2020
from chris lloyd to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Jun 1, 2020, 10:33 AM subject Seventy-five
Dear Justin,
I finished the 6th Scott Pilgrim book last night, what a great comic. It’s increased my desire to make a graphic account of my experience infiltrating the Conservative Party and running in the election back in 2015. I of course haven’t started due to my habitual procrastination but also more urgently is the sudden appearance 3-4 days ago of a painful skin rash on my neck. I first thought it was sunburn, then maybe an allergic reaction to my sunscreen, then finally realized that it could be aside effect to my cyclothymia medication, lamotrogine. I’ve contacted my family doctor (the vry, very attractive Rosa Lannes) and am waiting for a response for how to effectively treat this rash. I’m adding aloe but that provides only temporary relief.
—
- ° Chris Lloyd
- ° 514 295-3048
- ° chris lloyd projects
from chris lloyd to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Jun 1, 2020, 9:36 PM subject Seventy-six
Dear Justin,
I had a session with Yaël this afternoon, via Facetime from the kids’ room while they played SDV. She is really helping me see my Ex’s behavior for what it is: always controlling and selfish and to her advantage. Most recently it was a sudden request to Facetime with Sol because he lost a front tooth a couple days ago, which leads to far too much coordination and accommodations on my part, and the more time spent dealing with her means a compound amount of time that I spend stewing about it. If the whole Covid thing hadn’t happened we would have been on a great routine of not seeing one another, ever, and hardly having the need for any communication whatsoever, which is what I need to fully heal. Yaêl gave me some great advice on having some stock phrases or responses to texts. I can simply say “acknowledged”, or “sorry, that won’t work”, or “yes” or “no”, and leave things at that. Maybe then she’ll get the hint and stop acting like we have a fake friendship.
I have a phone appointment tomorrow with my family doctor to discuss my rash. From what I’ve read online it seems that a sunburn could have triggered it, which might have happened during that heat wave, despite the sunscreen. I wonder if I will have to stop taking my meds?
I should really do my taxes, I’m starting to stress a little about money.
—
- ° Chris Lloyd
- ° 514 295-3048
- ° chris lloyd projects
from chris lloyd to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Jun 2, 2020, 4:02 PM subject Seventy-seven
Dear Justin,
What a hashtag clusterfuck today, what with the #blackouttuesday and #blacklivesmatter. At first I was confused, then saw how those black squares just create a feedback loop of black squares, then hearing that clogging up the #blacklivesmatter hashtag disrupts people sharing actual news about police brutality, use of excessive force, racial profiling, human rights abuses, etc. You know, just normal run-of-the-mill actions for most police forces. Funding should be slashed to the bare minimum for police forces. Stop killing unarmed POC! FFS.
—
- ° Chris Lloyd
- ° 514 295-3048
- ° chris lloyd projects
from chris lloyd to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Jun 3, 2020, 1:15 PM subject Seventy-eight
Dear Justin,
Nice long pause yesterday, when you were asked about that dipshit POTUS and his threat of military violence against the protesters. The little, barely audible sigh of exasperation in the middle was pure gold. Too bad you had to reply with typical political boilerplate, instead of calling Trump out for being a fascist.
Working from home today, Jessica came over last night for karaoke, the kids stayed up to watch and listen and Rose even sang along to a tune from Moana. The kids are with their mother today and tomorrow so I can get work done.
Also very silly that the white supremacists made up a #blackoutwednesday hashtag without realizing it is the name of a KPop band. We need the humour.
