The Big Five Podcast

Apr 04 2025 200 ep. 25 mins 16

The Big Five Podcast artwork

The Big Five is the quintessential Montreal podcast, and the best way to get caught up on the top stories impacting the city. Every weekday, host Elias Makos and a roster of Montreal thought leaders debate and inform.

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U.S. tariffs, China’s response, and Mark Carney’s groceries.

Apr 04 2025 24 mins

Elias Makos caps off the week with Meeker Guerrier, Commentator at Noovo and RDS, and Political analyst Karim Boulos. While you were sleeping, China has responded to the U.S.’ tariffs, imposing their own 34% reciprocal tariff on U.S. goods Last night Radio-Canada aired Cinq chefs, une élection, where each of the main party leaders were interviewed. Mark Carney sh

Was ‘Liberation Day’ a win for Canada? Plus: Can we talk about biological clocks in election campaigns?

Apr 03 2025 22 mins

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 Caroline Codsi, Founder & Chief Equity Officer, Women in Governance. Quebec and Canada are mostly exempt from the latest US tariffs announced by Donald Trump, but a 25% tariff on some Canadian auto products takes effect at mid

Does American “Liberation Day” mean Canadian hardship? Plus: Alberta wants to team up with Quebec.

Apr 02 2025 32 mins

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. We begin with President Donald Trump - who has

‘Chiang the Bounty Hunter’ gets cancelled : Plus: We drive to Hawkesbury for much cheaper gas!

Apr 01 2025 23 mins

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 Justine McIntyre, strategic consultant and former city councillor, Paul Chiang has stepped down. The Liberal candidate encouraged people to bring a Conservative candidate to the Chinese consulate in Toronto to collec

Liberal candidate encourages kidnapping of political opponents, is somehow still a candidate. Plus: Strife within the Poilievre campaign.

Mar 31 2025 23 mins

Elias Makos begins the week with Christina Chough, Spanish teacher and Chair of the modern languages department at Dawson College, and Jimmy Zoubris, special advisor to the Mayor. Mark Carney is under fire to dump Toronto Liberal candidate Paul Chiang Federal party leaders are taking different stances on Quebec’s Bill 96 as the election campaign unfolds

Mark Carney says our old relationship with the U.S. is toast. Plus: Quebec lets the dogs out.

Mar 28 2025 24 mins

Elias Makos caps off the week that was with Political analyst Karim Boulos, and Raphaël Melançon, a political analyst for Noovo and CTV Montreal News at 5. He is also the president and founder of Trafalgar Strategies. Speaking yesterday in Ottawa, Mark Carney presented a grim picture of the future of Canada-U.S. relations, "The old relationship we had with t

Once again, Donald Trump has made himself a key part of Canada’s federal election campaign

Mar 27 2025 23 mins

Dan Delmar, Co-founder of the content marketing firm TNKR Media and co-host of the podcast Inspiring Entrepreneurs Canada, and Andrew Caddell, a town councillor in Kamouraska, and President of the Task Force on Linguistic policy. Donald Trump made himself a key part of Canada’s federal election campaign once again on Wednesday, as he announced a 25% tariff on vehicles i

Mark Carney hounded by gaffes and tax evasion. Plus: Donald Trump is having at least one positive effect on Canada.

Mar 26 2025 22 mins

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 Sue Smith is a Montreal journalist and broadcaster. Radio-Canada reports this morning that Mark Carney’s so-called green funds used a Bermuda tax shelter to evade paying taxes back at home Carney has also apologized after mistake

Mark Carney bails on the TVA debate. Plus: Pierre Poilievre’s security clearance under the spotlight.

Mar 25 2025 23 mins

Elias Makos is joined by 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 on The Big 5. The TVA Face-à-Face debate will not happen, this after the Liberal Party refused to participate. The Globe and

It’s a special election kickoff edition of The Big Five!

Mar 24 2025 31 mins

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 Dimitri Soudas, Former Director of Communications for Harper and political commentator. Come April 28th Canadians will cast their ballots and decide who will be our next Prime Minister. And parties have wasted no tim