Storylines

CBC STORIES
Storylines

A weekly documentary show for people who love narrative podcasts. These are stories you can’t stop thinking about. That you’ll tell your friends about. And that will help you understand what’s going on in Canada, and why. Every week a journalist follows one story, meets the people at its centre, and makes it make sense. Sometimes it’s about people living out the headlines in real life. Sometimes it’s about someone you’ve never heard of, living through something you had no idea was happening. Either way, you’ll go somewhere, meet someone, get the context, and learn something new. (Plus it sounds really good. Mixed like a movie.) One story, well told, every week, from the award-winning team at the CBC Audio Doc Unit.

  1. 5 DAYS AGO

    Can solar geoengineering fix the climate?

    In an empty parking lot somewhere in northern California, Andrew Song and Luke Iseman inflate a balloon the size of a small car, full of sulfur dioxide. They will then launch the balloon high up into the stratosphere where it will pop, releasing its sulfur dioxide contents.  Song and Iseman are the co-founders of Make Sunsets, a geoengineering startup that sells cooling credits. For a price, you can purchase a bit of the sulfur dioxide they’re pumping into these balloons and launching into the stratosphere, with the belief it will offset the warming effects of CO2.  Because if you send enough sulfur dioxide into the stratosphere --- we’re talking a million tonnes a year --- it’ll significantly cool our warming planet. But the idea raises scores of complicated scientific and moral dilemmas.  In this documentary, John Chipman goes to California to learn about the potential risks and benefits of solar geoengineering.  Reported and produced by John Chipman, with assistance from Joan Webber and Catherine Rolfsen. Mixed by Michelle Parise . It originally aired on What on Earth.  Storylines is part of the CBC Audio Doc Unit

    27 min

  2. 5 JAN

    Hockey for All

    Despite being our national sport, and that most Canadians agree it should be for everyone, hockey remains surprisingly exclusive, especially when it comes to ice time. For some, the barriers to access the game are significant, and the sport can feel unwelcoming.  In his documentary, “Hockey for All,” CBC journalist Douglas Gelevan uncovers how the complex system of ice time allocation often favours elite male players, while pushing others to the margins.  Reported by Douglas Gelevan and produced by Michelle Parise / originally aired on The Current

    27 min

  3. 28/12/2024

    A Woman of No Consequence

    Sethu Ramaswamy grew up in a cultured Indian family and it rubbed off on her. She loved books and ideas. By the age of 10 Sethu had read all of Charles Dickens’ novels, but her emerging interest in books and ideas would have to be put on hold.  When she was the same age, she was forced to leave school, get married, and become a mother at 15. As an adult, she raised a family and for the most part, lived in the shadow of her husband — who was a successful journalist in India.  But that wasn’t the end of her story. When she was 80-years-old a new chapter in her life opened up. She wrote a book called Autobiography of an Unknown Indian Woman, and it was met with fanfare and acclaim in India. It told the story of a child bride whose husband was both her true love and her captor. On this week’s episode, Sarmish Subramanian brings us the story of her remarkable grandmother.  Produced by Sarmishta Subramanian and story edited by Karen Levine. The doc originally aired on The Sunday Edition in 2009.  Storylines is part of the CBC Audio Doc Unit

    33 min

  4. 20/12/2024

    One Word

    Every day, in Hamburg, Germany, Annette Venebrügge wakes up to a single word emailed from her friend Tina Oehmsen-Clark in Toronto. And every evening, she sends one back. No sentences, no stories — just one carefully chosen word, and always in German. What started as a simple pandemic project between two art school friends has grown into an archive of over 3,000 words. In her documentary "One Word," CBC producer Alisa Siegel explores how this linguistic game has transformed a friendship one word at a time. The game is part time capsule, part diary and part art project. Because as Annette says, each word makes her a witness to her friend's existence. Produced by Alisa Siegel and story edited by Joan Webber / originally aired on The Current.  Storylines is part of the CBC Audio Doc Unit

    26 min

  5. 13/12/2024

    How forced drug treatment works in Washington state and what Canada could learn from it

