When Nicola Cassinelli, Italian lawyer and occasional art collector, bid on a portrait of the late U.K. prime minister Winston Churchill, he says, he didn't know it would land him in the centre of an international criminal investigation.
The image depicts a glowering Churchill posing after his prolific 1941 speech in Canadian Parliament. It captures the wartime leader in the moments after local photographer snatched a cigar out of his hand. When Karsh returned to his camera, he saw a Churchill who "looked so belligerent he could have devoured me."
Karsh snapped the picture, titled "The Roaring Lion," which has arguably become the most famous image of Churchill in history. It is also one of the most reproduced pictures of the 20th century, making an appearance on the U.K. five-pound note.
Eight decades later, in May 2022, 38-year-old corporate lawyer Cassinelli was browsing art auctions online. He saw "The Roaring Lion" up for sale for about 5,200 pounds, or just over C$9,000.
"I thought I was bidding for one of the several copies," he said in an interview with 麻豆影视. "A few months later, I discovered that I bought not a simple copy, but that copy."
"That" copy had, until months prior, been hanging on the wall of Ottawa's prestigious Fairmont Chateau Laurier hotel, where Karsh had lived for 18 years. He later gifted the portrait to the Chateau Laurier.
The hotel was also the scene of a crime. In August 2022, a maintenance worker, Bruno Lair, was making his rounds through the Chateau Laurier when he noticed that "The Roaring Lion" was crooked.
More than that, it appeared smaller. And it was in a frame without locks, hung with a wire. "Those pictures are not hung by a wire," he later told 麻豆影视.
"The Roaring Lion" on that wall was a fake. The real one had been stolen.
He alerted his boss and set in motion a police investigation that would last two years, cross oceans and eventually lead to a phone call to Cassinelli.
"I received a phone call from the auction house telling me not to sell or transfer the artwork," he said, referring to the portrait now hanging in his living room.
He Googled the portrait and saw headlines that the famous Chateau Laurier version was missing. 麻豆影视 reported at the time that the switcheroo had prompted the hotel to .
Months went by as police continued their investigation, gradually narrowing in on Cassinelli's copy. Eventually, he got another call confirming the news.
"At that moment, I realized it was like having the Mona Lisa in your living room," he recalled. "It's a mythical photograph."
In a press release on Sep. 11, OPS confirmed that investigators identified and charged 43-year-old Jeffrey Iain James Wood from Powassan, Ontario, in April for the theft and trafficking of 鈥淭he Roaring Lion鈥 portrait.
OPS initially told media that Wood鈥檚 name was under a publication ban, which was not the case.
Cassinelli was not ignorant to the image's significance. Having studied Churchill, he says he knew that edition of the portrait was of great historical importance 鈥 not just to the prime minister's legacy, but to Canada.
In a world of copies, his portrait was "a real piece of history. A real piece of art."
On the request of the hotel and authorities, he agreed to return the picture. A repatriation ceremony will be held at the Canadian Embassy in Rome next week. Cassinelli plans to attend, along with police investigators and Chateau Laurier management.
On the day he dropped it off, he says, he bought another "Roaring Lion" 鈥 a simple poster version 鈥 for about $50 and hung it in the spot left vacant by the hotel's edition.
"That is a copy, but the original was once there, and that is incredible," he said. "I have a story to tell all my life."
Twenty-seven year 麻豆影视 reporter and anchor John Vennavally-Rao shares his story of what it was like to have an ostomy bag as part of his health-care battle. 'I鈥檓 grateful for what it did to extend my life,' he writes in a personal column for CTVNews.ca.
An Ontario woman is among the dozens of people who have come forward to allege that they were sexually abused by London-based businessman Mohamed Al Fayed, the former chairman and owner of Harrods.
Looking after an adult with severe autism can be a full-time job. Ask any parent who has a child severely affected by autism spectrum disorder 鈥 it鈥檚 a job that can get more difficult as the child becomes an adult.
The death of the Tragically Hip鈥檚 lead singer Gord Downie united fans across Canada in their grief, but in many ways pulled his bandmates apart.
