there when we can, and welcome submissions and ideas for additional content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, October 14, 2021
Rebroadcast - Jason Cassis Opens Up About Opening Ontario Up
Originally aired - July 15 Almost exactly a year ago, Jason Cassis of Equal Parts Hospitality was one of the first guests on the 905er Podcast, discussing the impact of COVID-19 on the hospitality industry. He returns now to give us an update on all that has happened in the interim - and there is a lot . While everybody knows that restaurants, bars, and so many other businesses have been hurt by COVID, Jason's description of the full spectrum of challenges - which are not likely to disappear quickly even if COVID is finally under control - is a must-listen. For the chain of hotels launched during the pandemic, Jason mentions, see The Laundry Rooms . If you like what the 905er does, please consider supporting us at Patreon . For a week, for a month, for a year --- it all helps cover our costs and helps us cover more of the stories you want to see. Thanks to: Nicholas Paul: sound editing Our fantastic Team 905er Patrons. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, October 12, 2021
Rebroadcast - 905 Round-up: Homage to Caledonia?
Originally aired - July 6, 2021 In today's episode, Roland and Joel look at three different aspects of modern Canada, and their ties to the past. The refusal to even acknowledge the dead being identified at Residential Schools across the nation by seemingly all PC and Conservative politicians on Canada Day. The environmental catastrophes seen in locations like Chedoke Creek, and the urgent need to change the nature of our relationship with the environment and our failure as 'stewards of the land' since we obtained it. The abandonment of all plans by the developer to build homes on 'Mckenzie Meadows', also known as 1492 Landback Lane. Bonus History Lesson: How Scottish History Repeated Itself In Canada Across Canada we live surrounded by references not so much to Great Britain as to specifically to Scots and Scotland. Macdonald, Dundas, Strathcona, Caledonia, Caledon, "Mckenzie Meadows", "Douglas Creek", Hamilton, Dundurn, Crieff. Many are names that most people would struggle to explain today, named for largely forgotten Scottish settlers or city worthies. Others are names we know only too well, the foci of the current awakening to the most brutal aspects of Canada's past. Two are manufactured names used for branding the housing developments on disputed lands between the township of Caledonia, where almost every street name commemorates Scotland, and the Six Nations Reserve. Some Scots came to Canada after being violently forced from their traditional homelands; the last sight of the country of their birth literally being a view of their homes being burned to the ground by the British military as part of the Highland Clearances. Other Scots (especially the ones who tended to have places named after them, or statues raised in their memory) were wealthy and well educated before they arrived in Canada, or, in the case of Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville, never put a foot in North America at all. These men came in the service of the British Empire, and lived lives that were dedicated to protecting and expanding British, loyalist, and Christian 'civilization' in North America by whatever means necessary. Ironically, these highly effective officials of the British Empire's most racist, unjust and vicious acts did to Canada's indigenous peoples what a century earlier had been done to their own ancestors in the Scottish highlands. Those highlanders crimes? That they were viewed by Scottish and English lowlanders as savages, hardly human, with a culture that needed to be extinguished so that aristocrats could profit from a 'civilized' landscape free of the nuisance of the longstanding inhabitants. One of the most brutal atrocities on British soil was at a place called Glen Coe in 1692. The military of the anti-Catholic and anti-Jacobite Scottish government massacred around 30 residents of the Glen in large part because of their surname. They were members of Clan MacDonald, the most troublesome and 'barbari
Thu, October 07, 2021
What is Happening on Ontario University Campuses?
In recent news, the misbehaviour of Ontario university students has been in the headlines. Recently at McMaster University, vandalism and violence were the hallmarks of an unsanctioned homecoming party. And at the beginning of the year, the University of Western Ontario was dealing with allegations of widespread sexual assault in one of its residences. This trend made us wonder what made this year so unique for bad behaviour at our post-secondary institutions? To investigate, we invited Nick Paul to chat. Nick is our fantastic sound editor, who helps us make the final episodes you listen to each week. He is also a fourth-year engineering student at Western and is from the 905. We talked with him to get his perspective as to how well students and administration are handling the return to classes after a year of lockdown due to COVID-19. And the realities of half a universities population not prepared for life away from home. It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Don’t forget to check out 905er.ca , even if you get the podcast delivered to you automatically. We post additional news and stories there when we can, and welcome submissions and ideas for additional content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, October 05, 2021
905 Round-up: Vax, Tracts and Macs
We cover the stories from around the 905 this week, including Joel's suggestion for reaching the final 20% of unvaccinated Ontarians, the latest development in the Haldimand Tract land dispute, and the physical and reputational damage done at the unofficial and unauthorized homecoming at McMaster University in Hamilton last weekend. It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Don’t forget to check out 905er.ca , even if you get the podcast delivered to you automatically. We post additional news and stories there when we can, and welcome submissions and ideas for additional content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, September 30, 2021
905-Round-up: Lauren Wallis of Halton Parents for Change
Following our Tuesday episode with Halton Catholic School Board Chair Patrick Murphy, we speak with Lauren Wallis of Halton Parents for Change ( https://haltonparentsforchange.ca/ , @HaltonPFC ). Lauren gives her perspective on Chair Murphy's account of recent dysfunction at HCDSB and the Pride flag debate, and what needs to be done to make the board function effectively. Lauren is a mom of two, a data analyst for a healthcare company, and a graduate of HCDSB schools. She is a founding member of Halton Parents for Change, a grassroots group of parents fighting for change and equity at HCDSB as well as accountability for our trustees, and "looking to vote out the dinosaurs next October". It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Don’t forget to check out 905er.ca , even if you get the podcast delivered to you automatically. We post additional news and stories there when we can, and welcome submissions and ideas for additional content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S2 E100 · Tue, September 28, 2021
100: HCDSB Chair Patrick Murphy Discusses Dysfunction at the Board
For our one-hundredth episode, we welcome back Halton Catholic School Board Chair Patrick Murphy for an in-depth interview. In June, the board took the unusual step of ordering an investigation into itself - to see whether the frequently argumentative behaviour of trustees at board meetings went as far as breaking their policies of civil behaviour, and whether there was behaviour contrary to the interests if the board and students. Included in under that remit were discussions of allegations made by a trustee about Chair Murphy's own impartiality as chair. The subsequent report vindicated Murphy, but found plenty of evidence for dysfunction and a deep divide between two factions of trustees. We discuss the background to this divide, whether it is impacting the Board's work, and what can be done to restore civility. It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Don’t forget to check out 905er.ca , even if you get the podcast delivered to you automatically. We post additional news and stories there when we can, and welcome submissions and ideas for additional content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S2 E99 · Thu, September 23, 2021
The 905 Round Up - Vaccine Passports are finally here, and what the Election results tell us about Hamilton
Vaccine Passports are finally being unveiled in Ontario. However, after being requested by public health for the summer, the rollout has been typical of the Ontario PC government. It's messy and uncoordinated. However, they are here now and what does that mean for avoiding a possible fourth lockdown in the 905? And is it about time for the vaccinated to stand their ground and say enough is enough with anti-vax and anti-mask protestors? As well, Roland and Joel look at some of the numbers from election night in Hamilton, and wonder what does it say about Hamilton's problems with racism? It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Don’t forget to check out 905er.ca , even if you get the podcast delivered to you automatically. We post additional news and stories there when we can, and welcome submissions and ideas for additional content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S2 E98 · Tue, September 21, 2021
905er Election Night Special!
We livestreamed election night, focusing on the 905 of course. We had a great time, with some terrific questions answered live on the podcast. Thanks to everybody who joined us. Not an election that will go down in the history books as being particularly memorable, when all is said and done, but we talked a lot about the way this election was run, and just why the opposition parties, above all the CPC, couldn't seem to make any significant headway against Trudeau and the Liberals. As Trudeau reaches the point in his career where people start talking about legacy (albeit he remains young by any standard), will he be seen as one of the Canadian leaders who is synonymous with the era they live in---as his father was---or will there be a nagging sense of potential never realised? It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Don’t forget to check out 905er.ca , even if you get the podcast delivered to your automatically. We post additional news and stories there when we can, and welcome submissions and ideas for additional content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S2 E97 · Thu, September 16, 2021
Election 2021: Adam van Koeverden on the Liberal Party‘s Record in Government and Platform for the 905
In our second interview with candidates from the 905 Region ahead of the Federal Election, we talk today to Adam van Koeverden, who is seeking re-election as the MP for Milton for the Liberals, a seat he won just two years ago when he defeated former Conservative minister Lisa Rait. Van Koeverden was a Canadian household name as an Olympic Gold, and multi-Silver and Bronze medal winner in Sprint Kayak before entering politics. In his first term as an MP he served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Diversity and Inclusion and Youth and to the Minister of Canadian Heritage. We discuss the climate change, electoral reform, First Nations reconciliation, the COVID recovery plan and much more in a wide-ranging conversation. Programming note: we have continued to approach numerous Conservative candidates with the opportunity to discuss their platform as NDP and Liberal candidates have done. This includes offering to add an extra episode in order that we can make sure a CPC voice is heard before election day. As of September 16th only one CPC campaign office has taken the time to return any of our messages. While we make no apology for the fact the 905er Podcast sees the news through a progressive lens, the reason we exist is to let listeners hear direct from people with influence in our region. We accord anybody who is willing to be a guest equal courtesy and respect, and we are delighted that MPs, mayors and councillors from across the political spectrum have been guests during the 905er's first year. It is disappointing that not one Conservative candidate has yet been willing to speak on the record to voters interested in hearing their party's platform. It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Don’t forget to check out 905er.ca , even if you get the podcast delivered to your automatically. We post additional news and stories there when we can, and welcome submissions and ideas for additional content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices <a href="https://open.acast.com/public/patr
S2 E96 · Tue, September 14, 2021
Keith Brooks of Environmental Defence Reminds Us Why Climate Change is Important This Election
This summer, saw climate change creep back into the headlines, stealing attention away from COVID-19. And for good reason. This year saw a record-breaking heatwave sweep the west coast, resulting in a town burning to the ground. Climate change is killing people. And yet, it seems barely been a point of debate in this election. In keeping with our effort to focus on the issues that are important to the 905 we invited Keith Brooks from Environmental Defence to the podcast. Keith is Programs Director at Environmental Defence where he seeks to advocate for a cleaner environment and a greener economy. He has a Master’s in environmental studies and has written many times on the need for a more sustainable economy. You can also read Keith's blog at https://environmentaldefence.ca/blog/?author=Keith+Brooks You won't want to miss this deep dive into election politics and the environment. It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Don’t forget to check out 905er.ca , even if you get the podcast delivered to your automatically. We post additional news and stories there when we can, and welcome submissions and ideas for additional content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S2 E95 · Thu, September 09, 2021
Thursday Roundup - Who‘s afraid of the 905er? Why won‘t CPC candidates speak about their platform?
Every CPC candidate in Canada is gagged---forbidden from talking to podcasts---or so we were told by a party operative. As some of the worst aspects of modern political campaigns dominated headlines and anti-vax PPC supporters threw stones, we searched in vain for a CPC candidate willing to take a free 30 minutes to talk about their platform in depth. Although actually we did find candidate keen to chat. A highly touted one, well capable of representing their party. Listen to the podcast to find out what went wrong. While the CPC aren't alone in hiding from the media and public (try finding any candidate to speak to in Humber River-Black Creek), they have certainly gone furthest in turning invisibility into an art form. Roland and Joel ask what it says about the CPC when they're really not interested in speaking about their policies to anybody who isn't already 'on their side'. Finally we wonder what this election would look like if the Liberals hadn't broken their promise on electoral reform in 2016. Would we still be talking about a party with 32% of the vote 'winning'? It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever .... Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Don’t forget to check out 905er.ca , even if you get the podcast delivered to your automatically. We post additional news and stories there when we can, and welcome submissions and ideas for additional content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S2 E94 · Tue, September 07, 2021
Election 2021: Roberto Henriquez Discusses the NDP Platform
In the first of our 905 candidate interviews, we speak to Roberto Henriquez, who is running for the NDP in the Hamilton West--Ancaster--Dundas riding. Henriquez moved to Hamilton as a student, and now practices law where he represents 'everyday Hamiltonians'. We dive into the NDP's platform and look in particular at the housing affordability crisis that is a concern for millions of people across our region, as well as First Nations reconciliation and the NDP's environmental and climate change platform. The study Roland mentions during the interview, which analyzed each party's climate change policy and was critical of the NDP's plan, was carried out by Mark Jaccard at Simon Fraser University (not the Fraser Institute as Roland suggested) and published on September 3rd in Policy Options. Jaccard's analysis is only one assessment of each party's greenhouse gas reduction policies, and his conclusions have been suggested to be too narrowly construed by the Pembina Institute and disputed by Climate Action Network . It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please considering supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee ? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever... Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Don’t forget to check out 905er.ca , even if you get the podcast delivered to you automatically. We post additional news and stories there when we can, and welcome submissions and ideas for additional content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S2 E93 · Thu, September 02, 2021
Election 2021: How not to suck at politics
In our Thursday 905 roundup this week we give our impressions of the early days of the 2021 election and why all the parties seem so far to be struggling to break through the apathy barrier, or find exactly what this election is about. The media landscape is dominated by pointing at the flaws of other parties rather than the qualities of their own platforms. It's a well-worn path, certainly, but does it have to be this way? Why does it seem like all the mainstream parties are falling over themselves in their attempts to lose? Joel and Roland give their free advice on what they think the parties should be doing to inject some life into this election. Are they right, or are they talking a lot of nonsense? Decide for yourself by listening and then let us know! The best comments may get shared and discussed on air in future episodes. This episode was recorded before the release of the Liberal Party platform on September 1st. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S2 E92 · Tue, August 31, 2021
Election 2021: Mike Moffat discusses what the parties should do to end the housing affordability crisis
Weeeee'rrrrrreeee back from our August break a few days early so we can fit in some great election coverage that focuses on the issues the 905 is facing. We promise as close to zero coverage of partisan games and gotcha politics as we can get, and a maximum of investigating real, honest-to-goodness policies, both those that the parties should be promising, and exploration of the policies the parties are promising. We kick off our election coverage with the return of Mike Moffat, Senior Director, Smart Prosperity and Assistant Prof, Ivey Business School, as we look at one of the issues dominating the early days of federal campaigns - housing affordability. Today we'll be looking at what an expert like Mike thinks the parties should be doing. In future episodes we'll putting those points directly to party representatives as we explore their platform promises. Mike Moffatt is Senior Director, Smart Prosperity and Assistant Prof, Ivey Business School. You can find much more on this subject and others at https://mikepmoffatt.medium.com/ and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/MikePMoffatt . Thanks to those who help us put this together: Thanks to our patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Don’t forget to check out 905er.ca , even if you get the podcast delivered to your automatically. We post additional news and stories there when we can, and welcome submissions and ideas for additional content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, August 26, 2021
Rebroadcast: Paradise Lost?
