2022
from chris lloyd to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Jun 1, 2022, 7:28 AM subject 79 – 115 – 0106
Dear Justin,
Holy shit it is June! Thank god the pandemic is over and the snow is gone and life is normal again (note the sarcasm, hard to read in email). I’ve been at Vox all week, taking down Clemens’ show and preparing for the arrival of the FTA today to set up for the performances by Inuk artist Laakuluk this weekend. Jess is off to Toronto today for a Bronwan Wallace awards ceremony, which will give me a little more time to sort through the studio crap that is still in my car, and smells like old dirty basement. Also to do more activist work, whiI am going to do more and more of because if not now, then when? The planet is on fucking fire (or drowning, depends on how you look at it), and RBC is bankrolling YOUR stupid $20-billion loan guarantee, which will just make the fucking banks more profitable when CGL goes tits up – which it will, no thanks to you, stupid dickhead.
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- ° Chris Lloyd
- ° 514 295-3048
- ° chris lloyd projects
from chris lloyd to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Jun 2, 2022, 7:46 AM subject 80 – 115 – 0206
Dear Justin,
Today is my Ex-anniversary – we would have been married 15 years. Oh well, we’re both happier now apart, but I miss what could have been. Sometimes I wonder, did I go too far, placing so much emphasis on intimacy, and then I remember that no, I should have gotten out earlier, but couldn’t see through the depression, and how hurtful and damaging her lack of help was to me. Anyway, we’re both better off. I’ve just signed up as an Earth Protector, to raise the issue of Ecocide and push to make that a crime, which if Canada signs on too would probably make CGL and TMX and Bay du Nord and however many other extractive fossil fuel projects that the Canada Company is involved in, illegal. Oh wait most of those projects are illegal anyway, Canada just makes its own laws to protect private companies, and banks like RBC just bankroll them. You are so frustrating and disappointing as a PM – worse than Harper. Are you really this stupid and ignorant or do you know what you are doing and just don’t care of the consequences? I don’t understand how anyone with a conscience and the power wouldn’t just stop those pipeline projects in their tracks, stop the RCMP harassment of the Wet’suwet’en, stop the Mancamps built at the doorstep of the Secwepemc. I don’t understand why you bought TMX in the first place. I don’t understand why you killed chances for real electoral reform back in 2017. I don’t understand you at all.
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- ° Chris Lloyd
- ° 514 295-3048
- ° chris lloyd projects
from chris lloyd to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Jun 3, 2022, 8:15 AM subject 81 – — – 0306
Dear Justin,
OK so this time the pandemic is over? It seems Montreal is no longer posting new daily cases. It still feels weird to go around maskless. Hey I forgot to tell you that over the past week I went through my Gmail and deleted all unread messages, and a bunch of unstarred messages which saved up over 15G of space. There are still 4 unread messages scattered throughout the 13,098 messages in my inbox but I doubt I”ll ever find them as I can only search 100 messages at a time. Today I’m back at Vox, not doing a whole lot as Laakuluk and Vinnie are pretty self-sufficient and really only need the FTA tech team. Myles and I play ping pong and wait for orders. He glued a cross together for Vinnie yesterday, which will be used in the performances to smash drums. Oh, and I tried doing a painting intervention at an RBC early this morning but the medical gloves wouldn’t break open, they kept bouncing off the doors. Maybe I didn’t add enough water to the paint?
-chris
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- ° Chris Lloyd
- ° 514 295-3048
- ° chris lloyd projects
from chris lloyd to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Jun 5, 2022, 11:02 PM subject 82 – — – 0506
Dear Justin,
The weekend is over already. What happened? Took the kids to see Qaumma at Vox today, Rose really didn’t want to see it so she waited in the small gallery adjacent – she could hear it – and drew in her new sketchbook. We had biked downtown, realizing since Friday that the Tour de l’Isle was going on. Jessica and I got comically stuck in traffic after I picked her up from the airport and we drove downtown to see some of the projections on the RBC at Place Ville Marie. We got stuck in the Plateau at the part of St. Denis that was blocked, and only an illegal manoeuvre up a one way to get to a rouelle onto St. Dominique kept us under three hours. Had to park Ericka in the McDonalds parking lot, the old guy wouldn’t let us cross Rosemont, even though there were clearly no more cyclists. So today we joined the cyclist, although Rose ended up getting herself lost around Park Laurier. She had biked ahead because Sol wasn’t feeling well, and she was impatient to get home. Tonight we watched episode 4 of the new season of Stranger Things, it was pretty good. But like I was telling Sol, there is a big difference between these types of stories and the ones we heard during Laakkuluk and Vinnie’s show. The story he told of his grandmother Quggiq was heart-breaking, but the overall feeling from their performances, from the dancing and singing and drumming, is of power and rebirth. It felt hopeful.
