Brockville, Ont. artist continues his search for missing paintings: ‘This is part of my legacy’

A Brockville, Ont. artist is looking for help, trying to track down some of his work which was stolen about a year and a half ago.

Jeremy Snelson isn’t sure if the paintings still exist, but he says the passing of time has not softened his resolve to find the artwork.

Rewind to October of 2018. Snelson was living in a house on Tunnel Avenue in the city when a fire broke out, forcing he and others to flee because of the damage.

“Unfortunately, looters — the only correct term I can think of — had jimmied open the door and night and stole them,” Snelson said of his art.

Now, Snelson, a carpenter by trade, is saying that if any of those over 50 paintings still exist, he’s like to get them back. Each piece, he says, has identifying marks.

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“Not only is it my name on the front of the picture and the year it was painted, but on the back, I also have the title of the picture, my name again and the month and year that I painted it,” he explained.

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“I also glue on a business card on the back for identification purposes.”

At 70 years of age, Snelson knows chances of recovery aren’t the greatest, but says he at least has to try.

“This is part of my legacy,” he said. “I worked for this.

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Brockville police, meanwhile, say the case is still under investigation.

If anyone should find any of the missing paintings, they can contract the Brockville Police Service or Crime Stoppers.