[First broadcast on April 15th 2021] They didn't pave Paradise. Instead the City of Hamilton released 24 billion litres of untreated sewage into it. Thursday's episode covers three 905 stories: the latest changes of direction on our schools and an education minister with egg on his face; $5 million for Burlington City Hall's front yard; a new stinky mess in Cootes Paradise. But don't worry, the rotting mass of odiferous gunk is 'just algae', although that algae may be a product of damage caused by the sewage spill. Joel and Roland roll up their sleeves and dive in, so you don't have to. Thanks to those who help us put this together: Thanks to our patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Don’t forget to check out 905er.ca , even if you get the podcast delivered to your automatically. We post additional news and stories there when we can, and welcome submissions and ideas for additional content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Wed, August 25, 2021
Rebroadcast: Hassan Basit and Janet Sumner - Throwing Conservation Under the Omnibus?
[First broadcast on November 20th 2020.] We are joined this week by Haassan Basit, CEO of Conservation Halton , and Janet Sumner, Executive Director of CPAWS Wildlands League , to talk about the province's proposed major changes to the powers of Conservation Authorities in Ontario as part of the budget 'omnibus' Bill 229, which, it is argued, weaken key protections that ensure safe development and prevent flooding. We explore the proposals, the justifications provided by the province and the implications for safe development in the 905 region with Hassaan and Janet, in the context of other changes made to planning laws and regulations since 2018. Listeners wishing to know more or express their view on the proposed changes to their MPP and the provincial government should visit the following links: https://loggingscars.ca/take-action/ https://ontarionature.good.do/conservationauthorities/send/ https://act.environmentaldefence.ca/page/71104/action/1 Thanks to: Our founding patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er. Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining! Gayle Laws: research Wendy Nicholson : sound engineer, podcast consultancy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, August 19, 2021
Rebroadcast: 905 Round-up: Bratina Announces Plan to Quit in a Huff Over LRT, Eventually.
[First broadcast on May 20th 2021] Bob Bratina, MP for Hamilton East--Stoney Creek is a man of principle, of that there can be no doubt. His outrage at the federal government's plan to invest unprecedented sums into his home city has distressed him so much that he has announced he is going to quit in disgust at a moment convenient to his own career interests. Namely, at the next election, which could be as late as 2023. In the mean time he will keep his backbench salary and the Liberal Party whip, while working to undermine Liberal Party policy. Bratina will achieve the six years of service needed to qualify for a full MP's pension in November 2021. [Note ... the subsequent election call for September 2021 means many two term MPs will miss this qualification date by a matter of weeks if they lose their seats, and Bratina will not qualify.] When asked about his future plans, Bratina immediately mentioned the possibility of running for mayor of Hamilton again, before stating it was 'not top of mind right now'. In this week's 905 round-up, Joel and Roland discuss the backstory to Bratina's scheduled resignation, and how the anti-LRT lobby in Hamilton, despite their skill at losing elections where they put LRT front and centre, refuses to go away. But now anti-LRT Liberals like Bratina, Vito Sgro and Judi Partridge can't turn to Donna Skelly and the PCs to do their dirty work, do they have a leg left to stand on? Finally we look at the latest fallout from the Halton Catholic District School Board's failure to pass a motion to raise the Pride flag in Hamilton, while Toronto and Waterloo have decided the opposite. Help the 905er Grow! Thanks to our patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Don’t forget to check out 905er.ca , even if you get the podcast delivered to you automatically. We post additional news and stories there, and welcome submissions and ideas for additional content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Wed, August 18, 2021
Rebroadcast: Alyssa Brierley Fights for the Right for Affordable Housing
[First broadcast on January 19th 2021] Alyssa Brierley, Executive Director of the Centre for Equality Rights in Accomodation, joins us to discuss the waves of evictions that have been happening in Ontario since the summer under the auspices of the Landlord and Tenant Board, despite assurances earlier in the year about protections for tenants in financial difficulties because of the pandemic. These evictions are carried out via an online video process that places many tenants at a strong disadvantage. Then we go on to discuss the wider issue of affordable housing, why housing affordability has become such a large problem in the 905 region, and what possible solutions to provide a supply of affordable housing might be. You can find out more about CERA's work at https://www.equalityrights.org/ Thanks to those who help us put this together: Our founding patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er. Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. The Quadrafonics : fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, August 17, 2021
Rebroadcast: Mike Moffatt - A Moving Story of Ontario's Rising House Prices
[First broadcast on March 23rd 2021] Where Ontarians are moving is moving. Mike Moffat joins us to explore how, as the seemingly never-ending upward spiral of housing costs in the GTHA continues, and the population increases rapidly, many Ontarians are looking further afield for housing, with the result that some unexpected areas have become among the fastest-growing cities in the province. For instance, London and Woodstock. These are places that haven't necessarily planned for rapid population growth, and don't necessarily have the jobs and economic growth that would traditionally be expected to attract new residents. So what's going on? What is driving this unexpected change? What are Ontarians looking for? What effect has Covid had on this trend? What does it say about affordability in the 905 region, and what do we risk if we don't get to grips as a society with the need for a ready supply of housing for all income groups? Mike Moffatt is Senior Director, Smart Prosperity and Assistant Prof, Ivey Business School. You can find much more on this subject and others at https://mikepmoffatt.medium.com/ and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/MikePMoffatt . Thanks to those who help us put this together: Thanks to our founding patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Don't forget to check out 905er.ca , even if you get the podcast delivered to your automatically. We post additional news and stories there when we can, and welcome submissions and ideas for additional content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, August 12, 2021
Rebroadcast - Laura Babcock Asks: Why Can't Hamilton Have Nice Things?
[First broadcast May 18th 2021] With the guarantee of over $3 billion in funding from the federal and provincial governments to fund LRT - and only LRT - in Hamilton, Laura Babcock joins us to ponder why Hamilton City Council is still hesitant to move ahead. Laura is owner of POWERGROUP Communication s a PR firm in Hamilton and media contributor on current affairs nationally, host of the OShow in Hamilton Thanks to those who help us put this together: Thanks to our patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Don’t forget to check out 905er.ca , even if you get the podcast delivered to you automatically. We post additional news and stories there, and welcome submissions and ideas for additional content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Wed, August 11, 2021
Rebroadcast - A Lack of Integrity in Hamilton, Cameron Kroetsch
[First broadcast October 13th 2020] In this episode we explore why Hamilton City Council decided to launch an investigation by its Integrity Commissioner into the actions of a volunteer chair of one of its advisory committees - Cameron Kroetsch. We speak to Cameron to get his side of the story, and ask whether the claims against him have merit, why council would want to appear so heavy-handed with regard to the actions of a volunteer, and what message they are sending to the wider community. Special thanks to our 905er volunteers who are help us to make these episodes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, August 10, 2021
Rebroadcast - Graham Crawford Explains How iElectHamilton.ca Can Change Hamilton- Part 1
[First broadcast June 8th 2021] This episode was recorded before the hate-fuelled killing of a four members of Muslim family in London, Ontario. We added a short pre-amble in light of that horrific event. Our guest this week is Graham Crawford, one of the leads and spokespeople of iElectHamilton.ca , which was launched two weeks ago. In two short weeks, iElectHamilton.ca has provoked a wave of positive support from many Hamiltonians, and a storm of angry reaction from some of the city’s political grandees. It has already been described as a leftist takeover by university elites, and for being unfairly hostile to delicate incumbent councillors who just want everybody to be positive. You can listen to part 2 of this interview here Please don’t forget to share on social media and review the 905er podcast, wherever you get it. If you’d like to be part of the 905er journey, and help us grown into a valued voice for our region, please consider supporting us at Patreon.com/the905er. Special Thanks Sound editing: Nicholas Paul Intro/Outro music: The Stereophonics Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, August 05, 2021
Rebroadcast: A Question of Pride for Halton Catholic School Board
[First broadcast April 20th 2021] Tonight will be a momentous night for the Halton Catholic District School Board. For weeks, the board has been wrestling with itself over whether or not the Pride flag ought to be raised over its schools. A motion brought by Trustee Brenda Agnew under the title "Supporting Our Diverse School Community" would direct the Pride flag to be flown over HCDSB schools and mandate a safe space poster in every class "to ensure that students in the 2SLGBT community are supported throughout the school year". This motion has attracted the support of numerous parents and students, who have written letters or registered to delegate in support for the motion. However, others have expressed opposition to the flag, claiming it is not in line with the tenets of Catholicism. The motion has divided the Catholic community in Halton, Ontario, and the debate has raised questions once again about the place of publicly funded Catholic education in the province. We invited a former Halton Catholic School Board graduate, Niamh Shallow, onto the podcast to give her perspective. Niamh is a third year Sociology major at Trent University, and has written in support of trustee Agnew's motion, and will be part of a delegation in favour of the motion at the HCDSB board meeting on Tuesday evening. Joining her is Deirdre Pike. 905er listeners will remember Deirdre from our episode on Hamilton Universal Basic Income pilot project. She is also a recent nominee for an Ontario Newspaper Award for her column in The Spectator. Today she joins us as an advocate for LGBTQ+ rights who is also a practising Catholic. https://www.thespec.com/authors.pike_deirdre.html The meeting agenda, including letters and delegation notes in support and opposition to the motions can be downloaded here: https://www.hcdsb.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/BOARD_2021_04_20_REPORT.pdf Thanks to those who help us put this together: Thanks to our patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Wed, August 04, 2021
Rebroadcast: Back to School in a Pandemic
As we recharge the batteries with a summer break, we hope you enjoy some highlights from the 905er's first year. In our second episode, first broadcast August 4th 2020, Roland Tanner and Joel MacLeod were joined by Cindy Cosentino, who recently retired after 32 years as a teacher in Hamilton and Halton school boards teaching science and math. Cindy shares her concerns, and the concerns of many of her colleagues, at what is being asked of teachers as children head back to school, and we explore the many unanswered questions about how the province’s plan can be implemented safely. Is the provincial plan ultimately more about protecting the economy than the interests and safety of children, parents and teachers? Thanks to those who help us put this together: Thanks to our founding patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, July 29, 2021
Gerry Kavanaugh and the Importance of the 905 to the Canadian Economy
Gerry Kavanaugh is an entrepreneur and CEO of Formula Solutions in Burlington. He started his first business at the age of twenty after initially trying his hand at motorsports. Since then he has built two successful companies in the field of carbon fibre composites, collaborated in creating equipment that helped Canada's snowboarders win gold at the Vancouver Olympics, and is now focussed in the field of commercial aerospace with major contracts that will see him hiring seventy new staff over the next year. Gerry talks to us about his career and how working in the 905 has contributed to his success. If you like the what the 905er does, please consider supporting us at Patreon . For a week, for a month, for a year --- it all helps cover our costs and helps us cover more of the stories you want to see. Thanks to: Nicholas Paul: sound editing Our fantastic Team 905er Patrons. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, July 27, 2021
905 Round-up: Hotspots in Burlington, Go Transit in Hamilton, Confrontation in Thornhill
Joel and Roland look at three more stories from the 905 region, including the implications of COVID spikes in Burlington, a Go Transit announcement in Hamilton, and the behaviour of a Rebel Media journalist in a confrontation with a CPC candidate in Thornhill. If you like the what the 905er does, please consider supporting us at Patreon . For a week, for a month, for a year --- it all helps cover our costs and helps us cover more of the stories you want to see. Thanks to: Nicholas Paul: sound editing Our fantastic Team 905er Patrons. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, July 22, 2021
905 Round Up - Division at Burlington City Hall
Over the last few weeks, observers of Burlington city politics have noticed a growing rift in council. So much that when Joan Little of the Spectator commented on it in one of her columns, the Mayor decided a rebuttal was in order. What is going on in Burlington City Hall? Joel and Roland discuss what we know and what it means. Then we take a stroll down to Hamilton, where this week Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was in the city to announce funding for 95 social assisted housing units. This announcement of course sparked furious debate on when the federal election would be announced. Joel doesn't think that it's going to happen, and that maybe, just maybe the announcement was just a mix of wanting to get some good publicity as well as an excuse to get out of Ottawa after two years. We give you our take on it all this week! If you like the what the 905er does, please consider supporting us at Patreon . For a week, for a month, for a year --- it all helps cover our costs and helps us cover more of the stories you want to see. Thanks to: Nicholas Paul: sound editing Our fantastic Team 905er Patrons. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S1 E88 · Tue, July 20, 2021
Flavio Volpe targets the future of the Car Industry with Project Arrow
This week we are joined by Flavio Volpe, President of the Auto Parts Manufacturers Association, who talks to us about Project Arrow, and how it has the potential to change the auto industry in Canada, internationally, and be part of the electric future of transportation. Flavio was a wonderfully engaging guest, and you won't want to miss hearing him speak about the innovation and discovery that is happening in one of Canada's most economically crucial sectors, as it faces the the challenge of moving from an oil-based to sustainable energy-based industry. If you like the what the 905er does, please consider supporting us at Patreon . For a week, for a month, for a year --- it all helps cover our costs and helps us cover more of the stories you want to see. Thanks to: Nicholas Paul: sound editing Our fantastic Team 905er Patrons. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, July 15, 2021
10,000 Reasons For Better Cities
We have another milestone to celebrate, and two stories that remind us why the news in the 905 Region needs more coverage, because they are issues that you are unlikely too see receiving much coverage in legacy media. In the dock this week ... Hamilton and Brampton duke it out for the 'most dubious council behaviour' award. If you like the what the 905er does, please consider supporting us at Patreon . For a week, for a month, for a year --- it all helps cover our costs and helps us cover more of the stories you want to see. Thanks to: Nicholas Paul: sound editing Our fantastic Team 905er Patrons. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, July 08, 2021
Taking Names: Roundtable with Laura Steiner of the Milton Reporter.
