The Big Five Podcast

Joining Elias on this morning's show were Raphaël Melançon, political analyst for CTV Montreal and CJAD 800, and columnist for the Montreal Gazette, 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. Among the topics discussed were: We had Dr. Karim Elayoubi on the program yesterday. The doctor is the Quebec Conservative Party’s healthcare critic. He used the opportunity to present his party’s vision for Quebec healthcare, saying his party is looking to Europe and Asia for solutions to healthcare, not the United States. More than 1,800 St-Henri residents have signed a petition calling on all levels of government to intervene in a situation they say has worsened since La Maison Benoit Labre opened the city’s first supervised consumption site two years ago. Québec solidaire says it has an answer in order to stop landlords who buy buildings, increase rents before selling them at a profit, while evicting tenants. A new report from the Greater Montreal Observatory is not giving any optimism as it ranked the greater Montreal area 42nd out of the 43 major metropolitan areas in North America in terms of housing availability.  

Joining Elias on this morning's show were Jimmy Zoubris, Montreal businessman, longtime activist and former special advisor to Valerie Plante, and Andrew Caddell, columnist for the Hill Times and President of the Task Force on Linguistic policy. Among the topics discussed were: Mark Carney is on the defensive over his government’s massive B.C. condo bailout plan. Even usual backers of the government, like the CBC, are openly questioning what’s going on here. Ontario is set to announce a change to their highways. The province will increase the speed limit from 100 km/h to 110km/h. An investigation by the Washington Post finds that most chatbots typically shared left-leaning positions. OpenAi’s ChatGPT only gives left-leaning arguments 80 percent of the time. A 24 year old man who is severely disabled is asking for medical assistance in dying because he is unable to find a supervised apartment outside the health system. Canada’s men soccer team are going to the round of 16 in the World Cup after defeating South Africa 1-0 yesterday in the round of 32.

Joining Elias on this morning's show were Raphaël Melançon, political analyst for CTV Montreal and CJAD 800, and columnist for the Montreal Gazette & Lea Streliski, best-selling author, comedian and columnist. Among the topics discussed were We’ve been asking our panelists this question on the Big Five the last few days… Should there be an English debate? Politics and sport are colliding again at the World Cup. Iran's Football Federation is urging FIFA to ban any Pride-related ceremonies, promotions or symbols during today’s match against Egypt in Seattle Canada could soon be headed to Eurovision. CBC/Radio-Canada has become a full member of the European Broadcasting Union, clearing the way for Canada to eventually compete in the world's biggest song contest Prime Minister Mark Carney will announce the federal government’s plan to “restore” 24 Sussex Drive at 9:30am this morning

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.

Dan Delmar is joined by Daniel Tran, Director of Communication and governmental relations at Casacom, and Meeker Guerrier, Commentator at Noovo and RDS. The pannel discussed the following topics: One day after the tragic shooting in Côte-des-Neiges that saw a police officer, a civilian and the suspected shooter die, the mayor of Montreal Soraya Martinez Ferrada is calling for tougher gun control. We now know that there won’t be an English debate for this upcoming provincial election. All five parties were offered to participate in a 90 minute English debate on September 24th. Two parties did not accept the invitation, the Parti Quebecois and the CAQ. Half of Montrealers are considering moving to a more affordable city across Quebec. That is according to a new survey by Royal Lepage. What is your favourite Quebecois Dish?

Robyn Flynn is joined by Sue Smith, a Montreal journalist and broadcaster, Paul Gott, Lead singer and guitarist for Montreal Punk Rock band the Ripcordz and a journalism professor at Concordia, and Océane Corbin, PhD student in communications at UQAM who spent years immersed in an international incel forum analyzing violent and misogynistic online comments.  Three people are dead after a shooting in Cote des Neiges yesterday, including a 34-year old police officer and a civilian. The gunman, whose identity has not been released, has been killed as well, according to police. In the immediate aftermath, rumours were FLYING online, a lot of them unsubstantiated. The Québec Court has granted an appeal of the housing tribunal decision that declared no-pet clauses in leases violate renters’ charter rights. The Parti Quebecois released the entirety of its blue sovereignty book yesterday. Tennis Canada is planning to build a new stadium with a retractable roof in Montreal, as part of a major upgrade to its facilities at Jarry Park. 

