The Big Five Podcast

Sue Smith is joined by Caroline Codsi, Founder & Chief Equity Officer, Women in Governance, and Jonathan Kalles, Vice President at McMillan Vantage, a national public affairs firm, and former advisor to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. A three year old missing toddler was found alive after three days alone near Highway 417 in Ontario, following a massive search The Liberal government’s Building Canada Act (Bill C-5), spearheaded by Prime Minister Mark Carney, is drawing sharp criticism for granting cabinet sweeping powers to fast-track major industrial projects Montreal’s STM is reinstating its anti-loitering policy across eight metro stations until April 2026

Sue Smith is joined by Dan Delmar, Co-founder of the content marketing firm TNKR Media and co-host of the podcast Inspiring Entrepreneurs Canada, snd Neil Drabkin, is a lawyer who served as federal prosecutor and a political commentator who was a chief of staff in the Harper government. Many observers praising Mark Carney’s handling of a tricky situation at the G7 A Montreal commuter is seeking authorization for a class-action lawsuit against the STM over major service disruptions caused by a maintenance workers’ strike A new poll shows the Quebec Liberal Party surging under newly elected leader Pablo Rodriguez, jumping to 26% support According to a new survey, A majority of Canadians don’t think they’ll be able to retire

Sue Smith welcomes back Meeker Guerrier, Commentator at Noovo and RDS, and Justine McIntyre, Strategic consultant and former city councillor. At the G7 summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, U.S. President Donald Trump left early to address escalating tensions between Israel and Iran Should Russia be at the G7? Santé Québec has awarded over $310 million in no-bid contracts to Microsoft to manage its data

Sue Smith kicks the week off with Jimmy Zoubris, special advisor to the Mayor, and Paul Gott, Lead singer and guitarist for Montreal Punk Rock band the Ripcordz and a journalism professor at Concordia. The Quebec Liberal Party has elected Pablo Rodriguez as its new leader Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is set to meet U.S. President Donald Trump for a one-on-one discussion early this morning at the start of the G7 Summit in Kananaskis The Canadian Grand Prix will remain in Montreal until at least 2035

Sue Smith caps off the week with Anthony Koch, Former National Spokesperson for Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre and current managing principal at AK Strategies, and Neil Drabkin, is a lawyer who served as federal prosecutor and a political commentator who was a chief of staff in the Harper government. Israel has launched a large-scale airstrike on Iran, targeting nuclear and military sites The G7 summit kicks off this weekend in Kananaskis, Alberta, with world leaders facing massive global challenges The Quebec Liberal Party will choose its new leader this Saturday

Sue Smith is joined by Justine McIntyre, Strategic consultant and former city councillor, and Gabriel Retta, is a Montrealer who has been active in politics and government service at all three levels for the last 20 years. He is currently serving as Chief of Staff to the Official Opposition at Montreal City Hall. Prime Minister Mark Carney has appointed Michael Sabia, the current president of Hydro-Québec and a seasoned business and public sector leader, as Canada’s next Clerk of the Privy Council In preparation for the influx of tourists during the Formula 1 Grand Prix, the City of Montreal launched a last-minute beautification blitz to hide unsightly construction zones Quebec has officially designated today June 12th as the province’s first-ever Buy Local Day

Suse Smith welcomes back 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. A scathing new report by Auditor General Karen Hogan reveals widespread mismanagement in federal contracts awarded to GCStrategies Quebec’s proposed Bill 106, which ties 12% of family doctors’ pay to performance indicators As Montreal’s public transit strike enters its third day, negotiations between the STM and its 2,400 maintenance workers are set to resume today

Sue Smith is joined by Akil Alleyne, (Alean) Reporter and commentator with extensive experience analysing legal, political, and social issues and Manager of the GemStar Circle of Excellence Scholarship Program, and Jimmy Zoubris, special advisor to the Mayor. The SPVM’s latest annual report shows that Montreal police response times for the most urgent calls have increased by nearly a minute over the past decade Quebec, Montreal, and local partners are investing over $3.5 million to boost social intervention services in the Place des Arts area Prime Minister Mark Carney has announced $9.3 billion in new military spending, allowing Canada to reach NATO’s 2% GDP defense target this year The Canadian Competition Bureau is taking legal action against DoorDash, accusing the company of misleading customers by inflating advertised prices through hidden mandatory fees

