While it may lack the dramatic fireworks of a Maury Povich talk show episode, the director of a local lab says he'sexcited to find out whether a 42-year-old-man is actually the son of former prime minister John Diefenbaker.
The Canadian Press reported that George Dryden became aware last year of a long-time family rumour that Canada's 13th prime minister, to whom he bears a strong resemblance, was his real father.
In June, he discovered that the man he always believed was his father was not actually his biological parent.
Amarjit Chahal, director of Warnex Pro-DNA in Thunder Bay, said it usually takes about 10 working days to get results from a test and expects that they will have an answer before Christmas.
The Thunder Bay lab has worked on famous cases before such as Amelia Earhart.
Even though it’s going to be treated like every other case, Chahal said the technicians can’t help but be a little excited.
“It doesn’t matter how important the case is or the historical nature of the case, but it is kind of exciting for our staff to be involved and find an answer,” he said. “We’re excited to be involved.”
Chahal said they are going on Dec. 6 to get more samples of DNA from a number of artifacts owned by the former prime minister from a museum collection in Saskatoon.
The lab already has a few samples from hairbrushes and hats.
But Chahal said they are taking as many samples as possible to avoid any contamination.
“One of the issues with this kind of collection is that there have been people over time who have touched those items and the DNA might have been contaminated,” Chahal said. “I’m sure the museum took care of all of the precautions to avoid such contaminations.”
Dryden requested to have the lab test to see if he was a match and would have paid the full price of up to $1,000 for the test, but Chahal said given the circumstances they cut the price in half.
Diefenbaker served as prime minister from June 1957 to April 1963. A member of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada,
Diefenbaker helped to champion the Canadian Bill of Rights in 1958 and helped to give Aboriginals the right to vote in 1960.
Diefenbaker died on Aug. 16, 1979.