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.

Elias Makos caps the week off with Trudie Mason, veteran newscaster at CJAD 800Dan Delmar, Co-founder of the content marketing firm TNKR Media and co-host of the podcast Inspiring Entrepreneurs Canada. Prepare to see homeless encampments on camera when the city of Montreal hosts the UCI Road Cycling World Championships in September. A new poll from Leger shows that 90 percent of Quebecers are in favor of having police officers wear body cameras.  Laval police say they're seeing a troubling rise in Facebook Marketplace robberies tied to high-value collectibles and electronics, particularly Pokémon cards and Apple MacBooks.  The Quebec Liberal Party will not be moving forward with its threat to sue Parti Québecois Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon…for now. 

Elias Makos is joined by Caroline Codsi, Founder & Chief Equity Officer, Women in Governance, and Lea Streliski, Best-selling author, comedian and columnist. The Quebec Liberal Party unveiled a big name yesterday in their list of candidates for the provincial election. Antoine Dionne Charest, the son of former Premier Jean Charest, will be running in the riding of Verdun for the party in the fall. The joint House of Commons and Senate committee studying medical assistance in dying is recommending the federal government to indefinitely exclude people with mental illness from becoming eligible to use MAID.  Despite the city’s best efforts to have us recycle or compost, we just are not listening. A recent survey by Flight Centre Canada says that 93% of Canadians who are familiar with overtourism are adjusting their plans for the summer of 2026.

Joining Elias on The Big 5 were Montreal journalist and broadcaster Sue Smith 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. Among the topics discussed were A new Leger poll this morning sees the Parti Quebecois slightly increase its lead over the Quebec A new Leger poll this morning sees the Parti Quebecois slightly increase its lead over the Quebec Liberal Party Thank god foreign media exists, otherwise how would we ever find out what Prime Minister Mark Carney thinks about major issues. The PM took to CNN to tell Kaitlan Collins the conflict is “worth it” if it means Iran does not have a nuclear weapon After 75 years of Hockey Night in Canada on CBC every Saturday night, the program will not return next season  

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 Daniel Tran, Director of Communication and governmental relations at Casacom. Still lots of reaction coming in from our interview with Premier Christine Frechette yesterday. A new poll from Pallas Data for QC125 and L’actualité shows the provincial election is trending towards a three horse race.  Protesters took to the streets in Montreal-North yesterday evening to say “enough is enough” amid allegations that a group of police officers were implicated in racist and discriminatory behaviour targeting Black and Arab residents.  Distrust of news in the francophone population is at an all-time high in the country. 

On this Monday edition of the BIG 5, Elias was joined by Jimmy Zoubris, Montreal businessman, longtime activist and former special advisor to Valerie Plante and Raphaël Melançon, political analyst for CTV Montreal and CJAD 800, and columnist for the Montreal Gazette. You just heard our interview with the premier. What is your main takeaway from it? A war of words between the Quebec Liberals and the Parti Québécois is raising the possibility of a court battle. In a dramatic — and disturbing— series of events, the Montreal Police held a surprise Friday press conference in the middle of the night, breaking the news of the SPVM’s most serious claim of racism in the force’s recent history.

In an exclusive English language interview, CJAD 800's Elias Makos is joined by Quebec Premier, Christine Fréchette. The Premier discusses a potential English language debate ahead of an election, the CAQ's relationship with Quebec's English community, migrating the province's health care system to a digital era, the word 'nosh' being in the crosshairs of the OQLF, recent reports of discriminatory and racist acts in the SPVM and more. You can also watch the full interview here.

Trudie Mason ends the week with Raphaël Melançon, political analyst for CTV Montreal and CJAD 800, and columnist for the Montreal Gazette, and Lionel Perez, Former city councilor and former leader of the Official Opposition at Montreal City Hall. Opposition at the National Assembly are accusing Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette of going on a “witch hunt” in order to silence government sources.  Today is the final day of the parliamentary session at the National Assembly and the CAQ will be trying to pass as many bills as possible. Turns out it takes 1000 hours of training before someone should be allowed to use a chainsaw. That is according to new guidelines inside Bill 101 that were imposed this week.  Canada’s former chief of defence staff is warning the population that booing the U.S national anthem during hockey games could burn bridges between the two countries. Today is the second edition of "I buy a Quebec product" day.

