Trudeau accepts portrait of his father by London, Ont. artist
Trudeau accepts portrait of his father by London, Ont. artist
London artist Eric Drummond said he is honoured Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has accepted a portrait of his late father, former prime minister Pierre Trudeau.
The painting was presented to the prime minister by London North Centre MP Peter Fragiskatos last week.
Drummond said he has been informed Justin Trudeau intends to have it framed to hang inside his Parliament Hill office.
“I’m over the moon. The prime minister keeps a painting you did and has it in such a prominent place as the office of Parliament. That’s astounding,” Drummond shared with CTV News London.
An admirer of Pierre Trudeau, Drummond said he spent six weeks on the sketch portrait.
“I wanted it all to be relaxed and confident because he was such a great speaker and so charismatic,” he explained.
But Drummond’s take on Trudeau is merely a drop in the bucket in the life work of the accomplished 30-year-old.
A sketch portrait of Pierre Elliott Trudeau by London, Ont. artist Eric Drummond. (Source: Eric Drummond)
A graduate of the prestigious Florence Academy of Art, he specializes in classic renaissance-style art.
“I wanted to kind of follow the heritage of the old masters that I loved,” he said. “They all got their education in Florence and I wanted to do the same.”
Drummond said his initial admiration for classical art came from his grandfather, an Italian immigrant to Canada.
“I kind of carry his lesson with me as much as any other lesson I would have learned in school,” he said.
Eric Drummond in his London, Ont. Studio. (Sean Irvine/CTV News London)
After three years in Italy, Drummond has returned to a studio at London’s TAP Centre for Creativity. From here, he plans to grow renaissance-style art across the country.
“I think I could be a part of changing the culture of portrait art and classical art in Canada,” he explained.
Drummond is already a commissioned artist for multiple public figures, predominantly U.S. lawmakers and private clients.
He said his work of Trudeau could one day be recreated as a larger portrait.
The federal government is seeking to delay the extension of assisted dying eligibility to people whose sole condition is a mental disorder until March 17, 2024. Justice Minister David Lametti introduced a bill seeking the extension in the House of Commons on Thursday.
A gay man is taking the federal government to court, challenging the constitutionality of a policy restricting gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned.
Will we see six more weeks of winter, or an early spring? Here’s what some of the groundhogs (and one human) have predicted so far, from coast-to-coast.
Nestle Canada says it is winding down its frozen meals and pizza business in Canada over the next six months. The four brands that will no longer be sold in the freezer aisle at Canadian grocery stores are Delissio, Stouffer's, Lean Cuisine and Life Cuisine.
The United States has answered President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's plea for rockets that can strike deep behind the front lines of the nearly year-long conflict with Russia. Now Russian forces will need to adapt or face potentially catastrophic losses.
Australia is removing the monarchy from its bank notes. The nation's new $5 bill will feature an Indigenous design rather than an image of King Charles III. But the king is still expected to appear on coins that currently bear the image of the late Queen Elizabeth II.
The organization regulating medical care and services in Manitoba is apologizing for racism directed towards Indigenous people when accessing health care in the province.
A Quebec woman said she was very surprised to find her stolen Audi had been used in what’s being described as an “absolutely insane” Ontario mall robbery.
Ontario has released a new 'connected' and 'convenient' health-care plan aimed at shortening wait times and localizing access to care across the province.
Wiarton Willie made his prediction his spring prediction Thursday morning at 8:07 a.m. The groundhog did not see his shadow, meaning we could get an early spring.
Highway 11 in northern Ontario is closed Thursday morning from Highway 66 near Kenogami Lake to Matheson after a collision involving several vehicles, police say.
Ottawa ranks 45th out of 62 cities across Canada and the United States in a study on downtown recovery, with activity levels at 51 per cent of pre-pandemic levels.
Ontario has released a new 'connected' and 'convenient' health-care plan aimed at shortening wait times and localizing access to care across the province.
Three Richmond Hill residents have been arrested after police seized $500,000 in fake gift cards from a “sophisticated forgery lab” while searching multiple local properties last month.
A polar vortex is descending over Ontario this week and some of the coldest weather is still to come. Wind chills will also reach dangerous levels, increasing the risk of frostbite.
The next few nights are expected to be frigid in Montreal, with wind chill factors dropping to -30. In order to prevent anyone experiencing homelessness from ending up outdoors, the City of Montreal is announcing the opening of two emergency shelters.
A Quebec woman said she was very surprised to find her stolen Audi had been used in what’s being described as an “absolutely insane” Ontario mall robbery.
On the day that Shubenacadie Sam predicted six more weeks of winter, there are warnings and statements cautioning that the coldest air of the season is about to arrive in the Maritimes.
The federal government is seeking to delay the extension of assisted dying eligibility to people whose sole condition is a mental disorder until March 17, 2024. Justice Minister David Lametti introduced a bill seeking the extension in the House of Commons on Thursday.
Calgary's Scotiabank Saddledome was packed to the rafters with fans eager to take a look at Canadian phenom Connor Bedard and the 17-year-old did not fail to impress.
Athabasca University's board of governors has replaced the president who resisted the government's demand to double the distance-learning school's number of employees who live in Athabasca.
B.C.'s Ministry of Health is continuing its multi-year trend of paying millions more dollars each year to private surgical centres for the delivery of public health care, CTV News has learned.
The over-representation of Indigenous people in Canada's justice system and the number of deaths of Indigenous people at the hands of police has the vice-chief of national Indigenous organization up in arms.
A sketch portrait of Pierre Elliott Trudeau by London, Ont. artist Eric Drummond. (Source: Eric Drummond)
Eric Drummond in his London, Ont. Studio. (Sean Irvine/CTV News London) 