Sue Smith kicks off the week with Jonathan Kalles, Vice President at McMillan Vantage, a national public affairs firm, and former advisor to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and Paul Gott, Lead singer and guitarist for Montreal Punk Rock band the Ripcordz and a journalism professor at Concordia. On Sunday, 2,000 National Guard troops began arriving in Los Angeles on orders from President Donald Trump Prime Minister Mark Carney has unveiled the “One Canadian Economy” bill Montreal's STM maintenance workers are set to strike from June 9-17, disrupting transit service across the city

Elias Makos is joined by Anthony Koch, Former National Spokesperson for Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre and current managing principal at AK Strategies, and Andrew Caddell, a town councillor in Kamouraska, and President of the Task Force on Linguistic policy. The once-close alliance/bromance between Donald Trump and Elon Musk dramatically collapsed this week in a public social media feud Prime Minister Mark Carney and U.S. President Donald Trump have been in touch since their Oval Office meeting last month, holding direct talks in recent weeks amid the ongoing trade war between the two countries Towns in northern New York are offering special deals to lure back Canadian tourists, especially Quebecers, amid a steep drop in cross-border travel. Quebec plans to cut its annual permanent immigration targets to as low as 25,000 people, down from around 64,000, unless Ottawa agrees to halve the number of temporary residents in the province A Canadian man with past ties to Osama bin Laden and a terrorism conviction in the US has been arrested in Montreal after allegedly threatening to kill “a large number of people

Trudie Mason is joined by Christina Chough, Spanish teacher and Chair of the modern languages department at Dawson College, and Neil Drabkin, is a lawyer who served as federal prosecutor and a political commentator who was a chief of staff in the Harper government. The federal government has already spent over $1 million in legal fees to prepare its challenge of Quebec’s secularism law (Bill 21) at the Supreme Court of Canada Quebec Premier François Legault is considering boosting financial aid to steel and aluminum companies in response to Donald Trump’s new tariffs A landlord in Sorel-Tracy, Quebec, is facing over $7,000 in cleaning costs after discovering her rental unit had been turned into a filthy dump by a tenant who even defecated on the floor Have you changed your mind about going to the US?

Trudie Mason is joined by Akil Alleyne, Reporter and commentator with extensive experience analysing legal, political, and social issues and Manager of the GemStar Circle of Excellence Scholarship Program, and Gabriel Retta, is a Montrealer active in politics and government service at all three levels for the last 20 years. He is currently serving as Chief of Staff to the Official Opposition at Montreal City Hall. Justice Minister Sean Fraser says the federal duty to consult Indigenous communities on major infrastructure projects does not amount to giving them veto power The Carney government is proposing sweeping immigration reforms aimed at streamlining the system and tightening border security Climate activists from the group Dernière génération Canada shut down Saint-Denis Street in Montreal for several hours on Tuesday Montreal is reworking its decades-old noise bylaw to better support cultural venues while respecting residents’ peace

Elias Makos is joined by Justine McIntyre, Strategic consultant and former city councillor, and Dan Delmar, Co-founder of the content marketing firm TNKR Media and co-host of the podcast Inspiring Entrepreneurs Canada. Prime Minister Mark Carney and the Premiers met yesterday to discuss the fast-tracking of major energy and infrastructure projects April was the busiest month for asylum seekers entering Quebec at the Lacolle border crossing since Roxham Road was closed in 2023 The number of complaints to Quebec’s language watchdog, the OQLF, over violations of French-language rules has hit a record high for the eighth consecutive year Nadia Poirier, who ran for Québec solidaire in the recent Terrebonne by-election, has left the party to join the Parti Québécois