Trudie Mason welcomes in Dan Delmar, Co-founder of the content marketing firm TNKR Media and co-host of the podcast Inspiring Entrepreneurs Canada, and Caroline Codsi, Founder & Chief Equity Officer, Women in Governance. U.S President Donald Trump says he does not want to renew the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement. The OQLF is asking a pair of restaurant owners to remove the words “nosh” and "nachos". The city of Montreal is replacing its general manager, but not without giving him a hefty amount of money on his way out.  Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem says that based on the data he’s seen to date, Canada’s economy is weak, but “it is not clearly in recession.” 

Trudie Mason is joined by Jonathan Kalles, Senior Vice President at Vantage, a Government Relations and Strategic Communications Firm, and former advisor to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and Meeker Guerrier, Commentator at Noovo and RDS. New provincial polling this morning from Synopsis and Lapresse show the Quebec Liberal Party falling while the CAQ tries to make a comeback. The energy drinks ban saga continued yesterday at the National Assembly after two independent MNA’s have voiced their plan to block the fast tracking of the bill until certain criteria is met. Former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is back in the news this morning and not for the reasons that you think. He is under fire for a photo he took with his current girlfriend, pop superstar Katy Perry.  Ontario Premier Doug Ford finished his tour of Washington D.C yesterday.

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 Political analyst Karim Boulos. The federal government is set to table a bill banning social media for those under the age of 16.  A new survey commissioned by the Brotherhood of Montreal Police Officers shows 70 percent of respondents want a municipal bylaw against verbal insults against peace officers. The Parti Quebecois is promising to remove Quebec from the federal government's High Speed Rail project if elected.

Trudie Mason starts the week off with Jimmy Zoubris, Montreal businessman, longtime activist and former special advisor to Valerie Plante, and Andrew Caddell, columnist for the Hill Times and President of the Task Force on Linguistic policy. The Quebec Liberal Party held its final general council meeting this weekend before the fall elections.  Hundreds of weapons have been seized by police in Quebec schools in recent years.  Former Supreme Court justice Louise Arbour is set to become Canada’s 31st governor general this morning.

Elias Makos 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 Paul Gott, Lead singer and guitarist for Montreal Punk Rock band the Ripcordz and a journalism professor at Concordia. The government wants to fast-track a bill that would ban energy drinks for people under the age of 16. There is just one problem. The Quebec Conservative party is planning to block it. The commissioner of Major League Soccer was in town yesterday, making a push for the Quebec government to finish what they started and fully renovate the interior of Olympic Stadium. After a photo of an STM map on the 747 bus that spelled Bishop Street as “BEESHOP,” the chairman of the STM says the signs will soon be fixed.  Is it the beginning of a violent summer in Montreal? Three men were killed in less than two days in Montreal and Laval.

Elias Makos is joined by Caroline Codsi, Founder & Chief Equity Officer, Women in Governance, and Justine McIntyre, Co-Founder of  Civica Strategies and former city councillor. Under the headline ‘‘He yells: Mark Carney’s focus has Liberal MPs bristling,” Althia Raj tells readers of the most Liberal-leaning paper in the nation that the Prime Minister is not a nice man. Quebec's proposed constitution is turning into a political food fight at the National Assembly. A Tunisian man has been given a conditional discharge and three years probation for violently assaulting a woman. Loto-Québec will soon allow customers to purchase lottery tickets directly through the interface of self-service checkouts. 

Sue Smith is a Montreal journalist and broadcaster, and Raphaël Melançon, political analyst for CTV Montreal and CJAD 800, and columnist for the Montreal Gazette. The Liberals under Prime Minister Mark Carney have hit a milestone not seen in more than 20 years. A new Postmedia-Leger poll puts Liberal support at 50 per cent among decided voters — a level of backing no governing federal party has reached in decades. Premier Christine Fréchette has a busy day in front of her today. This morning she is meeting with the U.S. ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra. In response to the provincial government's recent announcement to ditch the QST on certain grocery products, Restaurants Canada is offering a bold idea. The organization wants the government to remove taxes from the bill of customers who sit down in dining rooms or take out an order. For years, police departments in Montreal and across Canada worked to reassure immigrants that contact with police wouldn't automatically put their immigration status under scrutiny. But new data suggests that may be changing.

