Storylines

Booze costs Canadian society an estimated $20 billion a year. It causes far more harm overall than any other drug in the country including tobacco and opioids. Every day, nine people die in Canadian hospitals from damage caused by alcohol. So, doctors and advocates are questioning why more isn’t being done to help people who are suffering. People like Jordan Kawchuk who shares his very personal struggle in Liz Hoath’s documentary, Nothing Else Matters.

Grey whales on the West Coast of North America are in trouble. They’re skinny, starving and dying. Their numbers dropped from an estimated 26,000 to roughly 12,000 in just under a decade. Scientists blame climate change. Twelve dead whales have been discovered already this year in BC. Laura Lynch’s documentary explores what’s happening to the whales.

On the evening of August 7th - a forest fire northwest of Summerland, BC spread at an alarming speed. The entire district of Summerland appeared to be in its path. Suddenly, air raid sirens blare into the darkness. Twenty-thousand people are forced to flee their homes - some driving through flames and thick smoke. Sarah Penton brings us this documentary about the terror of that night - and what is being done to guard against it happening again.

Competitive cycling is a dangerous sport. Crashes are common. Even deadly. Just this year, at least 11 riders have died during races or training rides. The end of September was a big week for elite cycling in Canada, with Montreal hosting the road world championships. Competitors were laser focused on two things: having the races of their lives, and not getting hurt. At a time when the sport is getting faster and faster … the winner of the Tour de France now averages about 42 kilometres per hour over the entire race … some competitive cyclists say there is an urgent need to better protect riders. John Chipman investigates the problem, and the legacy of one crash in particular.

You can hear a pin drop inside a grade four class in Gimli, Manitoba. Kids racing to fill in as many math answers as they can. It’s something they do most days in this class - part of a style of teaching math that’s new to this school. A math teaching strategy that’s trying to rectify some really low test results in the district. Staff say it’s working. Big time. But as Julia Pagel discovered, how math is taught can be surprisingly controversial. And with math scores on a downward slide for the past two decades, many across the country, and around the world, are determined that we finally get it right.

CFB Gagetown is known as the "Home of the Army" because nearly every Canadian soldier passes through for training. But some veterans say their time at Gagetown led to long-lasting illnesses from toxic chemicals sprayed there decades ago. And yet Gagetown has never been more important to Canada’s military future. This year, Ottawa announced more than a billion dollars to modernize the base. Andrea Hoang visited Gagetown in May to examine how this legacy still touches lives today, and why some veterans feel the government is investing in the future without reckoning with the past.

The stench in St. Mary’s, Newfoundland gets so bad sometimes, it can take your breath away. The culprit? More than 100 giant, leaking vats of fermenting capelin in an old abandoned fish sauce plant, right in the centre of town. For years, residents pleaded for help to clear the vats out. But it took an unexpected turn to finally get some relief. When CBC’s Mary Catherine McIntosh went to St. Mary’s, she found a town fighting a 25-year stench - and then tracked down the man who caused it.

Storylines brings you beyond the headlines and deep into someone else's world. And, we’re about to launch a whole new season! Where you'll meet people who are trying to create change, struggling through challenges they’d never thought they’d have to face, and describing conundrums you can hardly imagine. Subscribe now, so you don’t miss an episode.

For Daniel Mergler, music was one of the true joys in life. He taught children to play piano for 50 years, and took his job very seriously. So when 9 year old Zin Ben showed special talent, a shot of excitement went through the aging teacher. This talent needed to be cultivated. Care must be taken. But, when Mr. Mergler was given a palliative diagnosis after his colon cancer spread, he found that it was now Zin Ben’s turn to offer him some care and comfort. From our special summer archival doc series - this is David Gutnick’s doc from 2003 Beethoven's Bust

When Jillian Hadley burst from her home, she was clutching her baby, and she was naked. She was screaming for help, trying to escape the grip of a man. The man was her estranged husband. He was under a court order to stay away from her. A few brave neighbours tried to help the woman, but on that Tuesday 26 years ago, 34-year-old Ralph Hadley shot and killed Jillian Hadley and then killed himself. In 2001 Karen Levine set out to talk to those neighbours. For our special archival doc summer series, This is her Peabody award winning documentary … 'A Murder in the Neighborhood.'

