Features
At age 83, Joan Druxman has come full circle in her career
By BERNIE BELLAN The February 21, 2001 issue of The Jewish Post & News had an article titled “It’s a Comedy Night!”
That article went on to describe an upcoming event in which State of Israel Bonds would be honouring Rabbi Alan Green. Among the comedians to be appearing at the event was to be “Joan Druxman-Jones.”
Now, 22 years later, State of Israel Bonds doesn’t have an office in Winnipeg, Rabbi Green doesn’t live here any more (although he will be returning this weekend as the Shaarey Zedek’s Rabbi in Residence during Shavuot) and, as for Joan Druxman-Jones, well, she is back in Winnipeg – after having left in 1990 – and after having had a tumultuous series of career changes throughout her life –and, after having dropped the Jones in her name and gone back to Joan Druxman.
Joan Druxman was the guest speaker at this year’s kickoff Remis Forum luncheon on Thursday, May 11, at the Gwen Secter Centre.
I had never met Joan prior to that Thursday, although advertisements for her well-known women’s clothing store, “Joan’s Boutique”, were a regular feature in our paper for years. Once she took the podium at the Gwen Secter Centre it was easy to see how Joan had been a successful model for years. She still maintains a shapely figure and, even at 83, Joan is quite an attractive woman. (Is it okay to say that, I wonder? Who knows what’s permissible nowadays to write about a woman – or a man, for that matter, when it comes to physical appearance?)
But, more than anything, what struck me in listening to Joan tell her life story was her ease in speaking, her quick wit, and her self-effacing sense of humour.
As Simone Cohen Scott noted in an email sent out to Remis Forum attendees (and, by the way, anyone can attend a Remis luncheon. Just let the Gwen Secter Centre know you’re coming by the Tuesday of that week’s luncheon. Call 204-339-1701.), I took “voluminous notes” while Joan spoke.
So, here’s my account of the story Joan told: Born in Winnipeg, Joan (whose maiden name was Zelcovich, she said), grew up in Estevan, Saskatchewan, and moved back with her family to Winnipeg when she was 15.
Joan explained why her father decided to move to Winnipeg. He had owned a successful hotel in Estevan, but many of the patrons of that hotel were rough-hewn oil workers from the area around Estevan. “My father wasn’t about to let those oil workers anywhere near his two teenage daughters,” Joan said. (She had a younger sister at the time they moved here.)
But, the summer before the Zelcoviches moved to Winnipeg, they spent part of that summer at Clear Lake.
There were a lot of Jewish girls at Clear Lake, Joan noted, but they snubbed here because of the way she dressed. “They thought I was a hick,” she said.
That fall though, when Joan began attending Kelvin High School, and she was introduced by the teacher to the other students, the other girls couldn’t wait to be her friend, Joan said. This time she was dressed to the nines, she noted – something that has been very important to her ever since, she also observed.
As she noted toward the end of her talk, “I firmly dress the way you want to be treated.”
But from where did get Joan derive her impeccable fashion sense?
“My mother subscribed to the New York Times Magazine. It was the Vogue of the day,” she said.
Sure enough, when she was only 16, Joan got her first job working at the Mirror Room in the Hudson Bay store while she was attending high school.
After attending Kelvin for a couple of years Joan decided to attend the University of Manitoba. (In those days, she explained, you could take Grade 11 at the university.)
As things turned out, however, and as Joan observed, university was not for her.
“I hated it like you can’t imagine,” she said. “When I got 17 in Biology I knew university was not for me.”
So, Joan decided to enroll in the Angus School of Commerce (which was owned by Janice Filmon’s father at the time) where she obtained her diploma in typing and shorthand. “I was a wiz on the Dictaphone,” she noted.
But, she had to find a job after graduating. “I saw an ad for a company called Gunn Garment, which was owned by Harry Silverberg and Dave Kaufman, and which was managed by Max Duboff.”
“I became Max’s secretary and house model,” Joan said. “That’s how I became a model.”
It was during her time at Gunn Garment that Joan was introduced to the man who was to become her husband, Winnipeg Blue Bomber George Druxman.
“Marilyn Trepel called me up and told me someone had seen me at a wedding. Would I like to meet him? He’s one of the Blue Bombers,” Marilyn said to Joan.