Elias Makos is joined by Political analyst Karim Boulos, and Victor Henriquez, Public affairs and crisis management specialist at Public Strategy and Conseil. Premier Christine Fréchette is signalling a softer approach after years of tension between the CAQ government and English-speaking Quebecers. A directive from the French Language Ministry is raising eyebrows in the municipal world. Since Monday, municipal employees have to check that a company is complying with Bill 101 before any purchase. Prime Minister Mark Carney is condemning what he describes as a rise in antisemitism and hate in Canada. Nine out of ten Canadians say our health system needs to change. 

Elias Makos kicks the week off with Jimmy Zoubris, Montreal businessman, longtime activist and former special advisor to Valerie Plante, and Gabriel Retta, special advisor to the mayor. Religious event organizers say the city’s application of Quebec secularism law is confusing.  A racist rally in Shawinigan over the weekend is drawing widespread condemnation across political class. Despite tougher rules, illegal Airbnb networks have taken over new housing towers in downtown Montreal. It’s been 20 years since smoking was banned from bars and restaurants. Seems like the city has forgotten how to spell its own proper street names. Riders on the STM’s 747 bus now have maps that indicate the Bishop street stop, but it’s spelled BEESHOP. And over in NDG, construction signs indicate the detour for Prince of Wales Avenue, but it’s spelled WHALES. What’s going on here?

Elias Makos is joined by Meeker Guerrier, Commentator at Noovo and RDS, and Dan Delmar, Co-founder of the content marketing firm TNKR Media and co-host of the podcast Inspiring Entrepreneurs Canada. The three discuss these topics: Tributes keep pouring in for Former Montreal Canadiens star and Stanley Cup Champion Claude Lemieux It's now or never tonight for the Montreal Canadiens in game five Prime Minister Mark Carney spoke to the Economic Club of New York yesterday and decided to draw inspiration from U.S President Donald Trump The CAQ says the rights of English speaking people will be respected even after the expansion of Bill 101 to adult education and vocational training

Elias Makos is joined by Lea Streliski, Best-selling author, comedian and columnist, and Paul Gott, Lead singer and guitarist for Montreal Punk Rock band the Ripcordz and a journalism professor at Concordia. They dicussed the following:  Habs lose 4-0. Are we toast? Talk of the looming Alberta referendum has everyone on a separatist or federalist hunt in Quebec City Prime Minister Mark Carney says a 50 percent plus one vote to separate would not be enough for Quebec to leave Canada The French language commissioner says the Quebec government’s websites have too much English

Elias Makos is joined by Justine McIntyre, Co-Founder of Civica Strategies and former city councillor, and Trudie Mason, veteran newscaster at CJAD 800. The three discussed these topics: CTV News has learned that former environment and climate change minister Steven Guilbeault will resign as an MP today Prime Minister Mark Carney says a 50 percent plus one vote to separate would not be enough for Quebec to leave Canada Montreal police are investigating after pro-Palestinian protesters staged a controversial demonstration over the weekend  

Elias Makos is joined by Raphaël Melançon, political analyst for CTV Montreal and CJAD 800, and columnist for the Montreal Gazette, and Sue Smith is a Montreal journalist and broadcaster.  The Habs lost game three of their series against the Carolina Hurricanes last night, 3-2 in overtime. Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette announced new tax relief measures yesterday.  Quebec Liberal Party leader Charles Milliard says the province needs to take some inspiration from Doug Ford.  Shopkeepers are furious that St-Denis Street won’t be pedestrianized this summer. Prime Minister Mark Carney is calling Alberta’s separation push “a dangerous bluff.” A desperate Montrealer’s question on a popular web forum after waiting 16 hours in an ER with a blood clot: “What’s the longest people have waited in the emergency room in Montreal before seeing a doctor?”