Elias Makos starts the week with Jimmy Zoubris, special advisor to the Mayor, and Sue Smith is a Montreal journalist. The Royal Bank of Canada is refusing to reimburse dozens of customers who were scammed out of $10,000 A 24-year-old Laval woman who robbed 11 seniors of nearly $90,000 will not have a criminal record Canada’s premiers are meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney in Saskatoon to propose which major infrastructure projects should be prioritized for fast-tracking under Carney’s plan to cut federal approval times After successfully contesting unfair rent increases at Quebec’s housing tribunal (TAL), a tenant named Steve says he’s now blacklisted by landlords

Elias Makos ends the week with Neil Drabkin, a lawyer who served as federal prosecutor and a political commentator who was a chief of staff in the Harper government, and Dan Delmar, co-founder of the content marketing firm TNKR Media and co-host of the podcast Inspiring Entrepreneurs Canada. A Quebec cross-party committee is recommending that children under 14 be banned from using social media without parental consent Do we need more communal child discipline? In a surprising political move, former Montreal mayor Denis Coderre has endorsed Conservative Party of Quebec leader Éric Duhaime Quebec’s language watchdog, the OQLF, contacted Montreal’s transit agency at least six times over nine months to push for the removal of the word “go” from bus displays supporting CF Montréal The Toronto band Martha and the Muffins are taking yet another stand against Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre and his use of their song Echo Beach at campaign rallies

Elias Makos is joined by political analyst Karim Boulos and Meeker Guerrier, Commentator at Noovo and RDS. Immigration Minister Jean-Francois Roberge has passed a new law The CAQ is opposing a court ruling that would recognize more than two parents for a child. Groupe Jaspe has lost a constitutional challenge In a few weeks, wines, spirits, and even champagne normally sold in branches of the SAQ will find their way to the shelves of six depanneurs and grocery stores in the Montreal area.

Elias Makos is joined by Antonine Yaccarini, Political Analysts, PR Expert and former PQ and CAQ staffer, and Anthony Koch, Former National Spokesperson for Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre and current managing principal at AK Strategies. In King Charles III’s speech from the throne, he delivered a series of subtle but pointed messages that many say were aimed at Donald Trump Hours after that speech seeped with declarations of sovereignty, Donald Trump took to social media yesterday to once again bring up Canada becoming the 51st state Quebec’s National Assembly unanimously passed a motion to cut all ties with the monarchy

Elias Makos is joined by Caroline Codsi, Founder & Chief Equity Officer, Women in Governance, and Paul Gott, Lead singer and guitarist for Montreal Punk Rock band the Ripcordz and a journalism professor at Concordia. King Charles and Queen Camilla conclude their brief Canadian visit today with a ceremonial parade through downtown Ottawa and a historic throne speech in Parliament Prime Minister Mark Carney will attend his first question period on Wednesday but will not continue Justin Trudeau’s tradition of answering all questions in the House of Commons on that day Montreal police will now have to clearly tell people they are allowed to leave during police checks Montreal has a goal of zero waste landfills by 2030 but the goal is facing resistance from residents

Elias Makos kicks off the week with Jimmy Zoubris, special advisor to the Mayor, and Akil Alleyne, Reporter and commentator with extensive experience analysing legal, political, and social issues and Manager of the GemStar Circle of Excellence Scholarship Program. King Charles and Queen Camilla are arriving in Ottawa today for their first Canadian visit since the King’s coronation The RCMP has warned of a sharp rise in terrorism activity in Canada, reporting a 488% increase in terrorism-related charges over the past year A Laval pharmacist is facing a criminal charge for allegedly refusing to hand over an EpiPen to police officers trying to save a six month old baby in anaphylactic shock A listener says they're considering going ‘au naturel’ this summer when they were confronted with a sale price of $14.99 for a stick of deodorant

