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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

24:57

The CAQ sticks to their plan to ban public prayer....

The Big Five Podcast ·

2025/08/29

Trudie Mason closes the week with Bonnie Feigenbaum, Conservative Party of Quebec candidate in last provincial election and a lecturer at Concordia & McGill University, media & government relations consultant, andAkil Alleyne, Reporter and commentator with extensive experience analysing legal, political, and social issues and Manager of the GemStar Circle of Excellence Scholarship Program. The CAQ is continuing with making Quebec society secular, with a plan to ban public prayer, and

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23:04

UPAC investigators have identified four suspects in...

The Big Five Podcast ·

2025/08/28

Trudie Mason welcomes in Victor Henriquez, Public affairs and crisis management specialist at Public Strategy and Conseil, andJonathan Kalles, Vice President at McMillan Vantage, a national public affairs firm, and former advisor to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Ottawa is open to negotiate with Quebec about judge nominations come September. Are we slowly but surely becoming independent from Canada in everything but name? Sources tell LaPresse that UPAC investigators have identified four suspects,

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24:59

Premier Legault has been called to testify before the...

The Big Five Podcast ·

2025/08/27

Trudie Mason is joined by Justine McIntyre, Strategic consultant and former city councillor, andPaul Gott, Lead singer and guitarist for Montreal Punk Rock band the Ripcordz and a journalism professor at Concordia. Premier Francois Legault has officially been called to testify before the public inquiry into the SAAQclic scandal A Quebec committee says the government should extend religious symbols ban to daycares The Israeli flag at Hampstead town hall has been torched twice since last

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23:12

A new report from the auditor general finds that...

The Big Five Podcast ·

2025/08/26

Trudie Mason is joined by Political analyst Karim Boulos, andAndrew Caddell, a town councillor in Kamouraska, and President of the Task Force on Linguistic policy. A new report from the auditor general finds that Montreal roadwork is poorly planned and coordinated. Students are banned from using their cell phones in class….should teachers lead by example? Mayoral candidate and Projet Montreal leader Luc Rabouin walks back on Camillien-Houde and the summer biweekly trash pick up SAAQclic:

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23:54

Projet Montreal has backtracked on bi-weekly trash....

The Big Five Podcast ·

2025/08/25

Trudie Mason kicks the week off with Jimmy Zoubris, special advisor to the Mayor, andRaphaël Melançon, a political analyst for Noovo and CTV Montreal News at 5. He is also the president and founder of Trafalgar Strategies. Projet Montreal has back tracked their plan to have biweekly trash pick-ups in Mercier-Hochelaga-Maisonneuve during the summertime after residents complained of the smell and garbage pile-ups. A Quebec man killed someone while he was hunting back in 2021… He

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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

en-US

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)

en-US

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

en-US

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

en-US

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

en-US

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

en-US

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

en-US

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

en-US

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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446 results

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