As a Bomber wife, Joan was asked to appear on a local television show along with other Bomber wives where they would each be asked to cook a favourite dish.
“I made blintzes,” Joan noted.
As luck would have it, “two guys from Manitoba Sugar saw me and asked me to do a regular cooking show on TV.”
It was while appearing on her own cooking show that an editor of the Winnipeg Tribune asked Joan whether she would like to become food editor of that paper, and shortly thereafter, the fashion editor as well.
The next step in Joan’s career came when she was asked whether she would like to become the fashion coordinator for the Hudson’s Bay Company in Winnipeg, Saskatoon, and Regina, also the manager of the Fashion Room in the Bay.
But, as Joan recalled, “at the time the Bay fashions were all centrally coordinated. I hated them all. I decided to go out on my own.”
Thus began the longest segment of Joan’s varied career: as owner of Joan’s Boutique.
It was no simple matter, however, for a woman to strike out on her own in a business at that time, which was in 1976
Having been divorced from George Druxman (who died in 1999), Joan was mother of three boys at the time: Trevor, Greg, and Adam. Two of the boys were married by then.)
“I wanted to set up in an old house,” she recalled.
“I went to see a bank manager who said to me: ‘I’ll have you know fashion retailing is the riskiest business there is.”
Not one to be discouraged, however, a former classmate of Joan’s from Kelvin, Brian Aronovitch, told her there was a house at 34 Carlton owned by lawyer Ken Houston – who wanted to rent out part of the house.
At the same time Joan was introduced to another bank manager who was supportive of her dream of opening her own boutique.
“I opened Joan’s in 1977,” she observed. “Business just took off. It was bursting at the seams.”
Ever on the eye for another opportunity, it was while out for a walk in the neighbourhood of the Carlton store that Joan said she saw a rooming house for sale at 22 Edmonton.
“It was a tax sale,” Joan noted. And so, in 1979, Joan Druxman opened Joan’s Boutique at her new location on Edmonton, where she was to remain for the next 13 years.
“I gutted it and had clothing and accessories on the first and second floors,” she said, “with a hairdresser on the third floor.”
Ever restless, however, Joan decided to move to Vancouver in 1990.
“I saw things there that weren’t happening in Winnipeg,” she observed, including a very large Japanese population.
Joan opened her first store in Vancouver at the corner of 12th and Granville, but soon she came across a better opportunity at Berard and Granville. She approached a former friend from Winnipeg, Karen Simkin, who had also moved to Vancouver and who had opened a little gift shop.
“I invited Karen to move to that new location with me,” Joan said.
Karen’s husband, Garry Simkin, was fully supportive, and so the two women opened a store that was a combination clothing and gift ware store.
As mentioned though, Joan had taken note of how many Japanese tourists there were in Vancouver. Accordingly, as she explained, “I went to Simon Fraser University and learned how to read and write Japanese” so that she would better ingratiate herself with Japanese customers.
Things were going along well until their landlord told Joan and Karen that he was going to be raising the rent to $250,000 a year. (And remember, this was the 1990s. One can well imagine how exorbitant that amount would have been back then.)
So – another career switch for Joan was in the offing: “I decided I’d like to be an actress,” she observed. At the same time she started doing stand-up comedy (as noted at the beginning of this article.)
Ever eager for new challenges, however, Joan decided to apply for a green card and move to Los Angeles –where she began studying acting while working for Nordstrom’s.
“I also got my California real estate license,” she added.
But this was all before Obamacare, Joan noted. “Medical insurance was costing me $1500 a month.”
Joan decided to move back to Winnipeg where, once again, she opened “a little store.”
In 2020, however, with the onset of the Covid pandemic, Joan found she “couldn’t get stuff from Europe” and, as a result, she had to close her store.
“So, I walked into the cosmetics department of the Bay (Polo Park store) and said, ‘I want to see the Chanel manager.’ “
As luck would have it, that manager happened to need someone at the Chanel perfume counter and Joan was hired on the spot.
Which brings us full circle to where Joan started when she only 16 – working again at the Bay.
“Here I am at the Bay working five days a week – and loving it,” she said. “Without a bank manager, without a landlord, and without the tax man.”
