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The Graham Crawford Show

The Graham Crawford Show was created out of a belief that we need to talk about the issues and opportunities facing Hamilton in a way that generates debate and fosters understanding. The goal of show is to provide smart, progressive talk from regular panelists, subject matter experts, and personal observations. The show is posted weekly and always focuses on issues affecting you and the City of Hamilton. All of the people involved in The Graham Crawford Show do so because they believe that dialogue creates understanding. And the more we understand our city, the better we can all help it to realize its potential. All of the shows are recorded in downtown Hamilton in the studios of QED Media. Let’s talk Hamilton.
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Now displaying: 2017
Graham Crawford Show - The Cityist, 0
Dec 22, 2017

 

On this edition of the Cityist, like many boys and girls throughout Hamilton, I sent Santa a note that began:

Dear Santa, I know you’re a pretty busy person, but I’d really appreciate it if you could take a look at my list of 8 Civic Gifts I’d love for you to bring to my town…..

Listen to what I asked for from Santa for Hamilton.

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The Graham Crawford Show, with your host Graham Crawford

Executive Producer: Alex Zafer

All shows are produced and recorded by Dave Beatty at Q.E.D. Media in downtown Hamilton.

Visit the official Graham Crawford Show website

Graham Crawford Show - Civic Panel, Series 12 - Driving us Crazy 0
Dec 11, 2017

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

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The Graham Crawford Show, with your host Graham Crawford

Executive Producer: Alex Zafer

All shows are produced and recorded by Dave Beatty at Q.E.D. Media in downtown Hamilton.

Visit the official Graham Crawford Show website

Graham Crawford Show, Paul Wilson Interview Series, Episode 13 0
Nov 27, 2017
Architectural gems on Wentworth sit empty
 
Paul Wilson discusses two boarded up beauties on Wentworth Street South, one a mansion, the other a lovely apartment building. Both in need of some attention.
 
The original link to the Hamilton Spectator article can be found here: https://www.thespec.com/opinion-story/7563034-paul-wilson-architectural-gems-on-wentworth-sit-empty/

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The Graham Crawford Show, with your host Graham Crawford

Executive Producer: Alex Zafer

All shows are produced and recorded by Dave Beatty at Q.E.D. Media in downtown Hamilton.

Visit the official Graham Crawford Show website

Graham Crawford Show - The Cityist, #HamAzon, Chasing Rainbows 0
Nov 13, 2017

The City of Hamilton spent half a million dollars on a proposal to Amazon for Hamilton to become the site of its second headquarters for up to 50,000 employees.

I hate to be the party pooper, but I think our senior bureaucrats and elected officials need to have a drink of reality.

Chasing expensive rainbows is one way to spend our money and our energy. The question I’m asking myself is, “Are there other, better ways to spend it?”

I think yes. On this edition of the Cityist on The Graham Crawford Show

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The Graham Crawford Show, with your host Graham Crawford

Executive Producer: Alex Zafer

All shows are produced and recorded by Dave Beatty at Q.E.D. Media in downtown Hamilton.

Visit the official Graham Crawford Show website

Graham Crawford Show - Interview with Mark Richardson Ward Boundary Hearing 0
Oct 30, 2017

Mark Richardson joins us to talk about his experience challenging the City of Hamilton about their decision to ignore the recommendations of the consultants they hired to redefine the 15 Ward boundaries to create a more balanced distribution of Wards and population.

Problem is, when Watson & Associates presented their findings and their recommendations, City Council decided to redraw the Ward boundaries themselves - literally. Crayons came out and maps were marked, the results of which were voted on by Council.

Mark Richardson felt a need to challenge that decision, so he invested his time and his own money to challenge Council’s decision at the Ontario Municipal Board. We talk in detail with Mark about what motivated him to take this action, as well as what happened during his hearing.

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The Graham Crawford Show, with your host Graham Crawford

Executive Producer: Alex Zafer

All shows are produced and recorded by Dave Beatty at Q.E.D. Media in downtown Hamilton.