—
- ° Chris Lloyd
- ° 514 295-3048
- ° chris lloyd projects
from chris lloyd to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Jun 4, 2020, 10:15 AM subject Seventy-nine
Dear Justin,
I did manage to get some work done yesterday while the kids were out, though Jessica was working here as well and we did manage to distract each other, but only for a bit! Like the equivalent of a few breaks. Anyway, I feel like I am being quite efficient in my research. For the evening movie we watched The Muppets, and then when the kids were in bed Jess and I watched Nanette, which is so, so powerful. I had watched her follow-up Douglas a few nights ago, which is also so good. I had tears on my face all night. Oh, and the rash is healing, so good news there. Bad news is that Kim can’t do our taxes this year so we need to find someone else, or *gasp* attempt to do it myself? The thought fills me with horror, especially since it is the last time I will be filing jointly with my Ex. Who wrote me yesterday, actually, saying this:
Hello Christopher, How are you?
We should plan to file our taxes soon, seeing that we have to file together for 2019. It would be best to file before the summer so we can continue receiving the prestations familiales – which will stop after June.
Should we book Kim soon? I have started collecting my papers and filling out the form.
On a different note, I am wondering if you would want to book a moment to talk in the coming weeks, before the summer? The goal of this talk would be a touch base, as part of the processing of our separation. For instance, we could address how we hope to see our communications evolve – or not – over the coming months. It can be in person or on Zoom, or over the phone. If not, I understand and that is fine. I will continue to communicate only about our children and logistics, as per your request.
Take care, Claudine
I’ll work on my reply today. Should I address the fact she calls me Christopher? She never or rarely called me that in our sixteen years together.
—
- ° Chris Lloyd
- ° 514 295-3048
- ° chris lloyd projects
from chris lloyd to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Jun 5, 2020, 11:15 PM subject Eighty
Dear Justin,
I still haven’t replied to that letter from my ExI hung out with Mohanad a bit tonight, we spoke a fair bit about the options around buying property. Mathieu and Angie, neighbours to my Ex, are selling their condo and I am going to go look at it Sunday morning. It is too small for both Jessica and I and the kids but could be a short-term option, before getting something bigger for all of us – when Rose and Sol may want separate rooms. Or before moving to the country. Maybe I will just buy land, and a van to park on it.
Sent with positive vibes from my super-duper hand-held computing device.
from chris lloyd to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Jun 6, 2020, 3:51 PM subject Eighty-one
Dear Justin,
I heard about that horrific shooting in Edmunston, NB and what with everything going on in the States about police killings I am sick to my stomach. Imagine a cop showing up at your doorstep at 2:30 in the morning doing a “wellness check” because your boyfriend has called from Toronto because he is worried you are being harassed? And if you are paranoid or suffering a mental illness and answer the door with a knife – because you are Indigenous, and a woman, and you are fearful – and that makes you such a threat that the stupid cop at your door feels his tough cop life is at stake and he fucking shoots you dead. Fuck! WTF!!!
Anyway, I came home this afternoon after dropping off Rose’s laptop (my Ex former laptop) and some shoes, it was a big curfuffle and added to my tension, and I drafted a letter of response to my Ex which is currently awaiting final reading by my Life Advisors before I hit send. Here is the final draft, let me know what you think:
Claudine,
I have contacted Kim but she is unable to file our taxes this year. I propose to file them myself, as she can transfer our files to me from last year and I will use the same software she uses, Turbotax. If you are not comfortable with that I am open to suggestions.
Regarding communication between us, I prefer we have as little contact as possible. I would like to have a much more defined schedule with the transfer of children, which will hopefully be more normalized in the fall, so we should only need to communicate in case of emergencies. I do not want to see you during exchanges.
Requesting to talk to the kids while under my care is inappropriate, as is using them to transfer information between us, as is assuming that dropping off clothing or items will count as a visit with a hug. Wishing me a good day or weekend or commenting that the children are happy when passing time with me is completely unnecessary. If we have any relationship at all it should best be described as “forced transactional”.
I have perhaps not been as clear or decisive in the past few months in terms of my boundaries, so let me be clear now: I want no contact with you whatsoever. My only wish for you is that you are able to process our separation with the help of a good therapist.
