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PODCAST

The Big Five Podcast

The Big Five is the quintessential Montreal podcast, and the best way to get caught up on the top stories impacting the city. Every weekday, host Elias Makos and a roster of Montreal thought leaders debate and inform.

news politics

All Episodes

26:29

An update on the SAQ’s proposed destruction of...

The Big Five Podcast ·

2025/08/22

Sue Smith ends the week with Christina Chough, Spanish teacher and Chair of the modern languages department at Dawson College, andDan Delmar, Co-founder of the content marketing firm TNKR Media and co-host of the podcast Inspiring Entrepreneurs Canada. We have an update for you on the SAQ’s proposed destruction of $300,000 worth of American alcohol. Half of Canadians would be ‘ashamed’ to call Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre their Prime Minister. Former Premier Lucien

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22:33

Prime Minister Mark Carney met with Mayor Valerie...

The Big Five Podcast ·

2025/08/21

Trudie Mason is joined by Caroline Codsi, Founder & Chief Equity Officer, Women in Governance, andAkil Alleyne, Reporter and commentator with extensive experience analysing legal, political, and social issues and Manager of the GemStar Circle of Excellence Scholarship Program. Prime Minister Mark Carney met with Mayor Valerrie Plante yesterday. They spoke about housing and tariffs- all in French. According to a new Leger poll: Few Quebecers believe Legault’s upcoming cabinet shuffle will

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24:21

Cellphones are banned in classrooms throughout...

The Big Five Podcast ·

2025/08/20

Elias Makos ends the week with Justine McIntyre, Strategic consultant and former city councillor, and Meeker Guerrier, Commentator at Noovo and RDS According to a new Leger poll: The Parti Quebecois victory in the Arthabaska is reflective of the changing political landscape in the province Mark Carney is meeting with Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante and Quebec Premier François Legault today Five members of the Canadian armed forces have been suspended over the Nazi salute… Kids

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26:28

Should Montreal double the number of bike paths we...

The Big Five Podcast ·

2025/08/19

Political analyst Karim Boulos, andPaul Gott, Lead singer and guitarist for Montreal Punk Rock band the Ripcordz and a journalism professor at Concordia. Air Canada flights are slowly taking off again today as a tentative agreement has been made with the AC flight attendant Union. Should Montreal double its number of bike paths? A micro-mobility study out of McGill University found suggests that more space for bikes are necessary, and would “barely affect” traffic for motorists

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23:45

Air Canada flight attendants refuse their back to...

The Big Five Podcast ·

2025/08/18

Robyn Flynn starts the week off with Jonathan Kalles, Vice President at McMillan Vantage, a national public affairs firm, and former advisor to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. and Jimmy Zoubris, special advisor to the Mayor. Air Canada flight attendants refused their back to work order despite the federal government ordering binding arbitration, and continued to strike. The commission of inquiry into the management of the SAAQ’s technological upgrade, including the SAAQclic platform, is set to

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25:50

The OQLF backs down once again. Plus: Artificial...

The Big Five Podcast ·

2025/08/15

Elias makos ends the week with Justine McIntyre, Strategic consultant and former city councillor, andAnthony Koch, Former National Spokesperson for Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre and current managing principal at AK Strategies. The OQLF has backed down once again following a media uproar. This time, they’re telling the Burgundy Lion Pub that their nearly two-decade-old sign can stay up as-is. Premier François Legault says the CAQ caucus is “ready to fight with me.” A

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23:06

François Legault’s listening tour continues. Plus:...

The Big Five Podcast ·

2025/08/14

Elias Makos welcomes in Political analyst Karim Boulos andRaphaël Melançon, a political analyst for Noovo and CTV Montreal News at 5. He is also the president and founder of Trafalgar Strategies. Premier Francois Legault is meeting with his caucus this morning after a stinging defeat in the Arthabaska byelection. The owner of the Burgundy Lion says he won’t change the name of his pub. Toby Lyle says his business in Little Burgundy is the Office de la langue Francais’ (OQLF)

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23:53

François Legault is talking to strangers. Plus: The...

The Big Five Podcast ·

2025/08/13

Elias Makos is joined by Catherine Hogan, high school teacher at Westwood Senior High in Hudson, andLionel Perez, Former city councillor and leader of the opposition at Montreal hall, and Founder CEO of CorpCentre, an online legal filings service for small businesses. Following his party’s brutal performance in Monday’s Arthabasca byelection, François Legault is going to try to revitalize the CAQ… and that effort started on Tuesday with some listening. The Premier

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25:07

The PQ steamroller continues & should air...

The Big Five Podcast ·

2025/08/12

Elias was joined on the Big 5 by Jimmy Zoubris, special advisor to the Mayor &Christina Chough, the Chair of the modern languages department at Dawson College. Among the topics discussed were The PQ steamroller continues. The party racked up its third by-election victory in a row last night, with Alex Boissonneault taking Arthabasca. Who doesn’t have Air Conditioning right now? In the midst of a grueling heat wave, Montreal is sharing online how they are coping. The leader of Ensemble

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24:08

A surprisingly big day in Quebec politics. Plus: From...

The Big Five Podcast ·

2025/08/11

Elias Makos kicks off the week with Dan Delmar, Co-founder of the content marketing firm TNKR Media and co-host of the podcast Inspiring Entrepreneurs Canada, andAkil Alleyne, Reporter and commentator with extensive experience analysing legal, political, and social issues and Manager of the GemStar Circle of Excellence Scholarship Program. Montreal police are investigating after an Orthodox Jewish man was assaulted in Parc-Ex on Friday. Somewhat big day in Quebec politics as voters go to the polls

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25:26

Young Quebecers veering towards sovereignty. Plus:...