Roland and Joel welcome Laura Steiner, editor of the Milton Reporter to discuss the awakening to history that is happening right now, and the challenges it poses for our national self-image as 'Canada the Good'. Along the way we dive into how one of Ontario's oldest highways came to be named for a Scottish aristocrat who never visited Canada - Henry Dundas - and the problematic and contradictory aspects of his life.* Then we turn our attention to one of Canada's fastest growing municipalities, Milton. Milton is also named for a person who never visited Canada, the poet John Milton (although surely also because it was a town with important mills). As Milton has changed rapidly from a small rural settlement to a major urban centre in recent years, almost everything has changed except the name of the mayor. What challenges is Milton facing? Is political change coming to join the rapid urban transformation? If you like the what the 905er does, please consider supporting us at Patreon . For a week, for a month, for a year --- it all helps cover our costs and helps us cover more of the stories you want to see. Thanks to: Nicholas Paul: sound editing Our fantastic Team 905er Patrons. *Notes for history geeks: You can read more the novel mentioned by Roland, Joseph Knight, here . The novel adds fictional detail to the real life story of Knight , a slave transported from Africa to the West Indies, and then to Scotland, where he was declared to be a free man in a court case in which Henry Dundas played a role. However Dundas also played a key role in undermining an attempt to end the slave trade in 1792, prolonging the period when Britain considered slavery indefensible on its own shores, but legal, and highly profitable, everywhere else in the Empire. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, June 29, 2021
Jay Kana of Modern Mississauga Shares His Take on the Flavour of the 905
This week we’re turning our attention to Mississauga and asking whether Canada’s sixth largest city is maybe one of the most misunderstood and underestimated cities, not just in the 905, but across Canada. To discuss this with us, we invited on Jay Kana, the owner and editor in chief of modernmississauga.com . Modern Mississauga explores Mississauga through the lens of the 21st century, covering culture, living, technology, arts, entertainment, community, history, and much more. As is so often the case, our conversation with Jay went in a whole bunch of directions we didn’t expect, and subjects that certainly have relevance for the 905 region wherever you live. If you like the what the 905er does, please consider supporting us at Patreon . For a week, for a month, for a year --- it all helps cover our costs and helps us cover more of the stories you want to see. Thanks to: Nicholas Paul: sound editing Our fantastic Team 905er Patrons. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, June 24, 2021
The 905 Round Up - Whats in a Name? Talking about John A Macdonald Statues and Ryerson Public Schools Renaming
The debate over statues of John A. Macdonald and keeping the name of Egerton Ryerson on public schools has rekindled in the last month. The discovery of 215 children in unmarked graves in Kamloops and the continued discovery of more unmarked graves in various Residential Schools across the country have given cause to examine these men's legacy. Roland wrote a piece for the 905er website which made explicit the case that statues and names on building does not make a historical legacy. Joel and Roland talk about the idea and how these icons make for pretty lazy history classes. History is much more nuanced and complex. We talk about the true complicated legacy of these men and what a better way for Canadians to memorialize and learn about accomplishments in the past might be. https://905er.ca/2021/06/were-not-erasing-history-were-learning-it/ If you like the what the 905er does, please consider supporting us at Patreon . For a week, for a month, for a year --- it all helps cover our costs and helps us cover more of the stories you want to see. Thanks to: Nicholas Paul: sound editing Our fantastic Team 905er Patrons. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, June 22, 2021
Lisa Kohler of Halton Environmental Network asks "how do we have a sustainable economy?"
It seemed until the first week of June that Halton Region's opposition to the proposed Highway 413 was set in stone. And then a routine vote suddenly saw Milton Council reverse its position out of the blue. This sparked a wider discussion about what needs to happen in the 905 region generally to manage climate change and build for a sustainable post COVID-19 economy. Lisa Kohler Executive Director of Halton Environmental Network ( haltonenvironet.ca /) and Halton Climate Collective ( climatecollective.ca ) joined us to speak about the Highway 413 story and much more, including the discussions around the proposed CN Rail Hub, also in Milton, the Halton Region Official Plan Amendments ("ROPA") discussions taking place right now that will have an important effect on the future of the Halton's growing communities, where growth will be focused, and whether the region accepts continued levels of sprawl, or insists on keeping new housing within existing urban boundaries. You can find out more about ROPA and contribute to the discussions taking place right now on the Halton Region website . If you like the what the 905er does, please consider supporting us at Patreon . For a week, for a month, for a year --- it all helps cover our costs and helps us cover more of the stories you want to see. Thanks to: Nicholas Paul: sound editing Our fantastic Team 905er Patrons. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, June 17, 2021
905 Round-up: Two steps forward, one step back?
In our Thursday 905 Round-up this week we have three stories that have dominated news cycles in different parts of the 905, in some cases for almost a decade. Two will be viewed as positive steps, and one seems entirely negative. Judge for yourselves. Trustees at Halton Catholic and Hamilton Wentworth Public School Boards are in a hole and determined to keep digging. Hamilton councillors vote at committee to proceed with LRT. But can the anti-LRT/Stoney Creek alliance delay and disrupt the process so much that they can still refuse to accept a free transit system? Burlington has received provincial permission to adjust the location of its Urban Growth Centre, which Mayor Meed Ward portrays as taking control of development in the city after a controversial decade and more since the UGC was put in place. Roland and Joel take different views on whether this is a big deal, a 'positive, but time will tell' deal, or a whole lot of nothing very much. Listen to the end to see who you agree with! If you like the what the 905er does, please consider supporting us at Patreon . For a week, for a month, for a year --- it all helps cover our costs and helps us cover more of the stories you want to see. Thanks to: Nicholas Paul: sound editing Our fantastic Team 905er Patrons. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, June 15, 2021
Sarbjit Kaur Joins The 905er to Explain How our Institutions Need to do Better on Racism
The combined tragedies of the discovery of 215 unmarked children's graves in Kamloops, followed by the horrific act of Islamophobia resulting in the murder of a family in London, has shaken this country. Canada can no longer hide behind the polite veneer of multiculturalism and ignore the realities of life in this country for millions. Hate exists in this country. It takes on the form of Islamophobia, Homophobia, Antisemitism and any other form of racism you can think of. When individual men act out on their racism, the country falls into a predictable cycle of shock and shame. Politicians at every level, and the mainstream media all cry anger and shock at how no one could have predicted these acts of barbarism. Except it shouldn't be a surprise any more. This isn't the first time this country has dealt with racist acts resulting in murder. So why isn't action taken? Where is the political leadership, and the public discussion for justice and prevention? Why don't our institutions work to make racism a thing of the past? These are the questions we posed to our guest today. Sarbjit Kaur is the founder of KPW Comms, as well as outspoken advocate for diversity and equality in Canadian society. She is a former Queen's Park staffer and has been vocal on social media with her criticism of the response to the murders in London. We invited her on to discuss the need for our political leaders and the media to do better on this topic. Show notes: Jeff Bennett (Former PC Candidate in London, ON) Facebook Post: https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=10157931923491606&id=532941605 If you like the what the 905er does, please consider supporting us at Patreon . For a week, for a month, for a year --- it all helps cover our costs and helps us cover more of the stories you want to see. Thanks to: Nicholas Paul: sound editing Our fantastic Team 905er Patrons. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, June 10, 2021
Graham Crawford and iElect Hamilton Part 2 - Positively Main Street (and King Street)
The second part of our interview with Graham Crawford of iElectHamilton.ca . If you heard part one of the interview on Tuesday, you’ll know that Graham and a group of Hamiltonians have created an organization to campaign for a better Hamilton council to be elected in 2022, and for candidates to come forward who can bring a new look to city hall, replacing councillors who have been in place for decades on end in some cases, who are associated with the sewergate and Red Hill scandals, and who continue to foster the division between old-Hamilton and the suburban and rural hinterlands of the amalgamated city. In part two we look at all Hamilton has to offer as one of the most naturally fortunate cities in Canada, and consider what a city might look like that escaped the rut of unambitious and parochial leadership. If you like the what the 905er does, please consider supporting us at Patreon . For a week, for a month, for a year --- it all helps cover our costs and helps us cover more of the stories you want to see. Thanks to: Nicholas Paul: sound editing Our fantastic Team 905er Patrons. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, June 08, 2021
Graham Crawford Explains How iElectHamilton.ca Can Change Hamilton- Part 1
This episode was recorded before the hate-fuelled killing of a four members of Muslim family in London, Ontario. We added a short pre-amble in light of that horrific event. Our guest this week is Graham Crawford, one of the leads and spokespeople of iElectHamilton.ca , which was launched two weeks ago. In two short weeks, iElectHamilton.ca has provoked a wave of positive support from many Hamiltonians, and a storm of angry reaction from some of the city’s political grandees. It has already been described as a leftist takeover by university elites, and for being unfairly hostile to delicate incumbent councillors who just want everybody to be positive. We enjoyed speaking to Graham so much we ended up recording enough to fill two episodes. So, we're going to fill two episodes. Here's part 1. Please don’t forget to share on social media and review the 905er podcast, wherever you get it. If you’d like to be part of the 905er journey, and help us grown into a valued voice for our region, please consider supporting us at Patreon.com/the905er. Special Thanks Sound editing: Nicholas Paul Intro/Outro music: The Stereophonics Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, June 03, 2021
905 Roundup: Clown Cars and Crosswalks
Hamilton councillors couldn't talk about a $3.1 billion investment in their city without first losing quorum and then voting to deferring any decision at 5pm, thereby risking losing control of the entire LRT approval process until after the approaching summer recess. What is it about Hamilton council that means they can't even seem to stay in the (virtual) council chamber? A non-905 city you may have heard of thought it would plan for the thing their city very much lacks - a major landmark central park. Then LPAT did what LPAT does - make city planning decisions and local democracy a waste of time. Will any provincial party put LPAT reform on its platform for the 2022 election? If HCDSB thought their Pride Flag decision would be yesterday's news in a couple of days, they were mistaken. Now the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal are involved. And guess where Burlington residents think the best place to put a new rainbow crosswalk is? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, June 01, 2021
The 905er Gets Real about the Pride Flag, and the Power of Symbols in Halton Region
In our episode coinciding with the first day of Pride Month, we talk to two high school students, Hannah Strom and Annie Wang, and their teacher Caitlin Grieve, about their successful efforts with the other students in 'Ridge Pride', the Gay-Straight Alliance at Iroquois Ridge High School, to have three Rainbow Crosswalks installed in Oakville. We are also joined by Whitney Ross, one of the co-leads for Pflag Halton - the local Halton region chapter of Pflag Canada. Pflag is a national non-profit organization that offers peer-to-peer support for 2SLGBTQ+ individuals and families. Pflag Halton is committed to building visibility, representation, and inclusivity for the 2SLGBTQ+ community in the Halton region. We address with Whitney the implications of Halton Catholic School Board scuppering a student-led initiative to raise the Pride Flag over HCDSB schools during June, the importance of symbols, and the journey that still needs to be travelled in Halton and across the 905 to build a truly inclusive society. With thanks to all four guests, and a special mention to Hannah for spending time over the weekend helping us recover from some technical issues. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, May 27, 2021
Look Out Larry, It's the Leftists!
