Mark Carney pitches public fundraising to restore 24 Sussex Drive

The Rideau Hall Foundation will oversee fundraising for the project, but Carney said neither the foundation nor individual donors will have input on the design.

He said details will be determined by the foundation, names of donors will be made public, and no individual will be allowed to provide more than 10 per cent of the total raised.

Donors will have to be individuals or philanthropic organizations, and there will be no corporate donors. Carney did not address whether foreign individuals could contribute to the project, but government officials later confirmed donors will need to be Canadians or permanent residents. 

At a news conference in front of the building Friday morning, Carney said he has heard from Canadians who want to be a part of the restoration over the last 15 months. 

“This is their house. It’s occupied temporarily by whoever is prime minister but it’s their house. It’s a symbol of the nation. and they want to contribute,” he said. 

Duff Conacher, co-founder of Democracy Watch a not-for-profit accountability group, said the renovation should be funded with tax dollars, or with donations of no more than $100. 

“It was foolish for the prime minister to make the announcement without setting out limits and safeguards to ensure that no donation will be permitted that violates Canada’s federal anti-corruption laws,” he said in an interview with the Star. 

Canada’s ethics laws prevent government officials and MPs from accepting gifts that might reasonably be seen as an attempt to influence them. 

Conacher said regardless of whether the current prime minister ever lives in the renovated house, some future MP will receive the benefit of the home courtesy of donations from people who could have future dealings with the government.

“Making the donations transparent does not mean that the law is not violated or that the conflicts of interest created by the donations are resolved,” he said. 

Conservative MP Andrew Scheer declined to say what his party would do with the residence or to weigh in on the fundraising proposal, but expressed skepticism about Friday’s announcement. 

“When you look at the last 11 years, every time the Liberals come up with a scheme or a program or a proposal, they find ways to make their friends rich at the expense of Canadians,” he said. 

Michèle LaRose, a spokesperson for Public Services and Procurement Canada, said details of the donation rules would be worked out by the Rideau Hall Foundation, and would be in line with government rules.

“As with any other government decision or initiative, public office holders who are engaged in this project are expected to comply with Canada’s robust conflict of interest rules at all times,” LaRose said in an email. 

Carney said the building, which has been the official residence of Canada’s prime minister for 75 years, is an important part of the nation’s history that has not been cared for. 

“Our core role as government is to improve the country, leave it better than we found it in all respects, and this is one respect,” he said.

Justin Trudeau was the first prime minister not to occupy the building since it became the official residence. He lived instead at Rideau Cottage, which is on the grounds of Rideau Hall.

The National Capital Commission, the steward of the property, has stripped its interior down to the studs but a final decision on what to do with the building had been stalled. 

Carney said there is no specific cost estimate for the project or timeline for construction, but that the winning design will be chosen by Canada Day 2027 and value for money will be one of the considerations.

He said security costs for the residence will be borne by the government. 

Carney, who lives at Rideau Cottage, said the refurbished residence will be used by future prime ministers and their families. 

“I may not look like it but my kids are already grown, and I will never, in any event, live in 24 Sussex Drive,” he said.

The Royal Architectural Institute of Canada will oversee the design competition. Carney said the institute will release criteria for how the proposals for the building will be judged.

The architectural institute has established a jury chaired by Moshe Safdie, the architect who designed the National Gallery of Canada.