—
- ° Chris Lloyd
- ° 514 295-3048
- ° chris lloyd projects
from chris lloyd to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Jun 6, 2022, 9:47 PM subject 83 – 86 – 0606
Dear Justin,
Poor Sol stayed home from prison- i mean school, stayed home from school because he was sick. That sore throat and cough became worse by Sunday night and watching Stranger Things obviously didn’t help, he had nightmares, though not based on the characters or monsters, but Stardew Valley, and loud noises, again. When Sol has nightmares or night terrors it is always noises in his ears, this time it was the items in his casks were screaming their names. I biked Rose to school but she biked home on her own. I was at the CCA today, finishing the exterior vinyl siding. Going around the window / monitor was the trickiest bit, but it seemed to have worked out ok. I’m looking forward to framing out the other monitor and the other opening. Masks are no longer required indoors at the CCA, although I noticed that Datatracker has numbers back up online, maybe my browser just wasn’t refreshing properly. I don’t think I’m refreshing properly, either. I think I need to make more time for myself, less time working and more time working towards breaking this crooked system apart. I’m too tired to do much of anything tonight, Captain Procrastination has won another day.
—
- ° Chris Lloyd
- ° 514 295-3048
- ° chris lloyd projects
from chris lloyd to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Jun 7, 2022, 10:04 PM subject 84 – — – 0706
Dear Justin,
I figured out what’s going on: Quebec must be releasing their daily Covid numbers weekly. So the pandemic is not over? Was at CCA today, finished vinyl siding and made 2 window frames. I forgot to call the school about Sol being at home sick again so they called my Ex and then she called me and flipped out when I told her he was home alone, saying it is illegal to leave a 9-year old home alone (it’s not). She went to take him to her place, so I had to bike home and then went to get him in the car. Rose biked to and from school on her own, didn’t get lost. I’m making headway on my taxes: I opened the box of receipts. I also paid 2 parking tickets, an Autoroute 25 passage, my gas bill and the final 2 SDG bills for Rose and Sol. How can I be so broke all the time? Oh right the system is stacked against the working poor. It’s finally raining out, which is great for the garden and I’m excited to see how much rainwater my new water-collection system will collect. Do you know what makes me happy? Filling our compost bucket. Do you know what makes me unhappy? Living in the city. And the news.
—
- ° Chris Lloyd
- ° 514 295-3048
- ° chris lloyd projects
from chris lloyd to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Jun 8, 2022, 10:37 PM subject 85 – 92 – 0806
Dear Justin,
OK so now new Covid numbers are appearing retroactively, so I can’t figure out when to expect data, it seems random now. I’m not feeling great, Sol was home sick again so I took him to my Ex, I cycled back to make sure the car was parked ok and I had to move it by 7:30 which seemed no problem, but like the dumbass I am I didn’t make a note or set an alert or timer, and of course missed it, so probably have another goddam ticket. Remind me again why I own a car or live in the city? Oh right so I can work, earn money, pay rent, buy food. I’m annoyed at the construction, the bad impatient drivers, the inaction on Climate change, the laissez-faire attitude of life in this moment. Oh, and I forgot to update my lamotrigine and am out so will have to skip tonight. I’m back at the CCA tomorrow to help finish that install, was at Vox today helping to dismantle the Laakuluk’s iceburg, and set up speakers and things for Manon and Pierre-Marc’s weird dance performance next week – which left me a bit exacerbated – annoyed by art now? – because what’s the fucking point? Sometimes it feels like rearranging decks on the Titanic. I want art that is urging us to change, pushing us, pushing HARD – because if not now, then when? So maybe I’m a philistine but I don’t quite know how art does anything more than support its own ecosystem. Maybe it’s a refuge? Or a battery, storing energy that can be used elsewhere? Like throwing a brick through the forehead of capitalism? Now on top of feeling so worn out and tired, I have a headache, and the house is in want of a good cleaning. Maybe I’ll wake up early tomorrow and clean.