But, as Joan observed, she still dresses to the nines – even though now she takes the bus to work. (It stops right in front of her apartment and drops her off right at work, so why not?)
As she noted though, you can imagine the looks she gets from other passengers who see an immaculately dressed woman getting on their bus every day.
One time, Joan said, her regular bus driver asked her: “Are you a celebrity?”
Joan told him she wasn’t, but one day that bus driver happened to be shopping at the Bay with his wife when he spotted Joan at the Chanel counter and said to his wife: “I know her. She rides my bus.”
That’s Joan Druxman for you – more twists and turns than a Gerry Posner story. Some day she ought to write a book. Hey, there’s an idea for her next career move!
Post script: We were informed that the day after Joan Druxman spoke at the Gwen Secter Centre she was involved in a terrible accident when she was coming out of work at the Bay.. It seems that Joan was caught in the midst of a situation where some young boys had been fleeing the store after having stolen some jeans. One of them ran into Joan, knocking her to the ground – which broke her hip. At last report she had undergone hip replacement surgery and had been released from the hospital.
Features
MEDIA BRAT/ The Artsy Sportswriter’s Daughter Deconstructs Life With John Robertson in New Memoir
We received an interesting email from a brand new book publishing company called Meat Draw Books. Ordinarily, we wouldn’t include a blurb for a book that wasn’t about a Jewish subject but the press release was so intriguing – and humourous, that we’ve decided to print it here ver batim:
Hello at The Jewish Post & News.
I’m D. Grant Black, publisher of Meat Draw Books. I thought you might be interested in a new book, Media Brat: a Gen-X memoir, by sportswriter-broadcaster John Robertson’s daughter, Patricia, about her time following her father’s crazy career and antics around North America. It just released on April 8.
John, who founded the Manitoba Marathon, was a B’nai B’rith Man of the Year in the mid-1970s during his time as host for an English open-line radio show at CFCF Montréal, owned by Charles Bronfman. I would appreciate if you could spread the word in the Winnipeg Jewish community about Patricia Dawn Robertson’s very funny new book, Media Brat. Robertson has written freelance dispatches for the Winnipeg Free Press’ Op/Ed pages for over 20 years (View from the West & Perspectives).
SOME BACKGROUND:
Patricia Dawn Robertson, Canada’s cheekiest satirist, just released her much-anticipated memoir, Media Brat, about growing up on the sidelines of old school media with her father. Sportswriter John Robertson worked at the Winnipeg Free Press from 1956 to the early 1960s, as a broadcaster/host of 24Hours at CBC TV Winnipeg (1977–1982) and he founded the Manitoba Marathon in 1979.
John Robertson also worked at the Toronto Sun (1982-1985) covering the Blue Jays during the Golden Era of the Toronto Sun where he boosted the Toronto weekend circulation to 300,000 in the 1980s with his controversial sport column. Sun readers flipped to the Sunshine Girl then to Robertson’s column.
Media Brat: a Gen-X memoir (April 8) is a hilarious outlier’s account of an artsy girl’s reluctant pilgrimage in the turbulent wake of John Robertson, her manic sportswriter-broadcaster father. The author, as a child and young woman, hated spectator sports but loved her sportswriter father. John Robertson rubbed shoulders with baseball great Rusty Staub (Robertson’s book “Rusty Staub of the Expos”), Blue Jays player Kelly Gruber, CFL QB Ron Lancaster, NHLers Bobby Hull & Willie Lindstrom, politicians Robert Bourassa & René Lévesque and Canadian comedy legend, John Candy.
Robertson’s epic book-length tantrum is set in the stands and parking lots of major league North American sport plus the author’s experiences in Winnipeg, Montréal and Toronto from the early 1960s to the early 1990s. Media Brat explores living in the fish bowl of a media family and coming-of-age in the educational institutions, workplaces and dating ghettos of major North American cities, from the 1970s to the early 1990s. Robertson’s smart reader can always count on her funny no-bullshit truth. Media Brat is Robertson’s first instalment of no-bullshit memoir in book form — in a mere 254 pages. (Robertson is busy at work on Media Brat Goes West, the second instalment of three memoirs, for a spring 2026 release.)
