The Big Five Podcast

Trudie Mason is joined by Raphaël Melançon, political analyst for CTV Montreal and CJAD 800, and columnist for the Montreal Gazette, and Lea Streliski, Best-selling author, comedian and columnist.

• Canada and the U.S. appear to be getting closer to a trade agreement, with Canadian Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc saying the two sides are “very close” after another round of negotiations in Washington.
• Premier Christine Fréchette is facing criticism from the Parti Québécois over her recent decision to make statements in both French and English, particularly when discussing the Canada-U.S. tariff dispute.
• Montreal Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada is promising that SPVM officers will be equipped with body cameras within the next year, reviving a project that has been discussed in Montreal for more than a decade.

Trudie Mason hosts Dan Delmar, media strategist, co-founder of TNKR Media, and independent political analyst, and Akil Alleyne, reporter, commentator, and manager of the GemStar Circle of Excellence Scholarship Program.

• Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette warns she will block a Canada-US trade deal unless supply management and cultural protections are fully preserved.
• A fresh poll reveals nearly half of Canadians want an immediate federal election once a final trade agreement with Washington is secured.
• CAQ Leader Christine Fréchette pledged a new family plan including flexible parental leave and increased back-to-school payments. [1]
• The PQ and Liberals unveiled competing election slogans as provincial parties position themselves for the upcoming campaign.
• A troubling new FAE survey shows sixteen percent of Quebec teachers are planning to leave or are questioning their future in the profession.

Trudie Mason is joined by Meeker Guerrier, commentator at Noovo and RDS, and political analyst Karim Boulos.

• Donald Trump delayed the fifty percent tariff deadline by three days as a pending Canada-US trade deal takes shape.
• Paul St-Pierre Plamondon pledged to abolish Santé Québec, claiming the agency added massive administrative costs without improving healthcare.
• OpenAI is launching a specialized version of ChatGPT for teenagers featuring strict content safeguards and parental controls.
• The growing popularity of Meta smart glasses has sparked fresh privacy concerns over covert public recording.
• Québon launched a new six percent milk and cream blend designed specifically for desserts, yogurt, and tea.

Trudie Mason is with Andrew Caddell, columnist for the Hill Times and President of the Task Force on Linguistic Policy, and Paul Gott, lead singer of the Ripcordz and journalism professor at Concordia.

• PQ Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon pledged to delay any Quebec independence referendum until Donald Trump leaves the White House.
• Quebec and Newfoundland signed a seventy billion dollar deal reshaping Churchill Falls power rates and funding future hydro projects.
• The Auditor General warned that Quebec faces massive spending cuts to meet its goal of a balanced budget by 2030.
• Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada called for the revival of the REM de l’Est transit line to balance service with the West Island.
• A media investigation criticized the ongoing RCMP security costs for former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during his international travels.

Trudie Mason is with Jimmy Zoubris, Montreal businessman, longtime activist, and former special advisor to Valerie Plante, and Gabriel Retta, special advisor to the mayor.

• A new Abacus Data poll shows the Carney government's support in Quebec plummeted by eleven points.
• Canada and the US remain locked in tense negotiations less than forty-eight hours before a massive tariff deadline.
• CF Montréal issued indefinite stadium bans to two fans following an MLS investigation into antisemitic slurs.
• Montreal blue-collar workers are threatening a major strike during September's high-profile world cycling championships.
• The University of Toronto's law faculty plans to ban laptops from some classrooms this fall.

Trudie Mason welcomes in Karim Boulos, Political Analyst, and Daniel Tran, Director of Communication and governmental relations at Casacom.

• The City of Montreal is warning that the 2026 UCI Road World Championships, taking place September 20–27, will bring the most significant traffic disruptions in recent memory.
• Radio Canada is reporting new details this morning in the new finalized deal between Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador regarding Churchill Falls.
• Montreal Police remove an AI camera after it was spotted by a Radio Canada reporter
• Saint-Anicet is asking residents to weigh in on the future of its popular beach and surrounding waterfront area, as the municipality works toward securing and improving the site.

Trudie Mason hosts Caroline Codsi, Founder & Chief Equity Officer at Women in Governance, and Lionel Perez, former Montreal opposition leader and CEO of CorpCentre. [1]

• Quebec Liberal candidate Farnell Morissett faced heavy criticism for claiming Bill 101 lets the government secretly snoop through phones.
• Ottawa, Quebec, and Newfoundland are expected to unveil a major new agreement reviving the Churchill Falls hydro project next week.
• The Canadian Taxpayers Federation exposed a Senate speaker for spending nearly one million dollars on luxury international travel.
• A constitutional lawsuit is challenging Quebec's law that made the oath of allegiance to the King optional for politicians.
• A Quebec detention centre will force inmates to wear standardized uniforms to combat rampant gang activity and contraband.

Trudie Mason is with Dan Delmar, co-founder of TNKR Media and co-host of the Inspiring Entrepreneurs Canada podcast, and Akil Alleyne, reporter, commentator, and manager of the GemStar Circle of Excellence Scholarship Program.

• Police Chief Fady Dagher faced community frustration after stating that fixing the culture at Station 39 could take up to ten years.
• A new Synopsis-Lapresse poll keeps the PQ ahead at thirty percent while the Quebec Conservatives surged up to fifteen percent.
• Premier Christine Fréchette convened crisis cells to prepare for the potential impact of looming fifty percent US trade tariffs.
• Prime Minister Mark Carney faced media backlash for vacationing in Tuscany while critical Canada-US trade negotiations continue.

Trudie Mason is joined by Raphaël Melançon, political analyst for CTV Montreal and CJAD 800, and columnist for the Montreal Gazette, and Catherine Hogan, high school teacher at Westwood Senior High in Hudson.

• Paul St-Pierre Plamondon and Leslie Roberts sparred in opposing columns over the future of Quebec's English-speaking community.
• A new Leger poll puts the PQ in the lead at thirty percent, but half of voters say their choice could still change.
• Montreal Police Chief Fady Dagher will address the public tonight regarding serious misconduct and racism allegations at station thirty-nine.
• Liberal MP Shaun Chen resigned due to health issues from a car crash, becoming the eighth MP to step down since the election.
• McDonald's launched new Red Bull energy drinks across Canada but excluded Quebec due to the province's strict under-sixteen ban.

Trudie Mason is joined by Jimmy Zoubris, Montreal businessman, longtime activist, and former special advisor to Valerie Plante, and Meeker Guerrier, commentator at Noovo and RDS.

• The CAQ launched economy-focused campaign ads while the PQ hit back with billboards targeting unfulfilled promises.
• Canada is considering alcohol, dairy, and auto concessions to avoid a fifty percent US tariff deadline on August 19.
• Hundreds gathered at Jarry Park to protest Tennis Canada's proposed four hundred million dollar stadium expansion.
• Équiterre urged Quebec to end its political honeymoon with Prime Minister Mark Carney over environmental policies.
• A rising trend of parents asking party guests to help pay for children's birthdays is sparking fierce debate.