It has been more than 30 years since the Siege of Sarajevo in Bosnia began. As the former Yugoslavia was falling Serb forces surrounded the city of Sarajevo, and bombarded the city daily. For nearly four years mortars and snipers gradually reduced the capital to ruin and its citizens to despair. It's believed nearly 12,000 people were killed and many were children. Lara Obrien traveled to Sarajevo in 2012 and became fascinated with some of the stories of survival during the siege and particularly how music became a lifeline. From our special summer archival doc series, this is Lara Obrien’s documentary, The Art of War

In October of 1984, a plane crash in northern Alberta led the newscasts. The leader of the Province’s New Democratic Party – Grant Notley - died in the accident along with five others. Four more had survived, but spent a cold, desperate night waiting to be rescued. They had little in common besides the fact that they lived when others did not. The then provincial housing minister, Larry Shaben was one of those survivors. His daughter, Carol Shaben, wrote a book about the experience called Into the Abyss. It traces how the crash shaped the lives of those four men. In 2012 CBC’s Liz Hoath spoke to the author and to the two remaining survivors for her documentary. For our special summer archival doc series here is - The Wreckage of Flight 402

Mother Antonia lived in a prison, but she had not committed a crime. The Catholic nun chose to live inside the walls of a notorious Tijuana prison voluntarily. It’s something she did for decades. She believed everyone deserved to be loved. And her presence there made her a legend. From our special archival doc summer series, this is Joan Webber’s 2007 doc - Faith Inside the Walls.

When Kevin Hollinsky and his two friends got in the car that night, they had the music turned up. They were normal teenagers, coming home from a night out drinking. But when Kevin took a corner too fast, his entire world changed. He killed his friends Joe Camlis and Andrew Thompson. Kevin survived. Kevin Hollinsky was convicted of dangerous driving that caused the death of two of his passengers. The expectation of some in 1995 was that he would do time for the crime. But instead the young man from Windsor Ontario received a sentence which some thought revolutionary. He was given an alternative sentence of community service. A sentence, which proved anything but lenient. From our special archival doc summer series, this is Bob Carty’s Peabody award winning documentary Kevin’s Sentence

In 2010, producer David Gutnick travelled to Haiti soon after the devastating earthquake there. Embedding with a local family, he slept on the ground alongside hundreds of thousands of others, now homeless after the earthquake. The 7.3 magnitude earthquake killed more than 220,000 and some 300,000 were injured. Those survivors were left eking out survival in their already impoverished and insecure nation. David spent a day and a night living with The Merisier family, Nadine, her husband Madsen, their five children, a son and daughter-in-law, and two grandchildren. From our special summer archival doc series, this is 24 in Delmas 56

When Thelon Oeming first met Vern Nash, he was yelling in the street. Thelon had just moved into a new apartment in Toronto, and he decides he wants to get to know his new neighbour. As they talk, Thelon realizes Vern has voices in his head, but that he also can play the accordion. Very well. From our special archival doc summer series this is Who is Vern Nash, produced by Thelon Oeming and Steve Wadhams

When Trina Benedict tucked her 6 year old into the bunk on the Queen of the North ferry that evening in 2006, she had no idea what nightmare was about to unfold. Just a few hours later, they’d be running for their lives from the ship, as it slowly sank into the cold ocean water. It’s 20 years since that ferry sank off the coast of British Columbia. 101 passengers were onboard. Two - Gerald Foizy and Shirley Rosette - were never found, and are presumed dead. Betsy Trumpener's award-winning documentary weaves together chilling SOS calls and Trina’s harrowing first person account. From our special archival doc summer series - This is Still at Sea.

Starting next week we’re sharing some of the best of CBC’s audio documentary history. Shocking, funny, beautiful stories that we’re so excited to bring into your podcast feed. Here at the doc unit we LOVE long form audio, and we know how powerful these stories can be. And at CBC, we have a long, award winning history of audio documentaries. But many of those stories aren't available on the internet. They are carefully stored away in our CBC archives , which isn’t accessible to the public. So, we thought it would be neat to dig out some of our all time favourite documentaries from CBC radio for a special summer podcast series. So, hit subscribe now so you don’t miss an episode of this special series from Storylines !