Media Brat’s WINNIPEG chapters (1963, 1977–1982) include:
It Was Snowing on the Day You Were Born (born in the Gateway to the West); The Velvet Hammer (mother-daughter power struggle); The Dutch Uncle (visiting auditor fails to put the brakes on John Robertson’s spending); Frozen Turkeys, Corduroy Knickers & Tia Maria in the Snow Tires (Family Christmas 1977); Klinic With a ‘K’ (autonomy and the pill); The Curse of Lono (Father-Daughter Hawaiian Marathon); Great With Beer (camping trip at Riding Mountain gone awry); Meet Me at The Monty (summer job at Winnipeg Parks & Rec); The Cook, the Marxist, the Candidate & his Daughter (Robbie runs in the provincial election); John Takes a Mulligan (stroking out); and Binge Ate Her Way to a Size 16 (Patricia tips the scales before moving to Toronto and her dad’s new sports columnist gig at the Toronto Sun).
I’ve attached a book release pdf with links to the Meat Draw Books website. (Purchase at MeatDrawBooks.com) This is the first book for my new Canadian imprint, which will publish non-fiction books in small batches, direct-to-reader and without any Canada Council or provincial arts funding.
And, if you want to read an excerpt from the book, you can download it here:
Features
Experience Nonstop Tongits Action on GameZone
In the ever-evolving world of online gaming, one classic Filipino card game has found a new lease on life. Tongits, a beloved pastime in the Philippines, has made a spectacular transition to the digital realm, and GameZone is leading the charge. This comprehensive guide will explore why Tongits on GameZone is the go-to destination for card game enthusiasts in 2025, offering an unparalleled blend of tradition, innovation, and nonstop action.
The Timeless Appeal of Tongits
Before we dive into the GameZone experience, let’s revisit what makes Tongits so special. This rummy-style card game, typically played by three players, has been a staple of Filipino social gatherings for generations. Its appeal lies in its perfect balance of luck, skill, and strategy, making it accessible to beginners while offering depth for seasoned players.
In Tongits, players aim to be the first to discard all their cards by forming valid sets and runs, or to have the lowest points when the game ends. This simple premise belies a game of intense concentration, clever tactics, and social interaction. It’s this combination that has allowed Tongits to stand the test of time and now thrive in the digital age.
GameZone: Revolutionizing Tongits for the Digital Era
GameZone has taken the essence of Tongits and enhanced it for today’s online gaming landscape. Here’s why it’s become the premier platform for Tongits enthusiasts:
1. Diverse Game Modes
GameZone understands that players have different preferences and time constraints. That’s why they offer multiple Tongits variants:
- Tongits Classic: The traditional game that purists love, featuring all the rules and strategies that have made Tongits a favorite for decades.
- Tongits Plus: An enhanced version with slight rule modifications to add extra excitement.
- Tongits Joker: Introduces joker cards to the mix, adding an element of unpredictability and new strategic possibilities.
- Tongits Quick: A fast-paced version with fewer cards, perfect for quick games on the go.
This variety ensures that whether you’re a traditionalist or looking for a new challenge, GameZone has a Tongits experience for you.
2. 24/7 Accessibility and Global Player Base
One of the biggest advantages of playing Tongits on GameZone is the ability to find a game at any time of day or night. With a global player base, you’re never more than a few clicks away from jumping into a match. The platform’s robust servers ensure smooth gameplay, whether you’re on a desktop computer or mobile device.
3. Fair Play and Security Measures
In the world of online gaming, trust is paramount. GameZone has gone to great lengths to ensure a fair and secure gaming environment:
- Licensed by PAGCOR (Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation)
- Advanced encryption to protect user data and transactions
- Sophisticated algorithms to prevent cheating and ensure random card distribution
These measures mean you can focus on enjoying the game, knowing that every match is fair and your personal information is safe.
4. Competitive Tournaments and Rewards
For those with a competitive streak, GameZone offers a thrilling tournament scene:
- Regular tournaments with cash prizes and trophies
- The annual GTCC (GameZone Tongits Championship Cup), a prestigious event drawing top players from around the world
- Daily and weekly challenges with in-game rewards
- Leaderboards to track your progress and compare skills with other players
These competitive elements add an extra layer of excitement to the Tongits experience, giving players goals to strive for beyond individual matches.
