from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Tue, Nov 3, 2015 at 11:13 PM
subject Réfugiés syriens: les libéraux pourront-ils tenir promesse?; Saying U.S. is ‘corrupt,’ black American man applies for refugee status in Canada
Dear Stephen,
I am still alive. I survived the past nine years of your rule. This will be my last letter to you; I should have written earlier, as you may not get it, seeing as you are technically resigning tomorrow. I doubt you’ll be checking this account in the morning; did you ever? What a rhetorical question. The weird thing about writing to Justin is that he’s been writing me for years, although I doubt he’s been penning his own letters. They’re basically fundraising letters, here’s a bit from one I received this evening:
“Chris, je vous écris alors que le soir tombe sur notre nouvelle demeure, Rideau Cottage, près de Rideau Hall à Ottawa.
Dans quelques minutes, Sophie et moi mettrons Xavier et Ella-Grace au lit (Hadrien dort déjà profondément), mais avant, je tiens à vous faire part de certaines réflexions, pour marquer ce moment.
Demain s’amorce une nouvelle étape de notre périple ensemble. Je serai assermenté par le Gouverneur général et deviendrai le 23e premier ministre du Canada. En outre, j’annoncerai les noms des membres de notre équipe de Canadiennes et de Canadiens hors du commun qui deviendront ministres au sein de votre nouveau gouvernement.
Tout cela, je le dois à votre appui et à celui de millions de Canadiennes et de Canadiens comme vous. Je vous en remercie.”
It goes on a bit longer but I think you get the drift.
My kids were asleep when I got home tonight; everyone was. I went out for a few drinks with Victoria to catch up on DHC gossip. Rose is in bed with Clo, and I’m sure at some point during the night Sol will come in to get me. I think I’ll just go to bed with him and save us both the trip.
I’m full of stress and anxiety about the show at Le Lieu. Listening to some nice electronica via Soundcloud calms my nerves, and makes me want to take some drugs and dance, dance dance the troubles away.
Have fun in your future projects.
-chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Wed, Nov 4, 2015 at 11:32 PM
subject La candidate libérale dans Hochelaga craint pour sa sécurité; Harjit Singh Sajjan, new defence minister, a Canadian military veteran who knows ‘reality of war’
Dear Justin,
I am still alive.
Is this email address still good? I can’t find it on the revamped Prime Minister of Canada webpage.
I filled out a form online and this is what came back:
COMMUNIQUEZ AVEC LE PREMIER MINISTRE
VOTRE MESSAGE A BIEN ÉTÉ COMMUNIQUÉ.
Je vous remercie pour les commentaires dont vous faites part au Premier ministre. Nous apprécions grandement l’apport des Canadiens et des Canadiennes aux activités du gouvernement qui œuvre au progrès de notre pays.
Veuillez noter que notre service a pour règle de ne répondre qu’aux demandes de renseignements formulées en français ou en anglais.
– See more at: http://www.pm.gc.ca/fra/contacterlepm/merci#sthash.XVrQaiwE.dpuf
-chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Thu, Nov 5, 2015 at 11:40 PM
subject Mulroney: Harper a encore un rôle à jouer dans la reconstruction; ‘Time to heal old wounds,’ former PM Brian Mulroney tells defeated Conservatives
Dear Justin,
I am still alive. I’m still trying to find out if you check the same email account that I’ve been writing to these past 15 years, pm@pm.gc.ca. I can find no trace of it in the re-vamped government of Canada websites. You’ve really purged! So I’m doubling my letters, sending them via the online submissions form, just to make sure you are getting them. Let me know.
Yesterday I was with Clark as he edited together the Everyday Goalie video that will be part of the exhibition at Le Lieu opening on the 27th of November. Last night I went back to oversee the final sound edits. He did a great job, much better than my attempts, and much faster, too. Today I spent the whole day at Graff, cleaning silkscreens and adding emulsion in preparation for printing the poster series tomorrow. Returned the wrong ink I had bought at deSeres, and printed the layers at BBP, all while navigating the disaster-zone that is driving anywhere in Montréal. It seems every second major artery is closed or blocked for repairs.