Elias Makos kicks the week off with Jimmy Zoubris, Montreal businessman, longtime activist and former special advisor to Valerie Plante, and Graham Singh, CEO of Releven. Tim Hortons says it will scale back its use of the Temporary Foreign Worker program and instead hire up to 10,000 local workers as it plans a major expansion of restaurants across Canada this year.  Premier Christine Fréchette is expected to announce a tax cut on several grocery products today.  Radio-Canada somehow obtained an email sent by Finance Minister Eric Girard to Christine Frechette on Saturday May 2nd. In it, Girard says he is concerned about the number of announcements made by the government since Frechette won the CAQ leadership race. U.S. Ambassador Pete Hoekstra says Canada must accept that U.S. tariffs are part of the new reality. The NHL is facing backlash in Gatineau after shutting down plans for a massive Montreal Canadiens playoff watch party.

Sue Smith is joined by Bonnie Feigenbaum, Conservative Party of Quebec candidate in last provincial election and a lecturer at Concordia & McGill University, media & government relations consultant, and Andrew Caddell, columnist for the Hill Times and President of the Task Force on Linguistic policy. After backing off on the Go Habs Go! message from the buses at the STM, the Office québécois de la langue française has decided to republish a short guide to encourage the Montreal Canadiens in the playoffs. Albertans will vote on whether the province should remain a part of Canada when they head to the polls this fall. A group of sex workers in Montreal are calling for a general strike during the Grand Prix weekend to demand better working conditions.  Loto-Québec is in the middle of a legal battle over a scratch card worth $3 million between.

Elias Makos is joined by Caroline Codsi, Founder & Chief Equity Officer, Women in Governance, and Political analyst Karim Boulos. A few days after Liberal leader Charles Milliard made a point of denouncing the homophobic comments he receives online, another gay party leader in the province is chiming in. Eric Duhaime, leader of the Conservatives, says highlighting that kind of content only feeds the online trolls. Despite a bylaw making short term Airbnb’s illegal before June 10th, many international tourists have been able to find them across the city for this weekend’s F1 Grand Prix. As the school year comes to an end, there are more and more indications that the ban on cell phones is having a major – and positive – effect on Quebec students. W5 reveals that airport employees with alleged links to organized crime, drug trafficking and violence received security clearance.

Elias Makos is joined by Daniel Tran, Director of Communication and governmental relations at Casacom, and Victor Henriquez, Public affairs and crisis management specialist at Public Strategy and Conseil. The Fréchette effect is working for the CAQ. A new Léger poll for Journal de Montreal this morning reveals a 5-point jump for the CAQ since April 21st. More Quebeckers are turning to cheap Chinese ecommerce platforms.  W5 has found at least 17 innocent passengers on flights originating in Canada were detained on drug smuggling allegations over the past year after their baggage tags were switched onto suitcases filled with drugs. The Quebec government is set to table new legislation to better protect consumers when purchasing tickets on resale sites. 

Elias Makos welcomes back Jimmy Zoubris, Montreal businessman, longtime activist and former special advisor to Valerie Plante, and Justine McIntyre, Co-Founder of  Civica Strategies and former city councillor. The Montreal Canadiens are off to the Eastern Conference Finals after winning game 7 in overtime last night against the Buffalo Sabres. Following the overtime stunner, we had some light, riot-adjacent, fan activity in downtown Montreal. A long form piece over the weekend in the Montreal Gazette gives us an updated picture of what is happening in the neighbourhood of Milton Park.  A petition initiated by a Liberal MP is demanding for federally regulated employees to work remotely three days a week. La Presse has a three-part series on how much CEOs in Quebec make.

Elias Makos is joined by Dan Delmar, Co-founder of the content marketing firm TNKR Media and co-host of the podcast Inspiring Entrepreneurs Canada and Tasha Kheiriddin, a writer and commentator for the National Post, GZero Media, and Substack on The Big 5. More and more tech companies, business leaders and political commentators are ringing alarm bells over the Federal government’s Bill C-22. Prime Minister Mark Carney had a busy week on the energy front. The backlash against AI has arrived. From internet comments to graduation ceremonies, people are pushing back on Artificial Intelligence's seemingly overnight integration into every part of society.

