There are still homes in Hamilton that are receiving their water through lead pipes which has potential health risks due to lead leaching into the water. One of Hamilton's councillors has proposed a plan to speed up the current plan to replace all of these pipes. What does the plan consist of and how much more will it cost? Guest: Sam Merulla, Ward 4 Councillor, City of Hamilton - The federal government's plan to spend more money could be disastrous for Canada depending on how much they actually end up spending. What issues could come our way or will it be yet another thing that will get stacked on our kids' plate? Guest: Don Drummond, Stauffer-Dunning Fellow & Adjunct Professor, School of Policy Studies, Queen's University, former Associate Deputy Minister, Finance Canada & former Senior Vice President and Chief Economist, TD Bank - When you think of an amusement park you probably think of roller coasters that have a whole manner of systems and backups that are all designed to keep the rider as safe as possible, this is not one of those parks. This was the kind of park that had a water slide complete with a full 360-degree loop and a maze with snakes in it. It was crazy, it had fun, it had thrills and it had danger, it was Action Park. What happened to Action Park and what was it like being not only a park employee but the son of its creator? Guest: Andy Mulvihill, Son of Gene Mulvihill, Former Action Park Employee & Author, Action Park: Fast Times, Wild Rides and the Untold Story of America's Most Dangerous Amusement Park

School boards across Ontario are saying they'll be cancelling exams for this school year. That would mean some of Ontario's students will be missing exams two years in a row. While this is being claimed as something that will help students manage stress during an already stressful time, is anything beneficial actually being achieved? Guest: Paul Bennett, Founding Director & Lead Consultant, Schoolhouse Consulting and Author, Educhatter blog - Can a social media platform limit or deny your ability to see or share information? A story about Hunter Biden has been stymied by Facebook which is putting in to question how you would categorize the company. Is Facebook a social media platform or a publisher? Guest: Allen Mendelsohn, Canadian Internet and Tech. Lawyer - Are the Toronto Maple Leafs making smart moves on the trading and team-building front? Bringing on a player like Joe Thornton is good for experience and knowledge but what could it reveal about the team if he shows more effort than the other players? These questions and more get answered in Sports Talk with Don Robertson. Guest: Don Robertson, Owner & Head Coach, Dundas Real McCoys and Broker of Record, ComChoice Realty

Scott Radley welcomes Dr. Michael Mikulak onto the show for this week's edition of The Brightest Conversation in Hamilton. They talk about what goes into being a locavore, the challenges charities are facing during COVID-19, food shortages, recycling and Disney's new warnings before some of their shows and movies all while being the show's first ever guest to have been on the air by a yurt! Guest: Dr. Michael Mikulak, Adjunct Professor, Sustainable Futures Program, McMaster University & Vice President of Community Impact, United Way Halton & Hamilton

After 34 years, a cold case based around the murder of 9-year-old Christine Jessop has been shut thanks to genetic genealogy. What is forensic genealogy and how does it work? Guest: Anthony Redgrave, Lead Forensic Genealogist, Redgrave Research Forensic Services and Head Instructor, Forensic Genealogy Training for Law Enforcement - The Toronto Raptors have released 3 of their newest uniforms with 2 more set to come. At what point does a team have too many jerseys? Is it as simple as more jerseys means more money? Guest: Steve Foxcroft, Sports Broadcaster, NFL Chain Gang Member, not-so-long-time NBA Court-side Administrator & Vice-President, Fluke Transport

If it feels like your coworker with kids is never at work which forces you to pick up the slack, you're not alone. Should people be allowed to complain about this to their employer and how can we make sure work places are fair to employees with and without kids? Guest: Dr. Scott Schieman, Professor of Sociology & Canada Research Chair, University of Toronto and Director of the "COVID-19 Impacts on the Quality of Work and Economic Life in Canada" study - If you ask the internet what the standard is for a bad band, the resounding answer you'd get is Nickelback. Is there any actual reason why this Canadian band is chosen as the focal point for so much online hate? Guest: Alan Cross, Music historian, author of 'A Journal of Musical Things' & host of 'The Ongoing History of New Music'

With Amazon's Prime Day upon us, not everyone is cheering for the savings. Local businesses who've been forced into ever tighter positions, are now squeezed even further when potential customers take their business online and to large chains. As we get closer to the holidays, how much longer can the smaller businesses hold on before they're forced to close their doors for good? Guest: Ryan Mallough, Director of Provincial Affairs, Canadian Federation of Independent Business - Walking is generally seen as a healthy activity but this lady has taken it to a whole new level. She's walked down every single street in Hamilton, Stoney Creek and Glanbrook with no signs of stopping any time soon. What sets someone down this path and how do you manage to walk quite literally every street a city has to offer? Guest: Anita Joldersma, Walker of every street in Hamilton, Stoney Creek, Glanbrook and soon to be Ancaster and Dundas - Has LeBron James shown himself to be the neediest athlete of all time? Is Ontario's government requesting too much of the OHL to keep physical contact out of the game if they want a season to happen? And would you rather have a team with depth or a couple stars? These questions and more get answered in Sports Talk with Don Robertson. Guest: Don Robertson, Head Coach & Owner, Dundas Real McCoys & Broker of Record, ComChoice Realty

