Atlantic Voice: Recent Episodes
CBC Radio
Atlantic Voice tells stories about issues and people throughout the region. We present documentaries prepared by journalists that take a thoughtful approach to the changes going on in our region. We talk about the things that pull us together as a region - and sometimes tear us apart!
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.
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.
More episodes are available at: https://link.chtbl.com/guyX_5kI
At 30 years old, ballerina Hannah Mae Cruddas has taken her final bow and has retired. Although she will no longer be playing Anne Shirley on stage in Anne of Green Gables: The Ballet, she plans to keep the essence of the iconic fictional character in her life.
Rhivu Rashid, host of CBC’s Labrador Morning, expected a lonely Ramadan — something he was not used to, growing up with 32 family members in the same house. To keep himself busy, he recorded an audio diary — but by the end of the holy month, he found community in a surprising place.
When pro-wrestler Jennifer Crawford (a.k.a. Moon Miss) faces a setback, they’re determined to make a comeback. This doc by Dave Irish and Emma Smith recently won a 2024 Atlantic Journalism Award for Sports Reporting.
Stories of pregnancy, birth, loss and trauma are stitched into a community quilt that celebrates honest and raw perinatal journeys. A documentary by Caroline Hillier, on Carole Rankin and Connecting Threads.
From seeing his daughter take her first breath, to competing in an Ironman race in Sweden, Mike Dawe has experienced many ups and downs in his cancer journey. He focuses on the positive. Listen to Adam Walsh's documentary.
From a sentencing circle to a visiting room in jail, Heidi Atter's documentary tells the story of how Johannes Semigak — who caused the death of his brother — has embarked on a journey to learn about and heal from intergenerational trauma.
When Lan and Phai Nguyen started one of Halifax's first family run nail salons, the nail industry wasn't what it is today, so the business was off to a slow start. But now, nearly 30 years later, after running a successful business, raising four children, and seeing a novel inspired by them published, Lan and Phai are getting ready to retire.
Whether you're a mushroom person or not, mushrooms and fungi are amazing organisms that baffle and wonder even the experts who study them. Lindsay Bird goes on foraging adventures and mushroom tastings in this documentary that celebrates all things mushrooms.
If you think you know all you need to know about Anne, think again. Nicola Macleod, host of Good Question P.E.I., quizzes islanders and finds an Anne expert to answer the question: why is Anne so famous?
For months, the CBC's Taryn Grant visited a tent encampment at Halifax's Grand Parade, meeting Ric Young and other residents there. She follows their stories as they are evicted from the encampment and have to find other places to live.
Baby Christina De La Cruz came to Happy Valley-Goose Bay ten years ago, and has helped build the Filipino community there. Now, as she plans her big 40th birthday party, she's reflecting on her past in the Philippines and on her future in Labrador. A doc by Andrea McGuire.
For first generation Atlantic Canadians, learning heritage languages can be a struggle. For their parents, losing the language can be upsetting. Mariam Mesbah's documentary Speaking of Home.
Many of us live with the climate in mind, but people are dying with the climate in mind, too. Caroline Hillier’s documentary ‘Bury Me Naked’ looks at where green burial cemeteries are — and are not — available in Atlantic Canada.
When you think of farming, you might not think of Catholic nuns — but in Antigonish, N.S., the Sisters of St. Martha are behind a farming mentorship program that allows participants to experience running a farm before owning one. Rose Murphy's doc "Martha's Garden."
For the first time in the seven years she's lived in St. John's, Esther Aina was finally able to see her vibrant culture on full display at her friend's big, traditional Nigerian wedding. Here is Esther Aina's documentary To Grow In Love.
The remains of a black sailor — now known as W.H. — were found on the coast of Labrador in 1987. Now, there’s a renewed interest in finding out who W.H. was and what his presence could signify for Newfoundland and Labrador’s history. A documentary by Alisa Siegel.
Jack Whalen spent nearly two years in solitary confinement as a child. Now, he's fighting for change. Ryan Cooke's documentary follows Jack as pushes Newfoundland and Labrador and New Brunswick to remove the statute of limitations for child abuse.
Fog has shaped culture, history and tragedies in Atlantic Canada. Natalie Dobbin's fascination with fog takes her to Sable Island and then back to her home in Herring Cove in this documentary exploring the science, history and romanticization of fog.
