The Big Five Podcast

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.

Elias Makos is joined by Graham Singh, CEO of Releven, and Political analyst Karim Boulos. After being confronted by a poll that showed him winning a majority government – but only if he ditched his promise of a referendum – Paul St-Pierre Plamondon is sticking to his convictions. Premier Christine Fréchette unveiled her cabinet yesterday. The cabinet has 29 ministers in total, 12 women and 17 men. Many who were in the last cabinet shuffle have kept their roles including Justice Minister Simon Jolin Barrette and Finance Minister Eric Girard. Turns out all Quebec needs to lower the ER occupancy in the province is the Habs making the playoffs.

Elias Makos is joined by Raphaël Melançon, political analyst for CTV Montreal and CJAD 800, columnist for the Montreal Gazette, and president and founder of Trafalgar Strategies, and Denis Coderre, former mayor of Montreal. The Parti Québécois would steamroll its way to a majority government – if they drop the pledge to hold a referendum. A new Leger poll for Journal de Montréal says the party would get 39% of the vote in that scenario. Christine Fréchette will reveal her cabinet today. On Tout le Monde en parle Sunday, the new premier said that her cabinet will be a mix of change and continuity. Canada Post posted a staggering $1.57 billion loss before tax in 2025 — its worst ever — with losses jumping nearly 87 per cent in just one year. The number of aggressive dogs has increased by 41 percent since 2021.

Elias Makos welcomes in Jimmy Zoubris, Montreal businessman, longtime activist and former special advisor to Valerie Plante, and Paul Gott, Lead singer and guitarist for Montreal Punk Rock band the Ripcordz and a journalism professor at Concordia. Quebec Liberal leader Charles Milliard has clarified his clarifications of his first clarification of his position on Bill 96. In a tweet this morning, Milliard says… a lot. He reaffirms his nationalist chops, says protecting French is at the heart of his political commitment, and calls French the social and cultural glue of Quebec. Prime Minister Mark Carney says Canada’s ties with the United States has now become a weakness. Carney released a pre-recorded address to Canadians yesterday where he mentioned the world has become more “dangerous and divided.” Buyers of a residence in Hudson are claiming $475,000 from the former occupants after they learned after moving in that an intruder died in a break-in gone wrong.

Elias Makos is joined by Quebec Liberal Party Leader Charles Milliard, 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 Lea Streliski, Best-selling author, comedian and columnist. Reaction to our interview with Charles Milliard, and his stance on the use of the notwithstanding clause? His position on Bill 96 caused him a lot of grief yesterday, with the Gazette reporting that “Milliard was forced to call a special crisis meeting” to manage his MNAs surprised by the new position. A new poll by the Montreal Economic Institute shows that 56 percent of Canadians want greater access to private healthcare. In an open letter in Le Devoir, PQ leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon invokes the words of former Quebec Premier Honoré Mercier and calls on nationalists in the province to stop tearing each other apart and come together. Before passing away in April of last year, actor Val Kilmer of Top Gun fame was supposed to take on a new role in the upcoming movie called “As Deep as the Grave”. After his death, the director of the movie did not want to change who played Kilmer’s role and has decided to rely on AI to keep him in the movie.

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 Caroline Codsi, Founder & Chief Equity Officer, Women in Governance. According to the latest poll by Pallas Data, the Liberals have gained 5 percentage points and now lead with 32 percent. Montreal says it wants more housing — and fast. But in the Old Port, a major project is now back to square one after running straight into local opposition. Canada’s Culture Minister Marc Miller said Wednesday that he was "very seriously" considering a ban on young people from using social media. In response to Quebec's new policy forcing public servants back to the office 3 days a week, over 650 public servants have decided to work less hours.