The Big Five Podcast ·

2025/08/08

Elias caps the week off with Justine McIntyre, Strategic consultant and former city councillor, andAnthony Koch, Former National Spokesperson for Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre and current managing principal at AK Strategies. 18-year-old Canadian Victoria Mboko defeated four time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka at the National Bank Open last night, right here in Montreal. What were you doing when you were 18? There’s a byelection in Arthabaska on Monday. Looks to be a neck and neck race

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24:15

Should judges consider race in sentencing decisions? ...

The Big Five Podcast ·

2025/08/07

Meeker Guerrier, Commentator at Noovo and RDS, andCaroline Codsi, Founder & Chief Equity Officer, Women in Governance. Quebec’s Minister Responsible for the Fight Against Racism, Christopher Skeete, calls the sentencing that took into consideration the realities of systemic racism that racialized criminals face as a “sad first”. Britain’s ad watchdog has banned two Zara ads for showing models that appeared “unhealthily thin.” Now over on this side of the

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26:07

Is Canada losing the trade war? Plus: A new contender...

The Big Five Podcast ·

2025/08/06

Elias Makos Andrew Caddell, a town councillor in Kamouraska, and President of the Task Force on Linguistic policy, andPaul Gott, Lead singer and guitarist for Montreal Punk Rock band the Ripcordz and a journalism professor at Concordia. Prominent Canadian pundit Paul Wells is pulling no punches in his latest column, under the headline “Let’s Admit It: Canada is losing the trade war with Trump.” Unable to get any important meetings with officials in Washington, D.C., Finance

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25:44

You’re not imagining things - Montreal is getting...

The Big Five Podcast ·

2025/08/05

Elias Makos is joined by Political analyst Karim Boulos, andBonnie Feigenbaum, Conservative Party of Quebec candidate in last provincial election and a lecturer at Concordia & McGill University, media & government relations consultant. People are dumping their trash out onto the streets, and Montrealers are fed up. 8 thousand more complaints have been called in to 311 in 2024 than the previous year. Four McGill University faculty associations are challenging Quebec’s

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25:39

More Quebec doctors are leaving the public system....

The Big Five Podcast ·

2025/08/04

Elias kicks off the week Neil Drabkin, is a lawyer who served as federal prosecutor and a political commentator who was a chief of staff in the Harper government, andJimmy Zoubris, special advisor to the Mayor. With one Bitcoin worth an astounding $160,000, and the ability to irreversibly transfer millions of dollars with a few taps, Bitcoin has become a prime target for violent crime. Unionized workers at Canada Post have voted to reject the Crown corporation’s latest contract offer. A new

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25:47

The Trump edition of ‘Deal or No Deal.’ Plus: What...

The Big Five Podcast ·

2025/08/01

Elias Makos ends the week with Justine McIntyre, Strategic consultant and former city councillor, andChristina Chough (C-H-O), Spanish teacher and Chair of the modern languages department at Dawson College. President Donald Trump has now increased tariffs on Canadian goods to 35 per cent from 25 per cent on all products not covered by the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement. Technology, transit, healthcare - all things that Taiwan is seemingly getting right while we stare at a pile of orange cones

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34:15

Canada plans to recognize Palestine - with a catch....

The Big Five Podcast ·

2025/07/31

Elias Makos is joined by Raphaël Melançon, a political analyst for Noovo and CTV Montreal News at 5. He is also the president and founder of Trafalgar Strategies, andJonathan Kalles, Vice President at McMillan Vantage, a national public affairs firm, and former advisor to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Canada plans to recognize the state of Palestine at the next session of the United Nations General Assembly in September. Speaking of the U.S and Canada…we are less than 24 hours

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24:46

More Montrealers using private security in their...

The Big Five Podcast ·

2025/07/30

Elias Makos welcomes back Akil Alleyne, Reporter and commentator with extensive experience analysing legal, political, and social issues and Manager of the GemStar Circle of Excellence Scholarship Program, andAnne Lagace-Dowson, political analyst. Faced with what they say is a growing sense of insecurity, wealthy neighbourhoods around the city are pooling their resources to hire security guards for their protection. Canadian border agents are searching for nearly 600 foreign nationals with criminal

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25:39

Corporate Canada wants you to get back to the office....

The Big Five Podcast ·

2025/07/29

Elias Makos is joined by Catherine Hogan, high school teacher at Westwood Senior High in Hudson, andMeeker Guerrier, Commentator at Noovo and RDS. Rogers is mandating that employees come back to the office four days a week by October, and five days a week by February of next year. Elections Canada has decided to go with an adapted ballot, similar to a special ballot, allowing voters to write the name of the person they’re voting for. Women and Gender Equality Canada released their budget

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24:35

Montreal says no to Christian Rock. Plus: Beware the...

The Big Five Podcast ·

2025/07/28

Elias Makos starts the week with Dan Delmar, Co-founder of the content marketing firm TNKR Media and co-host of the podcast Inspiring Entrepreneurs Canada, andAnthony Koch, Former National Spokesperson for Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre and current managing principal at AK Strategies. Montreal has fined a local church $2,500 for hosting a concert by controversial U.S. Christian musician Sean Feucht. We are only a couple of days away from the deadline outlined by U.S President Donald Trump to

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441 results

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