The death toll from an Israeli airstrike on a Beirut suburb has risen to 31, including seven women and three children, Lebanon's health minister said on Saturday.
Police have arrested an 18-year-old woman who allegedly stole a Porsche and then ran over its owner in an incident that was captured on video.
It is not a great time to be a coffee drinker. In general, coffee bean prices are the highest they've been in more than a decade.
Advocates have identified the woman who died this week after being shot by police in Surrey, B.C., as a South American refugee who was raising a young daughter.
Andre De Grasse, fresh off of winning Olympic gold in the 4x100-metre rally in Paris 2024, has been in Toronto for the latest few weeks as part of the Toronto International Film Festival.
The RCMP is seeking the dismissal of three officers who have been suspended from the Coquitlam detachment since June 2021 over allegations of racist, sexist and homophobic comments made in a group chat.
Advocates have identified the woman who died this week after being shot by police in Surrey, B.C., as a South American refugee who was raising a young daughter.
On the day he spoke to one of his largest audiences to date, the leader of the BC Conservatives made an exceptionally misleading statement around a well-publicized funding model for political parties that鈥檚 been in place since 2018.
Three people were taken to hospital following a serious collision which shut down Hwy. 48 in Markham late Friday night.
One person was taken to hospital after a motorcycle and another vehicle collided in the Fairbank area overnight.
Police have arrested an 18-year-old woman who allegedly stole a Porsche and then ran over its owner in an incident that was captured on video.
The man charged with fatally stabbing lifelong Banff resident Ethan Enns-Goneau in 2022 has been convicted of second-degree murder.
Environment Canada issued a frost advisory for Calgary late Friday afternoon.
It was the last show for longtime children's TV star Ron (Buck Shot) Barge Friday as hundreds of family, friends and fans attended a public memorial in Calgary.
Agreement in principle has been reached to build a new NHL arena at LeBreton Flats has been reached between the Ottawa Senators and the National Capital Commission (NCC), the two sides announced Friday.
For years, the commute to Ottawa's west end was one of the biggest complaints for attending fans. But those who live in Kanata and in the immediate LeBreton area say the move would be a big change their respective neighbourhoods.
Ottawa police are investigating a shooting downtown Friday afternoon.
Montrealers can get used to taking a stroll on several car-free streets during the summer in the years to come thanks to a new commitment from the city.
Three men were injured after trying to subdue a man armed with a knife during afternoon prayers at a Montreal-area mosque Friday afternoon.
Allrem, a Quebec company. wants to open up Canada to the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship.
Two Edmonton Police Service officers have been criminally charged in connection with an assault.
Roughly 100 people gathered in an Edmonton intersection on Friday in support of 鈥 and against 鈥 the 1 Million March for Children.
The Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge announced Friday it is now accepting reservations from guests for accommodations beginning Oct. 1.
A 15-year-old boy who was the subject of an emergency alert in New Brunswick has been arrested.
Halifax Regional Police warned the public of a series of high-value thefts targeting retail stores Friday.
A new scam is being reported in communities across the country.
The search for a missing six-year-old boy in Shamattawa is continuing Friday as RCMP hope recent tips can help lead to a happy conclusion.
While slang may come and go, experts say the phenomenon behind them, which constantly churns out brand-new bon mots, is as old as language itself.
A plane approaches the grass runway at Harv鈥檚 Air School south of Steinbach. Nothing is getting in the way of a clear, smooth landing, but owner Harv Penner worries, that could soon change.
Cole Haas is more than just an avid fan of the F.W. Johnson Wildcats football team. He's a fixture on the sidelines, a source of encouragement, and a beloved member of the team.
Regina police are responding to a collision involving a motorcycle on Friday evening.
Five Regina schools were placed into lockdown or secure the building mode following a report of a weapons investigation at Miller High School on Friday.
Protests were held in front of Kitchener City Hall on Friday, both for and against LGBTQ2S+ inclusive education and queer rights in schools.
