The Big Five Podcast

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

Elias Makos kicks 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 Supreme Court of Canada has ruled that Quebec discriminated against female refugee claimants by introducing regulations that denied them access to subsidized daycare spaces A rally was held on Saturday asking the city of Montreal to recognize itself as a sanctuary city for people living in Canada without permanent immigration status The city of Laval is being forced to pay the taxes of its former mayor A video out of Repentigny blew up over the weekend after it showed a security guard at a convenience store being assaulted by teenagers from a local high school

On this Friday edition of the BIG 5, Elias is joined by Justine McIntyre, co-founder at Civica Strategies and former city councilor and Daniel Tran, director of communication and governmental relations at Casacom. Closing in on a week since the war in Iran kicked off, and if you’re struggling to figure out just what Canada’s official position is in this conflict, you are not alone. Speaking of the Middle East, six days after U.S.-Israeli military strikes began, there are still Quebecers and Canadians abroad trying desperately to get home. Chinatown residents are saying enough is enough: "It is time to stop making Chinatown a dumping ground for misery."

Elias Makos was joined by Bonnie Feigenbaum, Conservative Party of Quebec candidate in last provincial election and a lecturer at Concordia & McGill University, media & government relations consultant & Caroline Codsi, Founder & Chief Equity Officer, Women in Governance. Among the topic discussed were Break out the star charts, it's time to determine where Canada stands on the war in Iran New nugget out from that Leger polling conducted for Journal de Montreal, and it should send a message to Quebec finance minister Eric Girard and to the other political parties who want to win the election in October. 61 percent of Quebecers say that the government should cut services if it's the only way to avoid increasing taxes CAQ leadership candidate Bernard Drainville says he would cut certain services to asylum seekers if elected Premier A judge in Hamilton has put Ontario’s official sexual offenders registry in jeopardy after ruling it unconstitutional

Elias Makos is joined by 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. Speaking in Washington on Tuesday, the U.S. administration continued to make their case that allowing Iran to continue their reign of terror was not an option. Mark Carney finally spoke to journalists after avoiding them for almost a week. And he took the opportunity to walk back some of the support he gave to the bombing of Iran on Saturday. The Parti Quebecois are now barely holding on to their lead while the Quebec Liberal Party is cementing their comeback in the polls.

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 Raphaël Melançon, political analyst for CTV Montreal and CJAD 800, columnist for the Montreal Gazette, and president and founder of Trafalgar Strategies. The OQLF will begin a Bonjour-Hi verification blitz in the coming months. War in Iran: Questions remain about how long this military action will last, with Trump telling reporters the mission is ahead of schedule while providing various timelines ranging from two to six weeks. Here at home, there are questions about how Prime Minister Mark Carney is handling the situation. Concessions on Canada's dairy supply management system, one of the main sticking points for Washington,

Elias Makos kicks the week off with Jimmy Zoubris, Montreal businessman, longtime activist and former special advisor to Valerie Plante, and Trudie Mason, veteran newscaster at CJAD 800. U.S. President Donald Trump says operations in Iran could take"four weeks or less," and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says his country's strikes "will increase even more in the coming days." CTV News described the scenes on the streets of Montreal as “pure jubilation” as Iranians living here celebrated the downfall of the Iranian regime. Prime Minister Mark Carney says he supports destroying Iran's nuclear program, but ruled out Canada’s military participation in the Middle East conflict. What should Canada’s stance be here? It has been a busy couple of days for the OQLF as they have been targeting multiple people and businesses over the use, or lack thereof, of French on their social media pages. The CHU de Québec-Université Laval hospital has been under fire since Thursday because of a Facebook post. The message was about HPV screening but added that the screenings were for "all people with a cervix". The words "people with a cervix" were changed to the word "women," by Friday afternoon.

On this Friday edition of the BIG 5, Elias is joined by political analyst Karim Boulos 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. Dozens of Montreal school staff have been let go, suspended or resigned following the province’s expanded secularism bill and religious symbols ban comes into full effect. It’s official: Quebecers have the Chronically Online Disease. The average screen time jumped an extra hour a day compared to last year. Should the Quebec government be doing business with TicketMaster?

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. Quebec’s Finance Minister Eric Girard says just the thought of a referendum is costing the Quebec government $20 million a year. Pierre Poilievre is undergoing a makeover - the Conservative leader has determined that if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em, and will start to miss more and more time in the House of Commons to work on other things like economic speeches and trips. Has anyone seen Immigration Minister Lena Diab lately? She has not been visible as of late and many including her colleagues inside the Federal Liberal party have taken notice. Sweden wants to drastically increase the number of deportations involving convicted immigrants.

Elias Makos is joined by Trudie Mason, veteran Newscaster here at CJAD 800, and Justine McIntyre, Strategic consultant and former city councillor. A new poll out from Pallas Data, Qc125 and L’actualité this morning shows a neck and neck race in Quebec, with the PQ having a mere three-point lead over the new-and-improved Charles Milliard Liberals. The province is getting very close to a recession. That is what the Institut du Quebec has revealed in its latest economic growth figures. Speaking this week on CNN, one of the apparent frontrunners for Democratic presidential nomination, Gavin Newson, said that his party needs to be more “culturally normal.” Is he right? The more you take out the trash, the more taxes you will pay. That is what a family in the lower Laurentians discovered after getting a $460 tax increase for having their garbage collected every week. Angus Reid now shows a 13-point lead by the Liberals over the Conservatives. Canadians also overwhelmingly approve of how Mark Carney is handling the U.S.