—
- ° Chris Lloyd
- ° 514 295-3048
- ° chris lloyd projects
from chris lloyd to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Jun 13, 2022, 6:49 PM subject 86 – 140 – 1306
Dear Justin,
Jess and I went away for the weekend boondocking with Ramsay and we’ve come back engaged. Jess proposed to me Saturday night in St-Alexis-du-Monts and we celebrated at the local pub playing indoor washer toss. I said yes. It feels a bit odd to consider marriage again, in many ways because being with Jess feels so natural and dare I say, permanent? It feels like we are already married. She really puts up with my shenanigans. Like how I had wired up the battery but while driving some wires got crossed and melted all the way to inside the trailer. And how the battery fell off the trailer because the wood platform busted apart on a particularly bumpy road. We love travelling in our Ramsay, we live well in it. Now we’re back in the city ugh and planning work and activist stuff. Last week I helped swap some posters into bus shelters calling out the big banks for their funding of fossil fuel projects. Going now to the studio to paint a banner for my Adopt an RBC campaign.
—
- ° Chris Lloyd
- ° 514 295-3048
- ° chris lloyd projects
from chris lloyd to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Jun 15, 2022, 8:41 AM subject 87 – 105 – 1506
Dear Justin,
Today is the deadline for filing taxes as a self-employed person, and I’m doing it! Well, I’m trying to do it. I can’t find my NOA from last year and am stuck at that early step in Netfile, and I can’t access my account on the CRA website because it says the services are not available at this time, then gives a link to hours of service, which then leads nowhere. Also, WTF does accessing your online account have hours of service? Does the CRA just like fucking with people? Holy fuck I just read that it is available 21 hours per day – closed from 2-6am for maintenance. Who knew? I certainly didn’t. Now I know, and knowing is half the battle. Maybe I’ll take this ten minutes and finally post to IG about our recent trip with Ramsay and our engagement. Holy Moly I finished filing my taxes, I just need to print and send them out. It only took 2.6 hours but I didn’t do my IG post, they crop the photos weird. Now for more coffee, breakfast and off to the works.
—
- ° Chris Lloyd
- ° 514 295-3048
- ° chris lloyd projects
from chris lloyd to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Jun 16, 2022, 9:04 AM subject 88 – 111 – 1606
Dear Justin,
Got my taxes in yesterday, which was actually my deadline as a self-employed person, although I didn’t realize at the time. I forgot to add my materials expenses, but am getting a refund anyway, so it maybe doesn’t matter. I’m working off and on at Vox this week, I was relieved of my duties as sound man for the performances that start tonight but am obligated to just be there “in case something happens”. I’m still working with the Decolonial Solidarity group and planning my activities, painting a banner this week, printing brochures, etc. And today I’m driving Laakuluk’s drums and iceburg to AC cargo to be sent off to Iqaluit. Any chance of you doing the right thing and killing the CGL or TMX pipeline projects? Telling the RCMP to get of Wet’suwet’en territory? Shutting down the man camps next to Secwepemc Tiny House Warriors? Too bad you don’t have that kind of power, as PM. Oh wait, you have the power, right?
—
- ° Chris Lloyd
- ° 514 295-3048
- ° chris lloyd projects
from chris lloyd to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Jun 17, 2022, 10:28 PM subject 89 – 187 – 1706
Dear Justin,
Holy frig what a hectic day it turned out to be. Had a bunch of changes to make to the Imaginaire Radicale plans, sat in on a planning meeting about it, had to cut some balcony railing for my boss, also I didn’t tell you but when the rain hit yesterday it flooded the basement (again) I spent almost two hours re-routing water into the elevator shaft as all the drains were backed up. I made a Facebook event for the Adopt-a-branch action next week, and I had to rush out the door after work to get the kids and take Sol to my barber for a haircut, and then make supper for the kids and then I went back downtown for a 5 à 7 in honour of Sarah Watson, who is stepping down as director of Artexte, after nine years. I went on metro because I had left my bike up in my Ex’s neighbourhood, also it poured rain again, and I was feeling social anxiety fears about seeing people, and then felt weird about being in the crowded metro without a mask because I had forgotten to bring one, and then I felt weird because so many people were congratulating me on the engagement because I posted it to IG and also FBook this morning, even my Ex texted me about it and I guess I am a little unsure how to process it all. But process it I will, as I continue to barrel through life by the seat of my pants.
—
- ° Chris Lloyd
- ° 514 295-3048
- ° chris lloyd projects
from chris lloyd to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Jun 20, 2022, 9:09 AM subject 90 – 177 – 2006
Dear Justin,
We went strawberry picking yesterday in Laval, meeting SRoberts and her girls there and having a fun time despite the fact that there were a gazillion people crowded around. You know how I dislike crowds and lineups. And Rose completed a babysitting course over the weekend. Today she gets her primary school diploma, at a ceremony that starts at 2pm. I’m going to stick around the house and give it a good thorough cleaning today, and not go to any job – unless maybe the bathroom project, it would be nice to finish that actually and get paid – but also maybe put up some anti-RBC posters, which I noticed have already been taken down from around my adopted branch in Outremont. I know that they have been taken down because I put them up with so much tape they cannot come down by themselves. Need to go buy some clear tape, will do so when I move the car at 9:30 so as not to get a ticket. Also need to buy some fresh kitty litter the box is starting to smell. I wonder how many times in the past 21 years of writing these letters to the PM have I mentioned kitty litter?