The provincial government is considering new rules to restrict a municipality鈥檚 ability to install new bike lanes if it means traffic lanes would be removed.
A new scam is being reported in communities across the country.
Hospital beds in hallways, supply shortages in the neonatal intensive care unit, and operating rooms being put on hold are some of the concerns nurses are voicing, according to the Saskatchewan Union of Nurses (SUN).
The Saskatchewan RCMP major crimes unit is investigating after a 29-year-old man died in hospital.
A garage fire in Saskatoon鈥檚 Willows neighbourhood on Friday narrowly missed igniting an attached home, according to the fire department.
Emergency crews in northern Ontario found the bodies of four people inside a home where a fire broke out Thursday night.
Police have arrested an 18-year-old woman who allegedly stole a Porsche and then ran over its owner in an incident that was captured on video.
A Brampton driver, 27, was charged this week when northern Ontario police stopped the SUV he was driving on Highway 17 after a reported shooting and found more than $100,000 in cash.
If you prefer cash over card, unfortunately Budweiser Gardens will no longer accept it.
The London Police Service (LPS) has launched a public survey, looking at policing and community safety.
A London man is half a million dollars richer after winning a Lotto Max draw on August 13.
Two men from Barrie have been charged after a deadly shooting at a park in Keswick on Wednesday.
A man is facing numerous drug trafficking charges after Dufferin OPP seized a large assortment of drugs and weapons in Orangeville earlier this week.
Provincial police investigating the death of a cat that was allegedly set on fire in Orillia earlier this week released surveillance video of a person of interest in the case.
A LaSalle high school is celebrating its emerald anniversary this weekend, with everyone who has ever walked its halls invited to return.
The final phase of investigation in downtown Wheatley is nearing completion over three years after a major gas explosion.
The Special Investigations Unit (SIU) is searching for the occupants of a vehicle caught on security cameras during a fatal police-involved shooting on Goyeau Street.
A home has been transformed for the benefit of a B.C. neighbourhood, by a man who was transformed by the caring of his community.
When the federal government announced all open net fish farms on the British Columbia coast need to be out of the water by 2029, it also promised to produce a draft transition plan by the end of July. It missed that target by seven weeks.
New Democrat Leader David Eby has launched his British Columbia election campaign a day early, making the key battle ground of Surrey his first stop.
A pair of runaway pigs are in the custody of an animal sanctuary in the Okanagan after evading police and volunteers for hours earlier this week.
The Red Bridge, a historic landmark in Kamloops, B.C., was completely destroyed by fire early Thursday morning.
Animal protection officers in British Columbia have rescued three pit bulls 鈥 including one that gave birth to 10 puppies 鈥 from a rat-infested home in Kelowna.
After a summer of preparation, the Lethbridge Hurricanes are ready to open the 2024-25 season.
As a new semester is underway, Lethbridge Polytechnic and the University of Lethbridge say the number of students on campus is on the rise.
A Lethbridge resident is facing charges after police seized drugs and weapons at a traffic stop for bicycle equipment violations.
A 26-year-old driver from Surrey, B.C., has been charged with three counts of criminal negligence causing death and bodily harm in a crash that killed two youths in northern Ontario last year.
Ontario Provincial Police say three suspects from southern Ontario have been charged and drugs worth $300,000 have been seized following a traffic stop Sept. 16.
A Brampton driver, 27, was charged this week when northern Ontario police stopped the SUV he was driving on Highway 17 after a reported shooting and found more than $100,000 in cash.
Newfoundland and Labrador's chief medical officer is monitoring the rise of whooping cough infections across the province as cases of the highly contagious disease continue to grow across Canada.
A 16-year-old biennial event aimed at fostering business in the country's eastern Arctic and northern regions has been cancelled indefinitely as a dispute unfolds between Inuit in Canada and a Labrador group claiming to share their heritage.
Jim Lester鈥檚 farm hopped on the cow-cuddling trend in early August, and his time slots have been pretty well sold out ever since.
Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.
An anonymous business owner paid off the mortgage for a New Brunswick not-for-profit.