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.
What music would you want to listen to as you're taking your last breath? From ethereal original compositions to Bon Jovi covers, Cat LeBlanc creates music for people to listen to in their final moments. A documentary by Tori Weldon.
When a small church lost its minister, its churchgoers thought: why don't we just do the job ourselves? Meet the 5 lay ministers in Freshwater, Newfoundland, who are keeping their church alive, even if it's not exactly the way head office would go about it.
Take a walk - a really long walk - all the way around PEI, and find out what kinds of people tackle the 700-km Island Walk, and why. Producer Laura Meader meets up with walkers working toward fitness, boosting tourism, and moving through from grief, step by step.
In the age of Spotify, it's hard to believe any music is inaccessible. But the Sons of Membertou's debut album is proof. The iconic collection of Mi'kmaw music has been out of print for decades - until a branch of the Smithsonian Institution came along. Wendy Bergfeldt brings us this decades-spanning story of revival.
One chilly February night in 2017, three parents met up to brainstorm how their teenagers with disabilities could find work after graduation. What followed is a story of perseverance, community... and a good cup of coffee. A documentary by Maeve McFadden that first aired in June, 2023.
With all the hype and/or hope around green hydrogen, we're asking: what's the deal with everyone seeming to want to sell it to Germany? Could we be using it here? A transatlantic talk about the renewable energy industry in its infancy on the east coast.
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. Freelance 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 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.")
"I can't go to the future. It terrifies me. I can't go to the past. I get too sad. And so we have today," says Sheree Fitch. She and husband Gilles Plante have been trying to live in the moment since his Alzheimer's diagnosis in 2017, with joys and lows along the way. Follow their journey in this moving documentary from CBC producer Myfanwy Davies.
Fairies aren't just for little kids. Explore Nova Scotia's fairy beliefs - from Gaelic, Acadian, and Mi'kmaw traditions - and meet the believers, as producer Maryanne McLarty asks: why do so many adults seem to lose the ability to indulge in fairy wonder? An episode first broadcast in the fall of 2022.
Stephen Miller's criminal record runs 8 pages. But his journals are way longer: a writing passion kickstarted in prison, and a passion he's now pursuing as he emerges from addiction in the outside world. An award-winning documentary from 2018, produced by Caroline Hillier.
Newfoundland's Bonavista Peninsula has bet big on arts and culture as a way forward for its rural communities. But what happens when its premiere art festival begins asking tough questions about everything from climate change to colonialism? An encore broadcast featuring the 2021 Bonavista Biennale (the 2023 edition runs from August 19 to Sept 17).
Meet some of the Buddhist nuns who make their home in the eastern corner of PEI. They're often the subject of curiosity, but when they looked to expand their residences - they found confrontation instead. A encore presentation of Janna Graham's intriguing documentary from January.
Arabic-only playdates, Saturday morning Chinese songs: New Canadians face a big parenting challenge of instilling their heritage languages in their children. CBC producer Mariam Mesbah meets some families around Moncton making that happen - and why this is about so much more than grammar. This story first aired in December, 2022.
The hard work of lobster fishing, and the humbling nature of the open ocean. That's a little bit of the inspiration behind Some Hellish, the debut novel from Nicholas Herring of Murray Harbour P.E.I. He joins Atlantic Voice to talk about his book, which took home a $60,000 Writers' Trust prize for fiction in November 2022.
After a rocket attack in Kandahar, army veteran Donna Collins struggled with PTSD. But when Syrian refugees began arriving in Nova Scotia, she found renewed strength and purpose helping them get settled - and one refugee in particular. A story about the surprises of starting over, from producer Moira Donovan that first aired in 2018.
Mary Ann Nui loves visiting her childhood home off the Labrador coast. That home? Davis Inlet, so notorious for the intense poverty that led to the Mushuau Innu being resettled in 2002. Go beyond those headlines and see Davis Inlet through Mary Ann's eyes, as a place where love and hardship intertwine, and where she still goes back to in her dreams. This documentary by John Gaudi won gold at the 2023 Atlantic Journalism Awards, for best feature radio.
A feature interview with Fredericton's Lee Thomas, discussing their creative nonfiction story about being trans on the online dating scene, and how that experience sparked larger conversations about identity, growth, and creating room for a multitude of trans stories.