There is a spectre haunting Hamilton--the spectre of university graduates. All the powers of old Hamilton may enter into an alliance to exorcise that spectre.* So suggests former Hamilton mayor Larry Di Ianni, who this week claimed Hamilton was facing a 'left wing takeover' by 'university and other elites'. This was in reaction to the launch of ielecthamilton.ca , a website calling for 'new leadership for a better Hamilton'. Roland and Joel unpack what it means when politicians start using the 'E' word. We also look at a strange article in the Toronto Star which highlighted the CPC candidate for Thornhill at the next federal election, Melissa Lantsman. Lantsman, it suggested, could be the 'new face of GTA Conservatives'. Joel and Roland try to work out why. Help the 905er Grow! Thanks to our patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Don’t forget to check out 905er.ca , even if you get the podcast delivered to you automatically. We post additional news and stories there, and welcome submissions and ideas for additional content. *With apologies to Marx, Engels and Gary Larson . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, May 25, 2021
Justin Chandler Reports on Hamilton's Rebecca Towers
Three Hamilton apartment buildings have seen major outbreaks of Covid-19 in recent weeks, all of the more transmissible UK-origin variant. The worst instance was in Rebecca Towers, where well over 100 cases have been identified. These outbreaks immediately seemed to highlight Covid-19’s gift for seeking out the more vulnerable members of our communities. But did it also highlight the failure of multiple levels of government to protect those who - after long term care residents and front-line health workers were vaccinated - were in most urgent need of vaccination, and least able to obtain it? To discuss this topic in detail we invited on Justin Chandler. Justin is TVO.org's Hamilton-Niagara Bureau reporter, covering current affairs in the region . He also co-hosts the comic book radio show, Radio Free Krypton . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, May 20, 2021
905 Round-up: Bratina Announces Plan to Quit in a Huff Over LRT, Eventually.
Bob Bratina, MP for Hamilton East--Stoney Creek is a man of principle, of that there can be no doubt. His outrage at the federal government's plan to invest unprecedented sums into his home city has distressed him so much that he has announced he is going to quit in disgust at a moment convenient to his own career interests. Namely, at the next election, which could be as late as 2023. In the mean time he will keep his backbench salary and the Liberal Party whip, while working to undermine Liberal Party policy. Bratina will achieve the six years of service needed to qualify for a full MP's pension in November 2021. When asked about his future plans, Bratina immediately mentioned the possibility of running for mayor of Hamilton again, before stating it was 'not top of mind right now'. In this week's 905 round-up, Joel and Roland discuss the backstory to Bratina's scheduled resignation, and how the anti-LRT lobby in Hamilton, despite their skill at losing elections where they put LRT front and centre, refuses to go away. But now anti-LRT Liberals like Bratina, Vito Sgro and Judi Partridge can't turn to Donna Skelly and the PCs to do their dirty work, do they have a leg left to stand on? Finally we look at the latest fallout from the Halton Catholic District School Board's failure to pass a motion to raise the Pride flag in Hamilton, while Toronto and Waterloo have decided the opposite. Help the 905er Grow! Thanks to our patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Don’t forget to check out 905er.ca , even if you get the podcast delivered to you automatically. We post additional news and stories there, and welcome submissions and ideas for additional content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, May 18, 2021
Laura Babcock Asks: Why Can't Hamilton Have Nice Things?
With the guarantee of over $3 billion in funding from the federal and provincial governments to fund LRT - and only LRT - in Hamilton, Laura Babcock joins us to ponder why Hamilton City Council is still hesitant to move ahead. Laura is owner of POWERGROUP Communication s a PR firm in Hamilton and media contributor on current affairs nationally, host of the OShow in Hamilton Thanks to those who help us put this together: Thanks to our patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Don’t forget to check out 905er.ca , even if you get the podcast delivered to you automatically. We post additional news and stories there, and welcome submissions and ideas for additional content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, May 13, 2021
Crisis? What Crisis? Why Do Local and Provincial Responses to Climate Emergency And Pandemic Suck?
Joel and Roland roll up their pant legs and wade into a political mire of floods, climate emergencies, enfeebled and unambitious politicians and government staff and the absurd decision to halt delivery of the Astra-Zeneca vaccine and risk prolonging pandemic by Canada's two most science and evidence-resistant provincial governments. Along the way we give a demonstration of some important Anglo-Saxon verbs and nouns, because the CRTC can't stop us. Yet. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S1 E69 · Tue, May 11, 2021
The 905er Checks on the State of Our Mental Health
A year into Covid-19 and our already-stretched mental health services in the 905 region are seeing unprecedented levels of demand. Adults and children alike are finding the uncertainty and isolation of life during pandemic to be a challenge, and as months have become over a year, those challenges only become more difficult. In today's episode Joel and Roland talk to Melanie McGregor of the Canadian Mental Health Association, Halton Branch, about how Covid-19 has affected our mental health services, and the fact that access to mental health professionals can be far more difficult than it should be, because it is not fully funded under OHIP. If you are facing mental health challenges because of Covid-19 or for any other reason, there are multiple services available to you 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. Please make sure you speak to a professional as soon as possible. If you are experiencing a crisis, call Crisis Outreach and Support Team (COAST): 1-877-825-9011. If you are not in crisis, but need counselling, support or advice, CMHA Halton provides free walk-in counselling. At present this is being provided by phone. Call 289-291-5396 to speak to a counsellor within 24 hours. Outside Halton, CMHA has branches across the GTHA and all of Ontario. Visit cmha.ca to find your local branch. You can make a donation to support CMHA's work at cmha.donordrive.com . Mental health services specifically for children are provided in Halton by ROCK (Reach Out Centre for Kids). Their crisis line is 905-878-9785, and they provide multiple other methods for children and parents to contact them for assistance and support, detailed on their website. Thanks to those who help us put this together: Thanks to our patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Don’t forget to check out 905er.ca , even if you get the podcast delivered to you automatically. We post additional news and stories there, and welcome submissions and ideas for additional content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/a
S1 E68 · Thu, May 06, 2021
Can't We Do Better Than NIMBY or YIMBY? With Shannon Gillies
Joel and Roland welcome back 905er regular, first ever '3rd time guest' and awesome Patreon supporter Shannon Gillies to discuss some of the problems with how debates on urban planning and intensification are discussed, how inevitable public resistance to change is handled, and how it can prevent us approaching the more complex discussions that need to happen if we are to design the best possible cities for our future. And do we need stronger city governments and stronger democracy to overcome the dysfunctional patterns we see in many 905 city halls? Then we look at the recent revelations with regard to Brampton's CAO, whose problematic career in Niagara has followed him to Brampton in what many would suggest is an entirely predictable manner. Thanks to those who help us put this together: Thanks to our patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Don’t forget to check out 905er.ca , even if you get the podcast delivered to you automatically. We post additional news and stories there, and welcome submissions and ideas for additional content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S1 E67 · Tue, May 04, 2021
The 905er Returns to 1492 Landback Lane with Karl Dockstader and Sean Vanderklis
Today we are welcoming back Karl Dockstader and Sean Vanderklis to speak again about the latest developments that touch on the dispute at 1492 Land Back Lane on the edge of Caledonia and the Six Nations Reserve about 20 km south of Hamilton. Sean and Karl co-host the fantastic 1 Dish 1 Mic radio show on Sunday Mornings at 10am on AM 610 CKTB. You can also listen to current and past episodes . Thanks to those who help us put this together: Thanks to our patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Don’t forget to check out 905er.ca , even if you get the podcast delivered to you automatically. We post additional news and stories there when we can, and welcome submissions and ideas for additional content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, April 29, 2021
Pride and Prejudice: The Aftermath of the HCDSB Pride Flag Debate, plus Vaccinations and Sick Days
Joel gives a full account of the HCDSB meeting on Monday where the motion to fly the Pride Flag was 'compromised' out of existence among a campaign of obstructionism and delay and time-wasting by the anti-flag trustees. Later in the show, Joel shares what it's like to get the vaccine, and we talk some more about paid sick days. Thanks to those who help us put this together: Thanks to our patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Don’t forget to check out 905er.ca , even if you get the podcast delivered to you automatically. We post additional news and stories there when we can, and welcome submissions and ideas for additional content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S1 E65 · Tue, April 27, 2021
The 905er asks: "What is the true cost of COVID-19"
A year into the Covid-19 pandemic, we wanted to take stock and remind ourselves why we locked down. Amidst the sound and fury of the political debates, the voices of those who have experienced Covid-19 have largely been drowned out. Ashley Comrie spent two months in hospital with Covid-19 a year ago. She is still recovering and dealing with serious ongoing physical and psychological health challenges caused by the nightmare of Covid. A few weeks ago she wrote a Twitter thread about the government’s handling of the third wave that went viral. It perfectly summed up the frustration many of us have had with the failure to do the things needed to stop spread, combined with the insight that only a person who has experienced the worst of Covid can have. Every day of this pandemic, we need to keep the experience of people like Ashley Comrie front and centre. She has experienced everything … not just the worst of Covid, but the worst behaviour that the pandemic has brought out in a vocal minority. The fact that, after all that, she is still cheerful and delightful guest is testament to an extraordinary person. Follow Ashley at @ashleycomrie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S1 E64 · Thu, April 22, 2021
The 905er Tries To Figure Out What Happened at the HCDSB
We are joined today by Dr Alexandra Power, a GP who works extensively with young adults through her practice at York University. Dr Power was one of the people who delegated on Tuesday night to Halton Catholic District School Board in support of a motion to fly the Pride flag over schools in June to show support for LGBTQ+ students in a motion brought by trustee Brenda Agnew. But on Tuesday night there was no decision. The numerous delegates who attended the meeting spoke and were questioned at length by trustees; over 200 members of the public provided their opinions on the subject by letter or delegation, clearly signalling the importance with which the public views this topic. And yet, when it came to their moment to make a decision, a majority of trustees voted to adjourn the meeting because it had reached 10pm. They could have extended the meeting. They could have made a decision. No explanation was given. No apology was made to the many people who had given up their time to contribute. The meeting ended, and with it the entire subject was adjourned until the next board meeting - when the process starts again. From scratch. In this episode we discuss the subtext to why the meeting was adjourned, the messages that are sent - whether intentionally or not - when democratic processes seem designed to belittle those foolish enough to want to contribute to their community, and the inherent problem with a publicly funded education board even considering LGTBQ+ issues - and the experience of LGBTQ+ students - in the third decade of the 21st century. Thanks to those who help us put this together: Thanks to our patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Don’t forget to check out 905er.ca , even if you get the podcast delivered to you automatically. We post additional news and stories there when we can, and welcome submissions and ideas for additional content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S1 E63 · Tue, April 20, 2021
A Question of Pride for the Halton Catholic School Board
Tonight will be a momentous night for the Halton Catholic District School Board. For weeks, the board has been wrestling with itself over whether or not the Pride flag ought to be raised over its schools. A motion brought by Trustee Brenda Agnew under the title "Supporting Our Diverse School Community" would direct the Pride flag to be flown over HCDSB schools and mandate a safe space poster in every class "to ensure that students in the 2SLGBT community are supported throughout the school year". This motion has attracted the support of numerous parents and students, who have written letters or registered to delegate in support for the motion. However, others have expressed opposition to the flag, claiming it is not in line with the tenets of Catholicism. The motion has divided the Catholic community in Halton, Ontario, and the debate has raised questions once again about the place of publicly funded Catholic education in the province. We invited a former Halton Catholic School Board graduate, Niamh Shallow, onto the podcast to give her perspective. Niamh is a third year Sociology major at Trent University, and has written in support of trustee Agnew's motion, and will be part of a delegation in favour of the motion at the HCDSB board meeting on Tuesday evening. Joining her is Deirdre Pike. 905er listeners will remember Deirdre from our episode on Hamilton Universal Basic Income pilot project. She is also a recent nominee for an Ontario Newspaper Award for her column in The Spectator. Today she joins us as an advocate for LGBTQ+ rights who is also a practising Catholic. https://www.thespec.com/authors.pike_deirdre.html You can watch the HCDSB Board Meeting Live on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCs1eFo6E0Cm7B2TwyDNIzMw The meeting agenda, including letters and delegation notes in support and opposition to the motions can be downloaded here: https://www.hcdsb.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/BOARD_2021_04_20_REPORT.pdf Thanks to those who help us put this together: Thanks to our patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Don’t forget to check out 905er.ca , even if you get the podcast delivered to you automatically. We post additional news and stories there when we can, and welcome submissions and ideas for additional content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megap
S1 E62 · Thu, April 15, 2021
Paradise Lost?
They didn't pave Paradise. Instead the City of Hamilton released 24 billion litres of untreated sewage into it. Thursday's episode covers three 905 stories: the latest changes of direction on our schools and an education minister with egg on his face; $5 million for Burlington City Hall's front yard; a new stinky mess in Cootes Paradise. But don't worry, the rotting mass of odiferous gunk is 'just algae', although that algae may be a product of damage caused by the sewage spill. Joel and Roland roll up their sleeves and dive in, so you don't have to. Thanks to those who help us put this together: Thanks to our patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Don’t forget to check out 905er.ca , even if you get the podcast delivered to your automatically. We post additional news and stories there when we can, and welcome submissions and ideas for additional content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S1 E61 · Tue, April 13, 2021
"They Don't Know How The System Works" - Andrea Grebenc and Patrick Murphy Speak Frankly About Provincial Education Mistakes
"We should have approached [COVID-19] aggressively.""Now the scale has moved.""A target on our back.""Commodification and privatization.""A freight train that has already left the station.""They don't know how the system works ." These quotes, taken from a wide-ranging discussion with Andrea Grebenc, chair of Halton District School Board, and Patrick Murphy, Chair of Halton Catholic District School Board, in an episode recorded on April 8th, illustrate the frustration felt by schools boards as they face a provincial government that doesn't listen, and doesn't understand Ontario's education system. In a frank discussion, neither chair shied away from stating the failures in the provincial government's COVID-19 response, its problematic view of teachers and the education system, and the apparent plans to use COVID-19 as a tool to make online learning a permanent feature of Ontario's education. When we recorded this episode, Stephen Lecce, minister of Education, was still insisting schools were safe and would remain open, despite the renewed lockdown. On April 11th, in an open letter sent to all parents in Ontario, he repeated the assertion that 'more than 99 per cent of students and staff do not have an active case of COVID-19', a statistic that hardly inspired confidence at any school with more than 100 students. A day later, the province announced all schools were to close until further notice. Thanks to those who help us put this together: Thanks to our patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Don’t forget to check out 905er.ca , even if you get the podcast delivered to your automatically. We post additional news and stories there when we can, and welcome submissions and ideas for additional content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, April 08, 2021
Parks and Vaccination: failures of logic and imagination by multiple levels of government
Joel and Roland tackle the latest Covid news in the 905 - and there's plenty of it. Peel's Medical Officer of Health possibly signalled a breaking point this week where regional public health officials demonstrated their lack of faith in provincial policy, and their willingness to overrule it, when he closed down Peel's schools. Spending on park 'ambassadors' in Burlington raises questions about municipal priorities when malls are open and crowded, but a city hall choses to police people doing something research suggests is extremely low risk - visiting a park. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S1 E59 · Tue, April 06, 2021
San Grewal of The Pointer talks about the politics of the 905.
