I worked with Lloyd in 1973 at Opportunities For Youth and am saddened to hear of his death. He was devoted to his work and passionate about helping people and communities. I've not seen him since but his kindness and generosity of spirit will remain in my memory. I feel privileged to have walked a few miles in this life with him. My sincere condolences to Lloyd's family and friends.

I’d like to start off with the statement that I think most people can agree with: My father was an absolute mad man…it was in the best possible way and much like a brilliant mad scientist might make some questionable decisions that most of us wouldn’t agree with, you can argue with results. He lead one of the biggest most fulfilling lives that I have ever heard of. He managed to land my mother and spend 50 years doing batshit crazy things, raise an incredible family 3 boys who, in times like this, think about nothing more than how we can support each other. He farmed, punched cows, raced stock cars, built homes by hand, fought for the rights of indigenous people across the globe, completed successful projects in Canada, Africa and Russia and all the while was fiercely proud of where he came from. He was the opposite of pretentious, the dictionary definition of principled and would always fight for the rights of those less fortunate. He was without a doubt what anyone who knew him, a great man.

He was in his own words a storyteller, and while sometimes would not let facts get in the way of a good story there was some purpose to his truth bending. I would like to tell some of those stories today, even if most of us have heard them, it would be fitting to retell them.

He grew up in the Kildonan and was what he would call ‘a big kid’ weighing over 200 lbs at 13…this grand size would be a theme of his life and as a result at a young age was asked to do more than most, whether it was taking his siblings downtown on the bus by himself at the age of 7 or working at his father’s garage. He played hockey and to go along with the mad man theme he was a goalie back when there wasn’t any padding or even a facemask. A good goalie too by all accounts, as I remember my grandmother showing me newspaper clippings of him getting 11 shutouts in a row and him mentioning signing a contract for his rights for $100 from the Detroit Redwings. He didn’t end up signing that contract. At 16 he had a falling out with his parents and ran away to Thomson to lie about his age and work as a hard rock miner. He had many stories about his time in Thomson and these are a few that stick out in my head:

My parents don’t drink much and growing up in a small town that was a bit unique so when we were in our teens Jordan and I asked about why they don’t drink and he told us the story of the first time he had alcohol.

When he was 16, he was 6’4’ and probably about 250 lbs hence his ability to lie about his age so he could work in the mine. He ended up at a party and someone has some schnapps or cider or something like that that he thought tasted pretty good. The way he told the story went like this: SOOOO I had the officer over my head, and I threw him through his own windshield…that was the last time I got drunk…

Lloyd had all sorts of stories like that, stories that most people couldn’t imagine, like fishing with dynamite that he stole from the mine, or blowing his pants off while he clung to a ladder because he thought a half hour fuse was too long so he would set a 5 minute one. But they were just a small part of my father’s journey.

My favorite story from his experience up north was the one that brought him back to Winnipeg. He would tell it like this:

“I was home in Winnipeg visiting my family. Back in those days the UofM students would have a parade for the freshmen, and I happened to be standing on the corner of Portage and main and I saw them marching by. Now you have to understand something Jared, I was a hard rock miner from Thomson, not only that I was the biggest meanest mother fucker in that whole town. I was making more money than my father and was coming back to show him what I had done with myself. And I stood on that corner and started to cry, openly weeping on the street because I realized that every single one of those kids had more of a future than I did. I made a decision right there and then, never went back to Thomson, lied on my resume and got a job teaching at Knowles boys school.”

The director there, Keith Black saw something in Lloyd and encouraged him to go to university as a mature student. Lloyd was forever grateful.

That is the kind of mad man my father was, the kind that could see deeper into situations that most of us would have dismissed to protect our egos, the kind of mad man who make a massive life altering decision on the spur of the moment without hesitation because he knows it’s the right thing to do.

By all accounts his time at the U of M was just as eventful, he was part of founding organizations such as Klinic, Crisis Bus, and Kiazan which are still helping people in the community with drug addiction and counselling. He met my Mom who says that one of the first things she heard when she started he degree was “have you me Lloyd yet?” There are also some more colorful stories about a road trip to Mexico with (and I’m not kidding here) a Professor Moriarty who may or may not have fallen in love with a hooker and they had to tie him up and drive back to Canada.