—
° Chris Lloyd
- ° 514 295-3048
- ° chris lloyd projects
from chris lloyd to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Jun 8, 2020, 10:28 AM subject Eighty-two
Dear Justin,
I am at work, at VOX, for the first time since we shut down completely. I am about to set up an arrangement of speakers to see if we can isolate sound in the main gallery with our current speakers, or if we will have to buy special directional speakers for the current show.
Yesterday I visited Angie’s condo on St. Joseph, and it is really nice but they didn’t give me an asking price and upon more consideration, I don’t think it makes sense to buy anything in Montreal, even if the market takes a hit. I want to go back to NB, so I pivoted and started looking at land. Plan A now consists of finding just land and building a tiny home(s) each summer until we can eventually move permanently. I’ll just keep renting in Montreal, and next year Jess and I can move in together and share costs.
However, in looking for land I found our dream property on Shampers Bluff, on the the Peninsula, with a charming 1-bedroom (can easily be 2) all-season home with a massive heated garage / workshop AND a guest cabin, on a little over 1 acre with access to a shared beach for only $180K. Now trying to figure out if we can make it work.
Oh, and I just sent the email reply to my Ex. My Life Advisors suggested I remove the last part about therapy, so here is the final sentence:
I have perhaps not been as clear or decisive in the past few months in terms of my boundaries, so let me be clear now: I want as little contact with you as is possible given our shared custody arrangement.
—
- ° Chris Lloyd
- ° 514 295-3048
- ° chris lloyd projects
from chris lloyd to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Jun 9, 2020, 10:47 AM subject Eighty-three
Dear Justin,
Had a good day at work yesterday, it felt nice to be back in the gallery being productive. I am a bit rusty and can’t remember where I put a bunch of things – important things, like the USB keys and SD cards with the media for the show – but I’m sure they will turn up eventually.
Stayed at Jessica’s last night, we had a visitor, Joe Bagel, a friend of hers – her first houseguest since the shutdown. Our bubbles are starting to widen. Joe is a playright, part of the bi-weekly playdate discussion group. He had a similar incident with Kate McKenna, the journalist from CBC who outed me as the CPC candidate back in 2015. She outed him as having the fake St. Viateur twitter account.
I tried unsuccessfully to convince my parents to sell their house and move into that place on Shampers Bluff as my tenants. They are going to see it with the real estate agent on Monday.
Hanging with the kids today and tomorrow. I love my kids so much.
—
- ° Chris Lloyd
- ° 514 295-3048
- ° chris lloyd projects
from chris lloyd
to philipe.tomlinson@ville.montreal.qc.ca
cc pm@pm.gc.ca
date Jun 9, 2020, 9:14 PM subject Defund de SPVM 2020
Dear Mr. Tomlinson,
I am writing to you today to express my absolute outrage regarding the operational budget of the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM), which is $665,300,000 (source: Budget 2020). This comprises nearly 11% of the annual budget for the City of Montreal. The size of our city’s police budget is reprehensible considering our constantly crumbling infrastructure and contaminated drinking water.
While the SPVM is meant to protect Montrealers and maintain peace and security, our city is made unsafe by the willingness to finance racial profiling and excessive force. The SPVM, like all police departments in North America, has a long history of killing innocent, unarmed black people and it is imperative that our city leadership do their part to ensure it never happens again.
Anthony Griffin (1987), Preslie Leslie (1990), Osmond Fletcher (1991), Marcellus François (1991), Trevor Kelly (1993), Anas Bennis (2004), Fredy Villanueva (2008), Mario Hamel (2011), Patrick Limoges (2011), Alain Magloire (2013), René Gallant (2015), Bony Jean-Pierre (2016), Pierre Coriolan (2017) and Nicholas Gibbs (2018) are some names of people who have died at the hands of the SPVM (source: “Another Black Life” by Robyn Maynard).
