Storylines

4.9 (35)
SOCIETY & CULTURE
UPDATED BIWEEKLY

Skip the headline and immerse yourself in an unforgettable story, with audio documentaries that take you into someone else’s world. From a mother who hires a private eye to track down her kid’s drug dealer to a rogue grizzly bear that divides a tiny island, we go deep on the stories you’ll keep thinking about. Every week, our award-winning team of producers brings you true stories about real people.

3D AGO

Raked over the coals: Mixing politics & music

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.

27 min
MAR 27

Cuba is in crisis, is Canada doing enough?

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?

27 min
MAR 20

The growing risk of tornadoes in Canada

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?

25 min
MAR 13

Why is a B.C. land claim such a big deal?

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.

27 min
MAR 6

Why did it feel like King Kong shook this plane?

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.

24 min
FEB 27

Brain disease mimics mental disorder, woman almost dies

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.

27 min
FEB 20

Is Cohousing the life hack you're looking for?

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.

28 min
FEB 13

Stop Killing Us: Iranian Canadians speak out

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.

26 min

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TRAILER

Introducing: Storylines

Introducing Storylines, a weekly documentary show for people who love narrative podcasts. 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 though 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.

09/05/2023

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2 min

Helena does not want kids. Her husband believes she’ll change her mind—she has so much love to give, she would be a perfect mother. That will never happen, she tells him. Again. And again. Until one day, he leaves. In the silence, doubt starts rushing in. So she asks her close friends, her mother, her sister, even a perfect stranger—did she make the right decision? What is the purpose of life? Center your pleasure, says one friend. Go for adventure, says another, and isn’t parenthood the biggest adventure of all? Be true to yourself, says a father who regrets his decision. But the voice she needs to hear is her own. Get lost in someone else’s life. From a mysterious childhood spent on the run, to a courageous escape from domestic violence, each season of Personally invites you to explore the human experience in all its complexity, one story — or season — at a time. This is what it sounds like to be human. Hear episodes early and ad-free on CBC Stories Premium on Apple Podcasts. Season 1 | Run, Hide, Repeat: a story of a childhood spent on the run. Season 2 | Welcome to Paradise: a courageous escape from domestic violence. Season 3 | Short Sighted: an attempt to explain what vision loss feels like by exploring how it sounds. Season 4 | Sorry About The Kid: an emotional, deeply personal meditation on the loss of a sibling. Season 5 | Toy Soldier: The unbelievable story of a Jewish boy amongst Nazis. Season 6 | Forever is a Long Time: Every living member of Ian Coss' family who has been married has gotten divorced. Can his marriage end differently? Season 7 | NO: Kaitlin Prest found herself wondering if the world forgot the lessons that shook 2017. Season 8 | Resurrection: The story of Dane Stewart, a Canadian playwright, and what he did with a cache of love letters by a playwright named Daryl Allen, who died in 1991 from HIV/AIDS.

4.1 (411)

DOCUMENTARY
For years, players have been too afraid to talk about it. But now, the truth about a broom that almost destroyed curling is finally coming out. Over the course of six episodes, semi-professional curler and fully professional comedian John Cullen (Blocked Party) is exposing the unbelievable, never-before-told scandal that rocked the sport of curling. Yes, curling.

4.7 (207)

COMEDY
Normally, therapy sessions are totally confidential — but this podcast opens the doors. In this season of Other People’s Problems, Dr. Hillary McBride explores the transformative power of psychedelics in a therapeutic setting. With her psychological expertise, Dr. Hillary leads her clients through drug-assisted therapy, guiding them to new heights on their healing journeys. Experience these real, unscripted sessions firsthand as they unfold in each episode. This season offers an unprecedented look at psychedelic psychotherapy, breaking new ground in the podcast space and demystifying this often misunderstood practice as a powerful tool in trauma recovery. Season 5 of Other People’s Problems will be available everywhere on May 12, 2025. Hear episodes early and ad-free on CBC Stories Premium.

4.7 (768)

SOCIETY & CULTURE
Who gets to compete? Since the beginning of women’s sports, there has been a struggle over who qualifies for the women’s category. Tested follows the unfolding story of elite female runners who have been told they can no longer race as women, because of their biology. As the Olympics approach, they face hard choices: take drugs to lower their natural testosterone levels, give up their sport entirely, or fight. To understand how we got here, Host Rose Eveleth (they/them) traces the surprising, 100-year history of sex testing.

4.5 (271)

SPORTS
Celebrate the beauty and messiness of human connection. Real stories of real, complicated relationships. How does it feel when your dead mom’s Italian ex-lover won’t stop writing you? Or when you try to connect with your queer identity by... doing drag as your grandpa? Award-winning documentary storytelling that cuts right to the heart. Season 4 coming October 6. Hosted by Lu Olkowski. Produced by Mira Burt-Wintonick and Cristal Duhaime. Have feedback or questions about the show? Reach us at: loveme@cbc.ca

4.5 (744)

SOCIETY & CULTURE
If you’ve ever been to Newfoundland, you know it’s a place where fog can envelop you so deeply, you don’t know where you’re going or where you came from. When two men, born in the same rural Newfoundland hospital on the same day, discover an unbelievable 52-year-old secret, it changes the way they see themselves forever. But this isn’t the end of the story. Because it turns out these men are not alone. A series of other close calls and near misses have begun to emerge, and not only at Come by Chance hospital. Come By Chance is a story about what it means to belong in a family — and how a twist of fate can upend the life you thought you knew. Hosted by Luke Quinton. Seven episodes releasing Tuesday, June 4, 2024.

4.7 (164)

SOCIETY & CULTURE

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4.9

out of 5

35 Ratings

Habitual listener

11/06/2023

P H Thomas

The team covers tons of stories that I never would have come across otherwise. It helps give me a more nuanced and comprehensive picture of Canada. Always insightful, engaging, and thought provoking. Love this new iteration of the project.
Princess Delta Dawn

06/13/2021

jashinato17

Loved the Princess Delta Dawn episode. Such a great story of a woman finding her indigeneity through wrestling. She was a very descriptive storyteller, so well reported.
Stellar Stories

12/23/2019

flugeng

Great podcast for unique stories.
Do ya have a half hour for a great story

06/19/2019

Boom360$

Then look no further, this is such a great podcast , a new heart warming or knowledge bringing story every week. Subscribe and download, you’ll never regret it

Skip the headline and immerse yourself in an unforgettable story, with audio documentaries that take you into someone else’s world. From a mother who hires a private eye to track down her kid’s drug dealer to a rogue grizzly bear that divides a tiny island, we go deep on the stories you’ll keep thinking about. Every week, our award-winning team of producers brings you true stories about real people.