Once upon a time, there was a man who helped people feel better: Uncle Wes Abbott. Known in his small Newfoundland town as "a charmer," producer Andrea McGuire unravels the myth and mystery around Uncle Wes, his charming talents, and the powers of belief in this documentary. From September 2022.
The Mi'kmaw lexicon recently expanded, thanks to a team of a translators working with the North American Indigenous Games. Beverly Jeddore of Eskasoni is one of the language experts tasked with translating sports names and other terms into Mi'kmaw for the very first time, and she joins the show to talk about that work, and the hope that lies in these new words.
One chilly February night in 2017, three parents met up to brainstorm how their teenagers with disabilities could find work after graduation. What followed is a story of perseverance, community... and a good cup of coffee. A documentary by Maeve McFadden.
Kyle Wilby works stories from his own life into teaching the next generation of pharmacists at Dalhousie University to better care for the LGBTQ community. But opening up didn't always come so easily to him. Kyle joins us on the show today to talk about his journey, and the ways he's changing how pharmacies relate to the LGBTQ community in the Maritimes.
The Innu-aimun word Nutshimit roughly means 'being in the country'. But it's also so much more than that, as 20 kids from the Sheshatshiu Innu First Nation learned during a 10 day camping trip into the late winter of Labrador. Tag along for fish gutting, caribou skinning in this story from CBC producer Heidi Atter, with reporting from two of the campers themselves: Florrah Rich and Ray Sillett.
Ever since Chantal Phee heard a family member name drop the Martin Street Co-operative, she's wondered: what is it? Even her dad didn't know he'd grown up in the Black-owned housing co-op in Antigonish, or what that co-op even meant. CBC producer Rose Murphy roadtrips with Chantal to find answers in this week's documentary about untold histories, and the power of having a home. Note: A prominent voice in the radio documentary, Jana MacDonald, died unexpectedly on May 19. It's her research that brought many missing details of this mystery to light.
Some of Nipahtuwet Naka Wespahtuwet Possesom Paul's earliest memories were at powwows. That's where he found a calling to dance - and how ballet came into his life. The co-creator of Pisuwin, the first-ever Wolastoqey ballet, sits down for a chat about his dancing career, and why he's always working to get other Indigenous east coast artists ahead.
Break out a map of Atlantic Canada and you'll notice there's a lot of colonial, patriarchal place names. A. Lot. And as names across our region get a reckoning, Lauren Beck is keeping track. She's the author of Canada's Place Names and How To Change Them, a professor at Mount Allison University, and this week's guest and guide to the history and future of the names around us.
This archival shipwreck story of sonic wizardry spans continents and centuries, courtesy of the great radio producer Chris Brookes. Chris passed away earlier this month in St. John's, but leaves behind a trove of audio stories like this one, that first aired in 2002.
When Jennifer Crawford donned the wild colours of her wrestling persona Moon Miss, they seemed unstoppable in the rookie wrestling season. Then came a huge setback. Luckily - Jennifer is no stranger to setbacks. A comeback story as unexpected as Moon Mist ice cream itself, produced by Emma Smith, David Irish, and Jennifer Crawford.
From archival snippets of slave names to modern police shootings, filmmaker and writer Sylvia Hamilton filters those Black experiences - and her own - into her poetry collection, Tender. She reads us a few poems and talks about the lives within it.
Throughout his life, Craig Mackie used his voice to help others. And he decided to do the same as he faced death, and his choice of medical assistance in dying. A documentary by Jessica Doria-Brown.
Failing: we've all done it. So why don't we talk about it more? 2 scholars at the University of New Brunswick say there's a lot to be gained from opening up about what goes wrong in our lives.
"The way I see it, Rita Joe did not spend decades fighting to find her talk, for me to not try," Mi'kmaw historian Mercedes Peters tells a crowd at the Halifax Central Library. The crowd is there to listen as Mi'kmaw writers and thinkers share personal histories and imagined worlds, all inspired by the legendary poet. Producer Moira Donovan was in the audience too, and brings us inside the event, put off by the Afterwords Literary Festival.