I call upon our elected officials to start divesting from the inherently violent institution that is the SPVM. I am asking that you, as an elected official, pledge to do the following:
To never again vote to increase the SPVM’s budget. This includes funding for police body cams, an initiative that has been shown to fall short of its goals and which ultimately legitimizes a fundamentally flawed institution.
To propose and implement a SPVM budget cut of, at the absolute minimum, $300 million in accordance with the City of Montreal’s operating budget shortfall projections due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
To prioritize the expansion of community-led health and safety initiatives, community oversight committees for police officers, independently investigate and prosecute officers who violate the law and basic human rights, and to redirect more funding toward infrastructure, affordable housing and other programs that better the quality of life for Montrealers.
In the face of cyclical police violence happening throughout North America right now, there is no better time to commit ourselves to change. What we need in Montreal is leadership that can initiate reform that aims toward the eventual abolition of police and prisons—and, in turn, the immense police violence that targets our most marginalized people. An increased police presence does not keep us safe; rather, it directly threatens the lives of our most vulnerable communities, such as Black communities, Indigenous
communities, LGBTQ2S+ communities, homeless people, street-based sex workers, people with disabilities, and people experiencing poverty.
It is impossible to effectively reform the police to protect the marginalized communities they were designed to target. Therefore, we must choose to transition towards abolition. Instead of investing in the police, our city must prioritize alternatives like education, increased mental health services, affordable housing initiatives, income security, harm reduction services, accessible rehabilitation, mutual aid, social workers, conflict resolution services, transformative justice, and other vital community-based support systems.
When you were elected to office, you entered a contract to represent me. Failing to take action against police brutality and the SPVM’s racist practices is a failure to represent me and my concerned community. If all you can offer are the same cliche platitudes, then I ask that you resign and make way for real leadership in our city.
Thank you for taking the time to think critically about this issue.
Yours sincerely,
Chris Lloyd
Sent with positive vibes from my super-duper hand-held computing device.
from chris lloyd to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Jun 14, 2020, 10:38 PM subject Eighty-four
Dear Justin,
Wow, where did the time go? The week? I worked a bit, I had the kids a bit, hung with Jessica a bit, we had a good weekend, I think – except Black people are still getting killed by police and another Indigenous person was killed by the RCMP or a cop in NB, WTF? I am just astounded at the amount of money going to police forces everywhere. I’ve gone from thinking we need to defund the police, to dismantling the police to outright abolishing the police. What the fuck are they really good for? They stand in nicely when traffic lights go out. Otherwise they just issue tickets or kill POC.
I’m trying to find a chalet close to the NB border for the end of July but it’s getting pricey.
—
- ° Chris Lloyd
- ° 514 295-3048
- ° chris lloyd projects
from chris lloyd to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Jun 15, 2020, 10:13 PM subject Eighty-five
Dear Justin,
I found a chalet for our late-July holiday, just outside of Biencourt, in the woods. No hot tub but access to a river and also relatively close to Temiscuata and the public beach there.
Jess and I and the kids went to Martin Luther King park and got tested for the COVID. The 10-second nostril swab was most unusual and uncomfortable. I jogged there and back since the derailleur fell off my bike and wedged in my rear tire a few days ago. On Sunday, when Sol and I were on our way to a prisons protest. This afternoon I went to Angie’s condo and started painting, which I shall continue to do tomorrow and Wednesday. Mo really thinks (now) that we should form a painting company partnership. Could very well work.
Exhausted tonight and sore all over.
—
- ° Chris Lloyd
- ° 514 295-3048
- ° chris lloyd projects
from chris lloyd to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Jun 23, 2020, 12:04 AM subject Eighty-seven
Dear Justin,
I’m back from Muskoka. Long drive there; lots of sun and swimming and sunburns and sunscreen and classic rock; trivia with Scott, Jess’s dad; long drive back, with a stop at IKEA Ottawa (found curtains to help block the sun into my living room); a Zoom with the staff at Centre Lajeunesse about new protocols for the upcoming daycamps (I listened while driving); lots of Spout Lore in the car; drinks and intense sex upon our return to Jess’s apartment tonight.