Visit the official Graham Crawford Show website

The Graham Crawford Show - Civic Panel, Series 11 - Melange #2 1
Oct 16, 2017

After a long summer break The Graham Crawford Show returns with our regular Civic Panel where we discuss a melange of topics. Our featured panelists include Ryan McGreal, Peter Graefe and Maureen Wilson.

  • Pier 8 Design Competition - The Process & the Results
  • Redefining Ward Boundaries - How we got to where we are now
  • Assigning resources (time, money, people) to chasing Amazon HQ for Hamilton

Thank you to all our listeners. Keep talking Hamilton!

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The Graham Crawford Show, with your host Graham Crawford

Executive Producer: Alex Zafer

All shows are produced and recorded by Dave Beatty at Q.E.D. Media in downtown Hamilton.

Visit the official Graham Crawford Show website

Graham Crawford Show - The Cityist - Council Cohesion, The I of the Storm 0
Jun 26, 2017
Like many others have, I’ve accused Councillors of being tone deaf on these sorts of issues that are completely within their control to remedy. Why is it that they try to ignore us?
 
I have a theory.
 
I think they ignore us for as long as possible because they don’t really want to be seen as reacting to feedback about their own behaviours. You got a problem with people in Public Works or the HSR or the Planning Department, bring it on. We’re all ears. You got a problem with me, keep it to yourself.
 
So, fellow Hamiltonians, here’s the lesson we’re supposed to learn. Feedback about issues related to people other than Councillors is welcomed. Feedback on changes you’d like Councillors to make themselves. Put it in a letter and leave off the postage. That way it’ll be like you never really said it.

 

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The Graham Crawford Show, with your host Graham Crawford

Executive Producer: Alex Zafer

All shows are produced and recorded by Dave Beatty at Q.E.D. Media in downtown Hamilton.

Graham Crawford Show - The Cityist - Building Magic at the Westdale Theatre 0
Jun 19, 2017

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

But this project is so exciting that I feel more than comfortable, as does my Executive Producer, Alex Zafer, talking about an upcoming event in front of and inside the Westdale Theatre.

It’s on June 25th and we’d love to see you there.

Be sure to check it out on the Events page of the Westdale Cinema page on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter and keep up to date: @WestdaleCinema

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The Graham Crawford Show, with your host Graham Crawford

Executive Producer: Alex Zafer

All shows are produced and recorded by Dave Beatty at Q.E.D. Media in downtown Hamilton.

Graham Crawford Show - Paul Wilson Interview Series, Episode 12 0
Jun 12, 2017

We talk to Paul about a column he called: New mayor can’t sit on this throne that appeared in the Hamilton Spectator on October 21, 2014.

It’s a story about the City of Hamilton’s secret warehouse full of Hamilton artifacts the City has been collecting throughout its history that it doesn’t have the space to put on permanent display. While Paul doesn’t reveal its location, he does reveal what’s inside.

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The Graham Crawford Show, with your host Graham Crawford

Executive Producer: Alex Zafer

All shows are produced and recorded by Dave Beatty at Q.E.D. Media in downtown Hamilton.

Visit the official Graham Crawford Show website

Graham Crawford Show - The Cityist - Lord of The Rings 0
Jun 4, 2017
Just when you didn’t think it was possible for Councillors to be more tone deaf, they prove us wrong.
 
I’m talking about the recent recommendation by Councillors at a Governance Review Subcommittee to spend $5000 for service rings for themselves.
 
Apparently, rings have been given in the past to Councillors who are either retiring or who have died. Now, we’re also adding Councillors who are defeated in an election. Yep, we reward the losers. And by we, I mean all of us. Instead of the other Councillors chipping in to buy a departing colleague a gift, like most people do in the real world, they want us to pay them to say thanks.
 
On this edition of The Cityist called Lords of the Rings.
 

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The Graham Crawford Show, with your host Graham Crawford

Executive Producer: Alex Zafer

All shows are produced and recorded by Dave Beatty at Q.E.D. Media in downtown Hamilton.

Visit the official Graham Crawford Show website

Graham Crawford Show - Paul Wilson Interview Series, Episode 11 0
May 29, 2017
This time, we talk to Paul about a column he called: Harmony’s proud, but sad, story to be unveiled that appeared in the Hamilton Spectator on September 2, 2014.
 
