2021
from chris lloyd to pm@pm.gc.ca
date May 3, 2021, 10:00 PM subject 63 – 206 – 0305
Dear Justin,
Got my shot today and within a few hours was feeling ugh, just woozy and a little out of it, so I thought it best not to go to Vox and saw wood. I still have a couple frames to make but I’ll do them later. I went to the studio after dropping the kids off at school, my vaccine appointment was at 10, so I stayed at the studio and painted until I felt it best to go home and eat lunch, since I ate the lunch I brought with me for breakfast. I cancelled fixing a balcony post for Valérie from work tomorrow as I think it might be too much, also unpleasant, and the weather is shit because we broke the fucking planet. Fun times tonight though: Jessica dyed Sol’s hair blue, all of it except the shaved side. He looks so good, a blend of punk-emoji-gamer-skater something-or-other.
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- ° Chris Lloyd
- ° 514 295-3048
- ° chris lloyd projects
from chris lloyd to pm@pm.gc.ca
date May 4, 2021, 9:06 PM subject 64 – 190 – 0405
Dear Justin,
Went to the studio after morning drop off and painted for a few hours before feeing too body achy to continue. Came home for lunch and a rest, read a bit, looked at my phone a bit, then continued painting the doors and trim in the apartment. Listened to the new episode of Sandy and Nora which dropped this afternoon. Listened to some Spout Lore after the real world, neo-liberal bullshit injustice gets to be a bit too much. Made a teriyaki sauce for a big veggie and soy curls stir-fry for supper. Hung out with Sol after supper, he is grumpy because a few kids at school didn’t like his blue hair, which I think makes him feel self-conscious and second-guessing himself. We played soccer in the alley and at the nearby park. Watched some older men playing pétanque. Played some more Gravitrax and then read from the 4th Minecraft book, which I picked up from the library on my walk home from the studio. Cleaned the kitchen, loaded and started the dishwasher, now am going to go read, or watch something on Netflix – which isn’t being taxed on subscriptions, according to what I heard on the radio, which is yet another stupid thing your stupid government is doing / not doing.
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- ° Chris Lloyd
- ° 514 295-3048
- ° chris lloyd projects
from chris lloyd to pm@pm.gc.ca
date May 6, 2021, 2:23 PM subject 65 – 212 – 0605
Dear Justin,
Yesterday was another pédago, the kids and I spent most of the afternoon at a couple different parks. It had rained in the morning, so the equipment was wet, but the rain held off for the afternoon. We had a late lunch from Panthère Vert and ate at the studio, the kids relaxed in the loft while I painted a bit. Made a quinoa for supper. Went to the studio after school dropoff this morning, am trying to make the extra 2×2′ painting – an old panel I started back in 2006 or 2007 – into an abstract, with heavy gloopy brush marks. I need to get into Vox soon to finish my frames but I am also behind on a Plexi fence I am supposed to make for Artexte (haven’t yet started), and I agreed to help Valèrie with her rotten balcony post next Tuesday, and back to finish up at Marilou’s tomorrow. Also, I am really wondering how anyone is actually supposed to live on EI payments alone? I wouldn’t be able to pay all my bills if I wasn’t constantly working small odd jobs.
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- ° Chris Lloyd
- ° 514 295-3048
- ° chris lloyd projects
from chris lloyd to pm@pm.gc.ca
date May 10, 2021, 10:32 AM subject 66 – 282 – 1005
Dear Justin,
Had a lovely weekend around the apartment with Jessica. We watched movies, fooled around, gardened and went for walks. I’m not sure if I mentioned this to you or not but neither one of us has had a drink in over a month now. Part of it was about the antibiotics Jess was taking post cervical procedure, but already leading up to it we had stopped. It is quite nice to never have that fuzziness or fogginess. We did almost take mushrooms yesterday but ended up just having sex in the morning and then a walk for food – there is an amazing secretly vegan bakery nearby – and then to Canadian Tire for plants and flowers, so in the end the trip didn’t materialize. We gained a shopping cart from CT because there were absolutely no Communauto available. Weekends make them scarce. I’m at Vox today, need to send some emails and finish some frames and cut some Plexi for the Artexte shield, and a piece of wood to block the space above Marilou’s AC, and a little block of wood to fix the door clasp for François. I have therapy later on. It is a day of finicky details.
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- ° Chris Lloyd
- ° 514 295-3048
- ° chris lloyd projects
from chris lloyd to pm@pm.gc.ca
date May 12, 2021, 7:50 AM subject 67 – 168 – 1205
Dear Justin,
Had a couple jam-packed days, running around, a mix of odd jobs, Vox and studio. Yesterday replaced a porch post for Valérie, then since the elevators are finally working again, brought up the Plexiglas and some plywood from the basement and started on the screen for Artexte. Finished another 24″x24″ frame to replace the one that didn’t quite fit the square painting. Worked on the extra 24″ x 24″ painting, Jess says it looks like a child painted it, so I am getting close to my objective, but it still doesn’t feel finished. Something about the bottom, the sidewalk strip, and the strip. Asphalt is a strange thing to paint. I have a video appointment this morning with a doctor to discuss a hard lump we found on my testicle. It is probably nothing to worry about but best to get it checked out. I have been trying for 3 days to book an in-clinic appointment but all the onces Bonjour-Santé has suggested are too far away or at times I was unavailable. Oh, and Judith sent us listings for a couple properties on the Kingston Peninsula, one was a former Girl Guides camp, with 41 acres of woods and the edge of a swampy lake. The house on it would need to be gutted at best, possibly torn down to make livable. Jess thinks it is too expensive – asking $139K – and also too soon, and too big. The other is also a tiny 3-season cabin but on 11 acres, with a couple brooks running through it, but also probably too soon. The asking price is better – $69K – but the assessment is $8K, so clearly the bubble has reached NB too. Should be fun when the bubble bursts.
