Atlantic Voice is the home of east coast documentary storytelling. Settle in for thoughtful radio docs and interviews that dive deep into the people of Atlantic Canada and what they're up to.
Sure, it was short lived, expensive, and (to some) a failure... but the Bricklin, New Brunswick's 1970s sportscar venture, still fascinates today. Proud Bricklin owners from around the world gathered in Saint John last summer to mark the car's 50th anniversary, and CBC Producer Myfanwy Davies tagged along. This documentary won gold at the 2025 Atlantic Journalism Awards, and first aired in 2024.
From nurturing baby seaweed in a garage, to serving up it for supper: there's a world of possibilities growing around kelp in Nova Scotia. Producer Moira Donovan dives into the fledgling industry that could support a new wave of people making a living from the sea, even as the climate changes. This documentary first aired in 2023.
Get a glimpse into the sacred tradition of sweat ceremonies, through the knowledge and experience of two elders on Lennox Island First Nation. From grandfather stones to spiritual connections, the CBC's Laura Meader brings us to a backyard sweat lodge in this documentary, first aired in the fall of 2024. This story touches upon residential and day schools, so please take care while listening. A 24/7 support line is available for survivors, and anyone affected by residential schools: 1-866-925-44...
There's small, and then there's McCallum. (Population: 20 or so). There's one teacher at the school, and one student - who's just about to graduate. Producer Caroline Hillier takes us to this isolated Newfoundland community to find out what comes next, in her documentary.
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...
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 languag...
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 C...
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.
