Features
What would you do if you found out – at age 34 – that your mother was artificially inseminated, you’re half Ashkenazi Jewish, and you have at least six other siblings?
By BERNIE BELLAN Artificial insemination has been around for a very long time. “The first documented application of artificial insemination in humans was done in London in the 1770s by John Hunter,” says an article from The National Library of Medicine. Sperm banks were first developed in the 1950s.
In the 1970s the University of Manitoba Medical School began an artificial insemination program under the direction of Dr. Jeremy Kredentser.
According to an article in the November 3, 1985 Winnipeg Free Press, “about 100 to 120 couples a year” were being seen in that program, said Dr. Kredentser at the time.
The article went on to explain that “Donor sperm is collected from carefully screened donors such as doctors, medical students and others associated with the U of M.”
Under the rules of that program donors were allowed to submit a maximum of 25 sperm donations – which meant any children who were born as a result of artificial insemination from the program could have quite a few half brothers or sisters.
That program actually was the forerunner of what is now the Heartland Fertility Clinic, where Dr. Kredentser practised and was a director for many years.
But, just as is the case with many individuals who have found out later in life that they were adopted, many individuals who have been fathered by anonymous sperm donors want to know about their actual biological ancestry.
In the past few years, as a result of increasingly sophisticated DNA testing, many of those individuals have been able to discover, not only a great deal of information about their ancestry, but very specific information about relatives about whom they would likely never have known.
Such was the case with one young Winnipeg man, who will be referred to in this article simply as T, not because he insisted on anonymity, but because we wanted to take steps to protect the identities of his siblings and, more importantly, his biological father, whose identity was discovered by T through a process of sleuthing. To this point, T notes, despite his fairly recent attempt to reach out to his biological father, he has not received a response.
We had been made aware of T’s story by a mutual acquaintance. When I heard though that T had discovered he was “49% Ashkenazi Jewish” I thought that his story of discovery might make for a fascinating read – if he was willing to share it.
Not only was T extremely forthcoming in telling me his story, he was eager to have it written about. HIs hope is that his biological father might also become aware of this story and come to the realization that T’s motivation in attempting to make contact with him – as it often is with children who have discovered they have been adopted, is not at all malicious; it is a mixture of curiosity, also a desire to learn whether there are any genetic traits about which they should become aware.
A’s story begins in December 2021. What began largely as a lark turned into something quite unexpected. T explains that he and his wife wanted to take DNA tests – not for any particular reason, simply out of curiosity.
T and his wife decided to register on a site called “23andMe,” where all you have to do is send in a DNA sample (from your saliva) for testing. If someone else who has also registered on the site – and has allowed their identity to be known to individuals who turn out to be related, you will receive a notification that you have matches. (The other very popular site that offers a similar service is Ancestry.com.)
In most cases, as T noted, the results will turn up a slew of distant cousins – possibly some closer cousins, but not much more than that.
However, the story took a very unexpected twist – even before T and his wife got their results back. It was late 2021and T’s mother was over to T’s and his soon-to-be wife’s house. T says he told his mother about the DNA test that he and his wife had taken and explained to her – in a joking way he thought, that “we were gonna make sure we’re not related.”
But, his mother’s reaction took him by surprise, he says. She “showed that she was a little bit agitated.”
T says he wondered whether he was “like, oh God, adopted?”
He continues: “…and then she told me, she divulged that information, she said she was going to tell me sooner than later, but on account of this, you know, the advent of all these DNA kits and stuff, she realized that the writing was on the wall, but you know, when they did it, and …the origins of this, um, fertility company, which was in the mid 80s.” (By “fertility company,” T is referring to the program that had been run at the University of Manitoba Medical School.)
I said to T: “Because in anticipation of what you’re gonna find out, she’s gonna have to break the news after all these years (that she had been artificially inseminated) . Okay. so then how much longer did you have to wait for the results?”
I asked T why his mother had been artificially inseminated? It turns our that her husband – the man T had always believed was his biological father, had had a vasectomy prior to T’s mother marrying him – and T’s mother desperately wanted to have a child.
T explains that the results came back quite quickly – only a month later.
As T describes it, “I’m dying to find out. We’ve rolled the dice here. So we’re waiting to hear what’s going to happen. I don’t know. I had no idea about the Ashkenazi Jewish thing. Back then, I had no idea about any siblings.”
Something else should be explained at this point. T’s mother was married fairly late in life – to a man who had been previously married, and who had two sons from his previous marriage – who are 20 years older than T. As T says, “I was pretty excited because I’ve always wanted, you know, a brother or sister, but my own age.” And here was his chance to discover that he did have another sibling, maybe more than one – much closer to his own age.