Sent with positive vibes from my super-duper hand-held computing device.
from chris lloyd to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Jun 25, 2020, 7:54 AM subject Eighty-nine
Dear Justin,
Spent yesterday at home, rearranging my living room, listening to Spout Lore and reading / reposting articles on police brutality and systemic and institutional racism in the US and Canada. Heavy but necessary reading. My resolve is still growing that collectively we absolutely need to defund the police and reallocate resources to social programs, beefing up health and education services. This and of course continue to address Climate Justice. A tall order but in my most optimistic phases I think it is not only doable but a noble gesture. I prefer all this to engaging with the Art World, or at least the one I have been schooled in and have spent the past 20 years ensconced in. The lame excuse of “excellence” simply masks colonial, Racist and Euro-centric metrics. We need an Art that actively engages in social, climate and racial justice.
Switching gears, I found another property for sale in NB, a beautiful 4-bedroom farmhouse on 4 acres overlooking the St. John river that includes a huge garage and massive barn for $130K. Jess and I are smitten by it, but I am in the usual quandary about how and when exactly to make the move because of my kids. Already I have been away from them for 1 week and I miss them terribly, and based on recent phone calls with them, they miss me too. Could we handle longer periods of time apart?
How often do you see your kids, and not only see them but spend quality time with them?
—
- ° Chris Lloyd
- ° 514 295-3048
- ° chris lloyd projects
from chris lloyd to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Jun 26, 2020, 6:09 PM subject Ninety
Dear Justin,
Back at home, I spent the night again at Jessica’s, after a quick visit with Sarah and Pascal, and I vented all evening about systemic racism in the art institutions across the country and in particular of my ambivalence working at VOX, the sheer whiteness of it and the seeming inability of the board and directors to fully address it. So I’m pretty sure I won’t renew my contract in January and just try to work for myself full-time as a house painter, and try to make more sellable paintings for Tuck.
I’ve taken on a small painting job for the balcony doors and windows of Angie and Mathieu’s place. I’ll start tomorrow, after doing some odd jobs for SRoberts.
I woke up super-early yesterday morning, bad dreams about my Ex. Then yesterday afternoon she texted me to say Sol has had caca accidents three times this week, and she went on about how she is going to have to re-teach him how to wipe his bum and I should do the same next week, which just makes me think that she is in complete denial about how much her fucking selfish life choices are impacting our children and obviously stressing them out. They are all at Steve the DJ’s family cottage this week and I’m sure they feel totally out of step with their life and routines, even though they love cottage life and they get along with Milan but still, they are having a whole other family thrust upon them.
I just bought a pile of books – the new Wendy, The Skin We’re In and Policing Black Lives. I’m close to not having enough money for rent on July 1. I was supposed to work on VOX crap today but Jess and I slept in and then after coffee and sex went out for lunch to Bustan on St. Hubert and then walked up to Renaissance and she found an antique sewing machine that still worked and so we took a cab back to her place because it weighs a ton. I Bixied home, no news all week from C&L cycles so I have no idea when my bike will be ready. I get the kids tomorrow night and they start Day Camp at Centre Lajeunesse on Monday. I’ve been taking my meds irregularly and feel jumpy and a bit anxious and tired and hungry. Going to go make a massaged kale salad.
I might just drop you ten more letters over the course of this weekend just to get to 100 for the year.
What do you think of me making a podcast about the Dear PM project? I could do it with Jess, reading parts of the letters in order, and discussing context, the marginalia with her, it could be an interesting way to archive them no?
—
- ° Chris Lloyd
- ° 514 295-3048
- ° chris lloyd projects
from chris lloyd to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Jun 26, 2020, 9:06 PM subject Ninety-one
Dear justin,
So I read for a bit, made nice massaged kale salad for supper, did a little bit of fox work, then decided to smoke a bit and watch some thing funny on Netflix to slow and relax my mind. I need to laugh a little bit.
