Some work samples:
Murder in Boston: The Untold Story of the Charles and Carol Stuart Shooting -- I was Senior Producer and co-writer of this Boston Globe investigative podcast, presented with HBO Documentary Films. 1989 Boston. The crack epidemic is raging, the murder rate soaring, and white flight has taken hold. Charles Stuart and his pregnant wife, Carol, are carjacked, drawn deep into a dangerous “inner city” neighborhood, and allegedly shot by a Black man. All of Boston – and the nation – is gripped by the hunt for the suspect. What follows will reveal truths about the city... and ourselves. The podcast unveils explosive new findings and change the narrative of a story long cemented in the city’s lore.
"Ottawa residents on both sides of the truck convoy protests tell us what's changed one year later," a documentary for CBC's Audio Doc Unit, January 28, 2023 -- OR LISTEN HERE
A year after the convoy rolled into Ottawa, Wellington street is still closed to traffic. It's a tangible, physical mark on the city which was engulfed by what some called the Freedom Convoy, others an occupation. But the political, social and even psychological marks on Ottawa’s citizens are just as real — and just as lasting — if harder to see. To mark the anniversary, Kristin Nelson speaks to four Ottawans — on both sides of the protest — to hear how the convoy changed them, and how they feel about their city.
“The Authoritarian Personality," a documentary for CBC's Ideas, April 4, 2022 -- OR LISTEN HERE
The Authoritarian Personality was a groundbreaking study conducted in the wake of the Second World War by a group of scholars – two of whom escaped antisemitic persecution of Third Reich – who wanted to understand why so many people had been drawn to fascist leaders. When the study was published in 1950, it rocked the academic world, but before long it fell out of favor during an era of strong economic growth and liberal optimism in the late twentieth century. Now a new generation of scholars is reviving the lessons of The Authoritarian Personality to understand the politics of our time.
“On the ground at the Ottawa protest", a report for CBC's The Current, February 4, 2022
For a week, residents in downtown Ottawa have been living through the noise and disruption of a protest against vaccine mandates and other public health measures. But while locals say they’re exhausted and fed up, protesters say they aren't leaving. Kristin Nelson heads to the streets of Ottawa to hear what’s happening on the ground, and ask what it will take to break the gridlock.
“The town that coal built", feature article published on CBC News, December 17, 2021
+ “The Last Coal Miners" documentary that aired on CBC's The Doc Project, January 9, 2022 -- OR LISTEN HERE
Producer Kristin Nelson visits the community of Wabamun, Alberta to meet up with workers from the Highvale coal mine who are grappling with an uncertain future. The Highvale coal mine, operating since 1970, was the largest strip coal mine in Canada. There is still plenty of coal underground at the mine, but that is where it will remain. TransAlta, the company that owns the mine -- and adjacent power plants the coal has fuelled -- committed to being coal-free by 2022. It closed the Highvale mine December 31st, New Years Eve, laying off the last 78 workers. Previous rounds of layoffs had already eliminated hundreds of these unionized jobs that were once stable, paid well and offered benefits. Kristin was in Wabamun in the days leading up to mine’s closure, asking the people living through it what it takes to achieve a “just transition” away from fossil fuels… and what’s at stake if we don’t get it right?
“Surviving a Mudslide" on CBC's The Doc Project, November 21, 2021
As reports of flooding, evacuations and mudslides in British Columbia emerged this week, two people in Saskatchewan were watching with keen interest... and empathy. That's because they survived a mudslide when they were driving along a B.C. highway in 2018. Sheri Nimegeers and Gabe Rosescu share the harrowing story and explain how the experience of surviving a mudslide changed them.
“How the pandemic changed our relationship with reading" on CBC's The Sunday Magazine, November 7, 2021
Book awards season is upon us, and while some people stocked up on best sellers during the pandemic, for others, it wasn't so easy. Some people, like The Sunday Magazine's Kristin Nelson, were locked down with their children and struggled to find the time to read. Nelson explores how Canadians' relationship with reading evolved over the course of the pandemic and speaks to a range of readers for insight into what we learned about ourselves and the power of the written word in times of crisis.
“Najiba Sanjar's escape from Afghanistan" on CBC's The Sunday Magazine, October 10, 2021
In the wake of the United States-led invasion of Afghanistan in October 2001, women's rights activist Najiba Sanjar believed the promises made by Western governments to rebuild her country, create stability and empower women. She devoted herself and her career to a new vision of Afghanistan. The Sunday Magazine producer Kristin Nelson followed Sanjar as she made the decision to leave her country after the Taliban marched into Kabul last August.
