Chuck Konkel

Born in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, Chuck Konkel has a Master’s  degree in International Relations, speaks several languages fluently and was an Inspector in the Royal Hong Kong Police before joining the Toronto Police were he became an acknowledged expert in both Asian and Eastern European Organized crime serving.

Konkel is a serving police investigator with several decades of law enforcement experience who began his career as an Inspector in the Royal Hong Kong Police before the recent Communist takeover.  He works closely with Interpol, the National Police Forces of Poland, the Netherlands and Belgium in addition to the RCMP and FBI in matters involving organized crime both in Canada and Europe. Konkel has lectured at the Polish Police Academy Legionowo, Poland with FBI funding and was personal advisor to the late Commandant of the National Police of Poland, Marek Papala. During his time there, Konkel was warned by Western allies that major crime bosses were very displeased that he was assisting the Polish Commissioner in developing strategies to combat organized crime groups in Poland. They warned him to leave Poland.  A few months after Konkel returned to Canada, Marek Papala was murdered.  The crime is still unsolved.

 On other occasions, Konkel executed a search warrant in a closed area near Moscow (it proved to be a site integral to making illicit missile components). He also executed a search warrant on the Canadian International Development Agency in Ottawa in furtherance of an investigation involving corrupt Russian generals funnelling their assets into Canada.

 Chuck Konkel has written two previous thrillers- both well received nationally and internationally. The Glorious East Wind (Random House Canada/ McGraw Hill US) is about the final years of British Hong Kong and accurately predicted the Tienamin Square massacre.  As a result he appeared in major media across Canada and on Larry King Live, NBC-National with John Miller, PBS National Radio and David Letterman, among many others. 

 He was a regular on Canadian national television and appeared on radio/television programs internationally including Larry King, David Letterman, Tom Snyder (NBC) and Bob Grant (CBS radio nation-wide).  He was a regular book reviewer for two major Canadian newspaper chains.

 He wrote Who Has Buried the Dead after becoming ill with a rare tumour which strikes only 1 in 1.5 million persons. He has undergone several surgeries and more than 50 rounds of chemo and still reports the next day for duty commanding a team of equally dedicated police officers throughout covid.

Honoring Chuck Konkel

August 27, 1950 – July 21, 2024

It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Chuck Konkel, a distinguished author, police officer, international crime specialist and most importantly, husband, proud son of Ann, and the late Edward Konkel, father and friend. Chuck passed away on July 21, at the age of 73.

Born in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, Chuck was a man of many talents and accomplishments. He held a Master’s degree in International Relations and was fluent in several languages. His career in law enforcement spanned decades and continents, beginning as an Inspector in the Royal Hong Kong Police before joining the Toronto Police, where he became an acknowledged expert in both Asian and Eastern European organized crime. He also served in the Canadian Armed Forces.

Chuck collaborated with international law enforcement agencies, including Interpol, the National Police Force of Poland, the Dutch police force, and the Belgium police force, as well as the RCMP and FBI (including lecturing at Quantico). He was instrumental in executing high-profile search warrants and investigations that spanned the globe, from Moscow to Ottawa. His work with the Polish National Police and his advisory role to the late Commissioner of Police for Poland, Marek Papala, on behalf of the FBI, highlighted his commitment to combating organized crime. He was instrumental in his push to have Poland admitted into NATO through Canada as the late Bill Graham, then Minister of Foreign Affairs, used to call Chuck, Mr. Poland! He created the template for the Hate Crime laws in Canada for which he received an award from the Senate of Canada. He also received many additional awards for his accomplishments and bravery, both in Canada and abroad.

A prolific writer, Chuck authored three highly acclaimed thrillers, “The Glorious East Wind”, “Evil Never Sleeps,” and, most recently, “Who Has Buried The Dead?”, which was the competing novel to Oppenheimer about the H-bomb opposed to the A-bomb, created in the WWII Manhattan project. His works provided gripping narratives that reflected his deep understanding of geopolitical issues and crime. His media appearances on Larry King Live, NBC, PBS national radio, and David Letterman, among others, showcased his insights and expertise.

Despite facing a rare and challenging form of cancer, that only impacts one in two million people, Chuck’s resilience and dedication were unwavering. He continued to fulfill his professional duties with the Toronto Police, even while undergoing major surgery and over 55 chemotherapy treatments. His commitment to his work and community remained steadfast throughout his illness and the COVID-19 pandemic. He never missed a day of work in the field during COVID, except for attending his chemo treatments.

Chuck was also a passionate advocate for refugee sponsorship, working closely with various organizations, including the Office of Refugees, Archdiocese of Toronto, and Toronto Police chaplains, to support Yezidi and Mandaean refugees and the Tamil people who suffered so greatly.

In addition to his professional achievements, Chuck was deeply involved in his community. He served as a director of the Ontario Safety League and was committed to supporting Christian/Coptic refugees, recognizing the unique risks they faced.

Chuck’s life was a testament to courage, resilience, and unwavering dedication to justice and humanity. He leaves behind a legacy of remarkable achievements and contributions that have made a lasting impact on those who knew him and the broader community. Chuck also ran federally for the Conservatives and ran Konkel’s Karnival every year for the local community.

