DEAR PM vol.17
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Feb 1, 2017, 11:27 PM
subject Le Bloc québécois compterait son premier candidat déclaré à la direction; Los Angeles-bound flight makes emergency landing in not-so-balmy Iqaluit
Dear Justin,
I am still alive. Your promise to “make 2015 the last unfair election” is not. My guess is you didn’t want to go anywhere near opening up constitutional talks, or risk losing a majority in the next election. Whatever the real reasons, it will cost you votes in 2019, that’s for sure. Today I went skiing with Aaron and Chris at Edelweiss, again great conditions and my new gear is working well. I may try waxing my skies myself someday soon. The canal is open and I’m planning to skate to work. Catching a ride share back to Montreal tomorrow after work.
-chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Feb 2, 2017, 10:49 PM
subject Cyberattaques contre le processus électoral: le Canada prudent; N.B. farmer convicted of harassing neighbours with giant manure pile vows to appeal ruling
Dear Justin,
I am still alive. I survived skating to work on the Rideau Canal this morning, and even though it was -14 I still Facetimed with Clo and the kids from the ice. Brought my skates home to Montreal to go with the kids this weekend. Took a rideshare home, when I got here Clo was not feeling well, quite sick actually, and went straight to bed while I read stories and tucked the kids in. It is sooooo good to be back, and be with my family. Too bad I missed the protests at your constituency office over your broken promise regarding electoral reform, but I’m sure there will be other chances to voice my disappointment.
-chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Feb 7, 2017, 12:29 AM
subject Le ministre de la Défense Sajjan rencontre son homologue américain; ‘Mad Dog’ U.S. defence secretary tells Sajjan he has a soft spot for Canadian troops
Dear Justin,
I am still alive. I survived the long weekend, which entailed: picking up and installing the kitchen faucet which broke over christmas; lunch with victoria; sharpening the kids’ skates; preparing supper friday for us and friends; attempted skate at jarry park on saturday which was laclustre because sol grew tired after 5 minutes and rose’s skates were too small; skawenatti’s opening at oboro, which featured a welcoming address and powerpoint by Ellen Gabriel, then skating 2.0 sunday morning with new skates for rose and she was really getting into it, sol was content to be pulled on the blue sled and play in the snow and ice; and finally we all got dressed up for GiGi Lamour’s 50th birthday party, clo and I in drag and the kids as Spiderman and Batman. I drove to work this morning, and tonight went to the studio a bit and then later a free screening with nicole of Angry Inuk, which was an absolutely amazing doc. I’m going to tweet about it to Ellen Degeneres now before bed.
-chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Feb 8, 2017, 12:13 AM
subject Trudeau parle avec des alliés européens de Trump; Support grows for Canadian jailed after allegedly being recruited as drug mule by former Vice Canada editor
Dear Justin,
I am still alive. I survived another day at work and then some time in the studio and then met my friend Andrea at the Manx for supper and drinks and we talked a lot about first nations and indigenous issues, how we feel you need to do more, and we need to do more. We all need to do more.
-chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Feb 8, 2017, 11:54 PM
subject La rencontre Trudeau-Merkel sera déterminante, dit l’ambassadeur allemand; Scathing report says PQ has become an aging ‘social club’ that is ‘frozen in the past’
Dear Justin,
I am still alive. I survived another day of work, meeting Melissa for lunch and getting the baby gear for Sarah loaded into the car, and then some time in the studio and then skiing with Christian from work. We only did a few runs as it was colder out than we anticipated so we had a beer at the lodge. I took a wrong turn after dropping him off and so now it’s late and I just want to sleep. Was glad to find out today that Angry Inuk will be playing in Montreal starting Friday, Clo and a bunch of friends will go, I think they will take Rose on Sunday, after we get back from our cottage weekend.
-chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Feb 13, 2017, 9:41 PM
subject Sarah Palin ambassadrice à Ottawa: le NPD se dit inquiet; McGill student representative’s ‘punch a Zionist’ tweet brings calls for him to resign
Dear Justin,
I am still alive. I survived another day of work and then the drive home, managed to avoid most of the traffic snarl around the 15 and the 40, picked up some groceries AND dropped off the baby gear to Sarah and was home just past 7pm. The kids were super-excited to see me and of course their surprise, which this week consisted of fake snow, and which Sol wanted to mix up right away.