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- ° Chris Lloyd
- ° 514 295-3048
- ° chris lloyd projects
from chris lloyd to pm@pm.gc.ca
date May 17, 2021, 9:08 PM subject 68 – 189 – 1705
Dear Justin,
Had a decent weekend with the kids, mostly doing yardwork. Built a second raised garden bed, and our neighbour Kevin brought us a truckload of compost we shovelled off and into the beds. Friday I got my haircut, Miwa’s first since their top surgery. I’ve not been into the studio much, I’m still fighting that 2×2 abstract wannabe. The communauto app was busting up all over the place last week really denting my plans. Sol’s bike has a flat tire and I’ll take it to be repaired hopefully tomorrow. I heard on Sandy and Nora that Canada in 2020 deported the highest amount of people since you took office in 2015. Doesn’t seem the most humane way to deal with people during a pandemic. Also deporting anyone seems dubious at best, since we’re all on stolen land here.
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- ° Chris Lloyd
- ° 514 295-3048
- ° chris lloyd projects
from chris lloyd to pm@pm.gc.ca
date May 19, 2021, 11:04 AM subject 69 – 173 – 1905
Dear Justin,
Today the finalists for the Bronwen Wallace award are announced, finally we can publicly celebrate Jessica as a finalist! Winner is unveiled in 1 month, although Jessica plans to contact the 2 other finalists and ask if they would consider splitting the prize. Today she has a class to teach and meeting a friend but otherwise managing the emails and posts. Later today we are all going to visit SRoberts and kids at Westmount Park for a picnic and splashpark. Teachers are on strike so I am with the kids for the day. Need to get a gift and put it in the mail for Jordyn. Our neighbour Kevin opened his pool up to all the kids in the ruelle, so Sol went in for a dip and now wants to go in all the time. Poor Rose had her tutor so missed the pool and was so sad about it. I was at Vox yesterday doing Vox things and the night before got totally caught up in unplugging the bathroom sink. It is one of those IKEA jobs, so the pipes are narrower than the standards, and they fill up with that unpleasant black goop much quicker. You have to take the whole thing apart to get it all out. At least it drains normally now.
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- ° Chris Lloyd
- ° 514 295-3048
- ° chris lloyd projects
from chris lloyd to pm@pm.gc.ca
date May 21, 2021, 9:09 AM subject 70 – 193 – 2105
Dear Justin,
Some thoughts on Israel:
I am concerned about Canada’s silence regarding the Israeli government’s assault on Palestinians in Sheikh Jarrah, East Jerusalem. Recently, a Human Rights Watch (HRW) report found Israel guilty of ‘crimes against humanity of apartheid, persecution.’ HRW is a major human rights organization that is heavily relied upon and cited in speeches, tweets, and press releases by successive Canadian governments, to condemn human rights abuses of China, Russia, and other states. Yet, HRW is completely disregarded and ignored, by the Canadian government, once it condemns Israel for committing crimes against humanity against the Palestinian people.
According to the Government of Canada’s website, “Canada does not recognize Israel’s unilateral annexation of East Jerusalem.” Under international law, settlement building in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Golan Heights are a violation of international law. On May 6, 2021, Britain, France, Germany, Spain, and Italy, released a joint statement telling Israel to “cease its policy of settlement expansion across the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
As a Canadian, I do not feel safe knowing that my government is silent to Israel’s attacks on Palestinians. In fact, I feel that by being silent, my government is complicit in supporting the Israeli regime’s slaughter of unarmed Palestinians. Canada likes to boast itself as a global humanitarian leader, one that is tolerant of people with different religions and backgrounds. However, Canada’s failure to land a UN Security Council seat shows that the international community does not share Canada’s views of itself. Instead, Canada has become a breeding ground for people with anti-Arab and Islamophobic sentiments, and our government nourishes these sentiments with its support for an anti-Arab, Islamophobic, and apartheid regime.
I urge you to condemn Israel’s assault on Palestinians in Sheikh Jarrah and to condemn its crimes against humanity across all of Palestine. Furthermore, I urge you to sanction Israel by ending Canada’s free trade agreement and ending all trade with the apartheid state – including the immediate and permanent end to selling of arms – until it complies with international law. I look forward to hearing from you and to seeing your response to the current events. Canadians and the international community are carefully watching Canada’s response to the events in Sheikh Jarrah.