Alan is an entrepreneur of sorts. Ten years into a public health emergency in British Columbia, most deaths from toxic drugs are happening behind closed doors. Men at home alone. This is where Alan comes in. For a fee, he injects users with their drugs and watches them for signs of an overdose. To those who employ him, he’s known as “The Doctor,” but he’s not a physician and his work is illegal.

Sharlene Rochard was 16 when she left Ontario for the bright lights of New York City and Los Angeles to pursue a modelling career. She was booking multiple jobs a week and starting to make a go of it when she met Jeffrey Epstein. For decades she stayed quiet about what happened to her — but now she’s speaking up. She’s testifying at committees and knocking on politicians’ doors, demanding justice for her and the women she calls her survivor sisters. She’s the only Canadian to come forward but has joined dozens of other women on the campaign to hold the powerful accountable for what happened to them.

The milkman model is simple. Bottles are filled, dropped off, emptied and picked up over and over again. That system got a Canadian entrepreneur thinking. In this day and age of mountains of plastic waste — why not re-use containers? His system, called Loop, was launched in 2019 at Davos Switzerland — to great fanfare. Environmentalists welcomed it and big corporations signed on to be part of the re-use movement. This documentary explores what happened to that grand plan and why North American consumers and companies aren’t ready for a 21st century milkman model.

When Loretta Zaluski found the skeleton of a dead horse near her home she was a little scared, and worried. But she wasn’t as confused as some might be. She knows some people in the Yukon aren't pleased with her, so Loretta believes someone deposited these horse remains to make a point Loretta is part of a group called The Yukon Wild Horse Society, which is deeply concerned about the wellbeing of what they call “wild horses” that roam the wild spaces of the Yukon. But some in the Yukon haven't been enjoying their tactics to protect the feral animals, and wonder if this group of horse enthusiasts wandering the Yukon wilderness are more in need of management than the horses. Andrew Hynes tries to get to the bottom of just who, or what, might be responsible for this horse death, and how it came to be that the Yukon Wild Horse Society feels they MUST look out for Yukon's wild horses, because they believe no one else will.

Backcountry skier Hannah Hughes realized she couldn’t fight the wall of snow when it hit her. She survived but the experience has her rethinking her relationship with risk, and she isn’t alone. The 2025-2026 ski season has been a brutal year for avalanche-related deaths in many parts of the world. Some scientists say climate change is now one more factor to consider when heading out into the backcountry. Molly Segal explores how climate is colliding with the increasingly popular sport of backcountry skiing.

Online sports betting and casino games in Canada generated $12.5 billion in revenue last year. But more than half that money ends up offshore, where there are no Canadian taxes, and little to no consumer protections. That's why the province of Ontario opened up its online gambling market to private operators four years ago, and why Alberta is following suit later this year. But for a small but growing number of people, all this gambling has led to financial hardship... or worse. A recent study suggests the rate of young men contacting Ontario's mental health helpline for gambling-related problems has increased by more than 300 per cent. In this documentary, John Chipman explores the true cost of the rise in online gambling.

Sarah Essiambre was determined to give birth to her third baby at home. But, she said doctors told her she’d never have a vaginal birth after her first C-section. She decided to ignore their advice and instead went online to get information. She’s not alone. Doctors and midwives are reporting an increased interest in giving birth with little to no medical help at all. Some even choose freebirth which means there are no prenatal tests or licensed practitioners at the birth. But doctors say giving birth alone is like flying a plane after reading a manual and warn it’s a terrible idea.

For five months, people pushing for Alberta separatism have been travelling the province gathering signatures. Now it’s up to the province and the courts to decide if there will be a referendum on separation in the fall. This documentary explores why people want to leave, what they think they’ll get out of it, and why many are pushing back.

Some people struggling with opioid addiction are turning to a powerful psychedelic called ibogaine. The drug is derived from the bark of an African rainforest shrub, and its proponents believe it sends people on a transformative journey that can free them from addiction. In countries like Mexico, ibogaine use is unregulated, so resort-like clinics are offering what they consider treatment for addiction, by sending people on powerful psychedelic trips. Some say the drug has changed their lives but there have also been tragic consequences, like the Canadian man who died on an ibogaine trip in South Africa.