“The sound of music, again" on CBC's The Sunday Magazine, September 12, 2021 -- LISTEN HERE
The National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa launched a new season, after months of pandemic uncertainty and online performances. On Friday night -- for the first time in months -- they perform in front of a live audience. Principal Trumpet, Karen Donnelly, is our guide.
“The Wall in the Head” on CBC's The Current, November 7, 2019
A documentary for The Current on the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. This is a story about two women, both of whom were raised in East Berlin and how decades after the wall's fall, they believe there's still an invisible barrier there today.
“The Power Struggle” on CBC's The Current, September 23, 2019
Germany was once held up as a global leader in the shift to renewable energy. But, despite pouring billions of dollars into the transition to solar and wind power, the country will still miss its 2020 Paris emission reduction targets. Does Germany need more time, or has the experiment failed? And what are the lessons for Canada? It was accompanied by this CBC News article.
The Band Played On: an investigative podcast from CBC Ottawa, May 2019
In early 2019 I worked with CBC Ottawa reporter Julie Ireton to write, produce and edit a seven-part investigative podcast called The Band Played On. We were a small team with a tight deadline, but we made a series that ended up winning Gold at the New York Festivals and a Canadian Online Publishing Award.
“The Cauldron” on CBC's The Current, November 29, 2018
This is a story about a condominium development called Zibi in the heart of Canada’s National Capital Region. The islands around Chaudière Falls, where tobacco ceremonies were held, were a gathering site for Indigenous people. Located at the confluence of the Ottawa, Gatineau and Rideau rivers, the Chaudière Falls were referred to as the "Big Kettle" by Indigenous people and said to resemble a giant cauldron of boiling water.
Tornado aftermath report for CBC'sThe Current, September 25, 2018 -- LISTEN HERE
Three tornadoes touched down in and around Ottawa's national capital region, ripping off roofs, tearing trees out from the ground and causing many injuries. I went to some of the hardest hit neighbourhoods to hear from people just beginning to come to terms with the extent of the damage.
“The Catch” an investigative documentary for CBC's The Current, June 6, 2018 -- LISTEN HERE
In 2018 I teamed up with American journalist Seth Freed Wessler to build on his incredible reporting for the New York Times Magazine, which revealed that the U.S. Coast Guard was venturing deep into international waters to arrest people suspected of smuggling drugs and holding them for days or weeks out at sea, chained to the deck under troubling conditions. Our investigation revealed that top Canadian military officials became aware of these concerns, but continued working alongside the U.S. Coast Guard in possible violation of international law. After our investigation was published Amnesty International called on the Canadian government for answers and the military launched its own internal investigation.
In Care and In Crisis -- Canada's Indigenous Child Welfare Emergency: special edition of CBC's The Current, January 25, 2018
I produced this special edition of The Current show exploring the disproportionately high rates of Indigenous children in care. We featured the story of an Indigenous mother who's first child was taken into care and who feared it would happen again after she gave birth for a second time {LISTEN HERE}. The show also featured three young Indigenous adults who shared their experiences going through a system they see as designed to "destroy Indigeneity" in what some are calling The Millennium Scoop {LISTEN HERE}.
“Becoming Santa” on CBC's The Current, December 22, 2017
A story about how Ottawa’s Michael Morin learned to become Santa after he inherited a red vintage suit that first belonged to Jimmy Lomax, Hamilton's best-known Santa, who was named to the Order of Canada for his decades-long work on Operation Santa Claus, a charity Lomax ran with his wife. Lomax wore the suit for the last time in 2009 and died two years later.
“One more moment” on CBC's The Current, December 11, 2017
Will Pegg from Victoria, B.C., seeks a medically assisted death while still feeling very much alive.
“I want to understand", on CBC's The Current, April 20, 2017 -- LISTEN HERE
When the body of renowned Inuk artist Annie Pootoogook was found on the banks of Ottawa's Rideau River, it made national and international headlines. To Veldon Coburn, her death was personal. He's a member of the Algonquins of Pikwakanagan and father to four Indigenous kids — one of them is Pootoogook's four-year-old daughter Napachie. Then Coburn discovered racist comments made about Pootoogook by an Ottawa Police Staff Sergeant. This is a story about Reconciliation and the two men meeting. I worked with documentary editor, Josh Bloch, and it won the 2018 Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ)/APTN inaugural Reconciliation Award and RTDNA Canada’s Adrienne Clarkson Award.