It’s about the Harmony Apartments at Bay and Barton.
 
If you haven’t been by the building, it’s worth taking a look if you’re in the area. Located on the west side of Bay Street, one building north of Barton, the building began life as an Italian banquet hall with a very impressive facade and was later converted to apartments after the war.

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The Graham Crawford Show, with your host Graham Crawford

Executive Producer: Alex Zafer

All shows are produced and recorded by Dave Beatty at Q.E.D. Media in downtown Hamilton.

Visit the official Graham Crawford Show website

Graham Crawford Show - Celebrating our first year 1
May 23, 2017

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

Alex and I also talk about our regular Civic Panel members, and Paul Wilson, and some guests who have appeared on the Common Knowledge edition of the show. We look back over one year of The Graham Crawford Show. It’s an inside baseball kind of show. If you’re a regular listener, I think you’ll really enjoy it.

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The Graham Crawford Show, with your host Graham Crawford

Executive Producer: Alex Zafer

All shows are produced and recorded by Dave Beatty at Q.E.D. Media in downtown Hamilton.

Visit the official Graham Crawford Show website

Graham Crawford Show - Interview with cartoonist Graeme MacKay 1
May 15, 2017
I’m joined by an artist and satirist I’ve admired for years. I admire his wit. His artistry. His ability to boil oceans of issues to their essence and to present what he sees in ways that leave us smiling or even, dare I say, LOL’ing.
 
His name is Graeme MacKay and he’s the editorial cartoonist for the Hamilton Spectator. I think you’ll really enjoy this interview. I know I did.
 
 

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The Graham Crawford Show, with your host Graham Crawford

Executive Producer: Alex Zafer

All shows are produced and recorded by Dave Beatty at Q.E.D. Media in downtown Hamilton.

Visit the official Graham Crawford Show website

Graham Crawford Show - Paul Wilson Interview Series, Episode 10 1
May 8, 2017
We talk to Paul about a column he called: Storied House Amid Highrises Has a Future Again. It appeared in the Hamilton Spectator on May 17, 2016.
 
It’s a story about tenacity. In this case, the tenacity of a beautiful house and the tenacity of a dedicated owner.
 
The house was built in 1860, just 7 years after Central School was built on Hunter. Today, it sits surrounded by highrises. But, it also sits restored. That’s a major accomplishment in an already accomplished heritage neighbourhood. But it wasn’t easy. Listen to the story about an owner with a vision he wasn’t prepared to let go of in his quest to restore this amazing house.

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The Graham Crawford Show, with your host Graham Crawford

Executive Producer: Alex Zafer

All shows are produced and recorded by Dave Beatty at Q.E.D. Media in downtown Hamilton.

Visit the official Graham Crawford Show website

Graham Crawford Show - The Cityist - Dithering, Blithering & Slithering 1
May 1, 2017
This edition of the Cityist is called Dithering, Blithering & Slithering. It’s a three word summary of the last City Council meeting about LRT.
 
We may be relieved and thankful that the LRT Environmental Assessment 2.0 was approved in a 10 to 5 vote by Council. But, there’s more to this than simply getting enough votes to keep LRT moving. That meeting also said a lot about the state of leadership in this City and about how we got to where we find ourselves today.
 
Please have a listen to a review of the Council meeting and hear about all the dithering, blithering and slithering.

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The Graham Crawford Show, with your host Graham Crawford

Executive Producer: Alex Zafer

All shows are produced and recorded by Dave Beatty at Q.E.D. Media in downtown Hamilton.

Visit the official Graham Crawford Show website

Graham Crawford Show - Civic Panel, Series 10 - Some Counsel for Council 0
Apr 24, 2017
We’re calling this edition of the Civic Panel Some Counsel for Council. If you're a regular watcher of Hamilton City Council, you’ll probably agree that Council’s behaviour is questionable at times. And, at other times, downright appalling.
 
Our panelists each provide some advice to Council based on problems they see happening. And they provide some true insights into why some of these problems exist in the first place.
 
Destination listening.

