The Big Five Podcast

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 & Lionel Perez, Former city councillor and former leader of the Official Opposition at Montreal City Hall

Among the topics discussed were

• Montreal’s police chief, Fady Dagher, says the mental health and homelessness situation in the city is getting worse
• The province’s largest health care facilities have spent over $50 million on security guards last year
• An Ontario court has ruled that a city’s municipal bylaw on lawns violates a citizen’s Charter right to Freedom of Expression

Elias Makos is joined by Andrew Caddell, columnist for the Hill Times and President of the Task Force on Linguistic policy. & Sue Smith, a Montreal journalist and broadcaster. 

Among the topics discussed were

• After facing pressure from the opposition, Chrystia Freeland has announced that she will be resigning as MP on Friday.
• Prime Minister Mark Carney is set to travel to China for four days starting Tuesday next week to meet with President Xi Jinping.
• Quebec public servants do not want to go back to the office three days a week
• The Trump administration has rewritten the rules on alcohol — without saying how much is too much.

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 & Justine McIntyre, Strategic consultant and former city councillor

Among the topics discussed were

• If you were in Greenland, how much would the U.S. have to pay you to become an American? What about if he wanted to buy Quebec?
• Charles Milliard officially launched his leadership campaign yesterday and the youth are already supporting him.
• Is Trudeau a good airport or a bad airport?

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 Victor Henriquez, Public affairs and crisis management specialist at Public Strategy and Conseil.

• Former Quebec Premier Jean Charest says Canada needs to be vigilant and that Canada could be U.S President Donald Trump’s next target
• The Quebec Liberal Party has unveiled the rules for their upcoming leadership race.
• Charles Milliard launches his leadership campaign today.
• Fast-food chain McDonald’s is facing a class-action lawsuit south of the border.

Elias Makos kicks off the new year with Jimmy Zoubris, Montreal businessman, longtime activist and former special advisor to Valerie Plante, and Political analyst Karim Boulos.

• Was Trump right or wrong to capture Maduro? Is the United States a force for good?
• Prime Minister Mark Carney’s reaction on social media to the capture of de facto leader Nicolás Maduro left many unhappy over the weekend
• A post on social media by the wife of Trump’s deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller over the weekend has angered the president of Greenland. 
• Former federal cabinet minister Chrystia Freeland is stepping into a new international role — appointed Monday as an economic adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky
• The Mach group is embarking on the conversion of its unoccupied offices into apartments

Jay Farrar, in for 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 Justine McIntyre, strategic consultant and former city councillor on The Big 5.

• The Quebec Liberal Party has announced that a new leader will be crowned on March 14th next year.
• If you thought waiting at the hospital was long, imagine waiting on the phone for around two hours to talk to someone. That is what Santé Quebec is reporting regarding the average wait time to reach Info-Santé (811).
• A new Leger poll says only 35 percent of people believe that 2026 will be better than 2025.

Robyn Flynn, sitting in for 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 Sterling Downey, city councillor for the Desmarchais-Crawford district in Verdun on The Big 5.

• A segment that was dropped from the CBS investigative show “60 minutes” mysteriously showed up on Monday under the the branding of Canadian broadcaster.
• Mark Carney has named former Black Rock exec Mark Wiseman as Canada’s new ambassador.
• In a preview into what could happen after next year’s provincial election in Quebec, Alberta’s election agency has approved a proposed referendum question on the province separating from Canada.

Robyn Flynn, sitting in for Elias Makos, is joined by 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 on The Big 5.

• Federal conservative leader Pierre Poilievre says he is ready to collaborate with his federal colleagues in the No camp if a referendum were to be held.
• The city of Montreal will be putting back some of the parking spots back in the Ville-Marie Borough.
• A new study out of Cornell University says AI chatbots can successfully convince people to change their votes.

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.

• Christian Dubé has resigned from his position as Quebec’s Minister of Health and will sit as an independent MNA.
• In his year-end interviews, François Legault says that once Quebecers realize the PQ is dead serious about a referendum, their lead in the polls will evaporate. Is he right?
• Quebecers bought less alcohol, but paid more for it this year. 
• How would you recap 2025?

Elias Makos is joined by Caroline Codsi, Founder & Chief Equity Officer, Women in Governance, and Sue Smith is a Montreal journalist and broadcaster.

• With Pablo Rodriguez out as leader, rumours are already swirling surrounding who will replace him. 
• Three thousand dollars worth of food was stolen from a Metro grocery store on Monday in the Plateau. A group called Robins des ruelles says they are the ones responsible for the theft and posted an image of some of the stolen goods underneath a Christmas Tree in Parc Valois.
• Montreal is making it easier to live in tents along Notre-Dame Street. According to La Presse, the city will install trailers in the area starting early next year, allowing homeless people living in tents to keep warm and access basic amenities. 
• Hockey Canada and Curling Canada say they have no plans to follow Skate Canada’s lead when it comes to future events in Alberta.