“I wished I was killed", a feature interview for CBC's The Current, July 25, 2016
An interview for The Current with Nadia Murad, Iraqi Yazidi human rights activist and Nobel Prize winner.
“Room for Improvement” on CBC's The Current, May 11, 2015
Shannon Higgins and Kristin Nelson explore the dirty little secret behind the design of one of the most intimate spaces in our homes. This was a fun, quirky documentary and a joy to make.
“Forever Changed” on CBC's The Current, Sept 9, 2011
On the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 attack I produced a special episode of The Current from New York, hosted by Neolfer Pazira. This documentary told the stories of three people whose lives were forever changed by the events of that day.
“Flood fight” on CBC's The Current, May 16, 2011
During the historic flooding in Manitoba Suzanne Dufresne and I talked to two couples on opposite ends of the flood fight. One couple had to flee their home because of the deliberate breach of the dike at the hoop and holler bend; the other couple got to stay because that breach eased the waters in their part of the province. It was a heartbreaking dilemma. My half of the documentary featured a couple who’s home had been surrounded by water from the Assiniboine River for two weeks.
“The Small Person Acquisition Project” on CBC's The Current in 2010
This is a story about two men and a little baby... well, a big baby actually. And the two men aren't just any two men. Both of this baby's fathers began their lives as girls. Their journey through conception, pregnancy and childbirth is both exceptional and mundane, unique and universal. Although the narrative is familiar, this particular birth story challenges conventional ideas about sex and gender. Nominated for a Prix Italia and featured by the Third Coast International Audio Festival.
“The Perfect Martini” on CBC's The Current in 2010
This documentary explored the unique and beautiful friendship between 103 year-old Minnie McCurdy and Steven Bickerstaffe, who was less than half her age.
“After the Storm" on CBC's The Current in 2010
The story of a couple learning to cope after the husband’s massive stroke.
Water conflict in the Middle East on CBC's The Current, March 3 & 4, 2009
In 2009 I produced two full episodes of The Current from Jerusalem, including a documentary about the struggle over water in the Fukin Valley, where Palestinian farmers were facing encroachment and water restrictions from a nearby Israeli settlement. I also produced Anna Maria Tremonti’s documentary journey down the Jordan River, from the Sea of Galilee to the Dead Sea.
“Barack Obama's neighbourhood" on CBC's The Current, November 5, 2008
I was sent to Chicago on the eve of Obama’s historic election win and went to the neighbourhoods he worked in as a community organizer to make a short documentary with the voices of people who knew Obama as his politics were taking shape.
"Ottawa residents on both sides of the truck convoy protests tell us what's changed one year later," a documentary for CBC's Audio Doc Unit, January 28, 2023 -- OR LISTEN HERE
A year after the convoy rolled into Ottawa, Wellington street is still closed to traffic. It's a tangible, physical mark on the city which was engulfed by what some called the Freedom Convoy, others an occupation. But the political, social and even psychological marks on Ottawa’s citizens are just as real — and just as lasting — if harder to see. To mark the anniversary, Kristin Nelson speaks to four Ottawans — on both sides of the protest — to hear how the convoy changed them, and how they feel about their city.
“The Authoritarian Personality," a documentary for CBC's Ideas, April 4, 2022 -- OR LISTEN HERE
The Authoritarian Personality was a groundbreaking study conducted in the wake of the Second World War by a group of scholars – two of whom escaped antisemitic persecution of Third Reich – who wanted to understand why so many people had been drawn to fascist leaders. When the study was published in 1950, it rocked the academic world, but before long it fell out of favor during an era of strong economic growth and liberal optimism in the late twentieth century. Now a new generation of scholars is reviving the lessons of The Authoritarian Personality to understand the politics of our time.
“On the ground at the Ottawa protest", a report for CBC's The Current, February 4, 2022
For a week, residents in downtown Ottawa have been living through the noise and disruption of a protest against vaccine mandates and other public health measures. But while locals say they’re exhausted and fed up, protesters say they aren't leaving. Kristin Nelson heads to the streets of Ottawa to hear what’s happening on the ground, and ask what it will take to break the gridlock.