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The Graham Crawford Show, with your host Graham Crawford

Executive Producer: Alex Zafer

All shows are produced and recorded by Dave Beatty at Q.E.D. Media in downtown Hamilton.

Visit the official Graham Crawford Show website

Graham Crawford Show - The Cityist - Hamilton City Hall, It's Not Pretty 0
Apr 17, 2017
It was telling that Spectator columnist Andrew Dreschel began a recent column by saying, “City Manager Chris Murray’s face may not have been sickly green, but he has rarely looked as crestfallen and crushed.”
 
Chris Murray was down because an internal audit about how consulting dollars were spent had just been shared with Council. It was a damning report, to say the least. Aside from the shocking dollar numbers, such as overspending on consultants last year by over 100%, it was even more shocking that it was described as a surprise.
 
This kind of surprise screams poor fiscal management, poor supervision, and perhaps worst of all, poor senior management oversight.

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The Graham Crawford Show, with your host Graham Crawford

Executive Producer: Alex Zafer

All shows are produced and recorded by Dave Beatty at Q.E.D. Media in downtown Hamilton.

Visit the official Graham Crawford Show website

Graham Crawford Show - Paul Wilson Interview Series, Episode 9 0
Apr 10, 2017

We talk to Paul Wilson about a column he called, “Hamilton is the Town Where Time Stands Still” that appeared in the Hamilton Spectator on March 15, 2016.

http://www.thespec.com/opinion-story/6390115-paul-wilson-hamilton-is-the-town-where-time-stands-still/

It focuses on some of Hamilton’s public clocks that have stopped working. Clocks at Leon’s furs, Central School and Hendry’s Shoes.

While these clocks may only tell the correct time twice a day, they still tell a great story about Hamilton.

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The Graham Crawford Show, with your host Graham Crawford

Executive Producer: Alex Zafer

All shows are produced and recorded by Dave Beatty at Q.E.D. Media in downtown Hamilton.

Visit the official Graham Crawford Show website

Graham Crawford Show, The Cityist - Meetings. Expectations 0
Apr 3, 2017
This Cityist is about the most recent LRT meeting at City Hall. A marathon meeting for sure. 12 hours long. But not even nearly 12 hours worth of content. Although, that might be said about many of the meetings that take place at City Hall.
 
If one person was given a dollar for every 15 minutes of every meeting of Councillors and another person was given a dollar for every good question or every new idea heard from Councillors during those meetings, let’s just say there would be a fiscal imbalance.
 
I’m talking about this meeting because of what I think it represents about our City. And the state of our democracy. And about what our expectations should be. It ain’t pretty.

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The Graham Crawford Show, with your host Graham Crawford

Executive Producer: Alex Zafer

All shows are produced and recorded by Dave Beatty at Q.E.D. Media in downtown Hamilton.

Visit the official Graham Crawford Show website

Graham Crawford Show - Civic Panel, Series 9 - Mélange of Hamilton Topics 0
Mar 27, 2017
This is the second edition of our Civic Panel Mélange, where we focus on 3 topics worth discussing. They are: Coleman Broadcasting Resolution - 40 Miles of Bad Road Ahead? Design Review Panel - Now You See It, Now You Don’t, Now You See It Downsizing - When You Can’t Change the Working Culture, Change the Number of People Who Work In It Hope you enjoy the discussion.

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The Graham Crawford Show, with your host Graham Crawford

Executive Producer: Alex Zafer

All shows are produced and recorded by Dave Beatty at Q.E.D. Media in downtown Hamilton.

Visit the official Graham Crawford Show website

Graham Crawford Show - The Cityist, The Sounds of Silence 0
Mar 20, 2017
Gather round your mobile devices dear listeners. I want to tell you a sad story about lost relevance. I want to speak about Ward 8 Councillor Terry Whitehead. It’s become very clear that Terry has lost his way. He’s flailing about looking for political relevance.
 
His consistently inconsistent communication damages not only how we view and participate in municipal government, it also damages the very future of our City. This has gone way beyond what some Councillors would like us to believe - just Terry being Terry.
 