They say a dog is a man鈥檚 best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.
A growing group of brides and wedding photographers from across the province say they have been taken for tens of thousands of dollars by a Barrie, Ont. wedding photographer.
Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.
The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.
It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.
A Good Samaritan in New Brunswick has replaced a man's stolen bottle cart so he can continue to collect cans and bottles in his Moncton neighbourhood.
Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly says close to 45,000 Canadians are in Lebanon, months after warning there is no guarantee Ottawa can evacuate them if the situation deteriorates further.
The federal firearm buyback program has cost taxpayers nearly $67.2 million since it was announced in 2020, but it still hasn't collected a single gun.
The NDP is asking the Competition Bureau to investigate whether Canadian landlords are using the same AI software that sparked an antitrust lawsuit in the United States.
Looking after an adult with severe autism can be a full-time job. Ask any parent who has a child severely affected by autism spectrum disorder 鈥 it鈥檚 a job that can get more difficult as the child becomes an adult.
Canada is setting aside $151 million for the fight to eradicate polio worldwide. International Development Minister Ahmed Hussen announced the news at a Rotary International conference in Toronto.
Whooping cough is on track to reach a record number of cases in Ontario while infections climb in eastern provinces and decline in Quebec, but experts say trying to predict the course of the highly contagious disease has been especially difficult this year.
If something looks too good to be true, it might be. That's the message from Saskatchewan horticulturists after customers have come into their stores hoping to buy purple apple trees this month.
The owner of the shuttered Three Mile Island nuclear power plant said Friday that it plans to restart the reactor under a 20-year agreement that calls for tech giant Microsoft to buy the power to supply its data centers with carbon-free energy.
Lebanese authorities on Thursday banned walkie-talkies and pagers from being taken on flights from Beirut airport, the National News Agency reported, after thousands of such devices exploded during a deadly attack on Hezbollah this week.
The death of the Tragically Hip鈥檚 lead singer Gord Downie united fans across Canada in their grief, but in many ways pulled his bandmates apart.
Sean "Diddy" Combs, who was arrested this week on charges of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking, pleaded not guilty Tuesday and was ordered to remain in custody until his federal trial in New York. CNN spoke to several legal experts to try to understand what lies ahead for Combs and for those in his orbit.
Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.
It is not a great time to be a coffee drinker. In general, coffee bean prices are the highest they've been in more than a decade.
Experts say rising team valuations and the desire to forge a legacy are likely at the heart of what motivated Rogers Communications Inc. executive chair Edward Rogers to bolster the company's portfolio of Toronto professional sports teams.
Boeing said on Friday the head of the company's troubled defence, space and security unit is leaving the planemaker effective immediately.
When Bernard Morissette got a call from Loto-Quebec on Sept. 18 and was asked if he was sitting down, he had no idea what was coming his way.
A new study has found that engaging in creative activities can significantly boost well-being by providing meaningful spaces for expression and achievement.
An anonymous business owner paid off the mortgage for a New Brunswick not-for-profit.
Andre De Grasse, fresh off of winning Olympic gold in the 4x100-metre rally in Paris 2024, has been in Toronto for the latest few weeks as part of the Toronto International Film Festival.
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have won five in a row. The Edmonton Elks have won five of their last six games. They are the two hottest teams in the West. When they meet Saturday at Commonwealth Stadium, something has to give.
Agreement in principle has been reached to build a new NHL arena at LeBreton Flats has been reached between the Ottawa Senators and the National Capital Commission (NCC), the two sides announced Friday.
General Motors (GM) has issued a recall for 38,000 vehicles for safety risks related to a software glitch, Transport Canada reported in a notice on Wednesday.
Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov has accused Tesla CEO Elon Musk of 'remotely disabling' his Cybertruck, which had been sent to the frontline of Russia's war in Ukraine.
An Ontario man says it is 'unfair' to pay a $1,500 insurance surcharge because his four-year-old SUV is at a higher risk of being stolen.
The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at 麻豆影视. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop.聽Read about us.