Elias caps off the week with Neil Drabkin, is a lawyer who served as federal prosecutor and a political commentator who was a chief of staff in the Harper government, and Meeker Guerrier, Commentator at Noovo and RDS. A public inquiry into Quebec’s SAAQclic digital platform has revealed that external IT contractors saw their hourly rates soar from $82 to $350 without proper justification The National Post this morning writes about just how different things are under Carney, saying “ministers get called out, punctuality matters and patience is on short supply” In shock news coming out of the US the Trump administration has revoked Harvard University's certification to enroll international students

Elias Makos welcomes back Anthony Koch, Former National Spokesperson for Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre and current managing principal at AK Strategies, and Raphaël Melançon, a political analyst for Noovo and CTV Montreal News at 5. He is also the president and founder of Trafalgar Strategies. A Quebec City bar sparked outrage after posting a job ad on Facebook seeking a barmaid who was not “woke,” pro-Liberal, pro-CAQ, or supportive of COVID-19 health measures A new Leger poll shows that 61% of Quebecers now support lowering the legal blood alcohol limit for driving from 0.08% to 0.05% Elbows up! Except if you're the Canada Pension Plan. The CPP fund’s U.S. exposure has grown to 47%, despite calls for it to increase investments at home

Elias Makos is joined by Justine McIntyre, Strategic consultant and former city councillor, and Political analyst Karim Boulos. Canada is in discussions to join the U.S. “Golden Dome” missile defence program, according to the Prime Minister’s Office The Plante administration will be testing an urban innovation in the neighbourhood east of the Jacques-Cartier bridge that turns residential areas into giant cul-de-sacs Quebec’s culture minister Mathieu Lacombe is set to table a new bill which will require major streaming platforms like Netflix and Spotify to boost visibility of francophone content

Elias Makos kicks off the week with Paul Gott, Lead singer and guitarist for Montreal Punk Rock band the Ripcordz and a journalism professor at Concordia, and Andrew Caddell, a town councillor in Kamouraska, and President of the Task Force on Linguistic policy. Canada Post has received a strike notice from the union representing 55,000 postal workers, who plan to walk off the job starting Friday, amid ongoing collective agreement talks New polling from Leger reveals that a majority of Quebecers want an end to the province’s carbon pricing scheme and think that a pipeline for Alberta’s oil coming through Quebec would be a good idea Police in Kingston, Ontario are using drones to catch distracted drivers using their smartphones behind the wheel Up at Bordeaux prison it seems that prisoners have managed to illegally access cell phones

Dan Delmar, in for Elias Makos is joined by Akil Alleyne, reporter and commentator with extensive experience analysing legal, political, and social issues and Manager of the GemStar Circle of Excellence Scholarship Program and Jimmy Zoubris, special advisor to the Mayor on The Big 5. Prime Minister Mark Carney has confirmed that his government will present a full federal budget this fall. Former Montreal mayor Denis Coderre criticized the Quebec Liberal Party's leadership race Will apps like TikTok and Youtube one day soon impact hockey watching?

Elias Makos caps the week off with Justine McIntyre, Strategic consultant and former city councillor, and Andrew Caddell, a town councillor in Kamouraska, and President of the Task Force on Linguistic policy. Elections Canada confirmed that five ballots arrived late in Quebec’s Terrebonne riding due to an envelope with an incorrect postal code Quebec Premier François Legault says he’s open to new pipeline projects in light of Donald Trump’s tariff threats Despite saying he’ll lead the CAQ into the 2026 election, François Legault may be weighing whether to step down The “Original Sin,” which describes the behind-the-scenes mental and physical decline of Joe Biden

Elias Makos is joined by Anthony Koch, Former National Spokesperson for Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre and current managing principal at AK Strategies, and Jonathan Kalles, Vice President at McMillan Vantage, a national public affairs firm, and former advisor to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Does the Prime Minister need to reign in his troops? Most Quebecers believe the province should reduce its record $14 billion deficit by taxing the wealthy, not by cutting public services Anthony's piece in the National Post on major changes in the UK on immigration