In his most recent op-ed, the Councillor has taken to attacking residents who believed Council meant it when they voted to adopt one of the 7 strategic objectives called Community Engagement & Participation.
 
Truth is, not all of us can hear what’s not being said the way Councillor Whitehead can. He hears what people aren’t saying. Does that make him Hamilton’s own Constituent Whisperer?
 
All on this edition of The Cityist.

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The Graham Crawford Show, with your host Graham Crawford

Executive Producer: Alex Zafer

All shows are produced and recorded by Dave Beatty at Q.E.D. Media in downtown Hamilton.

Visit the official Graham Crawford Show website

Graham Crawford Show - The Cityist, The Benchmark Project - an update 1
Mar 13, 2017
Over 6 months ago, I did a Cityist called The Benchmark Project. It was a simple proposal for the City of Hamilton to provide affordable opportunities for Hamiltonians to place a plaque on a city bench honouring a family member or someone else important to them. In that podcast, I included information about the City’s existing program where for between $1500 and $2500, you could purchase a bench from the City of Hamilton and they’d throw in a commemorative plaque.
 
In this podcast, I provide an update about my correspondence and communication with my Councillor, Jason Farr, and with City staff. It’s not a pretty picture.

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The Graham Crawford Show, with your host Graham Crawford

Executive Producer: Alex Zafer

All shows are produced and recorded by Dave Beatty at Q.E.D. Media in downtown Hamilton.

Visit the official Graham Crawford Show website

The Graham Crawford Show - Revitalization of the Westdale Theatre 0
Mar 6, 2017

On this show, we talk about a local project that’s received a fantastic outpouring of goodwill from Hamiltonians across the city. The project is the revitalization of the Westdale Theatre. A project being called an urban barn raising, Hamilton-style.

I’m joined by three members of the Board of the Westdale Cinema Group, the non-profit organization that has purchased the Westdale Theatre. They are, Fred Fuchs, Bob Crockford and Jeremy Freiburger. For the record, I’m the fourth member of the Board.

If you haven’t already checked out and Liked the group’s Facebook page, here’s the link https://www.facebook.com/WestdaleCinema/

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The Graham Crawford Show, with your host Graham Crawford

Executive Producer: Alex Zafer

All shows are produced and recorded by Dave Beatty at Q.E.D. Media in downtown Hamilton.

Visit the official Graham Crawford Show website

The Graham Crawford Show - Civic Panel, Series 8 - The Role of Civic Protest 0
Feb 27, 2017
Civic engagement takes many forms. Perhaps the oldest form is an old fashioned protest. A public gathering of like-minded people about a specific topic who show up at a specific place at a specific time to make a statement and to listen to the statements of others. A ‘demonstration’ of our civic rights.
 
Our Civic Panel regulars Ryan McGreal, Maureen Wilson, and Peter Graefe discuss their own first public protests, what motivates people to take action, and how social media is affecting civic protest.

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The Graham Crawford Show, with your host Graham Crawford

Executive Producer: Alex Zafer

All shows are produced and recorded by Dave Beatty at Q.E.D. Media in downtown Hamilton.

Visit the official Graham Crawford Show website

The Graham Crawford Show - The Cityist, The Yin Yang of Civic Engagement and How Everything Connects 0
Feb 20, 2017

The Yin and Yang of Civic Engagement and How Everything Connects.

Yin and yang. The principle that all things exist as inseparable and contradictory opposites. If you’ve embraced a civic cause it’s likely you did so because it meant something to you personally.

Often, civic engagement is focused on fighting back while at the same time pushing forward. But, why do people get involved? What makes some people finish dinner and head out to a community meeting? Or to send an email to a Councillor. Or work to get people to sign a petition?

This show is also about systems thinking and about implications. About how one thing affects another, and so on.

By believing and understanding and leveraging the idea of everything connects, we ensure that everyone is connected.

Yin. Yang. Connectivity. Implications. Change.

All on this episode of The Cityist.
 
 
 

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The Graham Crawford Show, with your host Graham Crawford

Executive Producer: Alex Zafer

All shows are produced and recorded by Dave Beatty at Q.E.D. Media in downtown Hamilton.

Visit the official Graham Crawford Show website

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