Have you ever sat staring at your screen wondering – swipe left or right? If so, you’re in the company of millions of people who use online dating apps like Tinder, Bumble and Hinge. But since their peak in popularity during Covid, a growing number of Gen Z and millennials are beginning to turn away from the apps. According to a Forbes Health survey in 2025, 78 per cent of users were feeling emotionally, mentally or physically exhausted by dating apps at least some of the time. So now, some daters are choosing to go old school, and meeting people in person.

Being diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis – or ALS – is a death sentence. There are about 3,000 ALS patients in Canada at any one time, and every year, 1,000 more Canadians are diagnosed. About 1,000 people die from the condition every year. In Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan there is a scientist who claims to have discovered the secret to stopping the disease in its tracks, and setting sufferers on a path to recovery. His claims have attracted both the attention of desperate patients — and the scrutiny of government regulators. In this documentary, senior investigative reporter Geoff Leo uncovers the financial, physical and emotional lengths ALS patients are willing to go to, for hope.

Country star Corb Lund spent decades building a musical career without wading into politics. But when a longstanding coal policy was reversed in Alberta in 2020, the musician put his career second to lead a fight to keep coal mining exploration and development out of Alberta’s Rocky Mountains. Years into being the voice of the issue, Corb opens up about the toll it has taken on him personally, from his music to his wellbeing. Producer Molly Segal visited him in southern Alberta to find out why he keeps pushing himself further into the spotlight.

Eddy Garcia never thought his family would leave their homeland. But after months of no work, school closures, and skyrocketing food prices, he and his wife and kids made the excruciating decision to leave their life in Cuba and move to the Dominican Republic. Eddy drove a cab for tourists in Cuba, but he also helped deliver aid for a Canadian charity called Together for Cuba. A charity solely run by Jennifer Raymer. She has been sending medical aid to the country for years. It’s grassroots aid, which has become essential for many medical facilities across the country. Many Canadians and Cubans have deep ties going back to post revolutionary Cuba. That long-standing relationship has some asking: is the Canadian government doing enough to help Cubans in crisis?

It was a late summer evening when James Blacksmith was travelling along a prairie highway. The Manitoba man saw nothing out of the ordinary, save for a black cloud right above him. Suddenly, a massive wind kicked up and he was forced to pull off the road. Then a tornado struck. What follows is a story of survival and discovery. And while scientists aren’t sure yet what role climate change plays when it comes to tornados - they are observing changes. In Canada, researchers say these shifts, along with a growing population, are making people more vulnerable. Leading some to ask: is the country doing enough to warn Canadians of the risks?

People in B.C. were caught by surprise when, in August 2025, a Supreme Court declared Aboriginal title on some privately held land, not far outside Metro Vancouver. Incredibly, most of the people that live inside the claim area weren’t told about the unprecedented case, until the decision came out. In this documentary, the CBC’s Georgie Smyth tells the stories of the Canadians tangled together by history, who now find themselves fighting for the same thing.

It’s the summer of 2019, and a flight bound for Australia has just experienced some extreme turbulence. One passenger thought the plane was going down, another said it felt like King Kong grabbed the plane and shook it. Their plane recovered, and those with injuries were taken to hospital. When the incident was analyzed, a representative from Air Canada said the terrifying moment was a result of clear air turbulence. A form of Turbulence that is on the rise because of climate change. Julia Pagel tells us why that is, and what, if anything, can be done about it.

When Dr. Jadah Johnson first met Nora Scott, she thought she was going to die. The woman from High River, Alberta was a patient at the psychiatric unit where the young psychiatrist worked. Four years earlier, Nora had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. She recovered, but had now relapsed. Her family described all the expected symptoms: depression, mania, psychosis. But the diagnosis didn’t sit right with Dr. Johnson because Nora had other non-psychiatric symptoms too. The psychiatrist believed Nora had a rare autoimmune condition attacking her brain that was mimicking a mental disorder. Dr. Johnson’s colleagues told her repeatedly that she was wrong, but she wouldn’t let it go. In the end, she was right. In this documentary, CBC producer John Chipman visits an Alberta family whose life was turned upside down by a rare medical condition that’s challenging psychiatrists the world over.