And now I have survived the weekend, and you survived your handshake with Trump. We went to the cottage at Morin Heights which was a great little AirBnB rental; somewhat quaint and rustic, deep in the woods, the kids loved the yard, we skied Morin Heights on Saturday, though Sol lasted 2 runs then fell asleep on a bench inside, too tired he was). And then it snowed as we left, and caught in southbound traffic from the Laurentides, and then Clo took Rose to see Angry Inuk, then almost before we knew it it was 5am and I was up getting ready and Sol was up eating cereal and sad that I was leaving and I was sad to be leaving but so I was, on the road again, the slippery-snowy highway only getting to work at 8:30 and surviving another day of work and leaving the car in the underground garage because there is a parking ban on for Ottawa streets and went to the gym and then supper with greg and julia and soon off to bed because I am tired.
-chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Feb 14, 2017, 11:05 PM
subject Scrutin: les libéraux bloquent une motion leur reprochant d’avoir renié leur promesse; Parents, teen daughter die in Brampton house fire while younger daughter saved in dramatic rescue
Dear Justin,
I am still alive. I survived skating to work, a day at work, driving to the studio and then driving to Edelweiss for some night skiing. Conditions were good, fresh snow but a bit too windy. The drive back a bit arduous as whiteout conditions almost the whole way. Now back at greg and julia’s (they offered their driveway, as greg had snagged one of the few parking spots on the street). I’ll leave the car at the underground parking at work overnight again tomorrow, what with the snow and lack of parking. Still reading the Revenant and still suffering back pain.
-chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Feb 17, 2017, 6:52 PM
subject Sources confidentielles: de grands médias appuient le projet de loi; Conservatives accuse Liberal government of playing politics with Islamophobia motion
Dear Justin,
I am still alive. I survived work, the drive to work, the shovelling before work, then the skating 5km along a snow-filled canal after work to the studio where I continued painting weird watercolour goalie paintings, all the while wondering just what the heck I am doing, then skated back to the Delaware landing and had supper with Julia and watched mindless TV and now tired and want to read and am getting up early to meet Andrew at work and we are driving to Montreal to get artworks from a couple galleries and then coming back to Ottawa and then I’m driving back home to Montreal. Oh, and my folks are supposed to fly in tomorrow but the weather means maybe. Maybe at noon, maybe later, maybe Friday. And they are flying on points.
-chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Feb 20, 2017, 9:17 PM
subject Montréal cherche conseil pour relancer son projet d’héliport public; Paramedic Jennie: Black eyes, split lips, drunken monks and a profession not for the faint of heart
Dear Justin,
I am still alive. I survived the weekend, my parents’ arriving, Sol’s birthday party, Roxanne and Pascal’s post- reno art-hanging vernissage party, a visit with the inlaws, and a minor controversy over Rose’s school deciding on a thematic day of “Cowboys and indians”, wherein they dropped the Indians part due to a very well written letter Claudine drafted on Friday. Heck, I’m tired already, Happy Family Day, work was fine, the bus to Ottawa quick, but I’m tired and want to read and go to sleep early so here is Clo’s letter in its’ entirety:
Madame la directrice,
Je vous écris aujourd’hui concernant le choix de thématique pour la prochaine journée pédagogique du Service de garde, soit « Les Cowboys et les Indiens ». Je considère ce choix comme un manque flagrant d’éthique et de sensibilité culturelle, plus particulièrement à notre époque où les questions de l’appropriation culturelle, de la réconciliation et de la reconnaissance sont au coeur des débats et des politiques publiques.
Le jeu des Cowboys et des Indiens appartient à une autre époque et n’a pas lieu d’être dans nos écoles ni dans nos vies. En plus d’être un jeu qui célèbre la violence et la guerre, il perpétue des stéréotypes sur la définition de toutes les personnes issues des Premières nations et célèbre une histoire et une culture de l’oppression coloniale.
Notre école devrait plutôt chercher à fuir les stéréotypes de ce genre, qui ne font que perpétuer les mécanismes du racisme systémique présent dans nos institutions. Nous devons accepter l’héritage colonial légué par l’histoire, et développer des activités qui favorisent l’inclusion et la compréhension plutôt que celles qui ne font que creuser plus profondément le fossé des inégalités sociales.
Nos enfants ont le droit de vivre dans un environnement qui réduit les dommages causés par les microagressions au quotidien chez les personnes vulnérables.
Il me parait pour le moins inapproprié, en 2017, d’imposer à nos enfants de se costumer de manière appropriative, et d’inscrire dans leurs esprits l’idée de la division, de la bataille, de la guerre. Assurément, il y a de nombreux autres thèmes beaucoup plus instructifs et très amusants auxquels vous pourriez faire appel pour cette journée.