From University my parents moved to Kenora where they purchased a property and Lloyd decided that he would build their first place. I often think of the time my dad said to me “if you do anything in this life try and build your family a home or a cottage or something like that. It fulfills a basic male instinct that you don’t know you even had.” As such the mad man proceeded to build their first home that was in the middle of nowhere and had no running water during the first winter while they had twin babies and by his own description had a room that he ‘did do the math right on” that was basically a hallway to nowhere.

I would like to take a moment to talk about my mother and the absolute power, resilience and grace that she brought to our lives and her marriage to Lloyd. One such story that demonstrates this is while they were living in this poorly built (although not bad for a man with no home building experience) home in the bush caring for twin babies, Lloyd was feeling bad that my mom was isolated and alone while he was off to work. Being the mad man that he was, his solution to this problem was, and I’m not kidding here – to bring my mom home a puppy. And my mom displayed her absolute epic levels of patients and resilience and didn’t divorce him and managed to survive this insane set of circumstances and eventually move to a much more solid and slightly less isolated home in Teulon.

Our time in Teulon was really filled with wonderful childhood memories and stories, and when I look back, I realize what a unique and amazing experience it was. From eating out of our epic garden to raising all sorts livestock, watching my parents insane work ethic as they tended our hobby farm while Lloyd still was working in the city. I saw my father raise livestock, build and use a homemade machine to de-feather chickens, punch a cow that got a bit to frisky with him and even shoot at a bear with a shot gun while it was checking out our chicken coop. That farm was truly Lloyd’s favorite place.

When Jordan and I were in our early teens Lloyd told us he was going to build a stock car. We were like yeah right and a year later we were racing dirt track stock cars at Winnipeg speedway. What kind of mad man with a young family decides he is going to do something like that? The kind of man who lives life to the fullest and want his kids to learn about cars and have experiences that others could only dream of. Experiences that were about money or status but real and visceral and about going out and being a active part in the larger world. These kinds of acts, take real courage and conviction and it is so rare to find people in this world who are willing to take such risks, put in such work and see them through. That is the type of mad man my father was. Its these types of people that move the world forward that make bold decisions and see them through. Its this same quality that led my father to work around the globe on projects and make them successful where others could not see a path forward. Its these types of people that make the world a brighter place and impact those around them so much more when they are taken away from us.

Everyone who knew Lloyd knew that he would move heaven and earth to protect them, anyone who worked with him knew that he wasn’t in it for the money or the status but because he believed in what he was working to accomplish.

I desperately want to hear him tell all his stories over again, about Russian business men flashing guns before a meeting, about meeting the Queen, about him taking us on 12 hour fishing trips without food or water, about drilling into his own leg and Josh at 12 years old screaming “I can’t Drive!” about meeting war lords in Africa or hear the words ‘I was a non-French speaking Jew from Manitoba working as an executive in one of the crown jewels of Quebec corporations.’

I have heard those stories hundreds of times and wish I could hear them hundreds more. what I realize is that even though I would sometimes roll my eyes, the reason I could tell you those stories to you now word for word is not because of the number of times he told them is was that he told them so expertly and with such passion because they were true.

It is how Lloyd will live forever, in the tradition of the indigenous communities that he worked so tirelessly his entire life, his oral history. So go out and tell stories about Lloyd, the good and the bad. There are so many amazing stories to tell. I will do my part.

Girman and I had some times together in some really easy environments, Liberia and Cuba. I got my ticket today, will see many of you next Saturday in Winnipeg. .

THERE WILL BE A MEMORIAL GATHERING FOR LLOYD ON SATURDAY OCTOBER 12TH FROM 2 TO 4 PM, AT BRONX PARK COMMUNITY CENTER, 720 HENDERSON HIGHWAY IN WINNIPEG

Was deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Lloyd. Please accept my heartfelt condolences during this difficult time. My thoughts are with you as you navigate through this loss.

I had the honor of working closely with Lloyd in Monrovia, Liberia, and I will always cherish the exceptional memories we shared while working together. Lloyd’s dedication, professionalism, and warm personality left a lasting impression on everyone who had the privilege of knowing him. He was not just a colleague but a friend, and his memory will forever hold a special place in my heart.