Elias Makos welcomes back Dan Delmar, Co-founder of the content marketing firm TNKR Media and co-host of the podcast Inspiring Entrepreneurs Canada, and Sue Smith is a Montreal journalist and broadcaster. Prime Minister Mark Carney unveiled his cabinet yesterday. And the names and roles announced have turned quite a few heads. Bloc Québécois candidate Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagné is weighing her options after a judicial recount saw her lose the Terrebonne riding by just one vote to Liberal Tatiana Auguste A new poll shows that Quebecers may be ready for something new… The CAQ has dropped to third place in voter intentions with just 20% support A devastating government report shows that the healthcare network's payroll modernization project costs have already risen from $202 million to $430 million

Elias Makos is joined by Paul Gott, Lead singer and guitarist for Montreal Punk Rock band the Ripcordz and a journalism professor at Concordia, and Akil Alleyne, reporter and commentator with extensive experience analysing legal, political, and social issues and Manager of the GemStar Circle of Excellence Scholarship Program. When Prime Minister Mark Carney unveils his cabinet this morning, more than half of its members will be fresh faces, CTV News has confirmed Add another layer to the Terrebonne byelection story. A judicial recount gave the Liberals the win in the riding by just one vote over the weekend. But now, Elections Canada is confirming that an envelope provided to a voter by Elections Canada to vote by mail had the wrong postal code Quebec’s Higher Education Minister Pascale Déry is urging students to help identify those behind a stream of hateful, racist, and violent messages posted on a Discord channel used by Quebec medical school applicants Should we take graffiti more seriously?

Elias Makos kicks off the week with Gabriel Retta, is a Montrealer active in politics and government service at all three levels for the last 20 years and currently serving as Chief of Staff to the Official Opposition at Montreal City Hall, and Jimmy Zoubris, special advisor to the Mayor. The future of the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Montreal is uncertain as negotiations between the promoter (Octane, owned by Bell) and funding partners have stalled Montreal mayoral candidate Soraya Martinez Ferrada, who once served as federal parliamentary secretary for housing, is under scrutiny for illegally demanding a $2,850 security deposit and $175 cleaning fee from tenants both forbidden under Quebec’s Civil Code A group chat for over 1,400 aspiring medical students in Quebec - and some would say that number represents almost all the aspiring med students in the province - was taken over by anti-semitic, homophobic, misogynistic, and racist vitriol

Elias Makos ends the week with Sue Smith, a Montreal journalist and broadcaster, and Andrew Caddell, a town councillor in Kamouraska, and President of the Task Force on Linguistic policy. Yesterday in a historic and some say unexpected move, an American cardinal named Robert Francis Prevost, originally from Chicago has been elected pope A report in La Press this week that some new seniors’ homes were costing the Quebec government as much as $1.8 million dollars a unit, the Minister for Health and for Seniors The Quebec student cellphone ban walkout (strike?) is supposedly happening today

Elias Makos is joined by Caroline Codsi, Founder & Chief Equity Officer, Women in Governance, and Meeker Guerrier, Commentator at Noovo and RDS. A viral TikTok video is urging Quebec high school students to skip class this Friday in protest of a new government directive banning cellphones The Legault government is set to introduce a controversial bill aimed at making Quebec doctors more accountable for improving access to medical services Do we need to do more to restrict porn access, like the 20 U.S. states that require government ID verification, in this country? Clothing brand Garage is facing backlash over sexually suggestive products, including a t-shirt with the phrase “This top looks better wet.” Podcaster Joe Rogan says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre declined an invitation to appear on his podcast

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 Neil Drabkin is a lawyer who served as federal prosecutor and a political commentator who was a chief of staff in the Harper government. So Donald Trump did find out what Mark Carney wanted to talk about, after all. Both leaders met at the white house yesterday for the first time since the trade war began between Canada and the US. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is promising to listen and learn from his 2025 federal election loss, the same day his caucus opted to empower themselves to have the ability to remove their leader. Bill 72, which amends the Consumer Protection act, comes into effect today. That means new rules for how the price of goods is displayed at the grocery store, especially when it comes to sales and points program pricing. It also means that when dining out, tips must be calculated before tax.