San Grewal, award-winning journalist and founder of The Pointer ( https://thepointer.com/ ) joined Joel and Roland to talk about legacy media's and politicians' lack of interest and knowledge about the 905 region, even while the stories that affect the 905 are the biggest in the entire province right now. Hours later, Peel's Medical Officer of Health made one of the clearest statements yet about the failure of the Ford government to make the right decisions for cities like Brampton and Mississauga, when he decided to close down Peel's schools. San gives a passionate and articulate account of why the 905 matters in an episode you won't want to miss. Follow San Grewal and The Pointer at @sangrewal1 Thanks to those who help us put this together: Thanks to our founding patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Don’t forget to check out 905er.ca , even if you get the podcast delivered to your automatically. We post additional news and stories there when we can, and welcome submissions and ideas for additional content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S1 E58 · Thu, April 01, 2021
50 Shades of Grey - Is Ontario Heading Into A Third Lockdown?
While Joel and Roland were recording this podcast, twice, due to technical problems, news was emerging of what appears to be a third lockdown starting this Easter Weekend. Our intrepid hosts give their reactions to the latest reports - which were yet to be confirmed at the time of recording. A provincial policy of confusing grey areas seems to be sending us all back into grey zones. Is their any truth to the premier's attempt to blame everything on Ottawa? Why are mass vaccination locations sitting empty on some afternoons? A little bit of frustration leads to some colourful language. But at least it's not grey, eh? Thanks to those who help us put this together: Thanks to our founding patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Don’t forget to check out 905er.ca , even if you get the podcast delivered to your automatically. We post additional news and stories there when we can, and welcome submissions and ideas for additional content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, March 30, 2021
Shawna Stolte: The Myths and Reality of Life as a Councillor
We pay attention to politics in inverse proportion to the extent it affects our lives. The political junkies among us religiously watch Power and Politics and have complex and well-informed opinions about what’s going on this week in Ottawa. But the same political junkies often struggle to remember the name of their city councillor. And yet at both city and regional councils, councillors make decisions that affect our lives every single day in a way the federal government seldom does. This dichotomy between the real and imagined job of local government politicians is something we wanted to explore further. To do so we were pleased to welcome Councillor Shawna Stolte, who represents Burlington's Ward 4, and who was first elected in 2018. The result is not a political interview. It’s not about policies or decisions, successes or failures. It’s an interview about understanding what it’s like to be a municipal politician from a municipal politician’s perspective, because we think to have better local government we first need to understand much better how local government works. With a special guest appearance from Roland's sump pump. Thanks to those who help us put this together: Thanks to our founding patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Don’t forget to check out 905er.ca , even if you get the podcast delivered to your automatically. We post additional news and stories there when we can, and welcome submissions and ideas for additional content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, March 25, 2021
Election Fever?
Media is talking elections, and, whether it makes sense or not, history suggests that someone will blink and force a federal election before long. The 905 region could well play 'kingmaker' again. But is our region getting the attention and credit it deserves for it's outsized influence on elections, and the contrasting needs and motivations that shape the 905 cities' poulations? Which party would stand to win most from an election, and is there any significant hunger for change? And, it's budget day in Ontario. Are the arguments about debt over now that every level of government is increasing their deficit? And where did that Highway 413 line item go? Thanks to those who help us put this together: Thanks to our founding patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Don't forget to check out 905er.ca , even if you get the podcast delivered to your automatically. We post additional news and stories there when we can, and welcome submissions and ideas for additional content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S1 E55 · Tue, March 23, 2021
Mike Moffatt - A Moving Story of Ontario's Rising House Prices
Where Ontarians are moving is moving. Mike Moffat joins us to explore how, as the seemingly never-ending upward spiral of housing costs in the GTHA continues, and the population increases rapidly, many Ontarians are looking further afield for housing, with the result that some unexpected areas have become among the fastest-growing cities in the province. For instance, London and Woodstock. These are places that haven't necessarily planned for rapid population growth, and don't necessarily have the jobs and economic growth that would traditionally be expected to attract new residents. So what's going on? What is driving this unexpected change? What are Ontarians looking for? What effect has Covid had on this trend? What does it say about affordability in the 905 region, and what do we risk if we don't get to grips as a society with the need for a ready supply of housing for all income groups? Mike Moffatt is Senior Director, Smart Prosperity and Assistant Prof, Ivey Business School. You can find much more on this subject and others at https://mikepmoffatt.medium.com/ and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/MikePMoffatt . Thanks to those who help us put this together: Thanks to our founding patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Don't forget to check out 905er.ca , even if you get the podcast delivered to your automatically. We post additional news and stories there when we can, and welcome submissions and ideas for additional content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, March 18, 2021
Brick (Thick as A) - Who is Paying for Bad Opinions and Bad Decisions at Queens Park?
MPP Sam Oosterhoff apparently found the provincial advice to cover his mouth with a piece of paper or cloth overly arduous last year, and was proudly photographed ignoring the rules the rest of us are expected to keep. But this week he has again shown he is willing to advocate government control of a far more intimate part of women's anatomy. Why won't the premier get to grips with his unruly backbencher? Joel and Roland also look at the uneven vaccine rollout, and the missed opportunities to target vulnerable first nations residents in cities like Hamilton, and how the hard-hit Peel Region has been excluded from a trial which would have made the Astra Zeneca vaccine available to hundreds or thousands of Peel residents. Today's obscure musical references in the title come courtesy of Jethro Tull and Ben Folds. Requests for explanations of whatever Roland is going on about can be directed to info@905er.ca . Thanks to those who help us put this together: Thanks to our founding patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Don't forget to check out 905er.ca every so often, even if you get the podcast delivered to your automatically. We post additional news and stories there when we can, and welcome submissions and ideas for additional content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S1 E53 · Tue, March 16, 2021
Briar Emond paints a picture of being an artist in the pandemic
One of the reasons we began this podcast was to counter the perception of the 905 region as culturally irrelevant. We simply couldn’t accept that a region of 4 million people - larger than some small countries - should be routinely perceived as being uninteresting from the perspective of art and culture. And of course, there is a huge amount of innovative and exciting work happening for among of our regions different communities for anyone who cares to look. This week we’re speaking to Burlington Artist Briar Emond about what it’s like to be an artist in the 905 Region, amazing organizations and services open to the public and artists alike for people wishing to learn more or get involved in the visual arts. And of course, it’s impossible to talk about any subject these days without mentioning Covid, and Briar has some interesting, unexpected and illuminating lessons to draw from a time where we are all forced to spend more time looking at our walls. Thanks to those who help us put this together: Thanks to our founding patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Don't forget to check out 905er.ca every so often, even if you get the podcast delivered to your automatically. We try to post additional news and stories there when we can, and welcome submissions and ideas for additional content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S1 E52 · Thu, March 11, 2021
What the fraternity can do about equality.
Like many subjects we've covered over the last six months, we're only too aware that other people are more informed on the subject of gender equality and an end to violence against women. But there's an important point. Men too often view 'women's issues' as something that they don't have to worry about. That's the reverse of the truth. Only men can fix the appalling levels of violence against women. And men have to be champions of, rather than passive spectators to, the changes needed to break down glass ceilings, and be vocal in challenging outdated male language and attitudes whenever they see it. That means not staying silent when we hear 'locker room' talk, and challenging friends and relatives who persist with outdated and sexist opinions. As a continuation of our coverage of International Women's Day after our Tuesday Episode with Hon. Paddy Torsney, we hope, in a small way, we've been able to make the point about the responsibility we have as men to bring about overdue change. 4Rb2cCvlz0v1vZ1PgwC2 4Rb2cCvlz0v1vZ1PgwC2 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, March 09, 2021
The Hon. Paddy Torsney talks International Women's Day and 25 Years of the IWD Breakfast
Every International Women's Day in the 905, Paddy Torsney organizes and host an IWD Breakfast Event. The event focuses on the highlights and accomplishments of women of note in the region. This year marks a significant milestone of 25 years. We wanted to talk about this accomplishment, and the importance of International Women's Day for our society. As well as the impact adding more women to leadership roles can have for our society. Paddy is a long time friend of both Roland and Joel, she is a former Member of Parliament for Burlington, and is currently the Ambassador of the Interparliamentary Union to the United Nations in New York City. She splits her time between the 905 and the Big Apple, and we are grateful for her to take time from her schedule to talk with us. Thanks to those who help us put this together: Thanks to our founding patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Don't forget to check out 905er.ca every so often, even if you get the podcast delivered to your automatically. We try to post additional news and stories there when we can, and welcome submissions and ideas for additional content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, March 04, 2021
Our 50th Episode!
It's taken almost six months to get here, but Roland and Joel reflect on the journey so far. Its been a winding path, but a lot the help comes down to our Patreon supporters. Their support has helped us grow this into what it's become so far. We are grateful for their support. This podcast has provided us a chance to talk about the forces that are shaping the region, and talk with the people who are influencing what that shape becomes. We hope to continue this for another 50 episodes and beyond. Thanks to those who help us put this together: Thanks to our founding patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Don't forget to check out 905er.ca every so often, even if you get the podcast delivered to your automatically. We try to post additional news and stories there when we can, and welcome submissions and ideas for additional content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S1 E49 · Tue, March 02, 2021
Queen's Park Round-up - Three Stories About the Provincial Government and the 905
Three stories, all relating to decisions and actions of the provincial government, and all directly affecting our region. Who said what, when with COVID-19? Did the politicians overrule the scientists? I the province trying to blame Dr Williams for their own failings, or do they have a point that he was slow to acknowledge what other scientists accepted much earlier in the year? Is the province running scared on Highway 413? Recent statements by the House Leader suggest maybe. Is there anything that can't be solved by letting wealthy developers and business owners donate twice as much to political parties? Asking for a friend. But did the province do a good thing on 3rd-party advertising? Thanks to those who help us put this together: Thanks to our founding patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Don't forget to check out 905er.ca every so often, even if you get the podcast delivered to your automatically. We try to post additional news and stories there when we can, and welcome submissions and ideas for additional content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, February 25, 2021
413 Reasons Why: A Vision For Vibrant Cities In A Post Commuter World
Joel and Roland talk share their admiration for the Community Climate Council 's webinar on Highway 413, get all misty eyed about the idea of after-work drinks in a pedestrian-friendly downtown, and then discuss a rare win for the City of Burlington at LPAT - why it was a win, and whether it will stay a win. Spoiler alert - probably not. Finally they discuss Halton Region's unanimous request to the Province and whether, for once, the Region is actually making a fair point. Thanks to those who help us put this together: Thanks to our founding patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Don't forget to check out 905er.ca every so often, even if you get the podcast delivered to your automatically. We try to post additional news and stories there when we can, and welcome submissions and ideas for additional content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S1 E47 · Tue, February 23, 2021
How Green Is My Greenbelt?
A roundup of news from around the 905 with Joel and Roland, including the province's surprise announcement that it's considering an expansion to the Greenbelt ... coincidentally announced in a week it was taking a lot of heat regarding its plans for a new Highway 413. Hamilton Council decides to spend $20,000+ on a cause it admits is lost. Meanwhile a councillor reminds us that we're all lazy and can't be trusted. Thanks to those who help us put this together: Thanks to our founding patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Opposed to Highway 413? We're taking part in a webinar today February 23rd with Community Climate Council on Highway 413. If you are interested in learning more, there is also an event on Thursday 25th February. Registration for both events is at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/highway-413-webinar-registration-141200391171 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, February 18, 2021
Racism in Our Schools (Part 2) - Students Speak Up YCDSB and Hamilton Students For Justice
In part two of our episode this week we continue our conversation with Abisola Asha and Malik Scott of Students Speak Up YCDSB, and Greg Dongen of Hamilton Students for Justice. Make sure you listen to this episode to hear Abisola, Malik and Greg share their experiences of daily routine racism in our school systems. Find out more about Students Speak Up YCSDSB at https://www.instagram.com/studentsspeakupycdsb/ Find out more about Hamilton Students for Justice at https://hs4j.ca/ Thanks to those who help us put this together: Thanks to our founding patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S1 E45 · Tue, February 16, 2021
Racism in Our Schools (Part 1) - Students Speak Up YCDSB and Hamilton Students For Justice
In a two part episode this week we speak to Abisola Asha and Malik Scott of Students Speak Up YCDSB, and Greg Dongen of Hamilton Students for Justice. Abisola, Malik and Greg have been at the forefront of recent stories about widespread and institutional racism in Hamilton Wentworth and York Catholic District School Boards. In York, Students Speak Up organized a student strike to protest racism in November. Last week in Hamilton, after the allegations of racism by trustees by a former student trustee Ahona Mehdi were substantiated by an independent investigation, the trustees who the report criticised astonishingly voted not to censure themselves (they have since been forced to backtrack, but no formal censures have yet been announced). For people who have never been on the receiving end of racism, the powerfully argued and eloquently expressed words of Abisola, Malik and Greg may well ask uncomfortable questions - about our assumptions, about the society we have created and about our views of Canada. We have a duty to start listening and not telling, on matters of race and so much more. Please listen to these three extraordinary young adults - who have so many important things to say to people willing to listen and learn. Find out more about Students Speak Up YCSDSB at https://www.instagram.com/studentsspeakupycdsb/ Find out more about Hamilton Students for Justice at https://hs4j.ca/ Thanks to those who help us put this together: Thanks to our founding patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S1 E44 · Thu, February 11, 2021
Cindy Cosentino - Who Wins from School Boards Employing Non-Teachers as Directors of Education?