This last year has filled with unimaginable upheaval for Ukrainians. Some who have fled the war have taken up offers of free flights to Newfoundland and Labrador, arriving as strangers in a strange land - where things didn't stay strange for very long. This is their story. A documentary produced by Krissy Holmes and Caroline Hillier, with additional reporting by Andrea McGuire.This is the story of some people taking up that offer of refuge…and arriving in a strange land…among strangers… but -- things didnt stay strange for very long.
Alone and pregnant, Joy Chukwu-Osazuwa arrived in St. John's from Nigeria to pursue her PhD dreams in 2018. By 2023, her science degree and family life are thriving - and so are her side hustles, all dedicated to helping other international students and immigrants find their way in Canada. Joy is a CBC Black Changemaker for 2023, and this is her story. Reporting by Heather Gillis.
One province holds a dubious distinction in the cost of living crunch: PEI has had the highest inflation in Canada for almost two years. How are Islanders coping? The CBC's Laura Meader and Maggie Brown bring us their stories, and sacrifices.
Michelle Butler Hallett is an award-winning novelist from St. John's. But she turns the pen on herself in her very personal essay, "You're Not Disabled, Disabled." Michelle reads from that essay and shares her experiences of varying mobility and being policed by others, with the hope of sparking compassion and conversation.
Meet some of the Buddhist nuns who make their home in the eastern corner of PEI. They're often the subject of curiosity, but when they looked to expand their residences - they found confrontation instead. A documentary produced by Janna Graham.
Upright pianos aren't the household fixtures they used to be, to the point they're often given away for free. When CBC producer Myfanwy Davies acquired one such freebie, it sparked this story: of household pianos, and the people who love them. An archival episode from 2016.
A lot of the carbon dioxide pumped into the atmosphere ends up in our oceans, particularly the North Atlantic. We head out on a Newfoundland expedition using underwater drones try to answer pressing scientific questions, like: why is the North Atlantic so good at absorbing carbon, and how much more can it hold?
When Hilding Neilson isn't studying exoplanets or teaching students at Memorial University, he's considering the night sky from a cultural perspective. As an astronomer and a member of the Qalipu Mi'kmaw First Nation, Hilding works to Indigenize astronomy - from pushing for more diversity behind the microscope, to changing the colonizing words often used to describe our interactions with outer space.
Arabic-only playdates, Saturday morning Chinese songs: New Canadians face a big parenting challenge of instilling their heritage languages in their children. CBC producer Mariam Mesbah meets some families around Moncton making that happen - and why this is about so much more than grammar.
Terri Taylor of Fredericton always dreamed of becoming a surrogate, but she never imagined all the complications and questions along the way. In this archival episode from 2018, producer Moira Donovan follows Terri's journey, and dives into the ethics and legal red tape of surrogacy.
The hard work of lobster fishing, and the humbling nature of the open ocean. That's a little bit of the inspiration behind Some Hellish, the debut novel from Nicholas Herring of Murray Harbour P.E.I. He joins Atlantic Voice to talk about his book, which just won a $60,000 Writers' Trust prize for fiction.
7 months, 230 witnesses, 7,200+ documents. A lot happened during the Mass Casualty Commission's now-wrapped public hearings, and the CBC's Angela MacIvor was there every step of the way. She rounds up the revelations, police tape and red flags exposed about the 2020 tragedy that left 22 Nova Scotians dead.
Mary Ann Nui loves visiting her childhood home off the Labrador coast. That home? Davis Inlet, so notorious for the intense poverty that led to the Mushuau Innu being resettled in 2002. Go beyond those headlines and see Davis Inlet through Mary Ann's eyes, as a place where love and hardship intertwine, and where she still goes back to in her dreams.
1 in 6: it's the number of couples who face infertility worldwide. It's also an in-depth and intimate look into one couple's journey to conceive, told through a new podcast helmed by Jen White from CBC St. John's. This week we hear from Jen and her husband Neil, with an excerpt from Episode 1 of One in Six: Uterus Half Full.
Most of us don't think much about our garbage, beyond putting it out by the curb. But the 2 guests on today's show take trash to heart. Meet a PEI artist putting her own plastic waste on display, and a St. John's author who asks us to open our eyes to the often invisible world of discards.
Once upon a time, there was a man who helped people feel better: Uncle Wes Abbott. Known in his small Newfoundland town as "a charmer," producer Andrea McGuire unravels the myth and mystery around Uncle Wes, his charming talents, and the powers of belief in this documentary.
