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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

25:01

After a verdict, a reckoning for Hockey Canada. Plus:...

The Big Five Podcast ·

2025/07/25

Elias Makos caps off the week with Neil Drabkin, a lawyer who served as federal prosecutor and a political commentator who was a chief of staff in the Harper government, andJustine McIntyre, Strategic consultant and former city councillor. Five former members of Canada’s 2018 world junior hockey team were acquitted Thursday of all charges Quebec City has cancelled a scheduled concert by US Christian singer Sean Feucht, Faced with a federal government mandate to slash costs by 15 percent

en-US

42:48

How much Netflix are federal government employees...

The Big Five Podcast ·

2025/07/24

Elias Makos welcomes back Caroline Codsi, Founder & Chief Equity Officer, Women in Governance, andPolitical analyst Karim Boulos. Fresh off cancelling The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and ending that franchise’s three-decade-plus run, Paramount signed a $1.5 billion dollar deal with the creators of South Park who came back with a season premiere last night and immediately took aim at Donald Trump. A Quebec man is warning Canadian boaters to steer clear of the US border after he says he

en-US

25:20

Immigrants say Canada is taking in too many...

The Big Five Podcast ·

2025/07/23

Elias Makos is joined by Paul Gott, Lead singer and guitarist for Montreal Punk Rock band the Ripcordz and a journalism professor at Concordia, andChristina Chough, Spanish teacher and Chair of the modern languages department at Dawson College. A new national poll finds that most Canadians, including a majority of immigrants, believe Canada is accepting too many newcomers. La Presse this morning reports that paramedics in Montreal and Laval are responding to nearly three opioid overdoses per day

en-US

23:50

Dealing with “nasty” Canadians. Plus: A one-day...

The Big Five Podcast ·

2025/07/22

Elias Makos is joined by Andrew Caddell, a town councillor in Kamouraska, and President of the Task Force on Linguistic policy, andJustine McIntyre, Strategic consultant and former city councillor. US Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra said President Trump views Canada as “nasty” to deal with, partly due to Canadians avoiding travel to the US and provincial bans on American alcohol At the Council of the Federation meeting in Ontario, Quebec Premier François Legault urged the

en-US

25:43

A Quebec judge says ‘Netflix’ sentences aren’t...

The Big Five Podcast ·

2025/07/21

Elias Makos kicks off the week with Jonathan Kalles, Vice President at McMillan Vantage, a national public affairs firm, and former advisor to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, andCatherine Hogan, high school teacher at Westwood Senior High in Hudson. A Quebec judge has sentenced a 22-year old woman who drove drunk and injured another motorist to a year in jail. Residents and business owners near Montreal’s Plaza Saint-Hubert say a stretch of Saint-André Street has become a dangerous hub

en-US

22:51

A St-Léonard barbershop owner says he’s being...

The Big Five Podcast ·

2025/07/18

Dan Delmar caps off the week with Neil Drabkin, is a lawyer who served as federal prosecutor and a political commentator who was a chief of staff in the Harper government, andPolitical analyst Karim Boulos. A St-Léonard barbershop owner says he’s being unfairly targeted by Quebec’s language watchdog over English on his storefront and Instagram As you heard on this program yesterday, independent city councillor Craig Sauvé is running for mayor and starting a new progressive

en-US

24:29

Yet another mayoral candidate. Plus: Montreal's...

The Big Five Podcast ·

2025/07/17

Elias Makos is joined by Caroline Codsi, Founder & Chief Equity Officer, Women in Governance, andJonathan Kalles, Vice President at McMillan Vantage, a national public affairs firm, and former advisor to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Montreal city councillor Craig Sauvé has announced he's running for mayor with a new political party called Transition Montréal. Prime Minister Mark Carney has announced quotas and tariffs on non-U.S. steel imports in a bid to protect Canada’s

en-US

24:06

Should Canada cozy up to China? Plus: Return policies...

The Big Five Podcast ·

2025/07/16

Akil Alleyne, Reporter and commentator with extensive experience analysing legal, political, and social issues and Manager of the GemStar Circle of Excellence Scholarship Program, and Anthony Koch, Former National Spokesperson for Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre and current managing principal at AK Strategies. Mark Carney has changed his tune, and is now bracing Canadians for a future where U.S. tariffs against Canada remain in place regardless of a trade deal or not. Should immigration status

en-US

23:25

Does Montreal's newest political party have enough...

The Big Five Podcast ·

2025/07/15

Elias Makos is joined by Paul Gott, Lead singer and guitarist for Montreal Punk Rock band the Ripcordz and a journalism professor at Concordia, andJustine McIntyre, Strategic consultant and former city councillor. Is there room for a new municipal party, this late in the game? The movement Futur Montréal has just been granted official party status by Élections Québec Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre wants the country to tap the brakes on immigration. The cover of the new

en-US

24:23

What’s better, city life or country life? Plus: Mark...

The Big Five Podcast ·

2025/07/14

Elias Makos begins the week with guests Gabriel Retta, is a Montrealer active in politics and government service at all three levels for the last 20 years and currently serving as Chief of Staff to the Official Opposition at Montreal City Hall, andJimmy Zoubris, special advisor to the Mayor. A powerful thunderstorm swept through Montreal on Sunday causing major disruptions across the city. A new Léger survey ranking happiness levels across Quebec shows Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures as the

en-US

25:55

More threats from Donald Trump. Plus: How many...

