Flashbacks is an award-winning multimedia co-production of The Hamilton Spectator, Cable 14 and the Hamilton Public library that explores Hamilton’s history with stories, pictures, video and music.

Each segment includes a half-hour television program co-hosted by Mark McNeil and Margaret Houghton, a special story package in The Hamilton Spectator and online content on thespec.com.  Flashbacks won the 2016 Ontario Newspaper Award for Multimedia Journalism.

“McNeil breathes new life into Hamilton history through skilful use of each platform’s strengths: crisply written narratives and engaging quizzes in print, interactive web storytelling, and compelling local television and on-demand video. Flashbacks truly makes the past come alive.”
— Judge’s comment

Episode I– Remembrance Day and Military history
The show:
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Episode 2 — Gore Park
The Show:
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Episode 3 — Hamilton’s Characters
The Show:
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Episode 4 — Evelyn Dick
The Show:
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Episode 5 — The Spectator
The Show:
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Episode 6 — Namesakes Challenge
The Show:
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Episode 7 — 170 Stories that Shaped the History of Hamilton
The Show:
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Episode 8 — Stan Rogers — Famous Hamiltonian of the Year
The Show
Online

Listen to the theme song from Flashbacks:

Land of the Holy Mackinaw.

We live in a town thinks it has a Mountain
It’s just a hill, really nothing astoundin’
That’s the way we talk in Hamilton
We’re prone to a little exaggeration

We’re the biggest small town on the planet
And we’re always trying to expand it.
We like to stretch what we got
In the land of Holy Mackinaw.

We got a place called Cootes Paradise
Don’t know why but I guess it’s kind of nice
got some turtles, frogs and bugs
Better bring boots ’cause there’s a lot of muck

CHORUS
We got a place called Dundurn Castle
It’s just big house with a name that baffles
got no draw bridge. Walk right in
Have some tea, before the tour begins.

CHORUS
We got an airport with hardly any flights
except for cargo in the middle of the night
But we got a bomber and an able crew
that could blow up Toronto to if we wanted

CHORUS
In the land of Holy Mackinaw Mackinaw.
Tiger cats eat ’em raw

Copyright by Mark McNeil, 2016