Pourriez-vous SVP faire suivre cette missive aux parents membres du comité consultatif du Service de garde. Merci de prendre nos commentaires en considération, et de changer le thème de la journée pédagogique. Cordialement,
Claudine Hubert et Chris Lloyd
Parents de Rose Hubert-Lloyd, groupe 1B Damn I am so proud of her.
-chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Feb 21, 2017, 10:39 PM
subject Afflux de demandeurs d’asile: les provinces veulent coordonner leurs actions; Complacency is the culture in courts and a little shock treatment from the top court isn’t a bad thing
Dear Justin,
I am still alive. I survived another day of work, then a long evening at the studio working on weird goalie paintings. What started as realistic renderings has morphed into weird goalie-like creatures. I saw you on a Daily Show clip, sounding very progressive about refugees, though you said that Nickleback is OK, which goes too far. Off to bed and some reading, still on The Revenant.
-chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Feb 22, 2017, 10:11 PM
subject Transport d’un liquide radioactif: un projet «trop risqué» dénoncé par des Autochtones; In less than nine hours, his career was scuttled — now vice admiral has retained lawyer Marie Henein
Dear Justin,
I am still alive. I survived another day of work (hung a Rembrandt) and then went to the Y afterwards. Started a deep clean of my Gmail account as Clo sent me a link about how much CO2 can be used to keep server farms going and as I had over 145,000 messages I am probably part of the problem, not the solution, so delete delete delete. Now my phone tells me to start getting ready for bed so I can get 8 hours of sleep. So back to the The Revenant.
-chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Feb 23, 2017, 10:12 PM
subject Trudeau a discuté de la frontière avec Trump au téléphone; Ottawa suggests banning smoking in apartments or condos and cigarette sales to anyone under 21
Dear Justin,
I am still alive. I survived another day of work; it has been slow lately. I seem to be getting a cold, or allergies or something. I started sneezing last night and it persisted off and on all day today. Considered taking the day off tomorrow but I already booked my rideshare back. What did you talk to Trump about today?
-chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Feb 24, 2017, 11:00 PM
subject «Des réfugiés plus que des migrants» passent des États-Unis au Canada; o describe what Emil and Rodica Radita did to their son Alex. Now it’s ‘murder’
Dear Justin,
I am still alive. I am surviving this head cold, with the sinus congestions, leaky eyes and nose, and random sudden fits of sneezing. I survived another day at work, leaving early to catch my ride share at 3:45. The driver made good time, he had a short cut of getting off the 40 to take Henri Bourrassa east and avoid all the traffic snarl. The kids liked their surprises and my folks had left me a plate of food. Sol immediately took the zodiac-style boat I had made from Ethafoam into the bath, but neither Rose nor Sol wanted to hear the audio book of Moana read by the CD; they wanted me to read it for them. Now off Facebook and all the bad Trump news, Bannon news, #nodapl news, all too depressing. Off to bed and sleep.
-chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Feb 28, 2017, 5:05 PM
subject «Laissez les résidents décider», dit DeSousa, bloqué par le PLC; John Furlong receives standing ovation after being reinstated as speaker at UBC fundraiser
Dear Justin,
I am still alive. I survived another weekend, and a sinus cold. It was a relaxing weekend, spent time with the kids and my folks, but it was back on the bus to Ottawa early yesterday morning. I didn’t write you sooner as I didn’t bring Clo’s laptop with me; she needed it. I went to the studio last night and then had short ribs for supper with Greg and Julia. Tonight I’m going to a presentation on the GG awards winners at the NGC with Nicole, then tomorrow Clo and the kids arrive so that Clo can attend the GG ceremony at Rideau Hall while I take the kids to Gilles and Rose-Marie’s. I’m stressed about money, I keep slipping deeper into debt. I gave notice at the studio so March is my last month of rent there, but I can’t seem to reign in my spending. Do I have an extravagant lifestyle? A bottle or two of wine per week, eating out for lunch once or twice, a restaurant once or twice, the weekly commute to and from Ottawa, what is it exactly? My parents bought us a new dryer and I bought them tickets to the Habs game tonight which was another $230, my license renewal $120, overdue Ottawa parking tickets at $200, my monthly philanthropic donations around $60, Netflix and iTunes an easy $30, my cell phone $110. Even though it stresses me out, I keep trying to remind myself it is only money, an abstraction, and I have lots to feel blessed about. Only 3.5 more months of this Ottawa contract and then I hope to spend so much more time with the kids.
-chris
DEAR PM 