The Big Five Podcast ·

2025/07/11

Elias Makos ends the week with Meeker Guerrier, Commentator at Noovo and RDS, andPolitical analyst Karim Boulos. Donald Trump is once again threatening Canada with steep tariffs, this time a 35% duty starting August 1st. Turns out that as our elbows go up, the amount we care about climate goes down The Gazette released its inaugural Rich List, which ranks the province’s 25 wealthiest individuals and families.

en-US

24:01

Montreal Public Health thinks more booze in more...

The Big Five Podcast ·

2025/07/10

Elias Makos is joined by Neil Drabkin, is a lawyer who served as federal prosecutor and a political commentator who was a chief of staff in the Harper government, and Sue Smith is a Montreal journalist and broadcaster. Montreal’s public health authority is raising serious concerns about the pilot project allowing six convenience stores and grocery stores to sell SAQ products until 11PM, warning this increases health risks linked to alcohol consumption A new poll from the Montreal Economic

en-US

24:04

How’s that Amazon boycott going? Plus: Banning...

The Big Five Podcast ·

2025/07/09

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, andCatherine Hogan, high school teacher at Westwood Senior High in Hudson. Former Amazon workers in Quebec rallied to demand unpaid severance and denounce poor working conditions Members of the Canadian Armed Forces, have been arrested for allegedly planning to form an anti-government militia

en-US

33:39

Get ready for budget cuts and tax hikes, Canada....

The Big Five Podcast ·

2025/07/08

Elias Makos is joined by Justine McIntyre, Strategic consultant and former city councillor, andRaphaël Melançon, a political analyst for Noovo and CTV Montreal News at 5. He is also the president and founder of Trafalgar Strategies. Ottawa is pushing cabinet ministers to find deep savings ahead of the 2025 federal budget Quebec Premier François Legault will officially trigger a by-election today in the riding of Arthabaska A Montreal woman, Paula Callejas, has been detained by US

en-US

26:06

Is it time to raise the GST? Plus: A Quebec judge...

The Big Five Podcast ·

2025/07/07

Elias Makos kicks the week off with Christina Chough, Chair of the modern languages department at Dawson College, andPaul Gott, Lead singer and guitarist for Montreal Punk Rock band the Ripcordz and a journalism professor at Concordia. The C.D. Howe Institute says the combination of Liberal election promises and new commitments to defence spending means the deficit would hit $77 billion a year Big Five panelist Raphaël Melançon penned a piece in the Montreal Gazette last week entitled

en-US

25:00

Smoking, drinking, gambling… and being American....

The Big Five Podcast ·

2025/07/04

Elias Makos is joined by Anthony Koch, former national spokesperson for Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre and current managing principal at AK Strategies and Akil Alleyne, reporter and commentator with extensive experience analysing legal, political, and social issues and Manager of the GemStar Circle of Excellence Scholarship Program on The Big 5. A majority of Canadians no longer feel welcome in the United States, according to a new Léger poll. The survey, conducted in late June, found

en-US

23:42

Get ready for the ‘Worst cuts in modern history.’...

The Big Five Podcast ·

2025/07/03

Elias Makos is joined by Caroline Codsi, founder & chief equity officer, Women in Governance and Sue Smith, a Montreal journalist and broadcaster on The Big 5. A new report from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives warns that the Liberal government’s plan to save $13 billion annually by 2028–29 through “increased efficiency” would amount to a 24% cut in public service spending, mostly targeting non-defence departments. Residents in a Laval neighbourhood are

en-US

24:06

A criminal record won’t stop you from entering...

The Big Five Podcast ·

2025/07/02

Elias Makos is joined by Andrew Caddell, a town councillor in Kamouraska, and President of the Task Force on Linguistic policy and Neil Drabkin, is a lawyer who served as federal prosecutor and a political commentator who was a chief of staff in the Harper government on The Big 5. Over the past 11 years, more than 17,500 foreigners with criminal records have been cleared to enter Canada. Five years after protestors brought down the statue of John A. Macdonald in Dominion Square/Place du Canada, the

en-US

29:07

What does it mean to be Canadian? Plus: How Donald...

The Big Five Podcast ·

2025/07/01

Elias Makos is joined by Dan Delmar, co-founder of the PR and content firm TNKR Media and Caryma Sa’d, lawyer sole practice and Journalist independent / freelancer based in Toronto on a National Edition of the Big 5. Happy Canada Day! This year certainly seems like a special one. Many would say that Donald Trump’s talk of annexing Canada has sparked a defensive nationalism. Let’s talk trade, shall we? Of course by now we all know that Canada caved to the Trump

en-US

24:42

Is Canada capitulating to Donald Trump? Plus: Does...

The Big Five Podcast ·

2025/06/30

Elias Makos is joined by Jimmy Zoubris, special advisor to the Mayor and Raphaël Melançon, a political analyst for Noovo and CTV Montreal News at 5. He is also the president and founder of Trafalgar Strategies on The Big 5. Is it a Carney Capitulation or a brilliant 3D-chess move the rest of us will figure out eventually? A Quebec judge has authorized a class-action lawsuit against Tim Hortons after the company mistakenly emailed about 500,000 customers in April 2024 claiming they had

en-US

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