Dictated, not corrected
Sent with positive vibes from my super-duper hand-held computing device.
from chris lloyd to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Jun 26, 2020, 11:40 PM subject Ninety-two
Dear Justin,
Watched Girls Trip. Didn’t even know that there was such a thing as the Essence Festival. Started re-painting the blue stripes on my Voice of Fire painting midway through. The paint is cheap and too translucent and so will take a few coats.
—
- ° Chris Lloyd
- ° 514 295-3048
- ° chris lloyd projects
from chris lloyd to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Jun 27, 2020, 1:01 AM subject Ninety-three
Do you Justin,
I just finished reading Wendy master of art, and I am struck with the feeling that I have completely wasted my BFA.
I really need to get my ass in gear and work on a draft for a graphic novel about the conservative party infiltration project And Running Gassieu avec dit qu’elle oh shit, sorry my keyboard switched to French on me for some reason.
Maybe when jessica called?
Anyway, I can’t even remember if I told you already that I want to make a graphic novel about my infiltration project from 2011 to 2015, and the subsequent campaign against you. I think it would make a really cool graphic novel but I’m not sure, or confident, in my abilities to write and or illustrate it. I would love for drawn and quarterly to publish it.
Ha ha, who am I kidding anyway? Dictated, not corrected
Sent with positive vibes from my super-duper hand-held computing device.
from chris lloyd to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Jun 27, 2020, 6:32 PM subject Ninety-four
Dear justin,
I did some errands at S Roberts house today, hanging a few plant hooks and removing and cleaning the plexiglass underneath her skylights. She ordered us lunch from a fancy salad place. Gloria is as cute as ever and Sarah seems unusually calm given so much uncertainty around travel for her mom and sister in August when her baby is due, as well as what to do with Gloria for daycare.
She lent me her bike, as mine is not repaired yet, and I cycled to Angie’s and scraped and patched and primed the outside door and windows.
Picked up a few groceries on my way Home, got a text from my ex and she is dropping the kids off a bit earlier tonight, which is great! I really miss them.
Have been listening to a ton of spout Laure, will do so right now as I try to nap a bit as my energy seems sad. Apt, no sapped no SAPPED and there we have it. Another fun dictation.
Dictated, not corrected.
Sent with positive vibes from my super-duper hand-held computing device.
from chris lloyd to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Jun 27, 2020, 6:38 PM subject Ninety-five
Dear Justin,
Have signed some petitions and sent letters today to the Mayor about defunding the SPVM. Here is a copy of the letter:
Cher.ère conseiller.ère de la Ville de Montréal,
Je vous écris pour exprimer mon indignation concernant le budget opérationnel du Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM), qui s’élève à un montant de 665.3M$ par année (Budget 2020). Cela représente presque 11% du budget annuel de la Ville de Montréal. La taille du budget policier de notre ville est répréhensible, particulièrement lorsqu’on considère notre infrastructure qui s’écroule et la contamination de notre eau potable. Comme tous les départements policiers en Amérique du Nord, le SPVM a tué systématiquement des personnes noires à travers les années. Il est impératif que la Ville de Montréal s’assure que cela n’arrive plus.
J’invite les conseiller.ère.s de la ville de Montréal à initier un désinvestissement de la structure fondamentalement violente qu’est le SPVM. Je vous demande, comme conseiller.ère élu.e, de vous engager à faire les choses suivantes:
• De ne plus voter pour une augmentation du budget du SPVM. Ceci inclut le financement pour les caméras portatives pour les policier.ère.s, une initiative dont les résultats ne sont pas à la mesure des attentes;
• De proposer et de mettre en application une coupure budgétaire du SPVM de 300 millions de dollars au minimum, ce qui représente le déficit prévu engendré par la crise de la COVID-19;
• De cesser 1) d’envoyer des agent.e.s de la SPVM lorsqu’il y a des disputes, des crises reliés à la santé mentale et l’abus de substance, 2) les pratiques d’interpellations, 3) d’engager de nouveaux agent.e.s, 4) de ré-engager les agent.e.s ayant violé le code de déontologie des policiers, 5) tout achat d’équipement, ainsi que 6) les communications entre le SPVM et le ASFC pour verifier le statut d’immigration des gens;
- D’enlever les policier.ère.s des écoles montréalaises et les remplacer par des psychologues.