Chuck is survived by his family, friends, and colleagues who will miss his wisdom, strength, and unwavering spirit. He was the most wonderful father who would leave a board meeting to attend his daughter, Laura’s, school events and used to decorate her school with hundreds of balloons every year for Celebration Saturday, at Havergal College. He never missed an important event in Laura’s life from field hockey, to skating, ski racing (where he moderated the races every Wednesday with Robin) and attending track meets. He was a devoted husband to his wife, Robin, for 47 years. They stuck to each other like glue and loved each other so very much.

Chuck Konkel was never afraid to do the right thing. He never, ever thought about himself and he was always there to help others. He was decent, fiercely loyal, believed in God, and loved working with the police officers and civilian staff at the Toronto Police until he took his last breath. He will always be loved by so many! Chuck immigrated to Canada at the age of two, as a displaced person from Holland, after WWII. He paid his way through university cleaning the blast furnaces at Stelco (the steel mill) and truly lived the Canadian dream.

Chuck loved flowers and they are welcome!

The visitation will occur at Humphrey Funeral Home A.W. Miles – Newbigging Chapel Ltd., 1403 Bayview Avenue, Toronto, on Tuesday, July 30th, and Wednesday, July 31st, from 4:00 – 9:00 p.m. Condolences may be forwarded through www.humphreymiles.com. The funeral service will occur on August 1st at 10:00 a.m. at St. Anselm’s Parish, 1 MacNaughton Road, Toronto. A burial and reception will immediately follow.

 Andrew Hale-Byrne

Andrew J. Hale-Byrne is the author of Grenville. In 2007, he exposed the cult boarding school, known as Grenville Christian College, in the Canadian press. Subsequently, there has been an Anglican Church enquiry, Ontario Provincial Police investigation and an ongoing class action lawsuit. Indeed, Andrew attended Grenville in the 1990s and saw first-hand the horrific abuse that was inflicted on students of all ages.

Currently, he serves as a representative plaintiff and press officer for the Grenville Christian College Class Action. His book is the culmination of his research going back nine and half years.

Andrew and his family reside and work in the United Kingdom, but he travels regularly to Canada to brief the media on matters pertaining to the cult, which damaged numerous lives. Andrew has a long history of social justice and human rights activism, and his exposure of abuse at Grenville is in keeping with that tradition. Andrew is a practicing Anglican and has divergent interests from public policy, economics, equestrianism, alpinism, literature and art.

Dr. Shawn Whatley

Shawn Whatley, MD

Shawn Whatley, MD, is a past President of the Ontario Medical Association, a Munk Senior Fellow with the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, and has held numerous senior leadership positions in both acute care and community roles in Ontario. Whatley writes regularly for The Medical Post and serves on its advisory board. He has also written for The Globe and Mail, The Toronto Sun, and The Epoch Times. Whatley has served on many boards including the Ontario Medical Association and Canadian Medical Association. Dr. Whatley is a lecturer at the University of Toronto, Department of Family and Community Medicine. This is his second book.

On March 1st, BC Medical Journal published a glowing review of Dr. Shawn Whatley’s When Politics Comes Before Patients.

“Extremely well written…This book should be a wake-up call for [politicians] and for the public that elects them. Every potential patient (that means everyone) and every politician should read it.”

James Buddy Day is an award-winning true crime producer, showrunner, writer and director for numerous television and feature documentaries. Buddy’s work has been showcased in numerous film festivals, and featured in national publications such as The Today Show, Rolling Stone, TMZ, The Daily Mail, Billboard, The New York Times, and The Washington Post. Buddy’s widely recognized works include, “The Disappearance of Susan Cox Powell” (Oxygen/Texas Crew Productions), “Charles Manson: The Final Words” (REELZ/Pyramid Productions), “Charles Manson: The Funeral (DRG/MyEntertainment), “The Slender Man Stabbing: The Untold Story” (Red Arrow/Dorsey Pictures), “Casey Anthony: Her Friends Speak” (REELZ/Kinetic Content/Pyramid Pro), “Sex, Lies & Murder” (Pyramid Productions).

Nury A. Turkel

Nury A. Turkel is an attorney, author, foreign policy expert, and advocate with nearly two decades of experience working in the intersection of law, business, government, and the human rights community.

He specializes in corporate governance and regulatory compliance, national security, foreign policy, digital authoritarianism, and forced labor and supply chain risk issues.

He is currently serving as Chair of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom after being appointed as a Commissioner by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi in May 2020. He has testified before the US Congress, speaking about Uyghur internment camps and advocating a legislative response to China’s atrocities. His policy recommendations have been incorporated into US law and pending bills relating to Uyghurs and China.

As a rights advocate, he has led efforts to raise the profile of the Uyghur cause, previously as the president of the Uyghur American Association and now Chair of the Uyghur Human Rights Project, which he co-founded in 2003. He also advised past and present leadership of the World Uyghur Congress.

He is a senior fellow at Washington think tank, the Hudson Institute, where he works on US foreign policy and national security issues. He is also a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Turkel is a globally recognized opinion leader and policy expert on matters involving Uyghurs and China. His policy-oriented essays appeared in major publications such as Foreign Affairs, Wall Street Journal, New York Times Foreign Policy, TIME, Newsweek, and USA Today. He frequently provides commentaries on TV and radio programs, including CNN, BBC, Radio Free Asia, Fox News, PBS, NPR, Al Jazeera, and France 24.

In 2020, he was in TIME Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World list, and in 2021, he was listed as one of Fortune’s 50 Greatest Leaders. In June 2021, he received the inaugural Notre Dame Prize for Religious Liberty. In September, he was awarded the “Global Soul Award” by Jewish World Watch.