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The Big Five Podcast

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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.

Location:

United States

Description:

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.

Language:

English


Episodes
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Trump dumps Elon, but has he found a new best friend in Mark Carney? Plus: What would it take for you to travel to the U.S. this summer?

6/6/2025
Elias Makos is joined by Anthony Koch, Former National Spokesperson for Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre and current managing principal at AK Strategies, and Andrew Caddell, a town councillor in Kamouraska, and President of the Task Force on Linguistic policy.

Duration:00:24:31

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The federal government has already spent over $1 million in legal fees to prepare its challenge of Quebec’s secularism law

6/5/2025
Trudie Mason is joined by Christina Chough, Spanish teacher and Chair of the modern languages department at Dawson College, 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.

Duration:00:23:33

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Justice Minister says the federal duty to consult Indigenous communities on infrastructure projects does not amount to veto power

6/4/2025
Trudie Mason is joined by 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 Gabriel Retta, is a Montrealer active in politics and government service at all three levels for the last 20 years. He is currently serving as Chief of Staff to the Official Opposition at Montreal City Hall.

Duration:00:34:36

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Mark Carney, Canada’s Santa Claus. Plus: Asylum seeker numbers on the rise.

6/3/2025
Elias Makos is joined by Justine McIntyre, Strategic consultant and former city councillor, and Dan Delmar, Co-founder of the content marketing firm TNKR Media and co-host of the podcast Inspiring Entrepreneurs Canada.

Duration:00:26:09

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Should the big banks be held responsible for client fraud? Plus: Woman who scammed 11 seniors out of 90K won’t get a criminal record.

6/2/2025
Elias Makos starts the week with Jimmy Zoubris, special advisor to the Mayor, and Sue Smith is a Montreal journalist.

Duration:00:25:28

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Banning teens from social media. Plus: Go Habs Go Gate was far worse than we thought

5/30/2025
Elias Makos ends 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, and Dan Delmar, co-founder of the content marketing firm TNKR Media and co-host of the podcast Inspiring Entrepreneurs Canada.

Duration:00:23:27

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Sending multiculturalism to the dustbin of history. Plus: How many parents can a child have?

5/29/2025
Elias Makos is joined by political analyst Karim Boulos and Meeker Guerrier, Commentator at Noovo and RDS. Quebec’s Immigration Minister Jean-François Roberge has passed a new law creating a distinct integration model for the province, Quebec’s government is opposing a court ruling that would force it to legally recognize more than two parents for a child. A Quebec religious group, Groupe Jaspe, has lost a constitutional challenge after being fined for going door-to-door in Waterloo In a few weeks, wines, spirits, and even champagne normally sold in branches of the SAQ will find their way to the shelves of six depanneurs and grocery stores in the Montreal area.

Duration:00:26:09

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The King’s Speech. Plus: Quebec’s battle with family doctors.

5/28/2025
Elias Makos is joined by Antonine Yaccarini, Political Analysts, PR Expert and former PQ and CAQ staffer, and Anthony Koch, Former National Spokesperson for Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre and current managing principal at AK Strategies.

Duration:00:25:27

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Get ready for the most badass throne speech of your lifetime. Plus: You really don’t want to compost.

5/27/2025
Elias Makos is joined by Caroline Codsi, Founder & Chief Equity Officer, Women in Governance, and Paul Gott, Lead singer and guitarist for Montreal Punk Rock band the Ripcordz and a journalism professor at Concordia.

Duration:00:25:08

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The King comes to Canada. Plus: The Laval pharmacist facing criminal charges.

5/26/2025
Elias Makos kicks off the week with Jimmy Zoubris, special advisor to the Mayor, 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.

Duration:00:25:38

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The insane billing practices behind the SAAQclic scandal. Plus: Should the price of your home come down?

5/23/2025
Elias 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, and Meeker Guerrier, Commentator at Noovo and RDS.

Duration:00:22:59

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Anti-woke job postings and the latest Quebec healthcare cut: Kleenex.

5/22/2025
Elias Makos welcomes back Anthony Koch, Former National Spokesperson for Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre and current managing principal at AK Strategies, and Raphaël Melançon, a political analyst for Noovo and CTV Montreal News at 5. He is also the president and founder of Trafalgar Strategies.

Duration:00:23:16

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Golden Domes, Superblocks, and the Quebecifying the Netflix homepage

5/21/2025
Elias Makos is joined by Justine McIntyre, Strategic consultant and former city councillor, and Political analyst Karim Boulos.

Duration:00:24:05

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Is it time to ditch daily mail delivery? Plus: Should cops be allowed to use drones to catch bad drivers?

5/21/2025
Elias Makos kicks off the week with Paul Gott, Lead singer and guitarist for Montreal Punk Rock band the Ripcordz and a journalism professor at Concordia, and Andrew Caddell, a town councillor in Kamouraska, and President of the Task Force on Linguistic policy.

Duration:00:24:19

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Confirmation of a federal budget this fall. Plus: Former Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre criticizing the Quebec Liberal leadership race

5/19/2025
Dan Delmar, in for Elias Makos is joined by 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 Jimmy Zoubris, special advisor to the Mayor on The Big 5.

Duration:00:35:25

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Should there be a revote in Terrebonne? Plus: Should François Legault stick around?

5/16/2025
Elias Makos caps the week off with Justine McIntyre, Strategic consultant and former city councillor, and Andrew Caddell, a town councillor in Kamouraska, and President of the Task Force on Linguistic policy.

Duration:00:24:16

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The Mark Carney train gets derailed - by his own ministers. Plus: Quebecers say we should tax the rich more.

5/15/2025
Elias Makos is joined by Anthony Koch, Former National Spokesperson for Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre and current managing principal at AK Strategies, and Jonathan Kalles, Vice President at McMillan Vantage, a national public affairs firm, and former advisor to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Duration:00:23:52

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Carney’s cabinet: Fresh faces or the old guard? Plus: The key to a long life at home.

5/14/2025
Elias Makos welcomes back Dan Delmar, Co-founder of the content marketing firm TNKR Media and co-host of the podcast Inspiring Entrepreneurs Canada, and Sue Smith is a Montreal journalist and broadcaster.

Duration:00:33:11

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Prime Minister Carney looks to set the tone. Plus: Should we take graffiti more seriously?

5/13/2025
Elias Makos is joined by Paul Gott, Lead singer and guitarist for Montreal Punk Rock band the Ripcordz and a journalism professor at Concordia, 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.

Duration:00:24:20

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It’s a make or break year for Montreal’s Formula 1 Grand Prix. Plus: Would-be ‘Housing mayor’ doesn’t follow housing rules.

5/12/2025
Elias Makos kicks off the week with 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, and Jimmy Zoubris, special advisor to the Mayor.

Duration:00:24:47