My tribute to Canada’s great storyteller, Stuart McLean

I rise today to give tribute to one of Canada’s greatest storytellers and broadcasters, Stuart McLean. It is with tremendous sadness that we all heard of his passing yesterday from skin cancer.

I started to listen to him many years ago when someone told me that to really learn and understand Canada and Canadians; I had to tune in to the CBC. And I did and so stumbled on Stuart’s signature voice on Saturday afternoons.  He told stories about ordinary Canadians doing ordinary things in ordinary times – and that was his magic, to hold us together with the power of us his voice and his narrative, no matter if you were a listener from Toronto or Vancouver, St. John or Calgary. There was something very seductive about that voice, it invoked images and senses, so much so that even when I was listening to him driving in a car stuck in a traffic jam, and mentally he took me somewhere else – usually a cozy home with a roaring fireplace. There was something so snug and cozy about him.

Stuart was a Torontonian. He lived in Kensington and he set his show “the Vinyl Café” in the market, with Dave and Morley, their children and their pets in this place. He told his stories with compassion, with humour, with respect and with dignity. He invited Canadians to send him their stories and in his hand these stories were transformed into vignettes of humanity.

And so he moved us to tears of joy or sadness, in equal measure and often at the same time. As someone wrote on social media today “This man could read a phone book and make you laugh and cry.”

In 2009 I had the honour to spend a day with him as both he and I were inducted into the Order of Canada at the same time. My image of him as the quintessential Canadian was verified throughout the day. We sat for dinner together and I noticed that he was a very quiet person. He observed and made mental notes of the idiosyncrasies, vanities and foibles of the people around him, but with affection and with humility.  He was modest and self-deprecating, preferring to be a listener. I secretly hoped that he would write a story about me…

Stuart signed off every show with his signature send off and whilst I cannot do his voice, I can do his words, “I’m Stuart McLean. So long for now”.