5. Vibrant Community Features
GameZone isn’t just a platform for playing cards; it’s a social hub for Tongits enthusiasts. The platform includes:
- In-game chat features for friendly banter during matches
- Forums for discussing strategies, sharing tips, and organizing games
- Regular community events and challenges
- A friend system to connect with fellow players
These social features recreate the camaraderie of playing Tongits in person, fostering a sense of community among players from diverse backgrounds.
Mastering Tongits on GameZone: Strategy Tips
Whether you’re new to Tongits or looking to refine your skills, these tips will help you excel on GameZone:
1. Perfect Your Timing for Knocking
Knowing when to “knock” (end the game early) is crucial. It’s a delicate balance between minimizing your points and not giving opponents the chance to go out. Pay attention to the flow of the game and the cards being discarded to make informed decisions.
2. Master Card Counting
Keep track of discarded cards to deduce what your opponents might be holding. This information is invaluable for making strategic decisions about which cards to keep or discard.
3. Build Flexible Sets
Aim for sets and runs that can be easily modified. For example, if you have 5-6-7, look for 4 or 8 to extend your options. This flexibility increases your chances of going out quickly.
4. Manage Your High Cards
High-value cards (K, Q, J) can be a liability if an opponent knocks. If these cards don’t fit into your strategy, consider discarding them early to minimize potential point loss.
5. Adapt to Different Game Modes
Each GameZone variant requires slightly different strategies. In Tongits Joker, for instance, save your jokers for critical moments rather than using them early. In Tongits Quick, be more aggressive in forming sets due to the reduced card count.
6. Practice Regularly
Like any skill, proficiency in Tongits comes with practice. Take advantage of GameZone’s 24/7 availability to play regularly and experiment with different strategies.
Conclusion: Join the Tongits Revolution
Tongits on GameZone represents the perfect fusion of traditional card gaming and modern technology. With its diverse game modes, fair play guarantees, exciting tournaments, and vibrant community, it offers an unparalleled gaming experience for Tongits lovers of all levels.
Whether you’re looking to relive childhood memories, challenge yourself against top players, or simply enjoy a fun card game with friends, GameZone’s Tongits platform has something for everyone. The nonstop action, combined with the strategic depth of Tongits, creates an addictive and rewarding experience that keeps players coming back for more.
So why wait? Join the millions of players already enjoying Tongits on GameZone. Download the app or visit the website today, and immerse yourself in the world of nonstop Tongits action. Who knows? You might just become the next Tongits champion!
Remember, in the world of online Tongits, every hand is an opportunity, every match a new adventure. See you at the virtual card table!
Features
Ottawa police detective Akiva Geller and the case of the famed purloined Yousef Karsh photograph
By MYRON LOVE It had all the elements of a novel, heist movie or televison episode – a brazen art thief and forger, an iconic work of art, secret storage lockers, DNA and an international trail of crumbs to follow ..and Ottawa police service detective (also a former Winnipegger) Akiva Geller was right in the middle of the action.
The case revolved around the theft from the Fairmont Chateau Laurier Hotel of an iconic photograph of Winston Churchill, taken in 1941, \by the world famous photographer Yousef Karsh. Karsh and his wife, Estrellita, lived at the classy hotel for 18 years. Toward the end of his life, the photographer donated that print – “The Roaring Lion” – along with several others to the hotel. The print, valued at $20,000, was hung in the hotel’s reading room. It was reported stolen – and replaced with a forgery – in the summer of 2022.
Geller joined the Ottawa police force in 2012 following a 14-year career in the Canadian military.
He recalls that he initially considered becoming a pharmacist. He was inspired to change his plans by the yeoman work of the Canadian soldiers who helped stem the tide during the great flood here in 1997.
“That kind of community service resonated with me,’ he says. “I appreciated the hands-on aspect of it all.”
He enlisted the next year.
While serving in the military largely in a series of administrative and teaching capacities, Geller began taking classes at Algonquin College in security management that led to his taking a criminology program – and degree – at Carleton University.
He left the military in 2012 to join the Ottawa police force. He began his policing career as a patrol officer. He was promoted to the investigative branch in 2020.