“The town that coal built", feature article published on CBC News, December 17, 2021
+ “The Last Coal Miners" documentary that aired on CBC's The Doc Project, January 9, 2022 -- OR LISTEN HERE
Producer Kristin Nelson visits the community of Wabamun, Alberta to meet up with workers from the Highvale coal mine who are grappling with an uncertain future. The Highvale coal mine, operating since 1970, was the largest strip coal mine in Canada. There is still plenty of coal underground at the mine, but that is where it will remain. TransAlta, the company that owns the mine -- and adjacent power plants the coal has fuelled -- committed to being coal-free by 2022. It closed the Highvale mine December 31st, New Years Eve, laying off the last 78 workers. Previous rounds of layoffs had already eliminated hundreds of these unionized jobs that were once stable, paid well and offered benefits. Kristin was in Wabamun in the days leading up to mine’s closure, asking the people living through it what it takes to achieve a “just transition” away from fossil fuels… and what’s at stake if we don’t get it right?
“Surviving a Mudslide" on CBC's The Doc Project, November 21, 2021
As reports of flooding, evacuations and mudslides in British Columbia emerged this week, two people in Saskatchewan were watching with keen interest... and empathy. That's because they survived a mudslide when they were driving along a B.C. highway in 2018. Sheri Nimegeers and Gabe Rosescu share the harrowing story and explain how the experience of surviving a mudslide changed them.
“How the pandemic changed our relationship with reading" on CBC's The Sunday Magazine, November 7, 2021
Book awards season is upon us, and while some people stocked up on best sellers during the pandemic, for others, it wasn't so easy. Some people, like The Sunday Magazine's Kristin Nelson, were locked down with their children and struggled to find the time to read. Nelson explores how Canadians' relationship with reading evolved over the course of the pandemic and speaks to a range of readers for insight into what we learned about ourselves and the power of the written word in times of crisis.
“Najiba Sanjar's escape from Afghanistan" on CBC's The Sunday Magazine, October 10, 2021
In the wake of the United States-led invasion of Afghanistan in October 2001, women's rights activist Najiba Sanjar believed the promises made by Western governments to rebuild her country, create stability and empower women. She devoted herself and her career to a new vision of Afghanistan. The Sunday Magazine producer Kristin Nelson followed Sanjar as she made the decision to leave her country after the Taliban marched into Kabul last August.
“The sound of music, again" on CBC's The Sunday Magazine, September 12, 2021 -- LISTEN HERE
The National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa launched a new season, after months of pandemic uncertainty and online performances. On Friday night -- for the first time in months -- they perform in front of a live audience. Principal Trumpet, Karen Donnelly, is our guide.
“The Wall in the Head” on CBC's The Current, November 7, 2019
A documentary for The Current on the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. This is a story about two women, both of whom were raised in East Berlin and how decades after the wall's fall, they believe there's still an invisible barrier there today.
“The Power Struggle” on CBC's The Current, September 23, 2019
Germany was once held up as a global leader in the shift to renewable energy. But, despite pouring billions of dollars into the transition to solar and wind power, the country will still miss its 2020 Paris emission reduction targets. Does Germany need more time, or has the experiment failed? And what are the lessons for Canada? It was accompanied by this CBC News article.
The Band Played On: an investigative podcast from CBC Ottawa, May 2019
In early 2019 I worked with CBC Ottawa reporter Julie Ireton to write, produce and edit a seven-part investigative podcast called The Band Played On. We were a small team with a tight deadline, but we made a series that ended up winning Gold at the New York Festivals and a Canadian Online Publishing Award.
“The Cauldron” on CBC's The Current, November 29, 2018
This is a story about a condominium development called Zibi in the heart of Canada’s National Capital Region. The islands around Chaudière Falls, where tobacco ceremonies were held, were a gathering site for Indigenous people. Located at the confluence of the Ottawa, Gatineau and Rideau rivers, the Chaudière Falls were referred to as the "Big Kettle" by Indigenous people and said to resemble a giant cauldron of boiling water.
Tornado aftermath report for CBC'sThe Current, September 25, 2018 -- LISTEN HERE
Three tornadoes touched down in and around Ottawa's national capital region, ripping off roofs, tearing trees out from the ground and causing many injuries. I went to some of the hardest hit neighbourhoods to hear from people just beginning to come to terms with the extent of the damage.
“The Catch” an investigative documentary for CBC's The Current, June 6, 2018 -- LISTEN HERE
In 2018 I teamed up with American journalist Seth Freed Wessler to build on his incredible reporting for the New York Times Magazine, which revealed that the U.S. Coast Guard was venturing deep into international waters to arrest people suspected of smuggling drugs and holding them for days or weeks out at sea, chained to the deck under troubling conditions. Our investigation revealed that top Canadian military officials became aware of these concerns, but continued working alongside the U.S. Coast Guard in possible violation of international law. After our investigation was published Amnesty International called on the Canadian government for answers and the military launched its own internal investigation.