This week's edition of The Brightest Conversation in Hamilton welcomes Mike Fortune back to talk about how you balance the health of Ontarians and the economic well-being of the province's businesses, what would have been John Lennon's 80th birthday, what you're thankful for and more. Guest: Mike Fortune, Host, The Hamilton Network, Cable 14

A private members' bill has been put forward with the hope of ending Daylight Saving Time. While it may seem like a simple change to the clocks by an hour twice a year, science has found that doing so is pretty bad for your health but just how bad is it? Guest: Dr. Richard Cytowic, Neurologist, Speaker & Author - If someone brought up the Supreme Court, your mind likely goes to the Supreme Court of the United States but not the Supreme Court of Canada. Most Canadians know next to nothing about our own Supreme Court and its justices, why is that? Guest: Philip Slayton, Lawyer, Former Clerk for the Supreme Court of Canada & Author of "Mighty Judgment: How the Supreme Court of Canada Runs Your Life" - Being able to communicate with someone is a wonderful thing but when you don't know how to speak their language, communication becomes a very hard thing to do. That's not a problem for Arieh Smith a.k.a Xiaomanyc who's able to not only speak Mandarin Chinese at a near-native level but also learn new languages to a conversational level within 24 hours. Is there a trick to learning languages and how do people react when a Caucasian guy knows their native tongue so well? Guest: Arieh Smith a.k.a. Xiaomanyc, YouTuber and Mandarin Chinese Teacher

There's a chance that Hamilton's bid to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games may never come to fruition. Why might this be and has the idea of hosting the event been killed off for good? Guest: Lou Frapporti, Chair, Hamilton 2026 Bid Committee - Hamilton has a long and interesting history that can take you down a rabbit hole full of stories that can surprise and intrigue you. The kind of stories that would be right at home in a museum and that's exactly the idea that's been proposed to Hamilton's city council. But is it an idea that should be followed through on? Guest: Chad Collins, Ward 5 Councillor, City of Hamilton - Ontario's government is saying that the OHL can have a 2020-21 season so long as it removes body checking and fighting. Considering those are two integral parts of the sport of hockey, can it be done or will someone find a way around this unusual request? Guest: Bubba O'Neil, Sports Anchor, CHCH-TV

Eddie Van Halen has passed away at the age of 65. What made him such an outstanding musician and how did he find his way into making amazing music with more than just the band, Van Halen. Guest: Eric Alper, Publicist, Music Commentator & Shameless Idealist - Ontario is a major player in the wine industry but with COVID-19 disrupting just about everything everywhere, how's Ontario's wine industry holding up? Guest: Britt Dixon, Winery Media/PR consultant

Canadians are saving more money than ever due to COVID-19 but ironically, many people are still worried about their finances. How could this be and are we just finding out we have more money than previously thought? Guest: Don Fox, Senior Executive Financial Consultant, IG Private Wealth Management & Co-host, Planning Your Financial Future, Global News Radio 900 CHML - We are approaching a time when seemingly all major sports are switching to the off season. What will the sports networks air when there's next to nothing to air? Also, how do scouts for leagues like the NHL go about scouting younger players when they're not allowed to watch games in person? Guest: Don Robertson, Owner & Head Coach, Dundas Real McCoys and Broker of Record, ComChoice Realty

When Friday rolls around, that can only mean one thing, the newest edition of The Brightest Conversation in Hamilton! Scott invites Graeme Mackay to talk about politics, art, an unusual gesture between Doug Ford and Kathleen Wynne, COVID-19 masks and even Nazis. Guest: Graeme Mackay, Editorial Cartoonist, The Hamilton Spectator

Some papers are being prepared to put forward in the hopes of proposing a potential bid that Hamilton could make in order to host the Commonwealth Games and there were even some talks that it could be done with next to no cost to the City. Guest: Lou Frapporti, Chair, Hamilton 2026 Bid Committee - There seems to be a lot of pro-mask and anti-mask debate going on nowadays but what do you do when you're caught in the middle? Guest: Rick Creechan, General Managaer, Hutch's On The Beach - How could the Toronto Blue Jays squander having the best pitcher in the MLB? Is the XFL really coming back? Scott turns to a good friend to find out more and share a laugh along the way. Guest: Bubba O'Neil, Sports Anchor, CHCH-TV