May you find comfort in the cherished memories and the legacy that Lloyd leaves behind. Please know that my thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.

With deepest sympathy,

Lloyd came to mind this morning as I remembered today was his birthday, Aug.11. I googled his name as I have not been in touch for many years, and was shocked to find he has died. My sincere condolences to his family. I volunteered at Kiazan in the summer of 1972 and though we never met again, I valued that work and Lloyd's vision and care. Blessings, good man.

Condolences to the whole family whom he loved dearly. A wonderful husband and father.

Lea please contact me at:

Gerald..cupchik@utoronto.ca

The news of Lloyd's passing were a huge shock. I have lost a dear friend. First colleagues working to realise the Five Nations Energy transmission line project, our relationship developped into a friendship that will always stay close to me. Lloyd was bigger than life with his relentless energy and his unique positive character. For one, I could never say no to work with him on the projects that he came to me with. These were indeed brought forward for the right reasons and for the better of the communities around the country.

I will miss our regular chats over the phone.

My deepest condolences to Lea and the whole family.

I was shocked to learn of Lloyd's passing. Forced of nature like Lloyd don't leave. So Lloyd has iust Gone on ahead, while leaving behind a treasure trove of accomplishments positively affecting so many people. I first met Lloyd when some colleagues were considering the establishment of a truck only bridge across the Niagara River. Next we interacted on the First Natons power line in Northern Ontario.; then some years later on a mineral development with First Nations in Nothern Manitoba. Consistent throughout was Lloyd's emphasis on benefits to people. But on a very personal level, what fascinated me most was his voice. When Lloyd spoke it was in 'surround sound'. His voice enveloped you like a warm blanket, encouraging you to agree with him. His encyclopedic knowledge then convinced you almost every time. An amazing human being. A social entrepreneur who will be truly missed.

Lloyd was a singularly unique individual, one who are proud to call a colleague, mentor and friend to many across Enterprise Canada. He was steadfast in his conviction to leave the world a better place than he found it, particularly when it came to fostering relationships that make a real difference in the way we all live and work together. We are so grateful to have been able to work alongside him.

As I extend my sincere condolences on Lloyd’s passing to Lea and his whole family, I’m reminded of his sense of humour, accompanied by his broad smile and hearty laugh when we first met in Toronto in the autumn of 1990.

We were both in the audience at a public presentation, on the newly elected provincial government’s position re: recognizing and protecting Indigenous traditional and Treaty rights and First Nations’ inherent right to self-government, by the Premier. I had recently been appointed to Cabinet portfolios, that might often appear at odds, as Minister of Natural Resources and Minister responsible for Native Affairs (as it then called). Lloyd took me aside, introduced himself and said with a chuckle of irony, “I feel sorry for you.” Subsequently, I would rely on Lloyd to assist our government to resolve a number of difficult and complex issues with Indigenous leaders as a lead negotiator for the province.

Early on in our government’s mandate, I asked Lloyd to go to meet with members of the Lac LaCroix First Nation in northwestern Ontario in Treaty Three territory. Lloyd knew the people of the region well. Later, he related a story about that initial visit to the Lac Lacroix. Our intention was to open discussions about the need for an apology and compensation from the Ontario government for the establishment of Quetico Provincial Park early in the 20th century without proper consultations with the First Nation.

Lloyd told me he listened patiently as the Elders related a long litany of grievances and harm done to Lac LaCroix members. (Every statement had to be translated from Ojibway to English. And Lloyd’s responses had to be translated into Anishinaabowin.) It made for a very long and harrowing evening. It went on for hours.

At the end of the Elders’ presentations, Lloyd said that he understood that the First Nation’s rights had been denied, its territory stolen, its way-of-life destroyed and its members abused and often charged and incarcerated for exercising their rights to hunt, fish and trap. And then Lloyd offered to relate his people’s story, pointing out that he was Jewish. The Elders got the point and demurred. They understood that his forefathers had been repeatedly harmed by Europeans. It was unnecessary for Lloyd to relate the whole sorry history of European Jewry.