After getting the kids from school and daycare, making supper, giving baths, reading stories and briefly falling asleep with Sol, I finished some tax forms and sent to Kim. I still have to fill out the Logi-rénov forms but hope to do those this weekend. Tomorrow I’m at Graff again all day and then it is the DHC opening tomorrow night. Could be a long night.
-chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Sun, Nov 8, 2015 at 11:36 PM
subject Sénat: les réformes de Trudeau auront des effets sur le gouvernement libéral; Yuletide calamity: Surprising number of Canadians suffer serious injuries while putting up Christmas lights
Dear Justin,
I am still alive. My first couple letters to you haven’t bounced back, so I’m assuming the pm@pm.gc.ca address is still functional. I’ll continue to double-up and send copies to the online form until I know for sure. I survived the weekend and a couple art openings. Arrived late to the DHC opening on Friday – all the booze was gone, and I didn’t get further than G5 as that was where I kept running into former colleagues and techs. Went to eat at Shanghai with one gang and then met up at Luan for the after-party, but I didn’t drink too much and left relatively early, around 1:30, with Iliana and Mark and we split a cab north. The DJ wasn’t that great and was unable to get us on the dancefloor.
Saturday it was Oboro and the commemorative exhibition of Daniel Dion, the co-founder who passed away last year. The place was packed, the exhibition is really quite superb and my kids behaved, even when their maman was giving her opening and introductory remarks (usually one or both of them get away from me and tug at her dress while she is speaking – it sounds cute but it stresses Clo out). When the kids were ready to leave I took them to McDonalds (!) for supper, it was a “treat”.
Today we had visits from Gilles and Rose-Marie in the afternoon, and S. Roberts for supper. I made my vegetarian pâté chinois with lentils instead of ground beef. Sol ate two bowls! Now I’m trying to organize the Tim Horton photographs. I just finished panel 5, so halfway there! each panel is 24″x24″ and features 36 different cups. I’m still about 20 cups shy of 365 but I have a couple weeks before heading Quebec City to install, and if I keep my eyes peeled to the ground finding those extra cups should not be a problem.
-chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Wed, Nov 11, 2015 at 11:32 PM
subject Réfugiés: Ottawa doit voir plus grand selon l’ONU; Judge faces possible career ruin over a rape trial derailed by ‘myths’
Dear Justin,
I am still alive. I survived Remembrance Day. I met today with Clément to sign the screen print edition, which I finished on Tuesday. Tomorrow evening I’ll print off some over sized ballots and hopefully one will work for the show in Québec City, which (I think) is shaping up nicely. I didn’t write last night as I took the family out to Ikea for supper (beurk) but mostly to get some frames for the photo portraits (selfies) and the Tim Hortons paintings. I dropped off the framed screenprint to Diagonale today, that expo bénefice opens next week and it looks really sharp already, they have collected some stellar works. Monday night I had an OPP meeting. Our first school activity we are planning is a Christmas Tree sale. The forms go out this week, orders need to come in by November 23 and the trees will be delivered for pick-up on December 10. We’re hoping to raise $5000 for various school activities this year because, you know, austerity sucks and Philippe Couillard is a dick. Teachers are on strike again next Monday and Tuesday. Who watches your kids when the teachers are on strike? Do your kids go to public school? How are they adjusting to the move to Ottawa?
-chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Thu, Nov 12, 2015 at 11:11 PM
subject Recouvrement des salaires: le gouvernement Couillard fait marche arrière; As Liberals decide how to bring 25,000 Syrians to Canada, the choice is also who to accept
Dear Justin,
I am still alive. Today I finished tiling the remaining Tim Horton photographs: I am short 11 on panel 10 and 5 extras to make the 365. I’ll have to keep my eyes peeled this weekend, as the first 9 will be printed and ready for pickup on Monday. I drove to Provisia today to drop off the files after a quick stop at Graff to pay my tab and modify a few of the numbers on the numbered edition. Claude showed me the proper way to codify them and I was not aware that “artist proofs” shouldn’t represent more than 10% of an edition. Also spent some time this afternoon re-working some of those Ikea frames to make them a bit swankier. Went back to Graff tonight after supper to print the oversize ballot. It worked! I had to pull while crouched on the table, good thing I’m a lightweight. I’m also tired. I’m also just writing for the sake of writing; I want to have at least a dozen letters to you for the animation, so that your name appears for at least a second. I’ll be making the animation with Spencer next week, it will be one of the last pieces assembled before I head to Quebec City for the install.
-chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Mon, Nov 16, 2015 at 11:39 PM
subject Le Canada continuera à lutter au sein de la coalition contre l’EI, rassure Trudeau; Canadian injured in Paris attacks on Friday, Foreign Affairs says
Dear Justin,
I am still alive. I survived the terror attacks on Beirut and Paris, and so did many of my friends who happened to be in Paris visiting and were even quite close to some of the sites of attack. Of course, I was here, hanging with the kids and trying to get the work done for the show, so I was not in any real danger. I was in the car on Saturday and Sunday driving around so Sol would nap, which gave me time to hunt for the remaining Tim Horton cups, and I’ve hit my quote of 365. I had Rose with me today due to striking teachers, I took her with me to Provisia and printed the final panel, but it printed all dark, and I need to go back, which is OK because I forgot to print the final 5 images anyway. I got caught up in the infiltration photos, trying to pick and choose which ones would make good prints, wondering if phone screen shots of twitter posts help tie the projects together or muddy the waters.
I must admit I admire that you’re committed to following through on ending the bombing missions, and keeping the commitment to receiving at least 25,000 Syrian refugees. ISIS is a fucked up organisation, but it’s highly unlikely that escalating a bombing campaign will solve anything, especially as it seems that the majority of their recruits are direct results of the first two gulf wars and the protracted US engagement in Iraq. But I don’t know what the answers are, I’m just a privileged white male artist, what the fuck would I know about it? Sorry to be so blunt, but there you have it. If you really believe that what makes Canada so strong is our differences then keep the gates open and let as many refugees in as possible. Don’t listen to Brad Wall or Donald Trump.
-chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Tue, Nov 17, 2015 at 10:19 PM
subject Irak: des soldats canadiens devront accompagner les forces locales, dit Beare; Reevely: Well-intended provincial targets for accepting refugees don’t mean much
Dear Justin,
I am still alive. I survived another strike day, hanging out with my awesome daughter, and then getting the last of my Tim Horton prints made (the dark one was caused by not converting to a RGB colour space from CMYK), and getting wine just before the SAQ closed at Rockland (deftly winding through traffic like a boss) and feeding the family an awesome pumpkin-turnip-sweet potato-potato soup, then going to a 2.5-hour long public meeting about the Place de Castelneau pilot project. Now I’m boycotting Facebook (more than usual) because it is reminding me of how the majority of Canadians seem to be RACIST STUPID MORONS in equating Muslim refugees with terrorists.
You still don’t have an email address listed but my emails aren’t bouncing back; I’m still sending both ways. Let me know which you prefer.
-chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Wed, Nov 18, 2015 at 11:26 PM
subject Un sénateur conservateur quitte le caucus en critiquant Claude Carignan;RCMP arrest man carrying a concealed knife outside Centre Block on Parliament Hill
Dear Justin,
I am still alive. Had lunch with Karen at Oh Dumpling in Chinatown and then we checked out a few galleries (Vox, UQAM) and discussed some potential collaborative projects involving Tim Horton cups (of course), then had a board meeting at Skol, then home with the kids for post-supper bedtime (fell asleep with them until Clo came home from swimming) and so didn’t get too much headway on the last remaining elements of the show or closing the campaign accounting and even though technically I could get some stuff done tonight I prefer going back to bed and having a fresh start tomorrow. I did find a nice frame to put the $30-billion cheque into, but de Serres couldn’t cut me a mat in less than 2 weeks so I’ll get one tomorrow from Marcel, up the street from les Turbulents and le Casa d’Italie, where the Papineau electoral office was located, where our paths almost crossed that fateful day almost exactly 1 month ago, October 19.
-chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Thu, Nov 19, 2015 at 11:18 PM
subject Les conservateurs laisseront 231 millions de plus en 10 ans pour les vétérans; Saskatchewan government says ’60s Scoop apology in the works
Dear Justin,
I’m still alive. Had a bit to drink tonight: my first inebriated letter to you! That may seem crass given the Paris and Syrian and TPP situations, but hey, life goes on. Today was another runaround working on the show and diving into post-campaign details – how did you do with all that? Let me guess: your campaign team and lawyers took care of it all. Anyway, today was also a mid-term report or presentation with Rose at her school, she guided us through a workbook, showed us her class and favourite activities, that sort of thing. Tonight was the opening of the fundraising show at Diagonale but I didn’t feel like socializing and went to have drinks by myself at bar Waverley as I wrote more notes in my growing list of things to do. Your list is probably longer than mine.
-chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Sat, Nov 21, 2015 at 11:30 PM
subject Ottawa dévoilera son plan sur les réfugiés mardi; Canadians in Belgium urged to be extremely cautious due to terror threats
Dear Justin,
I am still alive. I fell asleep last night with the kids which is why I didn’t write. I had spent the day working on the campaign final reports, getting the software loaded properly, and speaking with Elections Canada officials. Re-activated my employment insurance claim; I was disqualified from the program because I was a candidate in the election, even though I wasn’t going to receive benefits until December because of my severance package. Today Tania took Rose to Mikaële’s dance class then treated us to a fantastic lunch at le petit alep (the filet mignon was I think the best I have ever tasted). This evening we had Etienne and Sarah and Femke over for supper and a play date. Sol fell asleep right after supper because he hadn’t had a nap, he refused, even when everyone else in the house was sleeping, or attempting to.
-chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Sun, Nov 22, 2015 at 10:00 PM
subject Les ministres des Finances provinciaux se préparent à discuter avec Ottawa; Little Bay Islanders voted on whether to relocate. 89.47 per cent said ‘yes.’ They needed 90 per cent
Dear Justin,
I am still alive. I took down the last of my campaign signs tonight. Gave a few away to a man who wanted them for his air conditioner. I never did get any of yours, the Papineau ones, could you give me one? It’s not for me, my mom really wants one. Today we did fun things with the kids, went to Rockland mall to get winter boots for sol, ate fast Thai in the food court, then went swimming at Père-Marquette, where Clo has been going lately for lane swimming, since the Patro is still closed. Can you believe it? $3.5-million and 3-years of renovations and it still leaks. We’re going to try to register the kids for swimming lessons at Père-Marquette for the winter, they love the water soooo much. Bedtime: not so much. Sol finally fell asleep on the little couch behind me as I was working on the letters animations; he wouldn’t let me leave the bed, and I need to get this done so I have 365 frames to give to Spencer tomorrow. I’ve got a little less than 50 to go. Still behind in other elements: the performance dialogue, the transition of goalie to politician is unclear, and I tried stacking the gear today but it looks like a mess. Needs more work. Tomorrow will be a busy day. I see from the PMO media advisory that you have a long and busy day scheduled as well.
-chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Mon, Nov 23, 2015 at 11:59 PM
subject Accueil des réfugiés syriens: Couillard se dit totalement rassuré; The Emperor exposed: Controversial nude Stephen Harper painting resurfaces
Dear Justin
I am still alive. I survived a visit to the DHC storage facility, where I met James to look for Fannie’s baby basket – I had lent it to Avigail last year but in the end she didn’t use it, and returned it but it got moved around, and now it is officially missing, and I am a bad friend and husband for misplacing a family heirloom – Fannie herself was rocked to sleep in this basket, as were her kids. I’m still hoping that I might find someone who remembers storing it somewhere but in the meantime it means going to Québec and meeting Fannie and explaining that it might be lost. D’oh! In other news, Spencer came over tonight and put the animated letters video together, and once the kids were in bed I worked on the speech for my performance on Friday. Looks like it might end up a mashup of the 2006, 2011 and 2015 election victory speeches. Aside from the fact that Stephen mentions his party way more often that you did, you could share a speechwriter. Do you?
-chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Tue, Nov 24, 2015 at 11:24 PM
subject Réfugiés: la date butoir reportée à février; Liberals to resettle 10,000 Syrian refugees by year-end, 15,000 fewer than election promise
Dear Justin,
I am still alive. I survived packing the car and driving to Quebec City. I only forgot three things: my campaign postcards and buttons, my Everyday Goalie hockey cards, and my bathing suit. This is what I realize I have forgotten so far; the list may grow. The team at Le Lieu is very friendly and accommodating. The place is huge! I had not realized that they own the whole building, which comprises residencies on the second floor and a couple apartments in the back. It’s a bit like a labyrinth but that gives it some charm. I arrived near 4pm – listened to the last 3 episodes of Canadaland along the way – and I have keys, passwords and a guest room upstairs ready for me. I’ve set up the hockey net, glued all the Tim Horton photographs down, and made a preliminary assembly on the floor of the Papineau maps and memorabilia, photographs and prints. Should be able to get the 2 TV monitors placed and hung tomorrow, patch the walls where needed, hang the campaign signs in the window, get some rudimentary lighting in place, and hang some work. Walked to the Metro with a Spanish artist named Alvaro here on residence, bought pizza which I re-heated back at the gallery. Slow and methodical tonight. Recited and practiced a bit my speech for the vernissage, which is mostly snippets of Harper’s speeches in 2006 and 2011, but includes all the French parts of your speech from October 19. My anxiety has subsided, somewhat. Unfortunately it looks like my Aunt Vicky and Peter will not be coming after all: my grandmother has caught pneumonia and they are going to make sure she is recovering.
-chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Thu, Nov 26, 2015 at 12:37 AM
subject Un immense barrage hydroélectrique prévu en Colombie-Britannique; Ontario introduces Rowan’s Law, named after teen who suffered fatal concussion during rugby game
Dear Justin,
I am still alive. I survived another day of install. It took most of the day just getting the wall of collected images and documents over the Papineau maps. Tonight went to some performances some grad students were doing to raise money for a trip to Miami to see Art Basel. Came back to the gallery to work some more, hung the Tim Horton paintings and re-worked the order of the speech. Now I’m too tired to do any more. The family arrives by train tomorrow afternoon.
-chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Mon, Nov 30, 2015 at 9:49 PM
subject Réfugiés syriens: les premiers vols nolisés dans une semaine?; Newfoundland election: Liberals win majority, ending 12 years of Progressive Conservative rule
Dear Justin,
I am still alive. I survived another Monday – though seeing as I no longer have a day job, and haven’t since the end of August, surviving Mondays seems a moot point. I did, however, survive the weekend in Quebec City, the drive back (obviously), the vernissage at Le Lieu on Friday night and the goalie / politician performance. It went well, at least from my perspective, and from some of the comments I received. I feel the show looks good and the performance solid. The rest of the weekend was fun and relaxing, hanging out in the hotel pool with the kids, visiting with Seb and Fannie and their kids, eating at le Ciel with my folks and Robert and Judith, and then having a blissed-out MDMA and mushrooms evening with our dear friends. Soooo much fun! Would you consider legalizing MDMA along with cannabis? It seems a bit silly that it is perfectly legal to grow spores and even own fresh mushrooms but not in dried form? If I were you I’d at least throw it back into schedule 3 territory, ideally go a step further and put it in Schedule 4. On March 12, 2012, controversial Bill C-10, the Safe Streets and Communities Act was passed into law. Amphetamines and their isomers, derivatives, and analogues, including MDA and MDMA (Ecstasy), as well as potential “date rape drugs” flunitrazepam and GHB were rescheduled from Schedule III to Schedule I. Dealers of Schedule I drugs now face mandatory minimum sentencing of 1 year imprisonment. Also, the rescheduling imposes harsher punishment for possession. What a drag! Anyway, today I also went to a job interview for an insurance and financial securities agency. Ha! Can you imagine me selling financial products? I actually passed to the next level, after a 150-question questionnaire (which I though for sure would demonstrate my incompatibility), and have another interview set up for next week. I think I might cancel. I do like the idea of trying out jobs not necessarily in the art field, but I don’t want to sell insurance. I should be looking to get some insurance. First I should get the bronze of the goalie underway. No, first I’ll get to work on the commission for Judith and Robert. She’s already paid me for it in full! Sol is asleep on the couch behind me; we are trying to wean him off needing me to fall asleep with him. Oh, FYI I’m posting this letter to your contact site under the heading “public safety” instead of the usual “information about the prime minister”.
-chris
DEAR PM 