Atlantic Voice

In 2023, the Titan submersible implosion grabbed the world's attention. But there's another side to the story you might not know about: How the family of two of the victims found solace with the St. John's Muslim community, and ended up making a generous, and much needed, gift. That's all in The Best of Planners, a documentary from Caroline Hillier.

When a small church lost its minister, its churchgoers decided to do the job themselves. Meet the 5 lay ministers in Freshwater, Newfoundland: they're keeping their church alive, even if it's not exactly the way head office would go about it. Freshwater, United first aired in 2023, and won top honours at the Wilbur Awards in 2024, for religious issues covered by secular media.

When Grace Annie Lockhart graduated Mount Allison University, she wasn't allowed a cap and gown. Why? Well, she was the first woman to ever graduate university in the British commonwealth, and "I suspect that they just did not know what to do," says archivist David Mawhinney. 150 years later, Grace isn't well known, and David and others hope to change that. A documentary from the CBC's Mariam Mesbah.

Halifax's Meaghan Smith had a hit album, a Juno, and the promise of bright things to come - until she gave birth, and it all fell apart. She's not the only musician trying to maintain her career with parenthood pressures - and finding different paths forward. Follow her, Jill Barber, and more in this documentary from Carsten Knox.

10 p.m., Oct. 8, 1986: Sarah Sherman still remembers the exact date and time she met her first husband. The years after, though, involved horrific abuse and tragedy. But from her darkest moments, Sarah has emerged as a survivor, creating change in New Brunswick's health care system. As a note: this documentary contains graphic depictions of intimate partner violence, so listen with care. This story was produced by Robert Gow, with co-production from Robyn Abbott and sound from Chantal Jansen Van Rensberg.If you or someone you know is experiencing intimate partner violence in Atlantic Canada, there is help out there, and one way is through provincial helplines. In Newfoundland and Labrador you can call or text 1-888-709-7090, in PEI you can call 1-800-240-9894, and in the Nova Scotia and New Brunswick you can call or text the provincial crisis lines at 211.

Hop on a spring snowmobile ride for an immersive journey through life on the northern coast of Labrador: time at the cabin, throat singers, and kids messing around, building a fire. Our tour guide in and out of the community of Rigolet, in Nunatsiavut, is CBC Labrador's John Gaudi. His documentary is called The Lure of the Land.

For 16 days, Lisa Johnson endured what's known as a "dry cell" in a Nova Scotia prison. Solitary confinement, with no working toilet, in conditions some liken to torture. This episode first aired in 2021, and Lisa's legal battle since has led to changes in federal regulations around dry cell use in Canada. We're airing this story again as Lisa prepares for another court date over the dry cell in June, this time with a lawsuit for damages. A note to listeners: this episode features strong language and disturbing details.

Eliza Showell came to Cape Breton to work, at the age of 12. Her family back in England never knew what happened to her until more than a hundred years later, when relatives came looking. Find out the details of Eliza's life in this documentary, just one of the many British Home Children sent to Canada to work in indentured servitude.

A sudden death. An organ donation crossing three countries. Two families, intertwined. That's all in this archival story from the CBC's Myfanwy Davies, an award-winning documentary from 2021..

In less than 48 hours, Esther Aina's friend is getting married. And it isn't just any wedding - it;s maybe the biggest traditional Nigerian ceremony ever held in St. John's. Join in the celebrations, culture, and love story behind the big day in Esther and John Gaudi's documentary, To Grow In Love. This story first aired on Atlantic Voice in 2024.

Step into Christine Wu's kitchen as she takes us through making a classic Chinese dish, Mapo tofu is what the writer calls "poem food," and learning to cook it and other recipes led to her first poetry collection, Familial Hungers. As she chops up garlic and slices silken tofu, Christine guides us from plate to poem in her Halifax-area kitchen.

"My biggest fear is not protest, it's not anger, it's not division - it's apathy." So starts Randy Boyagoda's thoughts on finding common ground to talk to each other in deeply partisan times. Hint: it involves putting aside the smartphone and getting curious about others lives. A talk for everyone wondering where we go from here, and how.Randy is a writer, thinker and advisor for civil discourse at the University of Toronto. This talk was recorded live at the Halifax Central Library, with the CBC's Adam Walsh, as part of the Hear Me Out conversation series.