The results of A’s DNA test came back from 23andMe with the revelation that T was 49% Ashkenazi Jewish. Further, as T says, “only one sibling is showing, and then like a million cousins. Like, second, second, third, distant cousins at that point.” (It should be explained that not only do 23andMe and Ancestry.com provide names of relatives whose genetic profiles match – at least somewhat, they provide pictures as well.)
But, as T says, the results showed “nobody who looks like me, no names I recognize. And a lot of the distant cousins are presumably on the paternal side. So it’s like a lot of Jewish names in New York.”
Yet, there was a sibling – a half sister (whose name will not be revealed), but who didn’t live in Winnipeg any more. Still, T reached out to her and the half sister revealed to T that she had known since she was 15 that she was the product of artificial insemination, but nothing more than that.
Another year rolls by – it’s now 2022 and suddenly T and his half sister are informed by 23andMe that they have another half brother – who lives in Winnipeg, and who’s a year younger than T.
T and his new half brother connect. As T says, “he’s like 10 minutes away from me…but the weirdest part about this is like, I can’t find any connection with him in Winnipeg, which is weird because we’re lifelong Winnipeggers and it takes, you know how it is, it takes no time at all to find a Winnipeg connection, right?”
But A’s new half brother also tells T and the half sister that he had only recently tried 23andMe because he had been on Ancestry.com – but it hadn’t yielded any close matches. However, in 2023, after the new half brother is introduced to T and the other half sister, the new half brother receives a notification from Ancestry.com that they’ve reviewed his DNA results again – and this time they’ve found three new half sisters – all of whom live in Winnipeg!
It turns out that each of those half sisters had been aware they were the products of artificial insemination. There turns out to be one more half brother – who doesn’t live in Winnipeg – bringing the total of known siblings to seven. As T notes, however, there could be as many as 18 more siblings!
Okay, so now we know T has six siblings, and they’re all 49% Ashkenazi Jewish. How does that lead to T’s discovering who the sperm donor was?
At this point I have to be very careful not to get too specific, out of concern that identities that should remain anonymous are not divulged.
It turns out though that someone else had been on Ancestry.com – but later it emerges that the reason this person would have been on Ancestry.com was that she was a Holocaust survivor, likely looking for long lost relatives who had been separated by World War II.
This woman had reached out to one of T’s half sisters and asks her whether she is a cousin. The half sister responds: “No, I’m your granddaughter.”
Apparently, according to T, finding that out likely “spooked” the Holocaust survivor, and she “ghosted” T’s half sister. T says her “profile disappeared and has not been heard from since.”
(By way of explanation, when Ancestry.com reports a match, it indicates the level of closeness between two individuals. e.g., a parent or a child will be identified as a parent or child; a grandparent, grandchild or sibling will be identified as “immediate family. T’s half sister discovered that she had a paternal grandmother. She didn’t know that this woman was a Holocaust survivor immediately.)
T’s half brother – who had been on both Ancestry.com and 23andMe, did inform T of their paternal grandmother’s name – in 2023. It turns out that the other three half sisters, along with A’s half brother – all of whom had been on Ancestry.com, and who had found each other on Ancestry.com, had also done some digging on their own.
One of the half sisters was told about a book titled “Stories of Winnipeg Holocaust Survivors,” which was compiled by Belle Jarniewski, currently Executive Director of the Jewish Heritage Centre of Western Canada. (At the time Belle was known as Belle Milo, which is the name given on the cover of the book.)
There is a chapter in the book devoted to the story of the Holocaust survivor who had reached out to the half sister. In that chapter the names of the woman’s children are given. It didn’t take too long for that half sister to deduce which of the women’s children would have been the sperm donor. She shared that information with her two other half sisters in Winnipeg – but none of them made any attempt to contact their biological father.
(By the way, once T revealed his paternal grandmother’s name to me I did find some references to her in the Jewish Post archives that are accessible on jewishpostandnews.ca. One of those references included the names of her children. It turns out that I knew one of those children from chlldhood.)
Once T was informed by his half brother in Winnipeg of their paternal grandmother’s name, but without having learned that the three Winnipeg half sisters actually knew who their biological father was, he began his own search online for information about the Holocaust survivor who was their paternal grandmother.
He didn’t turn anything up until he, too, discovered the same book, “Stories of Winnipeg Holocaust Survivors, ” that had been key to one of his half sisters discovering who their biological father was.
As T says, “I found the book online, read it, and I found the (children’s) names. And then I looked up her (son’s name). And after a half an hour I found, like, the timeline for (son’s name).” and the timeline for this particular individual and what he would have been doing in 1985, which is when T’s mother was artificially inseminated, fit perfectly.