Today we are talking about schools again, and it seems that education in the 905 Region is seldom out of the news. This week’s story revolves around the appointment in York Catholic District School Board of someone with only three years of experience as a teacher - at a private school, after a long career in the private sector - under rules introduced this summer by the provincial government. The appointment has provoked outrage among many parents and students. To dig into why there has been such a negative reaction, we invited back Cindy Cosentino, who was our first ever podcast guest in August last year. Cindy retired last year after 32 years as an elementary and high school teacher in the Hamilton and Halton School boards, including periods working at the ministry of education, and has been kind enough now to provide the benefit of her extensive experience and understanding of Ontario schools for a second time. Thanks to those who help us put this together: Thanks to our founding patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er . Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, February 09, 2021
Joey Coleman Returns to talk about the Charter of Rights and Hamilton City Hall
Friend of the podcast Joey Coleman, editor of Hamilton's crowdfunded The Public Record , returns to discuss the latest goings on at Hamilton City Hall, including a potential Charter of Rights and Freedoms violation via a move to prevent letters critical of the councillor conduct. Then we look at the disturbing pattern of seemingly excessive and counterproductive hostility towards any avenues by which citizens might be more involved or provide comment on what is happening at Hamilton City Hall. Wherever you live, we highly recommend listeners check out The Public Record at thepublicrecord.ca for its insight into a City Hall in crisis. Thanks to those who help us put this together: Thanks to our founding patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er. Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S1 E42 · Thu, February 04, 2021
Rage Against the Machine - Are Ontarians directing their anger where it is most deserved?
Zooming out from Tuesday's interview with Chair Jeff Knoll of the Halton Police Services Board, Joel and Roland reflect on the growing importance of podcasts in providing a place for long-form interviews with public figures. They also discuss the wider implications of the spate of resignations following on from Rod Phillips' resignation. Public frustration, anger and a desire for punishment for those found contravening the expectations placed on us all is understandable, but does it risk acting as a distraction from far more crucial issues to the life and death of Ontarians during COVID? Correction and Clarifications: Careful listeners will notice that Roland mispronounces Chair Jeff Knoll's surname several times. This is the kind of brain cramp Roland specializes in, and he apologizes to Chair Knoll. For those running a sweepstake on how many weeks it would be before Roland had to apologize to somebody for saying something dumb, the answer is 26. Congratulations to all the winners. Thanks to those who help us put this together: Thanks to our founding patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er. Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S1 E41 · Tue, February 02, 2021
Jeff Knoll, Chair of Halton Police Services Board, addresses the Chief Tanner controversy
It's understandable at a time when so many are being asked to give up so much - including financial security and the ability to care for loved ones in their time of greatest need - that most Canadians have little patience for people in positions of leadership who feel they are exempt from the rules and standards of behaviour being demanded of us. Amid the scandal and resignation of Ontario finance minister Rod Phillips and the subsequent resignation or firing of multiple other politicians and prominent public servants, the discovery amid tragic circumstances that Halton Police Chief Steve Tanner was in Florida appeared to be another straightforward case ... why should the chief be treated any differently to anybody? And a resignation did follow - but of Rob Burton, chair of the Halton Police Services Board, who had given Tanner his blessing to travel, not the chief. In today's episode Joel sits down with Jeff Knoll, new Chair of Halton Police Services Board and longstanding councillor for Oakville's Ward 5, for a lengthy interview. Councillor Knoll answers the questions the public have been asking about why Chief Tanner still heads Halton Police today. Roland did not take part in today's interview as he currently provides database consultancy services to a non-profit organization of which a member of Councillor Knoll's family is Executive Director. Finally, Roland Tanner and Chief Steve Tanner are not related and have never met. Thanks to those who help us put this together: Thanks to our founding patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er. Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. The Quadrafonics : fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S1 E40 · Thu, January 28, 2021
Joel and Roland Ride the Road to Nowhere
Expanding on our conversation with Sarah Buchanan of Environmental Defence earlier in the week, Joel and Roland ask why the Ontario government is so determined to build roads. What is the logic, who does it help, and does the revolution in working from home arising from COVID-19 promise a permanent change in commuting habits that a smart government might seize upon? Along the way we ask 'when did Conservatives stop being a party the believed in efficiency?' and 'what would happen if political parties treated the public like adults who can understand complex concepts?'. Thanks to those who help us put this together: Special thanks for background research on this week's episodes go to Gayle Lawes. Thanks to our founding patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er. Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. The Quadrafonics : fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S1 E39 · Tue, January 26, 2021
Sarah Buchanan Defends the Greenbelt from Highway 413
Our interview today is with Sarah Buchanan, Ontario Climate Program Manager with Environmental Defence ( https://environmentaldefence.ca/ ), one of Canada's leading environmental advocacy groups, about the revived proposal for a new 400 series highway between the 400 north of Vaughan and Halton. Sarah explains why the highway plan was cancelled back in 2018, the threat it poses to the Greenbelt, and who stands to benefit most if the highway is built. We'll give you three guesses ... Thanks to those who help us put this together: Special thanks for background research on this episode go to Gayle Lawes. Thanks to our founding patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er. Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. The Quadrafonics : fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, January 21, 2021
Joel and Roland look for an affordable solution to housing
Our previous episode gave us a lot to talk about, in terms of the housing and eviction crisis that is looming here in the 905 and the province as a whole. Joel and Roland sit down to examine a possible solution to the supply and demand problem of housing in the province. As well, they take a look at development as it currently stands and whether or not it truly meets the needs of our communities. Thanks to those who help us put this together: Our founding patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er. Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. The Quadrafonics : fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S1 E37 · Tue, January 19, 2021
Alyssa Brierley Fights for the Right for Affordable Housing
Alyssa Brierley, Executive Director of the Centre for Equality Rights in Accomodation, joins us to discuss the waves of evictions that have been happening in Ontario since the summer under the auspices of the Landlord and Tenant Board, despite assurances earlier in the year about protections for tenants in financial difficulties because of the pandemic. These evictions are carried out via an online video process that places many tenants at a strong disadvantage. Then we go on to discuss the wider issue of affordable housing, why housing affordability has become such a large problem in the 905 region, and what possible solutions to provide a supply of affordable housing might be. You can find out more about CERA's work at https://www.equalityrights.org/ Thanks to those who help us put this together: Our founding patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er. Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. The Quadrafonics : fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, January 14, 2021
Joel and Roland Wonder Where Have our Leaders Gone?
As 2021 began, a torrent of news came forward that a number of leaders in our communities, from the federal to the provincial and now we've learned the municipal levels weren't following COVID-19 protocols. Namely that they left the country for personal recreation. Joel and Roland talk about this abdication of leadership on the part of those who are trying to lead us through this pandemic. Then, Joel and Roland look to the atrocious events on Jan 6th at the US Capitol and wonder can that happen here in Canada. (Spoiler: It can and it's already here). They talk about the dangers of playing footsie with radicalism for the sake of political points and what politicians and the public need to do here in Canada to prevent what we saw in the states from happening here. Thanks to those who help us put this together: Our founding patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er. Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. The Quadrafonics : fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, January 12, 2021
Dr. Amanpreet Brar Makes the Case for Multicultural Media During the Pandemic
As case numbers continue to rise in the 905 region. Specifically in Peel region, one doctor has highlighted a glaring gap in the province's COVID-19 communication strategy. Dr. Amanpreet Brar recently wrote an opinion piece in The Toronto Star highlighting the lack of use of multicultural media in Peel region to help communicate vital COVID-19 information to the communities in the region. It is estimated that close to 60% of the population of Peel region do not consider english as their native language. These communities rely on multicultural outlets to educate and inform themselves on a variety of topics. Therefore the lack of use of them to communicate important information during a global pandemic is surprising. We sat down with Dr. Brar to discuss this matter and the impact it has had on various ethnic groups within Peel region and how that has hurt our pandemic efforts thus far. Read Dr. Amanpreet Brar's Opinion Piece here . Also see her work here: @BramptonCovid Thanks to those who help us put this together: Our founding patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er. Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. The Quadrafonics : fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, January 07, 2021
Shannon Gillies gives us the inside scoops of being a political candidate
Our listeners have requested this topic of a while, and we thought it'd be a good time to do this episode. Many future political campaigns are a few years away. But it takes time and preparation to do a good job. We talk today about what it takes to be a candidate for political office, and what goes on behind the scenes. Shannon Gillies joins Roland and Joel, to give her insight as a former municipal candidate in Burlington. All three have had experience either behind the scenes or as a name on a ballot. Shannon, Joel and Roland provide a unique insight into what it's like knocking door to door asking for votes and what they learned along the way. If you're thinking of running for political office in the near future this is an episode you don't want to miss! Thanks to those who help us put this together: Our founding patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er. Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Wendy Nicholson : sound engineer, podcast consultancy. The Quadrafonics : fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, January 05, 2021
Shannon Gillies joins us to start off a new year on The 905er
We are back at it! After a brief break for the holidays, Joel and Roland are back to talk about what's in the headlines at the start of 2021! Friend of the podcast Shannon Gillies joins us to give a new perspective on the headlines. We talk about Rod Phillips jaunts to the tropics, politicians who like to do the opposite of what they say, vaccine roll outs, and one of us makes a bold prediction for the coming year! Find out who by listening! Thanks to those who help us put this together: Our founding patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er. Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Wendy Nicholson : sound engineer, podcast consultancy. The Quadrafonics : fantastic opening and closing tunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S1 E32 · Tue, December 22, 2020
32: The 905er Looks Back on the Year That Was, Part 2
In the final two episodes of 2020, Joel and Roland look back over the first six months of the 905er podcast and themes that emerged. In part two, it's Joel's turn to pick the stories that he enjoyed most. Thanks to: Our founding patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er. Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Wendy Nicholson : sound engineer, podcast consultancy. The Quadrafonics . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S1 E31 · Thu, December 17, 2020
31: Review of 2020 Part 1 - 'A New Hope'
In the final two episodes of 2020, Joel and Roland look back over the first six months of the 905er podcast and themes that emerged. In part one, Roland picks the episodes that stood out most to him. Thanks to: Our founding patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er. Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Wendy Nicholson : sound engineer, podcast consultancy. The Quadrafonics . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S1 E30 · Tue, December 15, 2020
30: A Rabbi and a Reverend walk on to a Podcast...
Continuing our December theme of finding some positive lessons from 2020, Joel and Roland speak to two of the 905 region's religious leaders, Rabbi Stephen Wise of Shaarei-Beth El Reform Synagogue in Oakville and Canon Stuart Pike, rector of St Luke's Anglican Church in Burlington. Rabbi Wise and Canon Pike describe how Covid has affected their congregations, and how they adapted to meet the challenges of 2020 as religious and community leaders. Thanks to: Our founding patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er. Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining! Wendy Nicholson : sound engineer, podcast consultancy. The Quadrafonics . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S1 E29 · Thu, December 10, 2020
29: Vaccination Nation
The first undisputed case of what later was named COVID-19 was seen on December 1, 2019 in Wuhan, China. One week over a year later, the first vaccine has been approved for use in Canada following clinical trials involving almost 44,000 participants showed 95% efficacy. In a dark year for so many, Joel and Roland discuss this apparently clear reason for celebration as we enter the Holidays, what it says about scientific research and investment in education, and the ability of our global community - sometimes despite the best efforts of our global leaders, not because of them - to do extraordinary things when we put our minds to it. Thanks to: Our founding patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er. Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining! Wendy Nicholson : sound engineer, podcast consultancy. The Quadrafonics . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S1 E29 · Tue, December 08, 2020
28: Trevor and Sandy Take the905er to Their Favourite Restaurants
Trevor Poczynek and Sandy Stark's part time hobby on Facebook may have helped hundreds of restaurants in the 905 from going under during the pandemic. We talk with them about ONRestaurants+ and their plans for the future. Listen to the podcast and check out OnRestaurants+ for your part of the 905. Burlington Hamilton Oakville Also mentioned in this episode are some Facebook groups run by other people serving a similar purpose, two of which are: Niagara Durham Thanks to: Our founding patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er. Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining! Wendy Nicholson : sound engineer, podcast consultancy. The Quadrafonics . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, December 03, 2020
27. Let's start the holidays on a good note this year
As we wind down each year, we tend to reflect on what has passed. Let's face it though, 2020 has been a year most of us would wish we'd forget. We'll take a moment to do that reflection on a future episode. However, we've decided that for the month of December, we will focus on more upbeat and optimistic stories to share with you. To kick it off, Roland and Joel reminisce a bit about their personal holiday stories, as well as some interesting holiday trivia you may or may not have known about the 905 region. Thanks to: Our founding patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er. Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining! Gayle Laws: research Wendy Nicholson : sound engineer, podcast consultancy. The Quadrafonics – perfect fifths. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S1 E26 · Tue, December 01, 2020
26: Dylan Buskermolen Shows Us The Kids Are Alright
Dylan Buskermolen is originally from Burlington and was studying at Queen’s University with plans to pursue a law degree when he was diagnosed with lymphoma, a type of blood cancer. The diagnosis changed this life, and while it has brought enormous challenges that he is still having to confront, it has also led Dylan in positive directions in his life and career that he never considered before. Read more about Dylan at https://dbuskermolen.com/ Canadian Cancer Society: https://www.cancer.ca/ Thanks to: Our founding patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er. Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining! Gayle Laws: research Wendy Nicholson : sound engineer, podcast consultancy. The Quadrafonics - perfect fifths. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, November 26, 2020
25: All the Premier's Men - Developers, Donations and the Destruction of Environmental Protections
Leading on from Tuesday's episode looking at the proposed changes to the Conservation Authorities, Joel and Roland discuss the connection between political donations and the policy priorities of the Ford government. If any single subject can be said to encapsulate the priorities of the provincial government since 2018, it must be the efforts to weaken the legislative checks and balances on what can be built where, and who gets to have a voice in shaping development proposals. Bill 108 was described by the Mayor of Oakville in 2018 as 'Developer Welfare'. This year's budget omnibus (Bill 229) contains 'pay to slay' legislation that weakens wildlife protection, and undermines protections provided by conservation authorities. The cast-iron protections on the green belt have been weakened multiple times. Municipalities face impossible deadlines to respond to development proposals that are inevitably appealed or settled by negotiations that routinely exceed planning limits and give the developer most of what they want. Why? Does this benefit average Ontarian? Was this a priority for voters in 2018? Or is it more to do with where the PCs see their most generous financial donations coming from? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S1 E24 · Tue, November 24, 2020
24: Hassan Basit and Janet Sumner - Throwing Conservation Under the Omnibus?
