Storylines

A rogue wave is defined as being at least 2.2 times as high as the average waves which have come before. They are described as coming out of nowhere and their consequences can be deadly. In her documentary, The Wave, Joan Webber chronicles swimmers struck by these potentially deadly maritime phenomena. Though rogue waves themselves are not infrequent, it's considered rare that a person is hit by one. But rare .… is not never.We also bring you another story about the sea titled, When I Came to Canada. It’s Hon Lou’s harrowing account of fleeing Vietnam by boat as a child following the end of the Vietnam war. The Wave was produced by Joan Webber with help from Liz Hoath and originally aired on The Current. When I Came to Canada first aired on Living Out Loud and was produced by Steve Wadhams.Storylines is part of the CBC Audio Doc Unit

In Vancouver's Lower Mainland, a dealer known only as "Jay" sold drugs to teens, making drop-offs right next to their high schools and homes, offering free "goodie bags" of Xanax and other drugs. When Julie Nystrom discovered her 17-year-old daughter was hooked on counterfeit pills from Jay, she went to the police. The cops told her that they needed names, details, so she decided to take matters into her own hands and hired a private investigator. On this episode of Storylines, the documentary Everybody Loves Jay, which tells the story about the lengths one mother went to protect her daughter from a drug dealer.Produced by Enza Uda and Joan Webber / originally aired on The Current. Storylines is part of the CBC Audio Doc Unit

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

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

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

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 

Lauren Davis, a state lawmaker in Washington, shares her personal journey with addiction advocacy, inspired by her friend Ricky Garcia's struggles. They discuss the controversial Ricky's Law that allows involuntary treatment for addiction, weaving in emotional family stories and the law's complex effects. Topics include the challenges of implementing forced treatment, the necessity of personal motivation for recovery, and the broader implications for similar policies in Canada. The podcast also touches on an unexpected detour into New Brunswick's unique Bricklin sports car story.

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

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

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