What's Petapan? As one organizer puts it: a spark. Visit Fredericton for the 2022 edition of this gathering of Indigenous east coast artists, as founders, fashionistas and the future generation weigh in on Petapan's energy and inspiration.
In making their podcast Africville Forever, cohosts Alfred Burgesson and Eddy Carvery III didn't just want to memorialize the Black community that once stood on Halifax's shores. They wanted to push revival and ask questions about racism, justice, and family.
Thanks to Podstarter Productions for clips from Africville Forever featured in this episode.
Fairies aren't just for little kids. Explore Nova Scotia's fairy beliefs - from Gaelic, Acadian, and Mi'kmaw traditions - and meet the believers, as producer Maryanne McLarty asks: why do so many adults seem to lose the ability to indulge in fairy wonder?
David Smith spends most of the year alone on Port Hood Island, and he likes it that way. But his way of life might not last, as the climate around him changes. This doc by the CBC's David Burke first aired in 2019.
Newfoundland's Bonavista Peninsula has bet big on arts and culture as a way forward for its rural communities. But what happens when its premiere art festival begins asking tough questions about everything from climate change to colonialism?
Christopher Pratt's life was marked with a huge love for his home. In the wake of his death, we talk about how that permeated his art. Plus: what roadtripping with the iconic artist was really like.
Three dancers from Corner Brook take to the stage to bare it all... at least, when it comes to Newfoundland identity. Go behind the scenes of a burlesque show about belonging in this documentary by Melissa Tobin.
Usually, Dr. George Kovacs is in a Halifax ER. How did he come to lead a volunteer effort against a "pandemic affecting trees" in the Nova Scotia wilderness? CBC's Phlis McGregor explores that in her documentary.
Speaking Mi'kmaw was once banned in Lennox Island First Nation's school. Now, it's celebrated. As survivors of the Lennox Island's former Indian day school seek justice, we check out the school hallways in 2022 to see cultural healing in action. Part 2 of a documentary by CBC PEI's Jessica Doria-Brown.
This story contains distressing details and may be triggering to people who have lived through similar experiences. There is a national crisis line for anyone affected by residential and day schools available 24/7: 1-866-925-4419.
A 40 km paddle through wind and fog is nothing for this bunch of women: they've already slayed breast cancer. A multi-award winning documentary by Wanita Bates.
Laura Stairs' heart is still beating strong, in this story of how renewed life and healing arose from sudden death. A doc by Myfanwy Davies and a silver winner at the 2022 NY Festivals Radio Awards.
Music production is a male-dominated field. But today, Erin Costelo, Reeny, Zamani and Breagh Isabel let us inside their studios to share their thoughts and sounds, as they shape a more inclusive music industry in Nova Scotia. A documentary by Aly Thomson.
"If you want to write about the difficulties of accessing abortion, you don't actually need to look to the past or to invent some possible future." Aimee Wall talks about her first book "We, Jane" and what its group of rural Newfoundland women have to say about reproductive rights.
Only one Bluenose II sailor was ever lost at sea. This is his story: defined not by his tragic death but by the big love he left behind. A documentary by CBC's Jon Tattrie.
Rev. Sydney Bradbrook had one addiction: movies. This is the story of his plan to feed his movie need, in a pre-electricity era of 1950s outport Newfoundland.
The Mass Casualty Commission began public proceedings this week. But as the CBC's Elizabeth McMillan explains, the process is already dogged by complaints and concerns as to whether answers, justice and peace can be found.
A new memorial has revived a flooded and forgotten Black graveyard in New Brunswick - but only thanks to the push of determined descendant. In this documentary, CBC's Lauren Bird delves into the fight to remember.
Why did premature births drop dramatically at the beginning of the pandemic? Monica Kidd explores that in this documentary from 2020, and updates it with what we know now, in 2022.
6 years ago, Don Oliver was given 6 months to live. That prompted the first Black man appointed to Canada's Senate to write down his life: one filled with fighting racism, as Don says, "by using my brain, and by changing the law."
William Ping never really knew his grandfather. But an old photo album takes William on a ride to uncover his family history, and ask why so many Chinese immigrants opened up restaurants when they came to Canada.