Now, unlike what we may see on television, being a police detective is not a case of investigating the murder of the week. Geller notes that much of his time is spent looking into suspicious deaths – including overdoses. A high profile case such as the Karsh photo heist comes along once in a lifetime for most police detectives.
This articular story begins, according to Geller, somewhere between late December 2021, and mid-January 2023, when an individual who has since been identified as Jeffrey Wood,walked into the hotel, removed the framed portrait print from the wall, and replaced it with a copy on which Wood had forged Karsh’s signature. At the time, the hotel was largely shut down due to the Covid lockdowns; thus few people were around.
The switch wasn’t discovered, Geller reports, until the following August, when hotel engineer Bruno Lair noticed that the framed print was a little off kilter. When he went to straighten it, he saw that the portrait was hung by a wire – with holes in the wall where screws had held the portrait in place.
“Wood was identified as the seller after we obtained the response to a ‘Mutual Legal Assistance Request’ sent o the United Kingdom,” Geller recalls. “In the response, Sotheby’s London gave us his information, including scanned copies of his passport and IDs.”
The Hotel GM and staff contacted the Yousuf Karsh estate and spoke to the director, Jerry Fielder, who, it was assumed, could verify whether the fraudulent portrait signature was forged, Geller continues. He was sent a picture of the signature and fake portrait, confirmed it was forged and that the portrait was a fake. The hotel reported the theft of the authentic Roaring Lion to Ottawa Police, at which time
Geller began his investigation. Geller goes on to say: “In searching for the authentic portrait I sourced two photos of the authentic portrait on the wall before it was stolen, one from Trip Advisor and the other from Twitter. Both had the portrait signature clearly visible so I could compare them to other signatures I found.
“I came across the Sotheby’s London Auction from May 2022 in which a portrait with a very similar size and signature was sold,” Geller says. “I compared the signature to the ones I sourced from online and determined they were the same. I asked Library and Archives Canada to assist in examining the fake print and also in comparing the signatures. While signature analysis is not in their expertise, they were able to advise that it was highly probable that they were the same. With this I was able to complete a Mutual Legal Assistance Request to the United Kingdom for assistance in obtaining the details of the Sotheby’s Auction. London Metropolitan Police assisted in obtaining the information on the auction and sent it back to me here in Canada. This took almost a year to obtain because of the levels of approvals, editing and paperwork involved.”
Sotheby’s London’s documents identified the seller of the Roaring Lion portrait as well as details about him, communications they had with him and photographs of the portrait before it was obtained by Sotheby’s. Wood was identified as the seller.
“I wrote numerous production orders to all of Wood’s known bank accounts, phone numbers, and credit cards,” Geller recalls. “Once I received the return from his phone company I had to go line by line through his phone bills. There I found a phone call to a storage unit here in Ottawa.”
I wrote a search warrant for the storage locker and a production order for the information on the locker and owner. I executed the search warrant and, in the locker, we found a second fake Churchill print,” he reports. “We also found a toothbrush which we believed would have Wood’s DNA on it. We sent the toothbrush directly to the Centre for Forensic Sciences in Ontario. They compared the DNA from the toothbrush to DNA obtained from inside the fake portrait which was put up in the real one’s place.”
The next piece of the puzzle was to reclaim the portrait to return it to the Chateau Laurier. The drawback here that the buyer of the portrait was an Italian lawyer – one Nicola Castinelli. In Italy, Geller notes, if you buy stolen items in good faith – in other words, if you didn’t know the item was stolen – you have a legal claim to the property, which would mean that you would have to be taken to court to have you relinquish it.
Geller reports that the Italian carabinieri in Rome sent officers to visit the buyer in Genoa and persuaded him to return the portrait in return for what he paid.
Wood was arrested last April. At his hearing on March 14, he pleaded guilty.
Geller reports that, although the maximum sentence is 14 years in prison, the prosecution is requesting of the court a two year sentence while his lawyer is asking for a suspended sentence.
As for the portrait, it was reframed and remounted at the chateau Laurier in the former reading room, which has been converted into a lounge. He adds that the hotel now has a lot more security in place.
“It was a nice reinstallation ceremony,” Geller says.
Mrs. Karsh (who is in her 90s) even wrote a letter to the hotel expressing her appreciation about the portrait being “back home”, he adds.