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 Raphaël Melançon, political analyst for CTV Montreal and CJAD 800, columnist for the Montreal Gazette, and president and founder of Trafalgar Strategies. The Parti Quebecois added another seat for their party at the National Assembly yesterday by winning the Chicoutimi by-election The Conservatives are teeing up a politically charged debate in the House of Commons today. They’re introducing a motion to review and potentially restrict health benefits for asylum seekers under the Interim Federal Health Program. A 52 year old woman has been forced to go $40 thousand in debt in order to get treated in the private sector for her neck problems. Canadian Olympic medallist Laurent Dubreuil painted a bleak picture this morning of Canadian Olympic athletes this morning in the Journal de Montreal.

Elias Makos begins the week with Jimmy Zoubris, Montreal businessman, longtime activist and former special advisor to Valerie Plante, and Anthony Koch, Former National Spokesperson for Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre and current managing principal at AK Strategies. Canada finished with 21 medals including 5 gold medals. It's the lowest number of medals since the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City. Reaction poured in over the weekend to a story published by The Globe and Mail on Friday morning. The striking headline of the story is “How Canada became poorer than Alabama.” Bombshell news in the Wall Street Journal as the weekend started. The paper reported that employees at OpenAI had previously raised alarms about the Tumbler Ridge shooter. We can’t go to Florida, we’re boycotting the U.S. We can’t go to Cuba, the country’s a mess due to U.S. oil blockades. And now, the travel plans to Mexico are on hold, after violence erupted in Mexico over the weekend after the killing of drug cartel kingpin ‘El Mencho.’

Elias is joined on this Friday edition of the BIG 5 by Meeker Guerrier, Commentator at Noovo and RDS and Lea Streliski, Best-selling author, comedian and columnist The White House says it’s about to pull back the curtain on one of the most enduring mysteries in history. President Donald Trump is promising to declassify government files related to UFOs — or what the Pentagon now calls UAPs, unidentified anomalous phenomena. It’s official, we will have a referendum… in Alberta. The toonie turned 30 years old this week. Released on February 19, 1996, it was Canada’s first bimetallic coin. What is the best thing you can buy for two dollars in 2026?

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. Massive reaction and pushback to the story we told you about yesterday - the Quebecker who was awarded $500 after a south shore hair salon didn’t offer a “non-binary” haircut option on its appointment booking website. A man from Lebanon convicted of possessing fentanyl for the purpose of trafficking was supposed to be deported back in December of 2019. Ontario Premier Doug Ford had some choice words for students complaining about recent cuts to his province’s student assistance programs: Stop studying in useless fields and focus on an education that gives you a shot at the plethora of in-demand jobs. Reuters reports that the U.S. Department of State is developing a new online portal — hosted at freedom.gov — that would allow users in Europe and elsewhere to access content banned by their own governments

Elias Makos is joined by Sue Smith is a Montreal journalist and broadcaster, and Justine McIntyre, Strategic consultant and former city councillor. Radio-Canada reports this morning that Quebec's Human Rights Tribunal has ordered a hair salon to pay $500 to a non-binary person for only offering “men’s” and women’s” haircut options. Quebec solidaire, slumping in the polls and desperately trying to turn things around, could have a star candidate for the next election. There’s only one problem: He’s a man. A Montreal senior is calling for the return of all benches removed inside the Alexis Nihon plaza, saying the change has made daily outings more difficult for people who rely on adapted transport. Meta is looking to make your social media presence immortal.

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 Graham Singh, Pastor at St-Jax Church. The Gallant Commission report on the SAAQclic fiasco was revealed yesterday. Journal de Montreal has the story of a Quebec man who had a vasectomy at age 22 so that his girlfriend wouldn't have to take birth control. One of Quebec’s biggest unions is proposing a new tax to help ensure public services. The target of the tax? Sugary drinks. U.S. TV personality, radio host, and sports analyst Stephen A. Smith continues to openly muse about running for the Democratic nomination for President.

Elias Makos is joined by Jimmy Zoubris, Montreal businessman, longtime activist and former special advisor to Valerie Plante and Daniel Tran, Director of Communication and governmental relations at Casacom The Quebec Liberal Party has welcomed Charles Milliard as its new leader, signaling a fresh start after months of uncertainty and controversy. The Supreme Court of Canada has annulled the federal byelection in Terrebonne, where Liberal candidate Tatiana Auguste was declared the winner by a single ballot. The challenge stemmed from a mail-in vote that wasn’t counted because of an error on the return envelope — a mistake tied to Elections Canada. If you were waiting for a true American reaction to Mark Carney’s Davos speech from January, you got one for Valentine’s Day. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio brought the Trump administration’s speech to Europe over the weekend, speaking at the Munich Security Conference.