Elias Makos is joined by Andrew Caddell, columnist for the Hill Times and President of the Task Force on Linguistic policy, and Sue Smith is a Montreal journalist and broadcaster. Christine Frechette will be sworn in as Premier of Quebec today. Eric Duhaime has a message for Quebec’s new premier: Cut taxes. The Quebec Liberal Party has turned to a TikTok star in hopes of gaining a seat at the national assembly. There’s a piece in the Globe and Mail that is getting resoundingly mocked online. Titled “Reluctant to ‘rough it,’ retirees are trimming travel costs in other ways,” the article tells the story of retirees that are struggling with the higher costs of travel. The city of Montreal is about to host its largest sporting event since the 1976 Olympics when the road cycling championships come to town in September.

Elias Makos is joined by Lionel Perez, Former city councilor and former leader of the Official Opposition at Montreal City Hall, and Justine McIntyre, Co-Founder of Civica Strategies and former city councillor. A Liberal majority was officially confirmed last night. The Carney government got a clean sweep in the three by-elections. Should young Canadians, thinking about heading south for better pay and bigger opportunities, write Ottawa a cheque for half a million dollars on their way out? Christine Frechette held her first press conference as Premier designate yesterday, looking for unity in a party that might be showing signs of cracking. The cumulative deficit for road maintenance now stands at $24.5 billion. So how can we fix it? Are you paying more than the person standing next to you… for the exact same product — and you don’t even know it? That’s the concern behind a new push from Avi Lewis and the NDP, who want Ottawa to crack down on what’s known as “surveillance pricing”.

Elias Makos welcomes in Denis Coderre, former mayor of Montreal, and Jimmy Zoubris, Montreal businessman, longtime activist and former special advisor to Valerie Plante. The results are in and the next premier of Quebec is… Christine Fréchette. Fréchette won the CAQ leadership race against Bernard Draiville yesterday with 57.9% percent of the vote. We have three federal byelections today, the most interesting one being the rematch in Terrebonne. The U.S military will set up a blockade this morning of all Iranian ports and coastal areas on the Arabian Gulf (Persian Gulf) and Gulf of Oman. A Quebec judge is warning of a “two-tier” justice system in Montreal, alleging prosecutors often seek lighter sentences for offenders at risk of deportation. The Montreal Canadiens won again last night and another milestone was achieved by one of their players.

Elias Makos ends 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 Anthony Koch, Former National Spokesperson for Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre and current managing principal at AK Strategies. Big weekend for the Federal Liberals as they’ve assembled in Montreal. The party is in a celebratory mood, welcoming another floor crosser with rumours of more to come. Big weekend for the CAQ as they will select their new leader - but not before they play a 45-minute video montage honouring François Legault. Up for the top job, Bernard Drainville and Christine Frechette. Who should the party pick and why? The new leader of the NDP wants to cut grocery prices by anywhere between 30 and 40 percent at a cost to the federal government. Paul St-Pierre Plamondon gave an interview to Rebel News. The Quebec media class is not happy about it. A self-driving car in Austin, Texas has hit and killed a mother duck, sparking neighborhood outrage.

Elias Makos is joined by Justine McIntyre, Co-Founder of Civica Strategies and former city councillor, and Paul Gott, Lead singer and guitarist for Montreal Punk Rock band the Ripcordz and a journalism professor at Concordia. Marilyn Gladu is the latest MP to jump to Mark Carney’s squad. MNAs won’t return to the National Assembly until May, giving the CAQ’s new leadership time to get organized. It is official, renters will not be able to lend their units on Airbnb in Montreal during the Formula 1 weekend, at the end of May. About 20 per cent of Gen Z and Millennial Canadians spank their kids. Canada’s Wonderland is tired of teenagers causing havoc inside their amusement park. With Quebec struggling to keep up with the maintenance of its road, one town in the Laurentians is arguing for a return of gravel roads instead of asphalt.

Elias Makos welcomes in Kyle Matthews co-founder and Executive Director of the Montreal Institute for Global Security, Daniel Tran, Director of Communication and governmental relations at Casacom, and Akil Alleyne, Reporter and commentator with extensive experience analyzing legal, political, and social issues and Manager of the GemStar Circle of Excellence Scholarship Program. Iran, the United States and Israel agreed to a two-week ceasefire in an eleventh-hour deal that gave U.S. President Donald Trump room to step back from threats of a sweeping bombing campaign against Iran. Francois Legault says he was not lying when he said he wanted to try and run again before ultimately resigning as Premier of Quebec. Québec Solidaire MNA Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois says the province’s three-tier school system is partly responsible for the difficulties encountered by boys. One of the leading A.I. companies right now, Anthropic, says it has built a model so powerful it won’t release it to the public.