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 Justine McIntyre, Strategic consultant and former city councillor. Prime Minister Mark Carney has arrived in Washington for a meeting with Donald Trump who’s “not sure what he wants to talk about” but guesses it’s about “making a deal” he uttered to reporters in the Oval office Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is promising a separation referendum in 2026 if enough signatures are gathered on a petition After encouraging the public to snitch on their neighbours, police in Gatineau have handed out five tickets for driving with non-Quebec licence plates Tales from the Quebec business world: Le Panier Bleu is up for grabs!

Elias Makos kicks off the week with Akil Alleyne, Reporter and commentator with extensive experience analysing legal, political, and social issues and Manager of the GemStar Circle of Excellence Scholarship Program, and Jimmy Zoubris, special advisor to the Mayor. Prime Minister Mark Carney held his first press conference since winning the election on Friday afternoon, and it was filled with interesting moments. In his weekend interview on NBC’s Meet the Press, the President said it’s “highly unlikely” the US would use military force to annex Canada, The main candidates for the leadership of the Quebec Liberal Party participated in the first two of six debates, including one in English

Elias Makos caps off the week with Andrew Caddell, a town councillor in Kamouraska, and President of the Task Force on Linguistic policy, and Political analyst Karim Boulos. The Conservative caucus will meet on Tuesday, to go over their election defeat and figure out who will lead the party in the interim while Pierre Poilievre waits to win a bye-lection The Globe and Mail reports that the Liberals are mounting efforts to convince both Conservative and NDP MPs to cross the floor. Quebec’s Education Minister Bernard Drainville has announced new measures to promote respect and civility in schools During a debate on the deteriorating state of Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital, François Legault lost his temper and lashed out at Québec solidaire

Elias Makos is joined by Caroline Codsi, Founder & Chief Equity Officer, Women in Governance, and Jonathan Kalles, Vice President at McMillan Vantage, a national public affairs firm, and former advisor to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. At a cabinet meeting at the White House Wednesday, President Donald Trump showered praise on Prime Minister Mark Carney. Trump added that Carney would come visit him within a week. Despite losing his longtime seat and leading the Conservatives to another federal election defeat, Pierre Poilievre will remain party leader Do judges have too much power? Ontario Premier Doug Ford went off on the courts Wednesday, after an injunction blocked the province’s law targeting some of Toronto’s bike lanes

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 Akil Alleyne, Reporter and commentator with extensive experience analysing legal, political, and social issues and Manager of the GemStar Circle of Excellence Scholarship Program. A powerful windstorm swept through Quebec on Tuesday night, leaving nearly 100,000 Hydro Quebec customers without power and causing widespread destruction, particularly on the Island of Montreal Prime Minister Mark Carney was congratulated by Donald Trump in a private phone call yesterday, and the two agreed to meet “in the near future.” Carney was elected to deal with Trump, seemingly, so what should the game plan be? Donald Trump just passed 100 days in office. A new ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll asked Americans to describe Trump’s second term in one word''' Following Jagmeet Singh’s resignation after the NDP’s electoral collapse, Valérie Plante has emerged as a top choice among party insiders to succeed him, according to former leader Tom Mulcair Just a day after the Liberal win, Alberta has announced a sweeping list of electoral reforms. Of most importance to national politics - the bill tabled would lower the threshold to hold a referendum, giving fewer voters more time to force such a measure.

Elias Makos welcomes in Antonine Yaccarini, Political Analysts, PR Expert and former PQ and CAQ staffer, and Justine McIntyre, Strategic consultant and former city councillor. Mark Carney’s Liberals have 168 seats, just 4 shy of that majority number. They were boosted by major gains in Quebec that came largely at the Bloc Québécois’ expense The Conservatives obtained their highest share of the vote since 1988, but with the collapse of the NDP, don’t have a win to show for it NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh got crushed in his seat in Burnaby Central and announced he will step down once an interim leader is appointed Are we entering a period of a de facto two-party system? The Elections Canada website went down — on election day. Does the “Canada is broken” guy have a point?