The meeting was then able to begin discussing the specifics of the apology and compensation owed by the people of Ontario to the First Nation and its members instead.

Eventually, Lloyd’s negotiations with the Chief and Council led to my visit to Lac LaCroix to hear the Elders’ stories, to my issuing a public apology in the Ontario Legislature and to the province building a road into Lac Lacroix (to give the First Nation direct road access to the outside world for the first time), to working out a compensation financial package for the First Nation and to signing a Quetico Park co-management agreement between the First Nation and the provincial government.

This is just one example of Lloyd’s ability to listen with good humour and empathy. It enabled him to devise responses that cut to the chase of difficult issues and to devise resolutions acceptable to both sides. I valued his good judgement and advice.

Janet and I send deepest condolences and much love to Lloyd's family. We have many happy memories and Lloyd had a big impact as he brought me to Kia Zan and also encouraged our relationship and his big smile lightened up the room at our wedding.

So many memories: the tractor and the farm, hockey goaltending and fighting, music, Boris speakers, stock cars, road trips, all the jobs and achievements........

One story: we were together and I kept calling him "Fats" as was my wont. One of the twins was visibly perturbed by this and called out wondering why Lloyd was standing for this. I did not have to worry: as powerful as he was in body, his sweet soul was that much more.

May his memory be a blessing.

In a sense there is a trail he blazed that is a million miles long that can never be properly stepped into all we can do is remember how tirelessly, selflessly and with honour and character built such a trail and how it opened a monumental path that we are privileged to follow and build on. Godspeed to Girman and may we never forget all he stood for.

Condolences to family and friends. Lloyd and I were co tenants when were both at U of Man on Asinniboia in the 1960's, We stayed in touch for awhile. We had lunch together about 25 years ago in Winnipeg. We travelled together in his old van to the Grand Canyon. John Moriarty of Killarney, when he was a lecturer at U of M was with us. The trip is described in John's book Nostos.,

I was lucky to know Lloyd. I celebrate him and his life,

I send this from Kerikeri, New Zealand.

I will forever miss our early morning breakfasts. The experience was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I am beyond grateful that Lloyd took time out of his weekends to meet with me; as someone relatively new to my industry, he changed my perspective and mindset on setting goals and what I can achieve. The stories of his travels and accomplishments were so extraordinary and captivating, yet he always made a point to say, "I will always just be Lea Girman's husband." The love he had for his children and grandchildren was always apparent with the smile he had while talking about them.

Thank you, Lea, for allowing me to spend time with Lloyd as a mentor and friend. My deepest condolences to you, your children, and grandchildren.

My thoughts and heart are with Lloyd's family A remarkable and truly fine man He was ax model and inspiration to so many of us. Rest well Loyd and thank you.

Such sad news - and hard to believe that a man I always saw as "Larger than Life" is gone. He dearly loved his family, and he will be missed.

A memory I have is the story (one of so many fine stories), of Lloyd being in a high-level meeting of some sort, and the men there boasting about their high-priced suits. As I remember it, Lloyd showed them the label from his Moore's (well-dressed, well priced), and got down to business - perhaps making them question their own vanity.

Charismatic, pragmatic, generous, and caring - we were all beter for knowing him.

Our family merged with the Girmans only a few years ago when our children were married, and although our friendship with Lea and Lloyd has been a relatively recent connection, Lloyd's passing has left an empty space in our lives.. We cannot express enough our sorrow, and our hearts ache for all who mourn his absence with us. We witnessed Lloyd's daily phone call with Jordan and know that speaking to his kids was his first order of business for the day. His love for family was so constant and evident.

One of our first impressions of Jordan was his honest and positive approach to the world, and when we met Lloyd, the source for his son's optimism was made clear.. Despite the disheartening news in the paper or on TV, Lloyd could always see a clear way forward through the chaos, and his reasoning and logic would challenge us to consider the world through a new lens. His legendary storytelling was one of the colourful ways he shared some of the details of his life, and gave you some clues as to what challenged him, kept him going and gave him happiness. We will miss his grounded outlook and approach to the world and his big, generous spirit, but grateful to have known him, if only for a short time.