In the Spotify era, it's hard to grasp that any song is inaccessible. But the Sons of Membertou's iconic debut album is proof. Or it was - until the Smithsonian Institution came along. Wendy Bergfeldt brings us this decades-spanning story of revival, an award-winning documentary that first aired in 2023.

PR - or permanent residency - is something Rupinder Kaur of Charlottetown, and so many other newcomers to Canada, hope for. But after back to back immigration cuts, PEI is no longer as welcoming as it once was. Steve Bruce brings us the story and struggle of people trying to call PEI home.

Rhivu Rashid expected a lonely Ramadan when he first moved to Happy Valley-Goose Bay, a world away from growing up with 32 family members in one house in Bangladesh. To keep himself busy, the host of CBC's Labrador Morning recorded an audio diary — and by the end of the holy month, he found community in a surprising place. This story first aired on Atlantic Voice in May 2024.

Society pushes us to couple up; romcoms double down on that. But what if you put friendship front and centre - even to the point of buying a house with your BFF? Writers and thinkers Rhaina Cohen and francesca ekwuyasi explore those ideas with the CBC's Elamin Abdelmahmoud. This talk was recorded live at the Halifax Central Library as part of the Hear Me Out conversation series, a partnership between CBC Atlantic and the Halifax Public Libraries.

This is the story of a giant squid, 150 years ago, that got its photo taken. It's a strange photo, with an even stranger history to match. The CBC's Mike Rossiter follows the giant squid's mystery from St. John's, to Yale University, to deep below the sea. (And if you want to see the picture at the heart of it all, we recommend Googling "Moses Harvey giant squid.") This story first aired on Atlantic Voice in 2023.

Have you ever considered how weirdly beautiful a blood cell can be? Kim Morgan has. The Halifax-based artist has been working with electron microscope scans of blood cells, belly button lint and more for a decade. She joins us to talk about body particles, the intersection of medicine and art, and how her mother sparked this scientific curiosity. Kim's artwork is on display now at the Confederation Centre of the Arts in Charlottetown.

Some of us curl into balls in the face of confrontation. Others pick a fight. Neither sounds super great for dealing with tough conversations, does it? Irshad Manji has thought a lot about how find common ground in polarized times, and the bestselling author and thinker joins Caroline Hillier on stage at the Halifax Central Library to explain all of that. A talk recorded in March 2024 as part of Hear Me Out, a collaboration between CBC Atlantic and the Halifax Public Libraries.

Ever wanted to walk all the way around PEI? The people you'll meet today have all tackled the 700km Island Walk - and all have personal reasons for this calorie-burning pilgrimage. Producer Laura Meader breaks a (tiny) sweat as she catches up with a few of them in her documentary, 700 Kilometres. This story first aired on Atlantic Voice in December 2023.

Roughly half of the Acadian-Wabanaki forest lies in private hands. Now, some of those woodlot owners are trying to leverage their land to fight climate change - and secure the forests for future generations. A documentary by Moira Donovan.

Would you listen to Bon Jovi as you took your last breath? Everyone has their own idea of what they'd like to hear in their final moments, and Fredericton musician Cat LeBlanc has made a side gig composing those soundtracks. She takes us into this intimate process - one that involves her own story of grief. A documentary produced by Tori Weldon.

As a high school teacher for 30 years, Leo McKay Jr has had a front row seat to how the rise of the internet has affected teenagers. His latest novel takes place in that complicated world, and he joins us to talk about it. Plus: some Halifax teens reveal how much time they spend on their phones... and what they're doing on them.Leo McKay Jr.'s novel is What Comes Echoing Back (Nimbus Press, 2023).

Inuit youth have gathered with researchers in the northern-most Labrador community of Nain for a week-long science camp. Their goal is to understand how climate change is affecting their culture and land, and the find solutions for the future. A documentary by Heidi Atter.

While some members of the Inuit Choir can't speak Inutitut, they can sing in the language. Deantha Edmunds, Canada's first Inuk professional opera singer who leads the choir, has been researching and revitalizing old Moravian Christmas carols in Inutitut. A documentary by Amanda Gear. 

