Winston Churchill portrait stolen from Château Laurier recovered by Ottawa police — in Italy

The «Roaring Lion» has been found.

A 1941 portrait of British prime minister Sir Winston Churchill by famed Canadian photographer Yousuf Karsh, which was reported stolen from the lobby of Ottawa's Fairmont Château Laurier hotel in August 2022, has been located in Italy, police sources have told CBC News.

Ottawa police investigators, who tracked the photo down, say it is set to be returned to the hotel.

A 43-year-old man from Powassan, Ont., was arrested April 25 and appeared in court in Ottawa the next day, charged with multiple offences, including theft, forgery and trafficking in stolen property. His name is under a publication ban.

Ottawa Police Service's Acting Detective Sgt. Akiva Geller said he could not elaborate on why the publication ban was sought. He said details about the painting's recovery have not been released until now due to the necessary diplomacy required in an international case.

The brazen heist, which made international headlines, occurred during a COVID-19-related lockdown in Ottawa some time between Christmas Day 2021 and Jan. 6, 2022, the hotel determined. No one was in the building during that period.

The photo had been gifted to the hotel by Karsh himself and had been on public display at the Château for decades until it was removed from the wall and replaced by a fake, which then hung in its place, unnoticed, for eight months.

A complex, global investigation

After learning of the theft, Ottawa police began a global hunt for the photo, ultimately tracking it down in Italy.

Geller said it was the most complicated case he has ever dealt with. It was an «extensive» investigation, involving forensic analysis, tips from the public and support from international organizations, he said.

There was particular