This picture is from our last time together. Despite his shoulder and back pain Lloyd did not like to make a fuss of it. Instead, he talked of family, work, family, politics, and more family. It was clear what was on his mind. To you all we send our love and our home and arms remain forever open.

If it wasn't for Lloyd's words of encouragement and frustration, I wouldn't be where I am today. The love and passion he had to fight for ethicality was unfathomable and unmeasurable. He'll always have a place in my heart. Love to you all. Xxo

I was first introduced to Lloyd by Wayne Gatien in Sioux Lookout at Wayaynikaneyap meeting in 2014. I came to learn that long before then Lloyd was a champion for Indigenous Communities.

I have heard may amazing Lloyd Girman stories from his son Josh, Wayne Gatien, Dean Gatien, and many others. A common theme in those stories was overcoming obstacles and getting hard things done. People didn't always love Lloyd in the moment, but they always loved him in the end.

I was fortunate enough to hear many amazing stories from all over the World from Lloyd himself. To say he lived a full life is a huge understatement.

My deepest condolences to the whole family.

Will miss Lloyd dramatically. He has been a huge influence in my professional life. It was the friendship we created during Five Nations Energy that showed me Lloyd Girman the person.

His passion to develop projects and partnerships has helped Indigenous communities, organizations, and Canada. He changed laws, process, and mindsets.

Lloyd has numerous projects currently underway that we will struggle to move forward without his presence, knowledge, and experience. His spirit will get them completed.

My condolences and heartfelt sympathy for Lea, Josh, Jordan, Jared, and grandchildren. He was one of kind and will be missed forever.

I find it hard to get over the shock of realizing I won't be getting any more of those wonderfully engaging surprise calls from Lloyd. I join with family, friends and colleagues in offering heartfelt condolences to Lea and Jared, Jordon and Joshau and family on the loss of such a fine man. My recollection of first meeting Lloyd was just before the May 24th weekend in 1991, I was the Chief of Staff to the Minister of Natural Resources and Native Affairs, and the Lac LaCroix First Nation had announced they were going into Quetico Park with motorized boats and guns to protest the disrespect for their Treaty rights by Ontario. I was advised to get Lloyd involved to sort it out. I made a cold call to him - and he called me back shortly saying, "Well I called the Chief, who's a friend, and when he heard I was on getting involved but couldn't come on the long weekend, the Chief said, 'Well that's OK, we'll wait for you and we won't go into the Park.'" And they never did, because Lloyd worked with all of us to getting an Agreement of Co-Existence. That was Lloyd's "MO" - be direct, make contact, focus on the interests and work to achieve beneficial agreements for all concerned. He was an "out-of-the-box" negotiator ... you sometimes didn't know what he would pull out next, but that was his magic. Thanks Lloyd for all you taught me about principled, honourable, transformative negotiationsand what it takes for Canadians to make reconcilciation with Indigenous Peoples real. I will miss you, that smile, your laugh and the stories, and most of all, your friendship and guidance.

I met Lloyd in the mid 90's during very turbulent times.

In his role Lloyd was a direct competitor. It took half a meeting for Lloyd to convince me that the only road to success was to join Team Girman .......... or else. His favourite line was , I have SH*T in one hand and a billion dollars in the other , PICK ONE! I chose the other.

The next 20 years of Lloyd Girman went by so fast it made my head spin.

Lloyd singlehandedly assembled group after group to lead the largest Indigenous projects in Canadian history. It would take many books to recount the tales of the innumerable "Girman" meetings , summits , arrangements , deals , contracts and beneficiaries of Lloyds work.

I personally blame Lloyd for all the good things that happened in my life by trying to hang on to his coattails!

To the Girman family , in 200 years Lloyd will still be a legend as it is impossible to replicate Lloyds achievements or find 10 people to try and fill his shoes.

Thank you Lloyd Girman and thank you Lea , Josh and Family for lending him to us.

I have wonderful memories of Lloyd in the years we worked together on a number of projects during the time I was CEO of Enterprise Canada. He was always ahead of the game with innovative solutions and superior negotiating skills. He was non confrontational and knew how to make people feel comfortable when it came to making difficult decisions. He had a wonderful sense of humour and was generous with his time and his advice. He was simply fun to be with whether socially or through business. My deepest sympathy to Lee and their family. May Lloyd rest in peace and may his memory be a blessing.