Rachel Collishaw is looking for a better way to live. She wants more connection, strong community, and support as she ages. She found a group in Ottawa wanting the same thing, and the excitement is palpable. They want to build something called Cohousing, where homes get built with the intention of spending more time with your neighbours, sharing meals, and support for young and old. As Julia Pagel follows the group, she hears stories of how cohousing can mean beautiful mountain homes with children running freely, but also stories of community tension, money lost, and for Rachel a price tag that might be too high to manage.

Leila Afshari’s brother went missing in January when he joined protestors filling the streets of Iran. They were calling for regime change but instead were met with bullets. Thousands were killed and many more arrested. The internet was shut down and Iranian Canadians were left in the dark, not knowing what had happened to their loved ones. This documentary traces their efforts to search for the truth of what is going on in Iran.

As rat populations spike across North America, scientists search for new ways to curb the critters. It’s a pressing task, as scientists warn climate change is contributing to a perfect storm of rat-friendly conditions. And there’s a lot at stake. One rat expert calls them klepto parasites because they steal from us. Our health, our safety and our peace of mind. It’s why in an alleyway in Chicago, an experiment led by a Canadian scientist is looking at an innovative way to reduce rat numbers using birth control.

A nine-year-old Haitian girl just wants to go to school, but her family is too scared to let her outside. They haven’t left the house in a while, fearing one of them will be detained by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers currently patrolling the streets of Minneapolis-St.Paul. In fact, the family is so worried they’re hiding at a fellow Haitian’s home in the Twin Cities. An act of “humanity”, according to their host, in the face of so much fear. People in Minneapolis-St. Paul are gathering food, standing in the streets, patrolling their neighborhoods, to protect their neighbours from the threat of being detained. Julia Pagel and Alison Masemann wondered what this moment feels like for the residents of these cities. These are the stories they found.

You run. We will Shoot. And if you survive you can go. That’s what women were told by fighters in Sudan. They ran and somehow made it to a refugee camp in neighbouring Chad. There are about a million people from Sudan now in Chad, who escaped a brutal civil war that has raged for almost three years. Humanitarian groups are struggling to provide shelter, food and water while the world mostly looks away from what’s being called the world’s worst humanitarian disaster. In this documentary, Surviving Sudan, journalist and filmmaker Michelle Shephard shares the stories of some of the people who made it out.

Inmates recall seeing feces on the walls and using tampons for earplugs to drown out the constant screaming of other prisoners. Today in Ontario, thousands more people are behind bars than just a few years ago. But the number of cells remains the same. Reports of violence, lockdowns and inadequate healthcare are on the rise. Most inmates haven’t been tried yet and this is all happening while federal and provincial politicians debate new bail reform bills — legislation that could lead to even more accused people being incarcerated. Julie Ireton brings us this documentary called “Catch 22”

Laura and Nick Bordignon fell in love with their daughter before she was born. They named her Makayla. They decorated her nursery. Nick snuggled up to Laura's stomach and read to her at night. But seven months into the pregnancy Laura stopped feeling Makayla's movements, and doctors confirmed the worst. Makayla is one of about 3-thousand stillborn babies delivered every year in Canada. And despite the devastation that comes with that experience – stillbirth is seldom talked about. For many it’s still taboo. This is one family's story of confronting that taboo and advocating for better medical care for those who experience it.

When Arthur Arnold resigned from the Moscow Symphony Orchestra in protest of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, he walked away from one of the world's most prestigious symphony stages. This decision would bring him a world away, to Powell River, British Columbia, a town tucked between the ocean and the mountains with a population of 13,000. This town is at a crossroads. Two years ago, its economic heart, a massive pulp and paper mill, shut down. The plant closure left residents wondering what would come next. But some are hoping that the city’s past could help define its future. There’s a deep history of arts and culture that goes back to the very beginnings of Powell River. And now with people like Arthur Arnold bringing in world class musicians and building an arts hub in town - there’s hope that music could help fill the void left by the loss of the pulp and paper industry. Produced by Liz Hoath and Joan Webber. Storylines is part of the CBC Audio Doc Unit (This episode first aired in September, 2025)