—
- ° Chris Lloyd
- ° 514 295-3048
- ° chris lloyd projects
from chris lloyd to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Jun 22, 2022, 10:38 PM subject 91 – 172 – 2206
Dear Justin,
Just came back from a party at my Ex’s house that she threw for Rose and her friends in 6e année, celebrating their graduation. The whole thing feels a bit weird, but I also don’t remember any grade 6 graduation for myself, and I attended a few different elementary schools in different cities so I guess it just wasn’t a big deal. This does mark the end of an era for Rose and her friends, they’ve all been in this same school for the past 7 or 8 years together, and they’re all going to different high schools in the fall. Anyway, the gathering was fine, I feel fine, making smalltalk is fine, even smalltalk these days carries an ominous weight, or is that just my reading. My feeling. Biting my tongue all the time because I just want to talk about pipelines and the crooked banks that finance them and the crooked politicians that greenlight them. I’m going to postpone my bank intervention tomorrow due to rain, but might still help slip a few Greenpeace posters into some bus stop shelters. Also I have to work at Vox for a couple hours tomorrow morning, also need to work a bit on Klaus’ model, which is far more detailed than I had planned, and also I had not made plans for the kids, school’s out for the summer maybe the pools are open? I dropped the car off at the garage yesterday and picked it up this morning with 4 hew brakes and 2 new callipers, and me $1100 poorer, but I’ll feel better about driving with the trailer this summer. Part of a brake pad fell off at a stoplight a couple days ago, so that was what that squeaking was all about. Anyway I’m too tired to write coherently I need to brush teeth and go to bed, make a quick call to Jessica for goodnight, she is at the studio tonight, and here comes the rain right on time for once.
—
- ° Chris Lloyd
- ° 514 295-3048
- ° chris lloyd projects
from chris lloyd to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Jun 23, 2022, 9:55 PM subject 92 – 248 – 2306
Dear Justin,
Went to Vox for a few hours this morning to meet Claudine for our annual meeting about scheduling and salary, they gave me an increase so I am up to $25/hr, which is great – exactly what I was making at the NGC 6 years ago (minus the benefits and pension plan haha). I’m mostly working on the Klaus Sketchup, which I was hoping to finish this weekend at home but the Trimble online Sketchup viewer isn’t loading properly at home. Is it because I (always) have too many tabs open? Or do Apple products just suck now, in general? My new computer at work – it dates to maybe 2020 – runs almost as slowly as my 2011 Mac Mini at home. Just another mild frustration of the privileged poor. Like construction in the city, the trappings of modern life keep pushing me to flee it. OK so now it opens suddenly and I can work from home while listening to my playlist of 879 songs while Sol finishes playing Fortnite online with his friends and Jess plays D&D online with her friends and Rose is already asleep. Wait first I’ll make sure Sol gets to bed for 10 then come back and work until Jess is done. Work and try to not scream at you or this rotten system that keeps pushing to build fucking pipelines. Does shit need to start blowing up?
—
- ° Chris Lloyd
- ° 514 295-3048
- ° chris lloyd projects
from chris lloyd to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Jun 28, 2022, 9:14 AM subject 93 – 168 – 2806
Dear Justin,
Sorry I haven’t written in awhile, things have been busy as I try to wrap up some projects before going on vacation. Also Jess and I had an impromptu dance and karaoke party a couple nights ago. It started with us drinking a bottle of wine in the park while watching a softball game and then continued at home where we drank 3/4 bottle of whiskey and contacted old lovers to invite for a three or foursome – nobody was available on such short notice of course – and popped my last two mdma tablets that I’ve had for it must be over a year now? I can’t even remember when I got them. Anyway I have to finally finish the bathroom project, it has stretched out waaaaay too long, I picked up the paint yesterday, and then finish a few things at Vox, and then help Jess clear out a bunch of things from her studio apartment which she is subletting while she is in the NWT, and also prepare Ramsay and pack myself as I leave tomorrow already. Needless to say I have been a bad organizer for my RBC event and had to postpone once due to rain and then again yesterday due to a late slightly hung over morning, and also that I had not yet printed off any flyers. I did take an early morning to decorate an RBC so it wasn’t a total loss, though I think I need to use larger balloons.
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- ° Chris Lloyd
- ° 514 295-3048
- ° chris lloyd projects
DEAR PM 