    In Washington state, a law known as Ricky’s Law, allows authorities to force people with addiction into treatment. The law is named after Ricky Garcia, whose struggles with drugs and alcohol inspired him and his friend Lauren Davis to push for change. From emergency room visits to suicide attempts, Davis watched as Garcia went through more than 75 emergency visits in just two years. Davis helped spearhead the state's involuntary treatment law and later went on to become a state lawmaker. But does forcing someone into treatment actually work? CBC journalist Julia Wong went to Washington state to find out how the law has been working in practice. In her documentary, Ricky's Law, she speaks to doctors and pa tients who've been through this system. It's a timely conversation as provinces in Canada are considering similar laws. Plus, a look at how New Brunswick ended up making a two-seater sports car in the 1970s called the Bricklin SV-1. Reported by Julia Wong. Produced by Kory Siegers and Liz Hoath / Originally aired on The Current. Storylines is part of the CBC Audio Doc Unit

    28 min

  6. 06/12/2024

    The Fake Baby

    They needed certainty. They got chaos. For over a decade, countless people from at least five different countries put their trust in a company offering prenatal paternity tests. It promised clients “99.9% accuracy” — but then routinely, identified the wrong biological fathers. In the six-part investigative podcast Uncover: Bad Results from CBC News, journalists Rachel Houlihan and Jorge Barrera track down the people whose lives were torn apart by these bad results, and reveal the story behind the company that continues to stand by its testing today.   This week on Storylines, the first episode of Uncover: Bad Results.   In 2015, a 20-something American named John learns he might be a father. A prenatal paternity test confirms it, and he quickly pivots from college student to family man. But eight months into the baby’s life, a second test reveals John is not the father, shattering his new reality.  More episodes of Bad Results available at: https://lnk.to/R7TfV6hP  Storylines is part of the CBC Audio Doc Unit

    30 min

  7. 30/11/2024

    Land of Promise

    On this week’s show, an investigation into land, money and power that has gripped the Piapot First Nation in Saskatchewan. For decades, a small group of band members has been leasing huge swaths of land owned by the community and personally pocketing millions in rental fees  When a new band council decided to fix the issue, there was a pushback that included threats and confrontations with farmers.  In his documentary, Land of Promise, investigative journalist Geoff Leo traces this complex story back to 1992. That’s when federal and provincial governments laid the groundwork for this situation with a land deal they thought would correct an injustice done to First Nations — which lead instead to accusations of injustice amongst band members themselves. Reported by Geoff Leo, produced by Joan Webber and story edited by Liz Hoath. The documentary originally aired on The Current.  Storylines is part of the CBC Audio Doc Unit

    22 min

  8. 22/11/2024

    The story of Vince Carter

    This week on Storylines, the story of Vince Carter, the Toronto Raptors legend who transformed basketball in Canada. From the high of “Vinsanity” to the low of his bitter departure from The Raptors, Carter’s career left a permanent mark on Canadian sports fans.  Carter’s story is told by Adrian Ma, a Toronto journalist and professor. As a kid growing up in Ancaster, Ontario, Adrian spent hours shooting hoops at the local schoolyard imagining he was Carter. Speaking with fans, former players and cultural commentators, Ma revisits the rise of the Toronto Raptors and how Carter inspired a new generation of Canadian basketball fans.  Reported and produced by Adrian Ma and edited and mixed by Michelle Parise. This documentary originally aired on The Sunday Magazine. Storylines is part of the CBC Audio Doc Unit

    27 min
See All (179)

Trailer

About

A weekly documentary show for people who love narrative podcasts. These are stories you can’t stop thinking about. That you’ll tell your friends about. And that will help you understand what’s going on in Canada, and why. Every week a journalist follows one story, meets the people at its centre, and makes it make sense. Sometimes it’s about people living out the headlines in real life. Sometimes it’s about someone you’ve never heard of, living through something you had no idea was happening. Either way, you’ll go somewhere, meet someone, get the context, and learn something new. (Plus it sounds really good. Mixed like a movie.) One story, well told, every week, from the award-winning team at the CBC Audio Doc Unit.

Information

  • Channel
    CBC STORIES
  • Creator
    CBC
  • Years Active
    2015 - 2025
  • Episodes
    179
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    Copyright © CBC 2025
  • Show Website
    Storylines
  • Provider

    Canadian Broadcasting Corporation has identified itself as a trader for this podcast and confirmed that this product or service complies with European Union law. Address 181 Queen St Ottawa Ontario K1P 1K9 Canada Phone Number +1 8663064636 Email podcasting@cbc.ca

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