In this episode, we step inside a Toronto classroom where some 30 students from diverse backgrounds lift their voices and sing as part of the University of Toronto’s first-ever Black gospel choir class. Led by Professor Darren Hamiliton, the students, many with no background in gospel music, learn that there is more to this musical tradition than they imagined. In this documentary, Let it Shine, CBC doc producer Alisa Siegel follows these students over the course of the academic year as they discover a deeper understanding of Black musical tradition and its message of faith, freedom and joy. Produced by Alisa Siegel, with thanks to Julia Pagel and Greg Kelly and originally aired on The Current Storylines is part of the CBC Audio Doc Unit (This is a repeat epiosde)

Stephanie Azzarello was dying. To survive, doctors told her she needed to find someone willing to donate part of their liver. Her story went out on social media and late one night, it reached the phone of a nurse and mother in Portland Oregon. There was something about Stephanie’s story that made Trisha Beard want to help. Liz Hoath brings us this story about two women whose lives became intertwined because of an act of generosity. Storylines is part of the CBC Audio Doc Unit (This show first aired in Sept. 2025)

In July 2024, seven fishermen from around New-Wes-Valley, Newfoundland set out on their fishing boat in search of turbot. While at sea that day a fire broke out near the engine room, before long the bunkroom was full of smoke. The seven sailors had no choice but to abandon ship and before long they were sitting in a small life-raft. What followed was a 52-hour ordeal that tested not just their will to survive, but the bonds between them. The situation could not have been more dire, two of the men couldn’t swim, supplies were dwindling and a thick fog hampered rescue efforts. In this documentary, 52 Hours Lost at Sea, find out what it was like to spend more than two days adrift in the North Atlantic. Produced by Mary-Catherine McIntosh and the Audio documentary unit / the doc originally aired on The Current. Storylines is part of the CBC Audio Doc Unit (This show first aired on Feb. 2025)

One Yukon community is fighting back against wildfires with an unlikely weapon —trees. The plan seems counterintuitive, using trees to stop a fire, but Aspens are fire-resistant unlike the flammable trees like spruces and pines found around the city. But growing the almost two million trees to make the firebreak isn’t easy. It’s going to take a lot of hard work and a lot of little seeds. But if it works, it could be a game changer. Storylines is part of the CBC Audio Doc Unit

Complaints are common. Cormorants kill trees. They eat too many fish. Their colonies stink. Warren Hoselton has had enough. After three years of watching his beloved trees around his Ontario home be decimated by cormorant poop, he wants action. The birds have to go. But not everyone has a hate-on for cormorants. Avian ecologists say it's not fair to fault birds for doing what nature designed them to do. The ones living in a park on the edges of Canada’s largest city, reached 20,000 this year, angering locals worried about their impact. In Toronto, they’re trying to relocate them. Elsewhere, hunters shoot them. All across North America cormorants make enemies because of the mess they leave behind. Storylines is part of the CBC Audio Doc Unit

It was supposed to keep Canada together but a massive 1995 rally nearly did the opposite. In 1995, Canada was on the verge of breaking up. The province of Quebec was about to vote on whether to become a sovereign nation. Just days before a referendum on that very question, tens of thousands of Canadians from across the country poured into Montreal. Travelling by planes and trains - they gathered for what would become known as the Unity Rally. Carrying flags, singing the national anthem and declaring their love for Quebec – they pleaded for Quebecers to say “no” they would not leave. Despite this demonstration – many in the Province viewed the gesture as too little too late. 30 years later Francis Plourde looks at the legacy of the love-in, and the historic vote and what it says about Canada today. Storylines is part of the CBC Audio Doc Unit

Russian trucks drive across Canada’s arctic. Foreign ships appear along our northern shores. For decades, it’s fallen on Tuktoyaktuk to be Canada’s watchful eyes in the Arctic. But the recent surge of attention about arctic sovereignty and security from politicians in the south raises a host of concerns for residents. Will promised military funding and federal focus on security solve the local problems of high unemployment and rapidly deteriorating infrastructure? CBC documentary producer Julia Pagel traveled to Tuktoyaktuk to see what this conversation about arctic security looks like on the ground. Storylines is part of the CBC Audio Doc Unit