T says that once “I figured out who the guy was, I found a picture, and I’m like, okay, this man looks like me, this is the guy, and then once I started connecting with the other sisters, they all confirmed that, in fact, was the guy.”
But, before attempting to reach out to their biological father, T wanted to make sure that each of the other siblings was on board with what he was attempting to do. As he says, “At this point, before I reached out to the donor, I wanted to make sure that I had consent from everybody else.”
A received everyone’s permission and T proceeded to write a hand-written letter to their biological father, which he sent in March 2024. As A says, “I get the guy’s address. And I decide that I, like, I really want to reach out I’m just dying of curiosity. Nobody else has (reached out) yet. I don’t understand why. And I’m like, okay. So I write him a handwritten letter that basically just introduced like who I am and that we understand that we might have a connection to him We’re grateful for him.
“And if he has any interest in contacting us, here’s how we can be contacted But otherwise, we’re not going to bug you. The ball’s in your court. We have no interest in ransacking your life because at the end of the day, we’re all grateful for, you know, what you’ve done for us, and we all have great lives, and thank you, that kind of thing.” To this point T says he has not received any response.
Something I wondered about – and what I’m sure you’re also wondering about, is the revelation that the genetic make-up that T and each of his siblings is carrying is 49% Ashkenazi Jewish. I wondered whether finding that out has made any difference in the lives of T and his siblings?
In fact, the answer – if T and his siblings are truthful, is that it hasn’t made any difference at all. T says he “grew up in the United Church,” but doesn’t consider himself religious. Perhaps somewhat ironically, T says that “half of my friends are Ashkenazi Jewish guys.” In fact, he’s very familiar with Jewish culture and has been to the Shaarey Zedek Synagogue many times. (I should note that the person who put me on to this story is Jewish and has known T for years.)
There are many other twists to T’s story – about how closely connected he is to so many aspects of Jewish life, but again – for the sake of confidentiality I won’t reveal them here. Suffice to say that T could very easily immerse himself into the Jewish community here without missing a beat – if that’s what he chose to do.
As for his siblings – well, that’s a different story. T says that finding out they had Jewish genes seemed more like a matter of curiosity to them than anything particularly important to their sense of identity. One should bear in mind that many of the individuals who go on to sites like Ancestry.com or 23andMe find out very surprising things about their ancestry, but it hardly changes their own concept of who they are.
T, though, looks upon the revelation that he’s half Jewish with a certain sense of bemusement, but also an explanation for some aspects of his own identity. As he says, “I think it makes me more interesting, and honestly, when I look in the mirror, and what I’m seeing is like, my physiology is turning into a frumpy old Jewish man. My dad (or at least the man T thought was his dad and who raised him) is, like, 6’2. My brothers are 6’1; they’re tall.”
T says though that he has “freckles and a skinny Adam’s apple. And I’m, like: ‘Why do I look like any of these (Jewish) guys (who are his friends)? So, anyway, it just, it clicks, it makes a lot more sense for me. It really helps, it helps me kind of make a little… a piece of the whole situation.”
But there are other aspects to T’s past that are more troublesome. He’s had some issues that might have been inherited – as does one of his brothers. T says that “I’d love to just talk to this guy for an hour. See what he’s like, you know, see if he’s musical,” for instance.
I say to T: “I’m not interested in outing him. You know, if he wants to remain anonymous, let him remain anonymous, but maybe he’ll have second thoughts about it. If someone happens to contact him and says, ‘Hey, uh, we read this story or we heard about a story – and it might be you they’re talking about in the story’.” After all, there must have a fair number of men who donated their sperm in that University of Manitoba Medical School program back in the 1970s and 80s. Wouldn’t some of them be curious to learn what the results were from their donations?
Of course, there have been stories about children of women who were artificially inseminated who have gone after the sperm donors. As T concedes, “I kind of assume his reticence kind of lies in that very kind of thing. There’s a whole bunch of Netflix specials that have come out, and there’s some movies over the last ten years, and I’ve watched all of them.”
Still, despite the assurances that men like T’s biological father who donated their sperm may have received that their identities would remain anonymous, advances in genetic testing have shown that those assurances have been made moot. If it were up to me I’d want to own up to my having provided the sperm that ended up helping to produce a child. Otherwise, now that T’s father has received the information that his identity is known to at least seven of the children that he was responsible for fathering, he’s going to have to live with the possibility that one of those children may show up on his doorstep one day.
One final note about this story: T tells me that he and his six known siblings are all on good terms and communicate with one another. In fact, they all had a get-together this past summer where many of them met each other for the first time. I’d have liked to refer to is a reunion – but that would be a misnomer. How about calling it a “kum zeets,” which is the Israeli term for a get together?
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.