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 Jimmy Zoubris, special advisor to the Mayor. It was the shortest campaign possible at 36 days. But considering what happened before Mark Carney dropped the writ, it feels like it was much longer. What will you be watching for tonight? Any specific ridings or trends? Eleven people, including a five year old child, were killed after a man drove an SUV into a crowd at a Filipino community festival in Vancouver on Saturday. Quebec has announced a $0.35 per hour minimum wage increase set for May 1

Elias Makos ends the week with Gabriel Retta, is a Montrealer active in politics and government service at all three levels for the last 20 years. He is currently serving as Chief of Staff to the Official Opposition at Montreal City Hall, and Christina Chough, Spanish teacher and Chair of the modern languages department at Dawson College. Yesterday, Radio-Canada broke the story that in their phone call on March 28, Donald Trump did indeed bring up Canada becoming the 51st state to Carney. But after that phone call, Carney claimed to journalists that Trump “respected Canada’s sovereignty.” We vote Monday. What’s the key ballot issue? The Louis-Hippolyte-La Fontaine tunnel project will end up costing at least five times the original projection A Quebec Superior Court judge has overturned the province’s tuition hike for out-of-province students

Elias Makos is joined by Andrew Caddell, a town councillor in Kamouraska, and President of the Task Force on Linguistic policy, and Meeker Guerrier, Commentator at Noovo and RDS. Quebec’s language watchdog has told Montreal’s transit agency to stop displaying English phrases like “Go! Canadiens Go!” on bus displays, citing the need to uphold French-language standards under Bill 96 The Globe and Mail, citing Ontario PC and federal Liberal sources, that Pierre Poilievre might lose his riding Reddit: “The drug use in Montreal is getting so out of control”

Elias makos welcomes in Justine McIntyre, Strategic consultant and former city councillor, and Dan Delmar, Co-founder of the content marketing firm TNKR Media and co-host of the podcast Inspiring Entrepreneurs Canada. Yesterday the Conservatives released their long awaited platform… The platform promises $75 billion in tax cuts and $35 billion in new spending over four years, alongside a projected $31 billion deficit this year Liberal Leader Mark Carney however, is criticizing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre for underestimating the cost of his party’s platform, calling it unrealistic and insufficient for addressing economic challenges The People's Party of Canada candidate in Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel says she’s an extraterrestrial A Quebec committee studying the impact of screen use on youth is recommending a complete ban on cellphones and other mobile devices on school grounds starting next school year

Elias Makos is joined by Paul Gott, Lead singer and guitarist for Montreal Punk Rock band the Ripcordz and a journalism professor at Concordia, and Akil Alleyne, Reporter and commentator with extensive experience analysing legal, political, and social issues and Manager of the GemStar Circle of Excellence Scholarship Program. Recent polls show a tightening in the race. Is this the most important election of your lifetime? An internal federal report from Policy Horizons Canada paints a bleak picture of life in 2040 Quebec hotels are facing a staffing crisis ahead of the busy summer season and are urging the provincial and federal governments to ease restrictions on temporary foreign workers Wine sales are down to levels not seen since 1961. Why aren't we cracking open a bottle?

Elias Makos kicks the week off with Raphaël Melançon, a political analyst for Noovo and CTV Montreal News at 5. He is also the president and founder of Trafalgar Strategies, and Jonathan Kalles, Vice President at McMillan Vantage, a national public affairs firm, and former advisor to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Pope Francis has died at age 88, leaving behind a complex legacy as the first pope from the Americas and a figure celebrated for his humility and efforts toward inclusion Over the weekend, the Liberals released their party platform, and it’s an expensive one. $130 billion dollars in new spending over the next four years It's the last day for advance voting. Over the weekend, party leaders focused on key battlegrounds, with Pierre Poilievre and Jagmeet Singh campaigning in British Columbia while Liberal Leader Mark Carney rallied in Ottawa Montreal Canadiens playoff tickets are soaring to extreme prices, with resale sites listing nosebleed seats at over $550 and lower bowl tickets climbing past $2,000