- De donner priorité à l’accroissement des initiatives communautaires qui concernent la santé et la sécurité publique; des commissions communautaires pour superviser la police; des enquêtes indépendantes et des poursuites judiciaires des policier.ère.s qui violent la loi et les droits de la personne; et de réorienter les financements vers un l’élaboration d’un programme communautaire d’intervention premiers-soins, l’infrastructure, le logement abordable, l’éducation, les organismes noirs, les organismes autochtones, et d’autres programmes qui améliorent la qualité de vie pour la population montréalaise. La violence policière récurrente en Amérique du Nord nous rappelle que le temps d’agir est arrivé. Une présence policière augmentée menace les vies des communautés les plus vulnérables, comme les communautés noires, les communautés autochtones, les communautés LGBTQ2S+, les sans-abris, les
travailleur.se.s dans l’industrie du sexe, les personnes handicapées, et les personnes qui vivent dans la pauvreté.
La police a été créée pour cibler les communautés marginalisées. Nous avons besoin d’une administration qui initie des changements visant l’abolition éventuelle de la police. Au lieu d’investir dans la police, notre ville doit donner la priorité aux solutions alternatives, telle que l’éducation; une amélioration des services de santé mentale; le logement abordable; la sécurité de revenu; des dispositifs de réduction des méfaits; la réadaptation accessible; l’aide mutuelle; les services de résolution de conflit; la justice transformatrice; et d’autres systèmes communautaires indispensables.
Nous vous avons élu à votre poste pour représenter nos intérêts. Votre incapacité à agir contre la brutalité policière et les pratiques racistes du SPVM sont un échec pour la collectivité concernée. Si vous n’êtes capables que de faire des promesses en l’air, je vous demanderais alors de démissionner et faire place à un véritable leadership.
Pour plus de détails sur nos demandes, veuillez-visiter defundthespvm.com.
Merci de prendre le temps de penser de façon critique aux questions présentées dans mon message. Sincèrement,
Chris Lloyd
Sent with positive vibes from my super-duper hand-held computing device.
from chris lloyd to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Jun 27, 2020, 11:35 PM subject Ninety-six
Dear Justin,
Watched two episodes of Buffy tonight with the kids saw made a new Lego he received as a gift while visiting his cousins for belated birthdays; I ate Parmesan flavoured pita chips and hummus for supper and fed the kids some pasta with cucumber and watermelon for dessert; they brought the watermelon with them, Probably a gift from their grandparents. I started reading policing black lives tonight but it quickly made my eyes tired as a out of practice reading academic texts. It is easier with the skin we are in, but now I am just overall too tired.
Sent with positive vibes from my super-duper hand-held computing device.
from chris lloyd to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Jun 28, 2020, 11:18 PM subject Ninety-seven
Dear Justin,
Had a really fun day with the kids today, we watched more Buffy, ate watermelon, had breakfast and lunch and watch music videos by Jane, baked to the park, they went to the water games for a bit, played on the playground, Rose walked home and back by herself for the first time, and then went for another walk around the block in the pouring rain, because she loves the rain, and we went for a walk later later when one of the Buffy episodes was glitching. It was a bit of a challenge to get them in bed by nine, because tomorrow is the first day of daycamp and I don’t want them to be too tired.