When Catherine MacInnis gave birth to her son, it fulfilled her greatest fear. An award-winning documentary about strength, parenthood and a journey to joy, from Sarah Keaveny-Vos.
Nova Scotia's Tom Ryan talks about filling his award-winning YA novels with the queer characters he never got to read growing up, and what the increasing diversity in YA means for readers and bookshelves everywhere.
Etuaptmumk: that's Mi'kmaw for Two Eyed Seeing. It's a concept that began with a mission to teach science differently, but has become a way of reshaping the practice of science itself. Producers Tracy Marshall and Moira Donovan trace its roots and continued evolution in Mi'kmaki.
Angela Antle traces how missionary music from centuries ago is still being sung in Nunatsiavut - and has become a tool for change by Labrador's Inuit.
Angela Antle traces the history of missionary music in Nunatsiavut, as preparations get underway for a choral concert in St. John's.
A single tree in St. John's leads Bojan Furst to consider the space where urban life and nature intersect, and sparks Lorax-like questions: who speaks for the trees, and what happens when we listen to them?
A feature interview with Fredericton's Lee Thomas, discussing their creative nonfiction story about being trans on the online dating scene, and how that experience sparked larger conversations about identity, growth, and creating room for a multitude of trans stories.
A former military interpreter in Afghanistan risked his life for Canada - and a decade later, received a threat from the Taliban. Caroline Hillier documentary traces his family's escape from the country, and their beginnings in St. John's.
Adam Walsh takes us back to the summer of 1969, when a group of British teenagers found themselves in the wilderness of Newfoundland's Northern Peninsula. They were cold, wet, covered in insects - and having the time of their lives.
Elizabeth Chiu explores life after breast cancer in this documentary, as two Nova Scotia women lay bare their scars - literally - for the world to see, and find freedom in bidding farewell to parts of their own bodies.
We’re going to beautiful Portugal Cove outside of St. John’s, Newfoundland with Wendy Reid Fairhurst and her husband Kyle. They take Angela Antle on a tour of a 57-acre farm that will soon become Newfoundland’s first Co-Housing development. What is Co-Housing? It’s not a gated community nor is it a commune, but it does share some elements of those two models.
The province of Newfoundland and Labrador is one of the last places on the planet where honeybees are free from a devastating parasite. Brand new beekeeper Lindsay Bird brings us into the bee yard to meet other beekeepers and scientists who are leading the charge against the Varroa Mite. Here’s The Mite Fight.
This week on Atlantic Voice we’re heralding the first signs of spring with poet, fisherman and environmental activist Harry Thurston. An award winning writer who’s been published in Audubon, Canadian and National Geographic and many more. His new memoir is called Lost River: The Waters of Remembrance.
In it, Thurston reveals his family stories and his writer’s path with the careful grace of a fly fisherman trying to raise a salmon from the depths of a still pool.
Today we’re headed to beautiful Lennox Island first nation on PEI with Isabelle Gallant to meet The Quill Sisters - two Mi’kmaq artists and podcasters who are finding meaning and building identity through the art of quilling.
CBC producer Gavin Simms has a thing for sled dogs. His own dog is a husky, so he probably pays more attention than most when he spots one. During the pandemic, Gavin found himself watching the Disney movie TOGO starring Willem Dafoe and he couldn’t shake the feeling that he had seen the star dog before. And not just anywhere but in his tiny hometown of Hermitage, Newfoundland. Turns out he was right!
Today Kayla Hounsell will introduce us to Tom and Carol Johnson of Eskasoni two Mi'kmaw language educators who started out by voicing animated chickens and ended up schooling Vikings on the Emmy Award winning TV series.
This week on AV, Shaina Luck takes us into a dry cell. It’s a windowless prison cell with no working plumbing. The lights are always on and there’s 24-7 monitoring. Guards wait and watch for days, even weeks for prisoners to expel suspected contraband from their bodies. Some consider dry cells torture.
Michelle Good's debut novel,"Five Little Indians" won the Governor General's Award, The Writers Trust Fiction Prize and the Amazon First Novel Award. It’s an intimate, chilling and sometimes disturbing story about five residential school survivors. The interview was recorded live on stage at this summer’s Writers at Woody Point Literary Festival in the unceded, traditional territory of the Beothuk and the Mi'kmaq. *A warning that some may find the content of this program disturbing.