Dan Delmar, in for Elias Makos, is joined by Jimmy Zoubris, special advisor to the Mayor and Andrew Caddell, a town councillor in Kamouraska, and President of the Task Force on Linguistic policy on the Big 5. In the only English-language debate of the 2025 federal election, Liberal Leader Mark Carney and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre clashed over who’s best positioned to confront US President Donald Trump and lead Canada through his sweeping tariffs. The presence of Rebel News representatives led to the cancellation of the post-debate press scrum following the English leaders’ debate. S&P Global has downgraded Quebec’s credit rating from AA− to A+

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 Caroline Codsi, Founder & Chief Equity Officer, Women in Governance. Who won last night's French debate? Is François Legault paving the way for the radical right? At least that’s what Ruba Ghazal is saying…. Another day, another terrible Canadian crime story. This one comes from Edmonton, where two men have been charged with first degree murder for planning to kill a complete stranger Ozempic for teenagers? Kaiden Guhle scored twice as the Montreal Canadiens beat the Carolina Hurricanes 4-2 to clinch a playoff spot

Elias Makos welcomes in Andrew Caddell, a town councillor in Kamouraska, and President of the Task Force on Linguistic policy, 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 Leaders’ Debates Commission has withdrawn the Green Party of Canada’s invite to participate in the upcoming debates Tonight’s French-language federal leaders’ debate has been moved to 6 p.m. EDT—two hours earlier than planned—to avoid clashing with a key Montreal Canadiens game Statistics Canada reports that while Canada’s highest-earning households saw significant investment and income growth in late 2024, lower-income households experienced wage declines Gov. Gavin Newsom launched a new tourism campaign on Monday targeted at Canadians - telling them to “come experience our California Love.”

Elias Makos is joined by Justine McIntyre, Strategic consultant and former city councillor, and Paul Gott, Lead singer and guitarist for Montreal Punk Rock band the Ripcordz and a journalism professor at Concordia.

Elias Makos begins the week with Jimmy Zoubris, special advisor to the Mayor, Dan Delmar, Co-founder of the content marketing firm TNKR Media and co-host of the podcast Inspiring Entrepreneurs Canada. Mark Carney and Pierre Poilievre making an appearance on Tout le monde en parle last night The CBC reports that Liberal staffers infiltrated a conservative conference last week and planted buttons with both “Trump-style language” and attacks against the Conservative Party’s national campaign director The Quebec government has announced it will remove the floor price on gasoline and other fuels in a move to promote market competition and lower prices for consumers A Quebec man, Jonathan Corriveau, pleaded guilty to throwing rocks at dozens of vehicles in Sherbrooke, over a two-month period Bill Maher spilled the beans on his dinner with President Donald Trump at the White House

Elias Makos is joined by political analyst Karim Boulos and Christina Chough, Spanish teacher and Chair of the modern languages department at Dawson College on The Big 5. Chinese connections continue to hound the Mark Carney campaign. On Thursday, the Globe and Mail reported that Carney met with members of a pro-Beijing lobby group. Education minister Bernard Drainville says he will not impose a ban on religious symbols for students. Francois Legault is backing Immigration Minister Jean-Francois Roberge’s comments about Quebec’s capacity to take in more immigrants.

Elias Makos is joined by Paul Gott, Lead singer and guitarist for Montreal Punk Rock band the Ripcordz and a journalism professor at Concordia, as well as Meeker Guerrier, Commentator at Noovo and RDS. Quebec Immigration Minister Jean-François Roberge is facing backlash after saying Canada “can’t take on all the world’s suffering" On the campaign trail, Pierre Poilievre’s latest campaign pledge is a ‘Three strikes and you’re out’ plan to tackle crime. Donald Trump is facing accusations of potential insider trading after he posted “THIS IS A GREAT TIME TO BUY!!! DJT” on Truth Social in the morning.