Extractive industries occupy substantial portions of Canada’s political discourse, GDP, and physical geography. Certain populations have intimate understandings of these industries – investors, politicians, migrant and domestic workers, displaced communities in Canada and abroad, and Indigenous communities with longer relationships to the lands being exploited. But even for those paying attention, there are aspects of extractive industries in Canada that remain shady, inaccessible. The sight lines that do exist are obstructed by polarizing rhetoric.

Paydirt is a call for crowdsourcing under-the-radar info on extractive industries. Artist Maggie Flynn seeks information about people/places/political influences involved in Canadian companies that deal in oil & gas, mining, or other forms of extraction. Flynn will compile, distill, and verify information for redistribution. Audiences may participate by contributing a tip*, or purchasing a piece of information.

Select info will be circulated publicly, however, high stakes info will be reserved for those who make a donation. This project is presented by HOT OIL, a fundraiser by M:ST Performance Festival. 50% of the proceeds go to M:ST, 50% go to a community recovering from the impacts of Canadian extractive industries.

Minimum $20 donation – Surface: Googleable, but overlooked.

Minimum $50 donation – Allegedly: Unverified, but believable.

Minimum $75 donation – Key players: CEOs, Security Personnel, Agitators, Politicians

Minimum $100 donation – Tip offs: First hand accounts that have been verified.*

Minimum $200 donation – Government issued: “Access to Information and Privacy” Results

*If you’d like to offer a tip, email paydirtinfo@protonmail.com. If the information is sensitive, withhold details in your first email and you’ll be provided with a secure option for communication.

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