Lloyd was married to my beautiful cousin Lea. He was a big man, with a big heart and big ideas. Our paths crossed several times over the years. He would call out of the blue wanting to talk about one of his projects. We sat a few times on the rooftop of a bar in Toronto talking about our work with Indigenous peoples. When I asked him to come to an economic forum I put together for the Stolo in BC, he didn't hesitate for one second. He came at his own expense and gave free expertise to us. I will truly miss Lloyd and his big generous heart and mind. My heart goes out to my cousin Lea and her family.

My initial vision of Lloyd was as a shadowey figure standing at the back of a lage meeting room at Queen's Park in 1990 when MNR senior staff were being introduced to the new NDP government. I believe he was introduced as a "consultant" and was associated with a group of senior Manitoba ex-bureaucrats (soon to become Ontario bureaucrats) brought into Ontario to provide expertise to the new Ontario government which itself had literally no governance experience.

Three months later he and I were lodged in the backseat of a commercial flight from Kenora to Thunder Bay when he enthralled me with the story of how he got to be in that plane that day - simply an electic and fastenating life story! I was a hooked Girman fan! I recall calling him one day and asking him to go to a First Nation and see if he could figure out why the Band seemed to be uncharacteristicly beating up on MNR in the press. He phoned the next day and asked "You got $35,000" "For what?" "A new daycare building - the Band wants a new daycare and Ontario is not listening! The Band has no problem with MNR, but you are handy and easy to beat on!" "OK, go for it" The result was that the Band got its new daycare building and MNR stopped being victimized by the Band in the press. Several years later he called one morning and indicated he was coming through town wanted to take me out to lunch. "Great, see you at 11.45!" Over lunch he laid out the details of a nacent Wataynikaneyap Power and the fact that later in the day he was attending a meeting to attempt to sell the notion to both Ontario Hydro and some international bankers. He phoned the next day, suggested the meeting had gone well and thanked me for helping. "I didn't do anything!" "Look Riley, I knew you'd ask me all the right questions and you simply provided a trial run for my meeting! Thanks!" Lloyd thought big, did not sweat the small stuff, exuded confidence, and simply loved and was so good at doing the deal! My life is definitely richer for having had the Lloyd experience. My sincere condolences to Lea, Jared, and the rest of the family. RIP big guy!

Lloyd and I first worked together in 1993 when I was at the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources trying to bring peace to the conflict between anglers and hunters in Ontario and Indigenous People over harvesting rights. Lloyd did his masterful thing of bringing parties with differing points of view to the table and I figured out how to move things through the bureaucratic and political minefields. It set a template for our work on many projects including hydro development and transmission lines with Indigenous participation or control. I learned so much from his approach - long term, behind the scenes, make things happen and don't get caught up in the day-to-day background noise. He taught me by example the importance of family and how to make time for those most precious in our lives. I never did learn how to spin a story as well as he could. The tales will fade, but I will always remember and cherish his support and kindness.

I have benefited from knowing Lloyd for over 50 years when we were in our early twenties. He was a constant, steady, positive, and non judgemental influence in my life. His enthusiasm for life and his work, love for Lea and his boys and grandkids never dimmed. He was such a superior being and we will all miss him terribly.

Where do I start? He was a great friend and brother-in-law to me. I am going to miss his phone calls just to see how I was doing. He would then go on to tell me about the great deal he got on a load of Cull lumber. He was very proud to have built his cottage with almost all this lumber he purchased were cull lumber. He was all about the deal. He also loved to build computers. I think he built a unit for most of the family. It was a passion for him. He was very techie. He loved his Boys and Lea. His grand kids were a huge joy for Lloyd. I am going to miss the breakfast and dinner get togethers and talk about every topic that was going on at the time. I am going to sure miss him. Rest in Peace my friend

The first time I ever met Lloyd was at the Paddle Wheel in 1965. We were kids in our teens then and we went on to be friends for the next 59 years. That gift is so rare and I am truly grateful. He was a devoted husband and father and so very proud of his boys. May you be comforted with all the mourners of Jerusalem,