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- ° Chris Lloyd
- ° 514 295-3048
- ° chris lloyd projects
from chris lloyd to pm@pm.gc.ca
date May 24, 2021, 10:22 PM subject 71 – 160 – 2405
Dear Justin,
had a good long weekend, worked a fair bit in the studio finally finishing – I think? – that abstract painting, which is becoming a running gag and cliché it is taking so long. Finished framing a couple others, just the 5 small ones to glue the backing onto and then glue the pieces themselves down, then document and send images to Tuck. I also did most of the photos and sent those off today. Have to figure out transport, I’ll start that tomorrow, I have to go to Vox and cut some of the shelves for Anne’s projet, and take some planks for the C+C cuts, and then working with James the rest of the week on his house. He is looking to sell and move to Westmount – I can’t tell if he was being serious. Who can afford to live in Westmount?
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- ° Chris Lloyd
- ° 514 295-3048
- ° chris lloyd projects
from chris lloyd to pm@pm.gc.ca
date May 26, 2021, 8:23 AM subject 72 – 114 – 2605
Dear Justin,
Squeezed in visit to the bulk barn (épicerie zero déchets – I like to call it the bulk barn) yesterday morning and realized when I tried to pay for parking that my credit card was blocked, and then while on hold with the bank – Refresh Financial – I received a call from the bank that actually operates the card – DC Bank – telling me about a couple mysterious charges. I was about to wait on the phone for another hour but got through to someone – a real human I think! – on the DC chat and have a form to fill out and return with the suspicious charges highlighted, of which there is only one. Meantime DC cancelled the card but I have yet to hear anything from Refresh – except an automatic accusé de reception.
Went to Vox, cut some strips for Anne’s project, drove them to Philippe’s studio in a Communauto with my bike in exactly 30 minutes, then spent the rest of the day at the studio assembling the 5 small works into frames and completely re-painting the abstract again. I can’t get it right.
I have a zoom call with the tech crew for Momenta and one of the artists, Susanne Winterling, to discuss her curved wall for a double projection multi-channel sound and video and object installation in the fall, then working with James for the day, or maybe not, depending on how he is handling the school support staff strike. Oh now my Ex is asking if I can take the kids a few hours today or tomorrow, which I will most likely do as I need her to take them exceptionally during a school night in June so Jessica and I can celebrate and attend the Bronwen Wallace Gala on the 16th. Scheduling is fun!
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- ° Chris Lloyd
- ° 514 295-3048
- ° chris lloyd projects
from chris lloyd to pm@pm.gc.ca
date May 27, 2021, 2:26 PM subject 73 – 158 – 2705
Dear Justin,
Planned to go to the studio, as well as the hardware store to inquire about certified wood panels for the susanne winterling curved wall project – we had a zoom with her yesterday – and can tire for tubs to ship my paintings, but I’ve been at home trapped on hold with CRA so I can get my CERB T4E, as David is working on my taxes right now. And then there were calls from Philippe about my C+C cuts, my measurements were off and he needed to re-do most of the work, his fees and the cost of the wood are going to eat away almost all my earnings on this project. I was going to work on the other parts of Anne’s project at VOX but I am still at home! And still planning to visit SRoberts and install her 2 mammoth AC units and 2 smaller Ac units, ugh not fun! Oh, and waive the patents on OVID vaccines already, I know you are planning for made-in-canada vaccines to be available for sale but given the scale and severity of this pandemic the vaccine should be free to everyone. Also, lean on John Horgan a bit to get him to stop sending RCMP goons to arrest tree protectors. Fighting neo-liberal policies is SO TIRING.
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- ° Chris Lloyd
- ° 514 295-3048
- ° chris lloyd projects
from chris lloyd to pm@pm.gc.ca
date May 30, 2021, 10:03 PM subject 74 – 105 – 3005
Dear Justin,
We cycled to the Botanical Gardens today, and spent the afternoon wandering around the different sites – Rose loving the Chinese Gardens the most, Sol mostly bored and cranky. It started to rain, our snacks had run out, it was cold and Rose couldn’t find a comfortable sweater so she was wearing my jacket and I was freezing, so we took a Flex home. Had time to hit the McDs drive-through before the free half-hour was up.
Getting so, so fed-up reading about the Fairy Creek logging standoff, myopic arguments that people need to work – yes, but maybe if we didn’t let industry and capitalists run the economy we wouldn’t be forced to work shitty jobs – jobs that are shitty for people and more shitty for the environment. Teal Jones group can take their entitlement and shove it up their ass. I’ve called John Horgan a few times, the activists are consistently putting his office number in their posts. I’m sure the discovery of the mass grave – the mainstream media never use the phrase “mass grave”, but bodies of 215 children sounds bad no matter how they try to minimize the genocidal act. Never mention genocide either, come to think of it, but then again I don’t listen to mainstream news that often. All that, plus Israel, your bullshit stance on Israel and Palestine, that fucking pipeline, all of it is so exhausting. This is why we fight.
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- ° Chris Lloyd
- ° 514 295-3048
- ° chris lloyd projects
DEAR PM 