Jean Chrétien and Stephen Harper — former prime ministers from opposite ends of the political spectrum whose combined tenure spans more than two decades — will co-chair the public fundraising campaign for 24 Sussex Drive, the Rideau Hall Foundation announced on July 4, 2026.

The Foundation, which supports the Office of the Governor General, is seeking $50 million in private donations for the restoration under the banner "Restoring 24 Sussex: A National Project for Future Generations." A formal campaign launch involving both former prime ministers is planned for early fall, according to Jill Clark, the Foundation's senior manager of communications and media relations.

The announcement follows Prime Minister Mark Carney's public commitment on June 26 to restore the residence, unoccupied since 2015 due to structural deterioration. Carney stated the federal government will fund security-related costs, with private donations covering the remainder of the renovation. The Royal Architectural Institute of Canada will oversee a design competition to select both the winning architectural firm and the contractor for reconstruction.

As of Tuesday, the campaign had collected $300,000 in donations and pledges from 1,198 Canadians, averaging $209 per online gift. The Foundation had reported more than $100,000 as of June 26, meaning the total roughly tripled in the following days — yet still leaves a substantial gap to the $50-million target.

The Foundation has structured the fundraising effort as transparent and non-partisan through explicit rules. Corporate donations are prohibited. Donations must be traceable — no anonymous gifts allowed. Donors must attest to Canadian citizenship or permanent residency. These restrictions mirror federal political financing regulations, an apparent attempt to forestall criticism that privately funded renovation of the prime minister's residence could become a channel for political influence.

The selection of Chrétien and Harper as co-chairs anchors the non-partisan framing in concrete terms. The two men governed from opposite ideological positions throughout most of the post-1993 era. Harper is, by the Foundation's account, the last of nine prime ministers to have lived at the residence since it opened to Canada's leaders in 1951. He has previously stated he supports preserving the building as a prime ministerial residence. Representatives for both former prime ministers did not respond to requests for comment.

The project faces political resistance from the Official Opposition. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has argued that 24 Sussex Drive should not receive priority given homelessness and housing affordability pressures facing younger Canadians — a position that places his party in an awkward spot, given that a former Conservative leader is now helping solicit donations for the very project he is criticizing. How that tension plays out as the fall campaign launches warrants close attention.

Historically, Chrétien and Harper had reportedly agreed years earlier to fundraise for this renovation, but the initiative stalled under Justin Trudeau's government. The Carney government's approach — pairing public funding for security with a private fundraising structure — effectively revives an arrangement dormant for roughly a decade. Whether a $50-million target can be met through voluntary contributions averaging $209 from Canadian donors is a central question the fall campaign will begin to test.