I am reading the skin we are in and the stories of police brutality in Ontario against Black people is so upsetting. I don’t know if you have made a public position yet on the defund the police movement, but I would suggest that you come out strong and support; the conservatives will certainly play their law and order card, and sympathize 100% with the police and the powerful police lobby and unions, but the police is so clearly the instrumental arm in enforcing the white supremacy inherent in the Canadian state. If you don’t take action against the police, if indeed the inverse happens, then things are just going to get worse.
Dictated not corrected
Sent with positive vibes from my super-duper hand-held computing device.
from chris lloyd to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Jun 29, 2020, 11:56 AM subject Ninety-eight
Dear Justin,
Successfully dropped the kids off this morning for their first day of summer camp with Centre Lajeunesse I hope they have a good day – we saw Clovis and Jules so hopefully they are in the same group as Sol. Not sure if any of Rose’s friends are enrolled.
Working on VOX stuff this morning, from home, but feeling anxious. Not sure if my meds are out of wack or I am just stuck in a cycle of incomprehension over just how racist “our” institutions are in this country. Maybe I’ll take some time to paint a new banner for my front window, simply “defundthespvm.com”
from their homepage:
“The existence of law enforcement is neither a sign of order nor safety. It is a fundamental flaw within our society, which treats crime as a reactive measure to penalize and discipline individuals instead of instituting measures that would rehabilitate and prevent crime by addressing its root causes. The SPVM does not have adequate training to handle mental health issues, intoxication, disorientation, conflict, and dispute, yet police officers are often the first responders at the scene. Additionally, SPVM agents racially profile civilians to criminalize Indigenous and Black people, placing them at greater risk of police brutality.”
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- ° Chris Lloyd
- ° 514 295-3048
- ° chris lloyd projects
from chris lloyd to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Jun 29, 2020, 1:21 PM subject Ninety-nine
Dear Justin,
My stomach is all tied up in knots, and I think it is because of the recent exchanges I had to have with my Ex about our taxes and upcoming road trip to NB. She is lending me her car – formerly OUR car – and the tent, and asking her was giving me anxiety. It’s like I can’t stomach the fact that she is being nice to me, even if it is for the kids, it makes my life easier, especially financially. Ugh I’m a mess. I can’t get her out of my mind, I can’t forgive nor forget, I hate carrying this bitterness around me but can’t seem to let go. Breathe. Breathe. Breathe.
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- ° Chris Lloyd
- ° 514 295-3048
- ° chris lloyd projects
from chris lloyd to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Jun 29, 2020, 11:27 PM subject One hundred
Dear Justin,
The breathing helped. I went to the condo and painted for almost 2 hours while listening to Spout Lore. Grabbed a few groceries on the way up to get the kids, who seem to have a pretty good day at their respective camps. Lots of time playing outside, and they went to bed early and easy tonight. They must’ve been tired.
Sent with positive vibes from my super-duper hand-held computing device.
from chris lloyd to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Jun 30, 2020, 12:19 PM subject One hundred and one
Dear Justin,
Dropped kids off sans problème, worked for VOX from home – and while making lunch was struck by the fact that this work takes me away from deeper, more meaningful work. I don’t mean painting or my own selfish art: I mean the time that could be spent really helping people, helping causes I believe in, amplifying voices. I painted a new sign for my front window last night, a Defunt the police and Defund the SPVM, but is it really going to change anything? Toronto did not cut back on the bloated $1-billion police budget but instead added more costs with the motion to have all police wear body cameras – a move that only means that when cops beat or shoot people to death there will be video evidence – which can be suppressed, or tampered with, or too ambiguous. And it does not address fundamental issues of institutional racism. And now I need to eat and cycle down to VOX to do work to make sure submissions are collected for a Heritage Canada grant so we can buy more equipment to show more tech-heavy “art” that does not change the culture or systemic racism or directly help or impact Black, Indigenous or POC communities. Yippee.
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- ° Chris Lloyd
- ° 514 295-3048
- ° chris lloyd projects
DEAR PM 