After a fire aboard their boat forced the crew of the Elite Navigator to abandon ship, they floated in a life raft for 2 days. On land, friends and family feared for the worst. But after 52 hours, the crew were found. A documentary by CBC Producer Mary Catherine Macintosh. 

When colourful packages started ending up on the desk of CBC technician/camera person Curtis Hicks, he went on a quest to learn the story of the man behind the packages. During that quest, Curtis found inspiration, friendship and a bit of an untold story about the Newfoundland and Labrador legend, Michael T Wall, known as the Singing Newfoundlander.

Did you know New Brunswick once produced its own sexy sports cars? Sure, the venture was short lived, expensive, and to some, a failure... but as CBC Producer Myfanwy Davies discovers, the story — and the cars — still fascinate today. Proud Bricklin owners from around the world visit New Brunswick to mark 50 years of the Bricklin. 

Not many people can say they've planned and attended their own funeral, but April Hubbard can. The 39-year-old artist and disability advocate hosted her own living funeral — complete with burlesque, drag and comedy — to celebrate with friends and family before she accesses medical assistance in dying. A documentary by Cassidy Chisholm. 

From dropping an 'h' to adding an 's', Newfoundland and Labrador accents are certainly distinct, and while some features of those accents may be in decline, linguist Paul De Decker says younger generations are finding creative ways to keep them alive. An encore presentation of a documentary by Caroline Hillier.

Halifax fashion designer Marie Webb and a team from NSCAD University face their biggest challenge yet — getting a collection ready in time for New York Fashion Week. Webb, who has Down syndrome, is one of the only designers with a disability showing work on the international stage. A documentary by Emma Smith and Dave Irish.

CBC producer Gavin Simms takes us to the southern shore of Newfoundland, where local lore would have you believe there's a ghost around every corner. The Irish Loop has a long, prolific history of mysterious happenings, but none as enduring as the story of three women who died tragically on Hell Hill. Led by curiosity, Gavin goes in search of relatives, strangers and even neighbours to find out what it's like to be haunted, almost a hundred years later.

Barely scraping together a paycheque this season, these fishermen fear for their future fisheries, too. Fishermen say lobster, driven their way due to warming waters caused by climate change, could “save” a way of life, but mismanagement and politics gets in the way.

Sweat ceremonies are a sacred tradition in many indigenous communities, and two elders on Prince Edward Island are sharing the tradition with others. A documentary by Laura Meader. 

When Tanya Joy created the Joy Run 50 in memory of her brother who died by suicide, she didn't realize the run would help her — and others — with their own mental health struggles. Hear emotional stories from the trails in Martin Jones's documentary, Everyday, She Runs.

Not many of us will reach 100 years old, so reporter Jane Sponagle set out to learn as much as she could from a rug-hooking, perm-rocking great grandmother in Nova Scotia's Annapolis Valley.

Not only was Yassir El-Tahan the last person to see a missing man, he actually took him deeper into the woods where he disappeared. The chance encounter El-Tahan had with Jonathan Hannaford has stayed with him for almost a decade. 

When Wayne Hatcher dies, he won't be going in a casket. And he doesn't want you to go in one either. In this encore presentation of a documentary by Caroline Hillier, Wayne Hatcher, owner of Sunrise Interfaith Cemetery in Halifax, explains why he's pushing for more access to green burials in Atlantic Canada.

After receiving a handwritten threat from the Taliban, an interpreter who helped the Canadian military escaped from Afghanistan the day before the country fell. With the help of his former military adviser, he ends up in St. John's. A documentary by Caroline Hillier that first aired in 2021. 

Don Greening took care of his wife when she was experiencing memory loss, and when his daughter received the same diagnosis, he stepped into the role as caregiver once again. A documentary by the CBC's Gavin Simms that originally aired in November of 2015. 

How a shared love of music helped Alla Melnychuk, a Ukrainian refugee, settle and thrive in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. An award winning documentary by Caroline Hillier that originally aired in November 2023.

In this award winning documentary, Erin Moore uses her grandfather's war letters to tell the untold story of the nearly 2000 Canadians who went to Vietnam to observe and safeguard peace accords. Erin's grandfather, Lieutenant Commander Douglas Babineau of Nova Scotia, was one of them.