Elias Makos is joined by Andrew Caddell, columnist for the Hill Times and President of the Task Force on Linguistic policy, and Raphaël Melançon, political analyst for CTV Montreal and CJAD 800, columnist for the Montreal Gazette, and president and founder of Trafalgar Strategies. The Artemis II crew set records yesterday afternoon and evening. Does this mission have your interest? Are you in favour of space travel? Voting opens at 10 am this morning for members of the CAQ to elect their new leader and thus the new Premier of Quebec. But just a day before the opening of the vote, major news broke out of the Drainville camp. Drainville received support from Justice Minister Simon-Jolin Barrette, Health Minister Sonia Bélanger and Transport Minister Jonatan Julien. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is striking a softer tone as his party launches a new advertising campaign aimed at affordability and national sovereignty. More and more towns across Quebec are monitoring how residents live their lives, using water meters and incentive-based garbage programs to influence habits and make those who use the most pay more. We are just over two months away from the FIFA World Cup. Montreal will not host any matches but a new investigative report by Radio-Canada's investigative program Enquête reveals we may have dodged a bullet. The American middle class is shrinking. According to research from the American Enterprise Institute, more households are actually moving up. About 31% of U.S. households now qualify as upper middle class — roughly triple the share in 1979 — making it the largest economic group in the country.

Elias Makos is joined by Meeker Guerrier, commentator at Noovo and RDS and Jimmy Zoubris, Montreal businessman, longtime activist and former special advisor to Valerie Plante on The Big 5. Despite last night’s loss to the New Jersey Devils, it is a great time to be a Montreal Canadiens fan right now. Over the past five years, the number of people in Quebec who say that the main cause of their financial problems was gambling addiction has increased by 45%. The Liberal government is pushing back on criticism of its $90-billion ALTO high-speed rail projec

Joining Elias on The Big 5 today were Sue Smith, Montreal journalist and broadcaster & Daniel Tran, Director of Communication and governmental relations at Casacom. Among the topics discussed on The Big 5 were The Quebec government has unveiled a new tool to track fuel prices across the province. And as gas prices reach those historic levels, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is calling for federal gas taxes to be scrapped for the rest of the year, arguing the tax holiday would bring immediate relief to drivers facing rising fuel prices Add Bloc Québécois leader Yves-François Blanchet to the list of people against the high speed rail project Add Maple syrup to the list of things you can’t trust. Radio-Canada’s Enquête program began investigating the sweet stuff when a journalist opened a can that “seemed off.”

Elias Makos is joined by 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, columnist for the Montreal Gazette, and president and founder of Trafalgar Strategies. Reporters used an unrelated announcement to press the Prime Minister on whether or not China’s treatment of the Uyghur Muslim minority amounted to genocide CAQ leadership candidate Christine Fréchette has sent a clear message to her opponent Bernard Draiville this morning through a Leger poll conducted on behalf of her team. We are heading to the moon today!

Elias Makos is joined by Victor Henriquez, Public affairs and crisis management specialist at Public Strategy and Conseil, and Dan Delmar, Co-founder of the content marketing firm TNKR Media and co-host of the podcast Inspiring Entrepreneurs Canada. Over the weekend, a video went viral showing an interaction between a man and a police officer. The man was pulled over by police for having window tints suspected of being too dark. The video shows him verbally berating a female police officer with the most vile language imaginable. The Quebec Liberal Party and the Parti Quebecois are now tied in the polls. CBC reports on an 85 year old Montrealer is angry with the justice system after her scammer was only sentenced to 18 months of house arrest. If you are planning to go see the Habs at the Bell Centre before the end of the season, get ready to pay a fortune.