Elias Makos caps the week off with Raphaël Melançon, political analyst for CTV Montreal and CJAD 800, and columnist for the Montreal Gazette, and Lea Streliski, Best-selling author, comedian and columnist.  Hey, what exactly do you guys call this long weekend and the holiday on Monday anyways? The Montreal Canadiens are one win away from making the Eastern Conference Finals. Do you believe this series is over or will we be talking about a crucial game 7 on Monday? According to Québec solidaire, over three-quarters of Quebecers support their proposal to tax the ultra-rich Police in Sherbrooke are asking residents to not give money to people begging for it on the side of the road. More and more tech companies, business leaders and political commentators are ringing alarm bells over the Federal government’s Bill C-22.

On this edition of the BIG 5, Elias is joined by Caroline Codsi, Founder & Chief Equity Officer at Women in Governance and Paul Gott, Lead singer and guitarist for Montreal Punk Rock band the Ripcordz and a journalism professor at Concordia. TVA reports that the Portuguese community in Montreal was refused a permit from the Plateau-Mont-Royal borough to hold its traditional march in the streets this Sunday. The march coincides with the Santo Cristo religious festival. A new bill introduced in Quebec seeks to strengthen protections for women facing domestic violence by allowing access to a partner’s history of abuse. Moved by the death of Gabie Renaud, the proposed legislation comes as concerns over femicide and intimate partner violence continue to grow across the province. Thanks to his son, a man in his 60s from the Quebec City area won the ‘Winner for Life’ jackpot on the Loto-Quebec scratch ticket. Christian Hébert is set to receive $1,000 per week for life. The man asked his son to go to the convenience store to pick up a few things, including a lottery ticket.

On this supersized edition of the BIG 5, Elias is joined by Justine McIntyre, Co-Founder of Civica Strategies and former city councillor and Meeker Guerrier, Commentator at Noovo and RDS, Two new polls are out this morning and they show a similar picture. They both have the PQ and Quebec Liberal Party virtually tied in first place but the CAQ is catching up.  Ok this one is a curious one. The leader of the Parti Québécois says he has no hard proof, but plenty of historical reasons to believe Ottawa may still be spying on Quebec’s separatist movement. Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois’s white paper on education – and its particular focus on how boys are falling behind girls – is getting some renewed attention, this time on the national level. Dunkin' Donuts is coming back to Canada.

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 Jonathan Kalles, Vice President at McMillan Vantage, a national public affairs firm, and former advisor to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The deadline for filling out the census is today. Have you completed your civic duty? The mayor of Montreal is giving herself one year to acquire new, reliable equipment that can carry out automated pothole filling. The city of Montreal has adopted its new protocol to manage homeless encampments. It appears the Quebec Liberals will have no problem attracting “star” candidates to their roster.  According to Statistics Canada, 46 percent of Canadians say they are satisfied with their quality of life.

Elias starts off the week with Jimmy Zoubris, Montreal businessman, longtime activist and former special advisor to Valerie Plante and Montreal journalist and broadcaster Sue Smith. Ruba Ghazal says Québec solidaire's new platform is "ambitious and credible. First, they would create a Quebecois Costco, a food wholesaler focused on local products and aimed at competing with the large grocery chains. They also propose a tougher stance and stricter rules on “abusive landlords”, and property owners who break housing laws, including reno-victions and property flipping. A beloved Verdun café is closing after being slapped by what they say was a 60% rent hike. Station W has been a mainstay on Wellington Street for 13 years. In a statement to the Montreal Gazette, the building’s owners refute claims of a 60% increase, but news of the closure and any talk of massive rent hikes have led to renewed calls for regulations on commercial leases. It appears the Quebec Liberals will have no problem attracting “star” candidates to their roster. Multiple reports now say that Michel Leblanc, the former head of the Montreal Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, will make his return to the public spotlight under Charles Milliard’s banner. David Bowles, who headed Quebec's largest group of private schools for eight years is also on the list. So is Pierre Cossette, a professor and doctor and former rector of the Université de Sherbrooke.

