Location:
United States
Description:
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.
Language:
English
Website:
http://www.cjad800.com
Episodes
Premier Frechette’s bold strategy? Vote buying! Plus: Mark Carney calls out Alberta’s “bluff.”
5/26/2026
Elias Makos is joined by Raphaël Melançon, political analyst for CTV Montreal and CJAD 800, and columnist for the Montreal Gazette, and Sue Smith is a Montreal journalist and broadcaster.
Duration:00:32:52
Tim Hortons reverses course on temporary foreign workers. Plus: Is Premier Frechette spending like a drunken sailor?
5/25/2026
Elias Makos kicks the week off with Jimmy Zoubris, Montreal businessman, longtime activist and former special advisor to Valerie Plante, and Graham Singh, CEO of Releven.
Duration:00:32:18
The OQLF's guide on how to cheer on the Montreal Canadiens. Plus: Loto-Québec's legal battle with a $3 million winner
5/22/2026
Sue Smith is joined by Bonnie Feigenbaum, Conservative Party of Quebec candidate in last provincial election and a lecturer at Concordia & McGill University, media & government relations consultant, and Andrew Caddell, columnist for the Hill Times and President of the Task Force on Linguistic policy.
Duration:00:31:08
Who the heck is running Canada’s airports? Plus: The cellphone ban is working, the airbnb ban is not.
5/21/2026
Elias Makos is joined by Caroline Codsi, Founder & Chief Equity Officer, Women in Governance, and Political analyst Karim Boulos.
Duration:00:24:22
More Quebeckers are turning to cheap Chinese ecommerce platforms. Plus: Why is Canada such a hotbed for “crime tourism?”
5/20/2026
Elias Makos is joined by Daniel Tran, Director of Communication and governmental relations at Casacom, and Victor Henriquez, Public affairs and crisis management specialist at Public Strategy and Conseil.
Duration:00:24:04
Ça sent la coupe! Plus: How much do CEOs in Quebec make?
5/19/2026
Elias Makos welcomes back Jimmy Zoubris, Montreal businessman, longtime activist and former special advisor to Valerie Plante, and Justine McIntyre, Co-Founder of Civica Strategies and former city councillor.
Duration:00:23:58
Is the Canadian government coming after your digital privacy? Plus: The backlash against AI arrives.
5/18/2026
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 Tasha Kheiriddin, a writer and commentator for the National Post, GZero Media, and Substack on The Big 5.
Duration:00:29:32
A Quebec entrepreneur says he’s getting death threats over wealth taxes. Plus: Is the federal government going to destroy online privacy?
5/15/2026
Elias Makos caps the week off with 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.
Duration:00:25:12
The ban on public prayer faces its first tests. Plus: Did a Quebec lotto winner make the right decision?
5/14/2026
On this edition of the BIG 5, Elias is joined by Caroline Codsi, Founder & Chief Equity Officer at Women in Governance and Paul Gott, Lead singer and guitarist for Montreal Punk Rock band the Ripcordz and a journalism professor at Concordia.
Duration:00:23:19
Are the Feds spying on Paul St-Pierre Plamondon and the PQ? Plus: Dunkin’ Donuts is coming back to Canada.
5/13/2026
On this supersized edition of the BIG 5, Elias is joined by Justine McIntyre, Co-Founder of Civica Strategies and former city councillor and Meeker Guerrier, Commentator at Noovo and RDS,
Duration:00:35:36
Turns out pothole city doesn’t have any pothole-filling machines. Plus: Why are Quebecers the happiest people in Canada.
5/12/2026
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 Jonathan Kalles, Vice President at McMillan Vantage, a national public affairs firm, and former advisor to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Duration:00:25:24
Québec Solidaire is coming after you. Plus: Everyone’s jumping on board the Charles Milliard bandwagon.
5/11/2026
Elias starts off the week with Jimmy Zoubris, Montreal businessman, longtime activist and former special advisor to Valerie Plante and Montreal journalist and broadcaster Sue Smith.
Duration:00:25:49
The McGill College Park is put on hold Plus: It took but one MNA to block a plan to redraw Quebec’s electoral map
5/8/2026
Elias Makos caps the week off with Trudie Mason, veteran newscaster at CJAD 800, and Andrew Caddell, columnist for the Hill Times and President of the Task Force on Linguistic policy.
Duration:00:25:52
Toronto plays dirty, pulls the referendum card on Montreal. Plus: Should your child’s school have a fight club?
5/7/2026
Elias Makos welcomes back political analyst Karim Boulos, and Dan Delmar, Co-founder of the content marketing firm TNKR Media and co-host of the podcast Inspiring Entrepreneurs Canada.
Duration:00:24:17
More Quebecers are leaving ERs without seeing a doctor. Plus: Is it OK to use A.I. to change how customer service agents sound?
5/6/2026
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.
Duration:00:24:47
Premier Frechette’s first order of business? Making Charles Milliard look bad. Plus: Québec solidaire wants non-profit grocery stores.
5/5/2026
Elias Makos is joined by Justine McIntyre, Co-Founder of Civica Strategies and former city councillor, and Raphaël Melançon, political analyst for CTV Montreal and CJAD 800, and columnist for the Montreal Gazette.
Duration:00:31:39
Activists rob Montreal grocery stores and bakeries once again. Plus: Outrage over a mock execution during a Workers' Day protest.
5/4/2026
Elias Makos kicks the week off with 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.
Duration:00:02:55
Should you clean up Montreal’s sidewalks? Plus: Canada is making refugees pay for healthcare.
5/1/2026
Elias Makos is joined 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 Victor Henriquez, Public affairs and crisis management specialist at Public Strategy and Conseil.
Duration:00:24:42
The price of dignity in Quebec hits $88K. Plus: Are Canada’s airports going to be privatized
4/30/2026
Joining us on The Big Five: Caroline Codsi, Founder & Chief Equity Officer, Women in Governance, and Sue Smith is a Montreal journalist and broadcaster. The topics of the day include the 'price of dignity' in Quebec and how much money families need to live comfortably, plus the federal government is opening the door to a major shakeup in how airports are run.
Duration:00:23:23
Canada’s fastest-growing program is interest on debt. Plus: The one guy that took all of Quebec’s family doctor appointments
4/29/2026
Joining Elias on The Big 5 were 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, and columnist for the Montreal Gazette.
Among the topics discussed were
n yesterday’s spring economic update…A second Quebec furniture manufacturing is closing down and laying off dozens of workers in the span of 24 hours.One Quebecer has seen a family doctor 362 times in 2024.SecondStreet.orgAn independent bookstore in Quebec City is facing threats of boycott for hosting the launch of Éric Duhaime's latest book last week
Duration:00:24:09