In Care and In Crisis -- Canada's Indigenous Child Welfare Emergency: special edition of CBC's The Current, January 25, 2018
I produced this special edition of The Current show exploring the disproportionately high rates of Indigenous children in care. We featured the story of an Indigenous mother who's first child was taken into care and who feared it would happen again after she gave birth for a second time {LISTEN HERE}. The show also featured three young Indigenous adults who shared their experiences going through a system they see as designed to "destroy Indigeneity" in what some are calling The Millennium Scoop {LISTEN HERE}.
“Becoming Santa” on CBC's The Current, December 22, 2017
A story about how Ottawa’s Michael Morin learned to become Santa after he inherited a red vintage suit that first belonged to Jimmy Lomax, Hamilton's best-known Santa, who was named to the Order of Canada for his decades-long work on Operation Santa Claus, a charity Lomax ran with his wife. Lomax wore the suit for the last time in 2009 and died two years later.
“One more moment” on CBC's The Current, December 11, 2017
Will Pegg from Victoria, B.C., seeks a medically assisted death while still feeling very much alive.
“I want to understand", on CBC's The Current, April 20, 2017 -- LISTEN HERE
When the body of renowned Inuk artist Annie Pootoogook was found on the banks of Ottawa's Rideau River, it made national and international headlines. To Veldon Coburn, her death was personal. He's a member of the Algonquins of Pikwakanagan and father to four Indigenous kids — one of them is Pootoogook's four-year-old daughter Napachie. Then Coburn discovered racist comments made about Pootoogook by an Ottawa Police Staff Sergeant. This is a story about Reconciliation and the two men meeting. I worked with documentary editor, Josh Bloch, and it won the 2018 Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ)/APTN inaugural Reconciliation Award and RTDNA Canada’s Adrienne Clarkson Award.
“I wished I was killed", a feature interview for CBC's The Current, July 25, 2016
An interview for The Current with Nadia Murad, Iraqi Yazidi human rights activist and Nobel Prize winner.
“Room for Improvement” on CBC's The Current, May 11, 2015
Shannon Higgins and Kristin Nelson explore the dirty little secret behind the design of one of the most intimate spaces in our homes. This was a fun, quirky documentary and a joy to make.
“Forever Changed” on CBC's The Current, Sept 9, 2011
On the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 attack I produced a special episode of The Current from New York, hosted by Neolfer Pazira. This documentary told the stories of three people whose lives were forever changed by the events of that day.
“Flood fight” on CBC's The Current, May 16, 2011
During the historic flooding in Manitoba Suzanne Dufresne and I talked to two couples on opposite ends of the flood fight. One couple had to flee their home because of the deliberate breach of the dike at the hoop and holler bend; the other couple got to stay because that breach eased the waters in their part of the province. It was a heartbreaking dilemma. My half of the documentary featured a couple who’s home had been surrounded by water from the Assiniboine River for two weeks.
“The Small Person Acquisition Project” on CBC's The Current in 2010
This is a story about two men and a little baby... well, a big baby actually. And the two men aren't just any two men. Both of this baby's fathers began their lives as girls. Their journey through conception, pregnancy and childbirth is both exceptional and mundane, unique and universal. Although the narrative is familiar, this particular birth story challenges conventional ideas about sex and gender. Nominated for a Prix Italia and featured by the Third Coast International Audio Festival.
“The Perfect Martini” on CBC's The Current in 2010
This documentary explored the unique and beautiful friendship between 103 year-old Minnie McCurdy and Steven Bickerstaffe, who was less than half her age.
“After the Storm" on CBC's The Current in 2010
The story of a couple learning to cope after the husband’s massive stroke.
Water conflict in the Middle East on CBC's The Current, March 3 & 4, 2009
In 2009 I produced two full episodes of The Current from Jerusalem, including a documentary about the struggle over water in the Fukin Valley, where Palestinian farmers were facing encroachment and water restrictions from a nearby Israeli settlement. I also produced Anna Maria Tremonti’s documentary journey down the Jordan River, from the Sea of Galilee to the Dead Sea.
“Barack Obama's neighbourhood" on CBC's The Current, November 5, 2008
I was sent to Chicago on the eve of Obama’s historic election win and went to the neighbourhoods he worked in as a community organizer to make a short documentary with the voices of people who knew Obama as his politics were taking shape.