Elias Makos caps the week off with Trudie Mason, veteran newscaster at CJAD 800, and Andrew Caddell, columnist for the Hill Times and President of the Task Force on Linguistic policy. Game two between the Montreal Canadiens and the Buffalo Sabres is tonight. Montreal lost game one of the best of seven series on Wednesday. Do you think the team will bounce back tonight?  Ethics Commissioner Ariane Mignolet has found that former liberal MP Sona Lahkoyan Olivier violated two sections of the National Assembly's code of ethics.  Independent MNA Youri Chassin blocked a fast-tracked plan to redraw Quebec’s electoral map. The proposal would have saved ridings in the Gaspé and Montreal’s east end from disappearing, while adding two new seats in faster-growing regions — increasing the number of MNAs from 125 to 127. Santé Quebec has sent a list of banned words and phrases that doctors cannot say to their patients about the digital health record project. Alberta separatists have submitted their referendum petition that would ask Albertans if the province should leave Canada. President Donald Trump says he works out ‘one minute a day.’

Elias Makos welcomes back political analyst Karim Boulos, and Dan Delmar, Co-founder of the content marketing firm TNKR Media and co-host of the podcast Inspiring Entrepreneurs Canada.  The CAQ government has tabled legislation to renew the notwithstanding clause protecting Bill 96 until 2031, and French Language Minister Jean‑François Roberge is using the moment to launch a full-scale attack on the Quebec Liberals. The battle to secure the headquarters of the future Defence, Security and Resilience Bank is already shaping up to be a tough one between Montreal and Toronto, two of the four Canadian cities vying for the prize. And Toronto is already playing the Referendum card. An elementary school in the Lanaudière region has decided to set up its own version of fight club. A Montreal Police officer who also moonlights as a real estate broker has received a 5-month suspension and a $30,000 fine.

Elias Makos is joined by Caroline Codsi, Founder & Chief Equity Officer, Women in Governance, 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. The Montreal Canadiens begin their second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs tonight against the Buffalo Sabres. Nearly 370 thousand people left the emergency room without seeing a doctor last year in the province. Telus is using artificial intelligence to disguise the voice of its customer service agents. The federal government says it is ready to draft legislation to pause the expansion of medical assistance in dying to people whose sole condition is mental illness.

Elias Makos is joined by Justine McIntyre, Co-Founder of  Civica Strategies and former city councillor, and Raphaël Melançon, political analyst for CTV Montreal and CJAD 800, and columnist for the Montreal Gazette. Reports indicate that Prime Minister Mark Carney will announce today who will be replacing Mary Simon as the new governor general.. Le Devoir is reporting that it will be former Supreme Court judge Louise Arbour.  Premier Christine Fréchette is going big with her first bill that will be tabled at the National Assembly.  We had Eric Duhaime on our show Friday, as he tried to explain why his Quebec Conservative Party has flip-flopped on the issue of Bill 96. Inspired by New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani, Québec solidaire is floating a headline-grabbing idea: a network of non-profit grocery stores. Despite the highest level of recruiting in the last three decades, a higher number of military recruits are failing to pass the basic military training.

Elias Makos kicks the week off with Meeker Guerrier, Commentator at Noovo and RDS, and Paul Gott, Lead singer and guitarist for Montreal Punk Rock band the Ripcordz and a journalism professor at Concordia. The streets were filled with excitement and joy last night as the Montreal Canadiens beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 in game 7 of the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. Eric Duhaime has reversed course on Bill 96 as he tries to attract disaffected CAQ voters. In a nutshell - Duhaime pointed the finger at Anglos, saying that despite his previous position, it did not translate into support. During an International Workers' Day demonstration that drew thousands of people to Montreal on Saturday, activists staged a mock guillotine execution of Labour Minister Jean Boulet.  The activist collective "Robins des ruelles" were back at it again this weekend as they stole from various stores in Montreal and Quebec City. 

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 Victor Henriquez, Public affairs and crisis management specialist at Public Strategy and Conseil. It will be absolute bedlam in Montreal tonight as the Canadiens and Tampa Bay Lightning play game six of their Stanley Cup Playoff series. The Mayor of Montreal, Sorraya Martinez Ferrada, urged residents and merchants to sweep litter in front of their homes and businesses to accelerate the city's lagging spring cleanup. Starting today, refugees entering Canada will have to pay $4 for every prescription and 30 per cent of the cost of supplemental health products and services.  The debate over expanding assisted dying in Canada is heating up—and now it’s drawing in the country’s top Catholic leader. Toronto’s Archbishop is urging Prime Minister Mark Carney to “choose life, not death." Quebec’s minimum wage is now $16.60 an hour. Is that enough? 