We are joined this week by Haassan Basit, CEO of Conservation Halton , and Janet Sumner, Executive Director of CPAWS Wildlands League , to talk about the province's proposed major changes to the powers of Conservation Authorities in Ontario as part of the budget 'omnibus' Bill 229, which, it is argued, weaken key protections that ensure safe development and prevent flooding. We explore the proposals, the justifications provided by the province and the implications for safe development in the 905 region with Hassaan and Janet, in the context of other changes made to planning laws and regulations since 2018. Listeners wishing to know more or express their view on the proposed changes to their MPP and the provincial government should visit the following links: https://loggingscars.ca/take-action/ https://ontarionature.good.do/conservationauthorities/send/ https://act.environmentaldefence.ca/page/71104/action/1 Thanks to: Our founding patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er. Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining! Gayle Laws: research Wendy Nicholson : sound engineer, podcast consultancy. The Quadrafonics - thelonious thumps. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S1 E23 · Thu, November 19, 2020
23: Seeing Red - Could the Stricter COVID Regulations Have Been Avoided with more Foresight?
Joel and Roland discuss the latest changes to COVID-19 restrictions across the 905 and ask whether we could have avoided reaching this stage with some better planning from the province and less dickering from some municipalities. Thanks to: Our founding patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er. Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining! Gayle Laws: research Wendy Nicholson : sound engineer, podcast consultancy. The Quadrafonics - ripping yarns. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S1 E22 · Tue, November 17, 2020
22: Laura Meffen and Jill Davis explain the Forgotten Costs of COVID-19
Laura Meffen and Jill Davis are not doctors. Nor are they nurses or PSWs. But nobody knows the price to be paid for being on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic better than they do. Residents in long term care, and the family members who love them, are paying a heavy price for our debates about what should be opened or closed and the province's focus on the needs of business. More relaxed levels of social isolation for the rest of us mean that the most basic levels of human contact are forbidden to them. Many residents are forced to live for months in something akin to solitary confinement. When politicians or the public make the bad decisions, they pay - in levels of isolation from loved ones that border on inhumane. Listen to Laura and Jill's heartbreaking accounts of COVID-19 and long term care in the 905. (This episode was recorded before the provincial government's recent extension of 'Red Level' to most of the 905 Region, and it's adjustment of the restrictions in place under each level, following allegations that the restrictions were too lenient and that they ignored advice from Ontario Public Health.) Thanks to: Our founding patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er. Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining! Gayle Laws: research Wendy Nicholson : sound engineer, podcast consultancy. The Quadrafonics - nuclear fusion. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, November 12, 2020
21: The 905er Remembers the Battle of Normandy
We talk to Alex Fitzgerald-Black of the Juno Beach Centre headquartered in Burlington, about how the centre came to be, its mission, and the challenges of COVID-19. Make sure you check out the www.junobeach.org, which provides a fantastic resource for anybody wishing to learn more about Canada's role in the second world war. Also take a listen to the Juno Beach Centre's own podcast, available here . The museums we spoke to in episodes 20 and 21 for Remembrance week do fantastic work, and depend on public support to keep Canada's history alive. They need help to get through Covid. You can donate at https://www.warplane.com/ and https://www.junobeach.org/donate/ Thanks to: Our founding patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er. Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining! Gayle Laws: research Wendy Nicholson : sound engineer, podcast consultancy. The Quadrafonics - superheated audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S1 E20 · Tue, November 10, 2020
20. The 905er Remembers the Battle for Europe's Skies
This week we talk to Dave Rohrer, CEO of the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum ( warplane.com ) in Hamilton about their mission in preserving Canadian history, and the challenges of COVID-19. Thanks to: Our founding patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er. Supporting us with a small monthly amount enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining. Gayle Laws: research Wendy Nicholson : sound engineer, podcast consultancy. The Quadrafonics - righteous jazz-funk. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S1 E19 · Thu, November 05, 2020
19: How to Win Friends and Influence Premiers.
Our Thursday episode this weeks looks back at our fascinating interview with Sean Vanderklis and Karl Dockstader earlier this weeks. Joel and Roland discuss what they learned, and the our institutions are weighted against allowing Canada's First Nations getting a fair hearing. Political leaders, the police and judges have all demanded the protesters from the Six Nations Reserve outside Caledonia vacate the disputed property before they can 'sit at the table' to discuss the claims at issue. But what table? And does anybody believe that if the Haudenosaunee community agrees to play by the province's rules and vacate Mackenzie Meadows/1492 Land Back Lane it will be followed by good-faith negotiations nation to nation? And on the subject of 'faith', perhaps the Haudenosaunee should club together and make a generous donation to the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party. That certainly seems an effective way to get the Premier's ear. Joel and Roland discuss the news that Charles McVety, a extreme evangelical Christian with a long history of vocal bigotry towards LGBTQ+ people and Muslims, appears to be in line to receive some favourable legislation. McVety has been pursuing recognition for Canada Christian College in Whitby as a University for decades, but was repeatedly rebuffed by Ontario governments of all stripes on the basis that the college's degrees were (quote) "useless". But McVety was a prominent donor and supporter of Doug Ford's leadership campaign, and the government has been quietly preparing the way to pass legislation elevating the College to University status, with the rights to issue degrees in the Arts and Sciences. Is the legislation a reward for a loyal supporter? Is a bigot being given a formal stamp of approval of the Ontario government? You can support our work here at The 905er by contributing to our Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/the905er Thanks to: Our founding patrons! You can join them! Gayle Laws: research Wendy Nicholson : sound engineer, podcast consultancy. The Quadrafonics , dank sounds. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, November 03, 2020
18. Sean Vanderklis and Karl Dockstader Converse about Caledonia
This week's episode we travel 15 minutes south of Hamilton to Caledonia. This year as seen a second dispute over land development arise between a planned housing project called MacKenzie Meadows, and the Haudenosaunee peoples of the nearby Six Nations Reserve. For the people of Caledonia, this is the second dispute over development in 15 years. For the Haudenosaunee people, this dispute has been ongoing since their ancestors signed the Treaty of 1784. This dispute goes to the heart of Canada's reconciliation with the First Nations who live here. How do we reconcile Treaty rights and a path to move forward. These are big questions and we aren't naive to believe we can solve it on a podcast. However we can educate ourselves on the matter. Which is why we welcomed to the podcast Sean Vanderklis and Karl Dockstader co-hosts of the One Dish, One Mic radio show on AM 610 CKTN each Sunday. They were both 2020 CJF-CBC Indigenous Journalism Fellowships recipients and have been covering this topic for since the latest dispute emerged. Their journalism on this topic has proven to be enlightening and informative, and our discussion helped shine the light on some of our own ignorances and blindspots on this complicated subject. One Dish One Mic - https://twitter.com/OneDishOneMic You can support our work here at The 905er by contributing to our Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/the905er Thanks as always to: Gayle Laws: research Wendy Nicholson : sound engineer, podcast consultancy. The Quadrafonics , rank beats. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S1 E17 · Thu, October 29, 2020
17: Mayor Meed Ward Makes the Case for Ranked Ballots - and Halton's Letter to the Public Health Officer
With last week's stunning news that the province intended to take away municipalities right to consider ranked ballots, we reached out to multiple politicians who had been at the forefront of adopting ranked ballots, or, in Burlington's case, beginning the process of public consultation. Mayor Marianne Meed Ward generously made herself available for a long interview on the importance of municipalities being able to make their own decisions on subjects like local democracy, and discusses some of the wider context of the need for municipalities to be allowed to be responsible to their voters. Mayor Meed Ward also answered our questions on a major story which arose after we invited her onto the podcast: the letter written to Dr. David Williams, Chief Medical Officer of Health for Ontario , requesting that Halton not be returned to modified Stage 2 lockdown, and claiming that evidence did not support any such move. The letter (extract below) appears to directly criticize an alleged preference of the Halton Health Officer, Dr Hamidah Meghani to put such a lockdown in place. Extract for the MPPs/Mayors Letter to Dr. David Williams Chief Medical Officer of Health The letter was signed by two Halton region PC MPPs, Jane McKenna (Burlington) and Parm Gill (Milton), and also signed by Halton Regional Chair Gary Carr, Marianne Meed Ward, mayor of Burlington and Gord Krantz, mayor of Milton. It should be noted that several Halton Region politicians did not sign this letter, including PC MPP for Oakville-North Burlington Effie Triantifilopoulos, PC MPP for Oakville Stephen Crawford, Mayor Rob Burton of Oakville and Mayor Rick Bonnette of Halton Hills. However all the Halton Region Mayors signed a separate letter directed to Premier Doug Ford. This separate letter was worded quite differently, was addressed to a politician rather than an independent health officer, and excluded the criticism which appears to be explicit in the letter signed by the MPPs. Mayor Meed Ward answers these questions and many more. At the end of the episode Joel and Roland give their takes on what they feel might be the backstory to this letter, consider if it amounts to political interference, and ask what the tells us about how the province is handling the second wave. They also do a little bit of fact checking on some of the statements coming out of different levels of government with regard to this letter. Sign Up to Support the 905er! Become a Patron! We are delighted to be bringing you a type of coverage we believe is entirely new to the 905 Region. Podcasts allow for in-depth in
S1 E16 · Tue, October 27, 2020
16: Jesse Helmer Helms our Chat on Ranked Ballots
Jesse Helmer is deputy mayor and councillor in London, Ontario. He is one of a tiny handful of Canadians - all in London - who have experience of being elected by both "First Past the Post" and "Ranked Ballot", in 2014 and 2018. He was a leading advocate for the adoption of ranked ballots in Ontario. He was shocked to discover at the same time as every other Ontarian that the provincial government had decided to ban ranked ballots as part of its omnibus bill, which is ostensibly about Covid-19 recovery. Why did the province want to take this power away from municipalities? Did the province consult anybody ? Did they even speak to anybody in London? In the first of another 'two part' podcast this week, Councillor Helmer joined us to answer questions on why he thinks the province has made this move, whether the government's claims about costs are realistic, and what the real experience of a ranked ballot election was like. Unlike the provincial government, The 905er Podcast actually asks the people involved. If you'd like to support the 905er and help us provide ever-better coverage, you can! Check out 905er.ca We'll have announcements very soon on what you can do to help build the 905er. Thanks as always to: Gayle Laws: research Wendy Nicholson : sound engineer, podcast consultancy. The Quadrafonics , rank beats. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, October 22, 2020
15: Wave of Obfuscation. Has the Province made the Second Wave Worse?