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 Jimmy Zoubris, Montreal businessman, longtime activist and former special advisor to Valerie Plante. Air Canada CEO Michael Rousseau will retire by the end of September. The NDP elected a new leader this weekend. Avi Lewis, who won election on the first ballot with 56% of the vote, will now try to bring the NDP back to relevance. Toronto councillors have approved a pilot project for city-run grocery stores. 12 tons of KitKat bars stolen in chocolaty heist in Europe, Nestle says. If you have to steal a shipment of a chocolate bar, which one would you choose?

Elias Makos ends the week that was with Meeker Guerrier, Commentator at Noovo and RDS, and Lea Streliski, Best-selling author, comedian and columnist. Liberal MP Michael Ma has sparked backlash after casting doubt on forced labour of Uyghur Muslims in China The International Olympic Committee says transgender women will no longer be allowed to compete in female Olympic events The Red Sox unveiled a new lobster poutine at Fenway Park in Boston… Served in a cardboard boat, the “poutine” monstrosity will have heaps of lobster meat, clam chowder and crispy bacon

Elias Makos is joined by Trudie Mason, veteran newscaster at CJAD 800, and Caroline Codsi, Founder & Chief Equity Officer, Women in Governance. Air Canada CEO Michael Rousseau has released a statement in English and French this morning apologizing for his English only condolence message to the families and victims of the plane crash at LaGuardia airport. We had Police Chief Fady Dagher on the program yesterday, and the discussion veered to repeat violent and sexual offenders. The work to replace the roof of the Olympic Stadium is halfway complete. A jury in Los Angeles has found tech giants Meta and Google liable for creating platforms ideal for social media addiction.

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 Raphaël Melançon, political analyst for CTV Montreal and CJAD 800, columnist for the Montreal Gazette, and president and founder of Trafalgar Strategies. The CEO of Air Canada has been summoned to explain himself before the Committee on Official Languages. Shoppers buying discounted food at Liquidation Marie are now getting $121 parking tickets The Terrebonne by-election will officially use an adapted ballot method for vote casting due to the large number of candidates It was day two of the hearings on Bill 21 and the use of the notwithstanding clause yesterday at the Supreme Court of Canada

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 Political analyst Karim Boulos. The Legault government wants to lower the criteria needed to send someone with mental health issues to the hospital against their will Tributes are pouring in for the Air Canada pilots killed in a crash with a firetruck on a LaGuardia Airport runway Half a dozen citizens appeared last night at the City of Montreal council meeting to ask Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada to relax the regulations on short-term rentals A new report from Canada’s auditor general says only about four thousand out of a possible 153 thousand cases of fraudulent international student applications were investigated between the start of 2023 and the end of 2024

Elias Makos starts the week off with Anthony Koch, Former National Spokesperson for Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre and current managing principal at AK Strategies, and Jimmy Zoubris, Montreal businessman, longtime activist and former special advisor to Valerie Plante. The Supreme Court of Canada will begin to hear arguments regarding Quebec’s secularism law today Quebec’s housing tribunal has ruled that no-pet clauses in rental housing violate the Quebec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms Ontario is moving to crack down on ticket scalping, with the Ford government proposing a ban on reselling tickets above face value Bad news and analysis keeps coming when it comes to the strength of the Canadian economy. The Hub recently examined how Canada has been doing compared to the rest of the OECD, and the data is striking

Elias Makos caps the week off with Justine McIntyre, Co-Founder of Civica Strategies and former city councillor, and Raphaël Melançon, political analyst for CTV Montreal and CJAD 800, columnist for the Montreal Gazette, and president and founder of Trafalgar Strategies. Canada has its worst ranking ever in the 14-year history of the World Happiness Report The Pierre Poilievre episode of the Joe Rogan Experience was released yesterday Parti Quebecois MNA Alex Boissoneault is accusing a feminist organization of leading an “ideological intimidation” campaign against him One of the biggest publishers in the U.S. has cancelled a book release over allegations that the book was written using A.I.