Joining us on The Big Five: Caroline Codsi, Founder & Chief Equity Officer, Women in Governance, and Sue Smith is a Montreal journalist and broadcaster. The topics of the day include the "price of dignity" in Quebec and how much money families need to live comfortably, plus the federal government is opening the door to a major shakeup on how airports are run.

Joining Elias on The Big 5 were Jonathan Kalles, Vice President at McMillan Vantage, a national public affairs firm, and former advisor to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and Raphaël Melançon, political analyst for CTV Montreal and CJAD 800, and columnist for the Montreal Gazette. Among the topics discussed were If you were hoping for major changes or a bold vision in yesterday’s spring economic update… you were left disappointed A second Quebec furniture manufacturing is closing down and laying off dozens of workers in the span of 24 hours. According to Unifor, Bestar, which has a plant in Lac-Mégantic, Que., is shutting down, leaving 120 workers without a job One Quebecer has seen a family doctor 362 times in 2024.  The think tank SecondStreet.org also revealed that over 11 thousand people had over 50 appointments with a family doctor An independent bookstore in Quebec City is facing threats of boycott for hosting the launch of Éric Duhaime's latest book last week

Elias Makos is once again joined by Justine McIntyre, Co-Founder of  Civica Strategies and former city councillor, and Denis Coderre, former mayor of Montreal. A young Montreal entrepreneur has decided to take matters into his own hands to repair potholes across the city. Prime Minister Mark Carney unveiled the Canada Strong fund yesterday, what he’s billing as the country’s first sovereign wealth fund. A man currently on parole for various frauds, theft and possession of forged documents, has been arrested for having defrauded 17 more victims while on parole.

Elias Makos kicks the week off with Jimmy Zoubris, Montreal businessman, longtime activist and former special advisor to Valerie Plante, and Dan Delmar, Co-founder of the content marketing firm TNKR Media and co-host of the podcast Inspiring Entrepreneurs Canada. There was another assassination attempt on President Donald Trump’s life over the weekend.  The attempt on the President’s life is not changing the plans of Quebec Premier Christine Frechette, who will be in Washington D.C., to start off the week. It’s been almost a year since Quebec implemented new rules about tipping in Quebec via Bill 72. A Federal Court justice has accepted at the 11th hour to push the deportation of the driver who was responsible for the fatal Humboldt Broncos bus crash in 2018.

Elias Makos welcomes in Beryl Wajsman, president of the Institute for Public Affairs of Montreal, and Trudie Mason, veteran newscaster at CJAD 800. It was Eric Duhaime’s turn yesterday to reverse course on his stance on Bill 96. Duhaime told reporters yesterday that he would amend the Bill and continue to make use of the notwithstanding clause. The current state (or lack of state) of trade talks between Canada and the U.S. is becoming a bigger story every day as we approach key dates this summer. Prime Minister Mark Carney voiced his irritation to reporters on Thursday, pushing back on the nation that provincial booze bans were hurting negotiations. 

Elias Makos is joined by Justine McIntyre, Co-Founder of  Civica Strategies and former city councillor, and Sue Smith is a Montreal journalist and broadcaster. Ottawa is accusing PQ leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon of spreading "conspiracy theories.” This after clips of Plamondon speaking at a town hall organized by CIJA – The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs – are gaining traction online. Québec Solidaire parliamentary leader Ruba Ghazal is demanding the Fréchette government to adopt a law to help prevent femicides and to increase the budget of shelters for women victims of domestic violence. Economist Pierre-Carl Michaud is ruffling feathers with a piece in L'actualité on some of the most sacred savings vehicles in Canada: the RRSP and the TFSA. He argues there’s no proof that these vehicles actually increase savings. The U.K has passed a bill that would ban children born after January 1st 2009, from buying cigarettes during their lifetime.