Elias Makos is joined by Justine McIntyre, Strategic consultant 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. Today is the deadline to apply to be leader of the Quebec Liberal Party, and it's all but official – with no opposition, Charles Milliard will become the new leader of the Liberals on Sunday. A CAQ MNA says there should be limits placed on columnsists. Valérie Schmaltz made the comments after being annoyed by a column in the Journal de Quebec by Rémi Nadeau. Several public institutions are using artificial intelligence to create photos for their social media platforms. Tim Hortons is making changes. The company announced that it will soon distribute a new and improved English muffin, add fountain drink machines and debut a new piece of equipment for their espresso.

Elias Makos is joined by Caroline Codsi, Founder & Chief Equity Officer, Women in Governance, and Trudie Mason, veteran newscaster at CJAD 800. We’re finding out more about the suspect in the mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge B.C. The independent investigation into the Quebec Liberal Party fiasco was unveiled yesterday. With indications that the Swiss bid to host the 2038 Winter Olympics may fall through, Canada is considering swooping in to host those games. Convinced that her life was in danger, a Montreal woman handed over more than $250,000 in gold bars and cryptocurrency to fraudsters in four days.

Elias Makos is joined by Meeker Guerrier, Commentator at Noovo and RDS, and Sue Smith is a Montreal journalist and broadcaster. 10 people are dead and 25 others are injured following a mass shooting inside a B.C high school yesterday afternoon. The SPVM released its 2025 results yesterday, and Police Chief Fady Dagher says the data is clear: Montreal is safe. The United States hockey squad will sleep in the Athlete’s village for the entire tournament, embracing the dorm-room lifestyle for two weeks. Team Canada will visit the village for two days - but then go live in a five-star hotel once the games actually begin. Who’s got the better Olympic spirit? In what should have been a celebration of an olympic medal for a Norwegian athlete, turned into a beg for forgiveness live on air.

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 Dan Delmar, Co-founder of the content marketing firm TNKR Media and co-host of the podcast Inspiring Entrepreneurs Canada. U.S. President Donald Trump is threatening to “not allow” a new bridge between Windsor, Ontario, and Detroit, Michigan, to open unless the United States is “fully compensated for everything” it has given Canada. The Quebec government has no intention of reviewing its funding of concert giants Evenko and Live Nation, despite questions about how the companies favour English in concert bookings. Opening statements made yesterday in a landmark trial that claims Meta and YouTube created ‘Digital Casinos.’ Despite being told by several travel agencies that we should not be worried about going to Cuba, Air Canada, Air Transat and WestJet have all suspended flights to the Caribbean destination.

Elias Makos is joined by Jimmy Zoubris, Montreal businessman, longtime activist and former special advisor to Valerie Plante, and Political analyst Karim Boulos. What does it say about Canadian culture that our number one TV event is a U.S. sporting event for a league that doesn’t have teams in Canada? The Globe and Mail is reporting this morning that Prime Minister Mark Carney and Ontario Premier Doug Ford have been talking behind the scenes of a plan for a spring federal election. Journal de Montreal reports that the latest batch of Epstein documents released by the U.S. Department of Justice reveal that the convicted sex offender and financier loved Montreal.

Elias Makos caps off the week with Lea Streliski, Best-selling author, comedian and columnist, and Victor Henriquez, Public affairs and crisis management specialist at Public Strategy and Conseil. The federal government announced the return of purchase rebates for electric vehicles. Starting next week, the SAQ will sell a limited selection of U.S. wines and spirits online and at Dépôt stores, at a discount, to clear stock sitting in warehouses. The Winter Olympics are upon us, and there’s already a controversy over the performance enhancing measures some athletes are taking. The scandal is unfolding in ski jumping over so-called “crotch enhancements.”

Elias Makos is joined by Lionel Perez, Former city councilor and former leader of the Official Opposition at Montreal City Hall, and Justine McIntyre, Strategic consultant and former city councillor. Robin des Ruelles – Robin of the alleys – says they are responsible for the Tuesday mass theft of goods from a Rachelle-Bery store. Faced with the soaring price of subscriptions and the fragmenting of where everything is streamed, a growing number of people are resorting to stealing TV. Prime Minister Mark Carney has decided to eliminate two roles created by Justin Trudeau. Former prime minister Stephen Harper says Canada needs to stop blaming Donald Trump and start adjusting to a harsher global reality.

Raphaël Melançon, political analyst for CTV Montreal and CJAD 800, columnist for the Montreal Gazette, and president and founder of Trafalgar Strategies, and Graham Singh, Pastor at St-Jax Church. Men can refuse service from women at the SAAQ. The surprising news came out of the public hearings on Bill 9, the government’s effort to double down on secularism in Quebec. And speaking of Bill 9, secularism minister Jean-François Roberge is emphatic: The proposed law is not 'against certain religions.' The now famous potholes on Notre-Dame Street that gave Montreal Mayor Sorraya Martinez Ferrada a couple of flat tires have been patched up. For the first time since the beginning of the Quebec Liberal party crisis, MNA Marwah Rizqy returned to the National Assembly yesterday as an independent.