This week's Thursday episode follows up on Tuesday's discussion with Mike Gibbs about the province's messaging on Covid-19, and what appears to many to be contradictory and confusing statements about about what we should all be doing to keep each other safe. Each week we talk about 'other news' in the 905. But what is this week's other news? Yep, it's the Covid-19 second wave, and it increasingly looks like the 905 won't get off as lightly as it did in the spring. Why? Is it a non-compliant public, or is it mixed messaging that still suggests smaller social gatherings, restaurants and gyms are acceptable when those same venues are overwhelmingly where the virus is spread? Prizes will be awarded to the first Gen-Xer to identify the inspiration for today's episode title. Send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to 905er Towers. Or Google ' The Pixies '. Thanks as always to: Gayle Laws: research Wendy Nicholson : sound engineer, podcast consultancy. The Quadrafonics . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S1 E14 · Tue, October 20, 2020
14: Mike Gibbs Makes Sense of COVID-19 Communications
Mike Gibbs is a former communications staffer with Public Health Ontario. He experienced Toronto's SARS outbreak first hand and has worked on pandemic planning in public health offices across the country. He has been highly critical of the current Ford government’s handling of COVID-19 communications and is author of a Twitter account ( @Mikeggibbs ) that provides Covid-19 policy opinion from an informed perspective. We invited him on to the podcast this week to share his expertise about how we got where we are today, and what is needed to get through this pandemic. With thanks to our 905er volunteers and friends: Gayle Lawes: research Wendy Nicholson : sound engineering and podcast consultant. The Quadrafonics : bringing the funk. Don't forget to check out 905er.ca, and find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S1 E13 · Thu, October 15, 2020
Episode 13: A Lack of Integrity in Hamilton - Part 2, Joey Coleman
Joey Coleman, editor of The Public Record , joins us for part 2 of our examination of the reasons and justifications for Hamilton Council launching an Integrity Commissioner investigation into a citizen volunteer on an advisory committee. Joey has explored the legal context in detail and suggests there are major problems with the City of Hamilton's arguments that Cameron Kroetsch released confidential information, and its claim that the Integrity Commissioner has the right to investigate advisory committee members. Roland and Joel conclude with a discussion of implications of the apparent unwillingness of some municipal leaders to tolerate dissent, and what needs to change if we're going to build local governments of which we can be proud. Special thanks to our 905er volunteers who are helping us to make these episodes - check out their websites: Gayle Lawes: research. Wendy Nicholson : sound engineer and podcast consultant. The Quadrafonics: dope sounds. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S1 E12 · Tue, October 13, 2020
Episode 12: A Lack of Integrity in Hamilton - Part 1, Cameron Kroetsch
This week, for the first time, we shall be releasing two episodes of the 905er podcast, on Tuesday and Thursday. In our 'two part' episode, we take a deep dive into Hamilton politics, and explore why Hamilton City Council decided to launch an investigation by its Integrity Commissioner into the actions of a volunteer chair of one of its advisory committees - Cameron Kroetsch. We speak to Cameron to get his side of the story, and ask whether the claims against him have merit, why council would want to appear so heavy-handed with regard to the actions of a volunteer, and what message they are sending to the wider community. Make sure you also listen to Part 2 on Thursday, where we speak to Joey Coleman, an award-winning independent journalist who covers Hamilton City Hall, about whether what Hamilton council has done is justified or even legal. Special thanks to our 905er volunteers who are helping us to make these episodes - check out their websites: Gayle Lawes: research. Wendy Nicholson : sound engineer and podcast consultant. The Quadrafonics: dope sounds. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S1 E12 · Tue, October 06, 2020
Episode 11: Hope and Betrayal - the human stories and human cost of Ontario‘s cancelled Basic Income Pilot
Originally Aired October 6, 2020 ______ There cannot be two people better placed to speak about Ontario's Basic Income Pilot than Deirdre Pike and Jessie Golem. Created by the Ontario Liberal government in the final years before it lost power, and canceled (contrary to assurances to the contrary) by the incoming PC government in 2018, the Basic Income Pilot was intended to provide hard data on how a basic income based on tax returns, replacing the mishmash of benefits currently on offer, could work to transform the lives of people living on lower incomes. Deirdre Pike is a lifelong activist for social justice, notably with respect to LGBTQ+ and feminist issues, but also as one of the most prominent advocates for a universal basic income. Through this involvement, she ran as a candidate for the Ontario Liberal Party in Hamilton Centre in 2018. Deirdre's weekly column in the Hamilton Spectator is essential reading. Jessie Golem is a professional photographer and participant in the Basic Income Pilot. In 2018 Jessie produced a photo series called Humans of Basic Income that powerfully illustrates the stories of the recipients of the canceled Basic Income Pilot Project in Ontario. Her photos have been exhibited across Canada and around the world. Deirdre and Jessie give a fascinating and sometimes heartbreaking account of the Basic Income Pilot, the tragic human cost of its cancellation, and their hopes that the time for Basic Income in Canada might be approaching. Later in the episode, Joel and Roland take a first look at the developing story of the Hamilton Integrity Commissioner's decision to recommend that Council reprimand and fire Cameron Kroetsch, volunteer chair of the city's LGBTQ+ advisory committee, a fact made doubly curious by the same commissioner's repeated failure to reprimand councilors for behaviour which seems to often border on bullying and ad hominem attacks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S1 E10 · Tue, September 29, 2020
Episode 10: Trouble on the Grapevine?
Some of the industries hit hardest by Covid-19 are those providing some of the more fun things in life - for instance food and drink, entertainment and tourism. As we find out this week, the Niagara Peninsula's wine industry touches on all three of those categories, with many smaller wineries dependent on tourist 'cellar door' purchases to remain profitable. But like so many other areas, businesses are innovating at an incredible rate to meet the challenges they are facing and finding new ways to succeed. This week we are joined by Andrea Kaiser, chair of the Wineries of Niagara-on-the-Lake ( https://wineriesofniagaraonthelake.com/ ), who tells us about the challenges the industry has faced since March, the new measures they have adopted, and their plans to remain open and welcoming to guests as we head into winter. For people in the 905 region, there are certainly no shortage of ways to buy local and support one of Ontario's most unique industries. In other news, Joel and Roland look at the growing trend across the region of golf courses being purchased by developers, as they are rare spaces not covered by Greenbelt legislation. Does there need to be a change in Ontario law to allow protection of what amount to some of our largest urban green spaces? And is the 905 really seeing the spread of US-style anti-mask protests? Why, yes ... yes it is. We publish articles too. Check out our website at http://905er.ca/ Contact us at info@905er.ca , and we're on the social medias Twitter , Facebook. Instagram , LinkedIn. Thanks as always to the Quadrafonics for the music. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S1 E9 · Tue, September 22, 2020
Episode 9: What's Up With Hamilton? (With Lorraine Sommerfeld)
Politics is a rough business, but is it ever ok for councillors to insult and belittle members of the public? Lately some councillors in Hamilton appear to be making a habit of behaving towards the public and other council members in ways that - well, let's just say they lack 'decorum'. We're joined by Hamilton Spectator columnist, National Post auto journalist and onetime city hall volunteer Lorraine Sommerfeld, as we discuss some of the themes from the last few weeks in light of the behaviour we are seeing in Hamilton, and the general problem of how to get citizen voices heard in ways which are respectful and don't waste anybody's time. There are a few sound problems this week, so please bear with us. We're still learning how to do this. We publish articles too. Check out our website at http://905er.ca/ Contact us at info@905er.ca , and we're on the social medias Twitter , Facebook. Instagram , LinkedIn. You can find Lorraine Sommerfeld on Twitter at @tweeetlorraine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S1 E8 · Tue, September 15, 2020
Episode 8: Dave Meslin - Fixing Democracy in the 905
This week we're pleased to welcome Dave Meslin to the podcast. Dave was described by Andrew Coyne as ‘a force of nature - a one man think tank/pressure group who won’t stop until he sees his ideas for better democracy put into action’. He’s also been called a ‘wizard’, ‘mastermind’, ‘ultimate ideas guy’ and a ‘mad scientist’. His Ted Talk, “The Antitdote to Apathy” has nearly two million views. Dave has been the most prominent voice encouraging the adoption of ranked ballots in municipal elections, something that both Burlington and Mississauga are currently considering adopting, and which is coming to committee stage in Burlington this Thursday. His book “Teardown: Rebuilding Democracy from the Ground Up” is an entertaining look at both the massive systemic problems with how our democracies currently work, and the well established solutions that already exist, if we can only have the courage to adopt them. Joel, Roland and Dave discuss the huge potential in Ontario's medium-sized cities to act as leaders in democratic innovation and renewal, and Dave restores a little bit of Roland's faith in municipal governments' abilities to change. Later in the podcast we talk about jobs, tax and Amazon's new facility coming to Hamilton; Inside Halton's problem with statistics gets a stern dressing down, and it wouldn't be the 905er podcast without at least another quick look at schools and Covid. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S1 E7 · Tue, September 08, 2020
Episode 7: 90 minutes from Toronto - what do people moving to the 905 want to find in their new home towns?
A new generation moving out of Toronto want more than just a house with a double garage. Audra Williams and her partner Haritha Nanaratna have created a website named ninetyminutesfrom.com . It's a website that quantifies and categorizes the communities of the 905 region on factors you won't find on many real estate websites. Such as Black Lives Matter support, LBGTQ and Pride organizations, indigenous issues awareness and voting patterns. We invited them on to the podcast to chat with us about their project. How it started, what they hope it will develop into, and how the 905 region is changing as more and more people move out of Toronto in search of affordable housing. In the second half of the episode, Joel and Roland discuss the tough decisions being made by parents as schools reopen, how city halls act to build walls that discourage more than a few voices from ever contributing in their communities, and the lastest examples of crass and unacceptable behaviour by members of Hamilton council. Music by kind permission of the Quadrafonics . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S1 E6 · Tue, September 01, 2020
Episode 6: Who runs our cities? Burlington's Official Plan and struggle to control local government.
After 4 years, is Burlington's Official Plan almost complete? The marathon process of developing a new Official Plan for Burlington has in many ways typified the challenges being faced in every city in the 905 region - both in creating coherent visions for our future, and in implementing local democracy. This week we discuss the provincial background to how our cities are run with Zac Spicer, Director of Research at the Institute of Public Administration in Canada. Zac provides a wealth of insight, based on his years as a researcher into Ontario's municipalities, about the background context which shaped how Burlington's controversial OP was written and then rewritten, and how debates in other 905 cities are taking shape. If we're to demand the best for the cities where we live, we need to understand the processes at work. How much power does a council have? Who runs our cities? Is local democracy in Ontario being undermined by the province and appeals by developers to the LPAT? Do local governments really know how to 'engage' the public, or are they better at superficial tokenism when it comes to public consultations? Make sure you also check out the Quadrafonics who have generously allowed us to use some of their music in our episodes. Visit https://quadrafonics.bandcamp.com/ to hear their music and, if you like, name your price to buy their albums - it's a great moment to support local musicians. As always, send your comments, corrections and more to info@905er.ca, visit our 905er.ca for opinion and commentary, and find us on Twitter , Facebook , Instagram and LinkedIn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S1 E5 · Tue, August 25, 2020
Episode 5: Crisis and Community: Can Hamilton's Hospitality industry innovate itself back to health?
Perhaps no industry has been hit harder by Covid-19 than the hospitality industry, and even as businesses reopen there is no avoiding the massive challenges that still exist for restaurants, cafes bars and the places where people have always gathered to eat, drink and socialize. But in the midst of crisis we came across a story of innovation and hope developing in Hamilton. This week we speak to Jason Cassis, founder and partner of Equal Parts Hospitality Inc which owns some of Hamilton's best known eateries, about the experience of having to shut down operations almost overnight as Covid hit, and his new venture Mamma Rossa Italian Kitchen ( mammarossa.ca ) - a new type of restaurant that has no physical location and sells exclusively through Uber Eats. You'll definitely want to hear Jason describe his experience facing unprecedented challenges, but also stories of positivity and pride in how his community and Canada as a whole has responded to the events of 2020. Later in the episode, Roland and Joel discuss the crisis in Burlington's planning department, and the reasons it appears to have reached breaking point. Elsewhere, the province's interventions are making good planning by municipalities extremely difficult to achieve, reducing local democracy to a sideshow. Joel provides an update on the latest on the province's back to school plans. With just two weeks left, Halton Catholic District School Board has now issued it's plan ( https://learnathome.hcdsb.org/return-to-school-2/ ). Halton Public School Board submitted a letter politely rebuking the Stephen Lecce's constantly changing plans and the lack of funding they are receiving to do an incredibly challenging job. Send feedback and corrections to info@905er.ca . Make sure to subscribe on your favourite podcast platform and if you want to encourage us, please submit a review - it makes a huge difference. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S1 E4 · Tue, August 18, 2020
Episode 4: Pandemic Planning Part 2 - The Trustees Perspective
This week on the 905er podcast we are delighted to be joined by two people intimately involved in planning for children returning to school in September. Andréa Grenbenc, chair of Halton District School Board and a trustee in Burlington, and Marvin Duarte, vice-chair of Halton Catholic District School Board, trustee for Milton, join us an answer questions on the preparations being made for a safe return, the financial challenges being faced, the experience with online learning, and much more. Later in the episode Roland and Joel follow up on Burlington's planned discussion of ranked ballots, and Roland gets hot under the collar about the province's plan to build a new 400 series highway through the greenbelt and farmland of York, Peel and Halton regions, contrary to independent advice received just three years ago, as well as modern thinking on induced demand. Expect more episodes on this subject before we're done. Make sure you subscribe to the podcast to be notified of new episodes, and send your feedback, suggestions and ideas to info@905er.ca. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S1 E3 · Tue, August 11, 2020
Episode 3: 10,000 statements that Black Lives Matter
On June 4th, an estimated 7 to 10,000 people marched in Burlington in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter protests then happening across the US. It was an astonishing and unexpected display for a city not known for mass activism, overwhelmingly made by younger Burlingtonians. This week Joel and Roland speak to Isabella Mallon and Korede Balogan, two of the organizers of the event, about their motivations and expectations for the event, and their plans and hopes for building on their success in the months and years ahead. In other 905 news, Roland and Joel discuss the cancellation of Hamilton's LRT based on the highly suspect claim of $5 billion in costs made by the province. Finally, they discuss the decision on ranked ballots which is coming to committee at Burlington City Hall this week, and the reason why many consider ranked ballots a major step towards fairer elections in Ontario's cities. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S1 E2 · Tue, August 04, 2020
Episode 2: Back to School in a Pandemic - Is Ontario's Back to School Plan Safe?
Roland Tanner and Joel MacLeod are joined by Cindy Cosentino, who recently retired after 32 years as a teacher in Hamilton and Halton school boards teaching science and math. Cindy shares her concerns, and the concerns of many of her colleagues, at what is being asked of teachers as children head back to school, and we explore the many unanswered questions about how the province's plan can be implemented safely. Is the provincial plan ultimately more about protecting the economy than the interests and safety of children, parents and teachers? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S1 E1 · Tue, July 28, 2020
The 905er Podcast - Episode 1:Introductions
Roland Tanner and Joel MacLeod introduce the 905er podcast - a podcast for the Ontario GTHA's 905 region outside Toronto. "The 905" is the economic powerhouse of Canada and home to 4 million people and growing, but receives little media coverage. We'll be uploading a weekly podcast discussing the important issues for our region, with interviews, round-tables and analysis of what's happening in our city halls and on our streets. Comments, corrections? Email info@905er.ca Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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