Canada's population is rising and as it does so, the number of old people is outweighing the number of young people and the gap seems to be growing. Should we be worried by this? Guest: Dr. Mikal Skuterud, Professor, Department of Economics, University of Waterloo - The Toronto Blue Jays have made it into the playoffs but it doesn't seem like anyone is paying attention to them. Do you care about the Blue Jays and how they do this year? Guest: Rick Zamperin, Senior Sports Director, Global News Radio 900 CHML - Time travel is something that often finds itself in the realm of science fiction however some researchers in Australia are finding that it might actually be possible; time travel could be science without the fiction. If it is, how come we haven't met any time travelers from the future? Does time travel have a catch? How would it even work? Guest: Dr. Fabio Costa, theoretical physicist, UQ Amplify Researcher & UQ Amplify Fellow at the University of Queensland

The City of Hamilton was facing a pretty fearsome looking operating deficit until the recent help that's come from the provincial government. While this may help Hamilton and all who live within its boundaries, taxpayers are still on the hook to pay. If that string is attached to this bailout are there any others that we might not see? Guest: Brad Clark, Ward 9 Councillor, City of Hamilton - Are you paying much attention to the MLB season? How likely do you think an NHL player would be to try and sneak out of the bubble? Should you stay with a team to build them up to champions or move to where the best money is regardless of how good they are? These questions and more get answered in this week's edition of Sports Talk with Don Robertson. Guest: Don Robertson, Head Coach & Owner, Dundas Real McCoys & Broker of Record, ComChoice Realty

The Brightest Conversation in Hamilton often requires guests to be able to debate and reflect on a variety of topics. Today's guest is Mike Fortune, a man who is well-versed in many topics, and Scott is going to take that and put him to the test with topics ranging from photo-radar speed cameras to the recent influx of chicken sandwiches. Also, why did Mike learn how to drive backwards before driving forwards? Guest: Mike Fortune, Host, The Hamilton Network, Cable 14

The throne speech has been read but what actually got announced and should the other parties accept it? Guest: Ian Lee, Associate Professor, Sprott School of Business, Carleton University - Having just heard Justin Trudeau address the nation, Scott gives his take on what he heard and opens the phone lines to hear what you thought of it. Was it a proper and well done address? Was it an abuse of the address' significance? What do you think? - Whether you love it or hate it, pumpkin spice has found itself getting into nearly every kind of food. Some of these foods are improved by it while some others get absolutely ruined and need to be eliminated. Scott and Ben debate which pumpkin spice flavoured foods sound even a little appetizing and which should be burned at the stake.

When you buy a home, there are a lot of people involved in the process. Movers, renovators and real estate agents are among the many jobs involved with home ownership which means it has the potential to keep money flowing which benefits the economy. Could increasing home sales be what we need to stimulate and kick-start our economy back up? Guest: Tim Hudak, CEO, Ontario Real Estate Association - With COVID-19 cases on the rise, the race director for Hamilton's Around The Bay Road Race has been waved off. Was it just the rise in cases that led to this decision or was there something more? Guest: Anna Lewis, Race Director, Around The Bay Road Race - Awards shows like the Emmys, Grammys, Oscars and more are seeing a drop in viewership but why would that be? Guest: Bill Brioux, TV blogger, brioux.tv

Online education is a fabulous idea until you realize your computers and tech don't work with the current iteration of programs and systems. This is what many Ontario teachers and school boards are starting to realize. How could it be that after so many weeks off from school, we're finding out about the problems now? Guest: Jeff Sorensen, President of ETFO’s Hamilton-Wentworth Elementary Teachers’ Local - A US survey found an alarmingly large number of people have never heard of the Holocaust. How could this be and how can we change it so that a horrific event like the Holocaust never happens again? Guest: Gustavo Rymberg, CEO of the Hamilton Jewish Federation - What do Elvis, Katy Perry, Paul McCartney, Kurt Cobain & Avril Lavigne all have in common? They're all the centre of different conspiracy theories! Scott brings on Alan Cross find out more about these conspiracy theories and more. Guest: Alan Cross, music writer, host of the Ongoing History of New Music and curator of A Journal of Musical Things

Nearly everything is being deemed essential and as such, the government is going to have to find a way to pay for it all. What has been considered essential and how will we manage to pay for it all? Guest: Stephen LeDrew, political commentator and former president of the Liberal Party of Canada - Is social media programmed to addict you to it? Can it change the way to act or think about different topics? A new documentary is saying yes to both of those questions and more. What is wrong with social media and how should you go about changing the way you, or your kids, use it? Guest: Wade Sorochan, one of Canada's leading social media addiction experts & author of "Unsocial Media: Virtual World Causing Real World Anxiety" - When you ask Siri to do something and it gets done so quickly, it feels like magic but what happens when you ask Siri something on the weirder side? Scott and Ben ask the program to get some answers... some of them make sense, others less so. Guest: Siri, AI assistant

The City of Hamilton's implementation of patios has helped save many restaurants and hospitality workers from going under but how long can they stay open for? Should restaurants be allowed to keep their patios open throughout the winter? Guest: Jason Farr, Ward 2 Councillor, City of Hamilton - In the NFL, the Superbowl gets played at a neutral field, is it time the MLB follows suit? Guest: Rick Zamperin, Sports Director, Global News Radio 900 CHML