Elias Makos returns and welcomes in Caroline Codsi, Founder & Chief Equity Officer, Women in Governance, and Victor Henriquez, Public affairs and crisis management specialist at Public Strategy and Conseil. The provincial budget was unveiled yesterday and there is good news. The deficit is down by nearly four billion dollars compared to the last fiscal year For the first time in 30 years, more people have left the province than have entered Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is set to appear on the Joe Rogan podcast this afternoon A Quebec judge has ruled that two men are no longer allowed to donate sperm

Trudie Mason is joined by Andrew Caddell, columnist for the Hill Times and President of the Task Force on Linguistic policy, and Neil Drabkin, a lawyer who served as federal prosecutor and a political commentator who was a chief of staff in the Harper government. It is the final budget before the provincial election this fall but Finance Minister Eric Girard says do not expect anything big The Federal government has decided that it will challenge the ruling calling the use of the Emergencies Act during the freedom convoy protests unlawful The clash continues between the city and its blue collar workers on who is telling the truth and who is lying about the usage of its road-sealing machines to fix potholes A new column in the Journal de Montreal this morning is arguing that the younger people who are working in the province need to go back to the office

Trudie Mason welcomes in Gabriel Retta, special advisor to the mayor of Montreal, Soraya Martinez Ferrada, and Jimmy Zoubris, Montreal businessman, longtime activist and former special advisor to Valerie Plante. After three months of investigation, Quebec’s Anti-Corruption Unit has so far been unable to establish the authenticity of the text messages regarding the "brownies" that led to the resignation of former Liberal leader Pablo Rodriguez. As the price of gas continues to grow, could shale gas exploration return to the province? The City of Montreal is launching a major spring cleaning operation this week. A local cemetery is exploring the idea of nighttime tours

Trudie Mason hosted this morning's Elias Makos Show. Joining Trudie were Jimmy Zoubris, Montreal businessman, longtime activist and former special advisor to Valerie Plante and Meeker Guerrier, Commentator at Noovo and RDS. Among the topics discussed were The Israeli ambassador to Canada Ambassador Iddo Moed calls Canada a global centre of anit-semitism Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre has chosen to endorse the controversial former hockey commentator Don Cherry for his Order of Canada nomination The English Montreal School Board (EMSB) has spent $2.7M of public funds on legal battles challenging Quebec’s controversial language and secularism laws, including Bill 21 (Quebec secularism law) and Bill 96 (Quebec language law)

Elias was joined on The Big 5 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 Paul Gott, lead singer and guitarist for Montreal Punk Rock band the Ripcordz and a journalism professor at Concordia. Among the topics discussed by Neil and Paul were More than 200 thousand homes lost power across the province this morning due to freezing rain. That’s about over 35 thousand in Montreal. The REM is also disrupted between Brossard and Gare Central. IRIS, the progressive Quebec economic think tank, has a suggestion for how to tackle the province’s gaping deficit, and you’ll never guess what their solution is: higher taxes. Global News reports that after Carney visits Norway and London, the Canadian delegation will return home without him. For the First time ever, Canada has made it to the quarter finals of the World Baseball Classic

Elias Makos is joined by Caroline Codsi, Founder & Chief Equity Officer, Women in Governance, and Lea Streliski, Best-selling author, comedian and columnist. Weather experts are saying we should gear up for an ice storm, reminiscent of the one we got back in 2023, that left millions of homes without power We have another floor crosser. Nunavut NDP MP Lori Idlout will cross the floor to join the Liberals Final arguments wrapped up on Tuesday during a hearing for an injunction to stop two Quebec men from donating sperm A worker who developed tendinitis and suffered a ligament tear because she used her cell phone all day to perform her duties is eligible for benefits from the CNESST

Elias Makos is joined by Political analyst Karim Boulos, and Victor Henriquez, Public affairs and crisis management specialist at Public Strategy and Conseil. MP’s took part in a debate yesterday evening in the House of Commons about the U.S-Israel war on Iran but one key person was not present for the debate Canada’s immigration system is facing some tough questions after a tense committee hearing on Parliament Hill At least 35 thousand asylum claims have been accepted without an in-person hearing since 2019 in Canada New York Magazine has conducted an informal survey of New Yorkers, asking them how much they make