Remembering Canada's great storyteller Stuart McLean and more arts stories you might have missed

Here at CBC Arts, you won't just find our original content — we also bring you the best art posts from across the entire CBC network.

These are the week's can't-miss stories:

Stuart McLean, CBC Radio host and award-winning humorist, dead at 68 (CBC News)

It's a story that would be easier to handle if we could hear him tell it to us. The inimitable Stuart McLean passed away last Wednesday after being diagnosed with melanoma in late 2015. CBC News' obituary that traced McLean's life from humble beginnings as an "outsider" in suburban Montreal to his established place as Canada's most beloved storyteller, who favoured "warmth and human connection" over traditional broadcasting conventions. In a 2012 conversation with George Stroumboulopoulos, McLean spoke simply and poignantly — as he always did — of dying: "We'll have to handle it sometime." And although none of us were ready for "sometime" to become "now," at least we'll always have his words to carry us through.

'He wanted help': First Nations artist Moses Beaver dies in Thunder Bay, Ont., jail (CBC Thunder Bay)

Moses Beaver was a successful artist from the Nibinamik First Nation known for his warmth and generosity, often visiting schools in the Thunder Bay region to help students learn to express themselves through art. But his struggles with mental illness and the lack of access to treatment through Health Canada turned tragic last week — he passed away in the same jail that recently came under fire for keeping a young Indigenous man in solitary confinement for four years. It's a stark reminder of how vital mental health services are and how dangerous it is to deny them to those who need it — one that those who knew Beaver hope will be a catalyst for change.

'He told us our story': Stuart McLean remembered by his longtime Vinyl Cafe producer​ (As It Happens)

On the evening the news broke Stuart McLean's passing, his longtime producer Jess Milton joined As It Happens for a loving tribute to their colleague and friend. "He took the mundane and made it beautiful," Milton told guest host Helen Mann. "He believed that moments add up and that every moment counts — and I'm certainly grateful for every moment I had with him."

Banksy artwork adds some cool to Toronto's PATH system (CBC Toronto)

Banksy is back in Toronto. A graffiti installation which originally went up in 2010 before spending a few years in storage has now found a new home in the PATH, downtown's underground pedestrian walkway. The developer who salvaged the artwork, Menkes Development Ltd., decided the piece was better off being given back to the public than sitting in storage — and we certainly agree.

Remembering Stuart McLean (1948 - 2017) (q)

q joined in on honouring Stuart McLean with their Thursday morning show as the country slowly processed the news of his death. Host Tom Power shared his own memories of growing up listening to McLean, telling listeners, "When you hear that voice, it's unmistakable. And the stories it told are unforgettable." Music producer Julie Penner, who worked with McLean on The Vinyl Cafe, and Toronto folk band The Good Lovelies, who toured with McLean in 2010 and 2013, also shared their respects, remembering a man who passionately loved music and loved breaking radio rules. Here's to you, Stuart.

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