Canada’s 24 Sussex restoration appeal has raised more than C$5.7 million, the Rideau Hall Foundation said Wednesday, against a C$50 million target that does not establish the project’s final budget.
At the public launch on Wednesday, Oct. 28, RHF said more than 4,000 contributions had brought the appeal to more than C$5.7 million. The total equals more than 11% of the C$50 million goal. RHF also announced the Council for 24 Sussex, a volunteer group of philanthropic leaders from across Canada that will encourage participation, the foundation says.
The foundation’s rules exclude corporate and anonymous gifts and require contributors to confirm they are Canadian citizens or permanent residents. It caps a single donor’s contribution at C$5 million. Gifts of C$25,000 or more receive additional screening, including independent verification. Donors cannot shape the design, oversee construction or take part in government decisions, RHF says.
24 Sussex has been closed since fall 2022, when the National Capital Commission (NCC) cited health and safety concerns and the need to protect the heritage property. A C$4.3 million abatement and decommissioning effort began in May 2023 and finished in November 2024, the NCC says.
The federal restoration is being planned through a national design-and-build competition. Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) says the process will inform both the plan and the cost. Global News reported an expected restoration cost above C$100 million, but that amount is not listed as a confirmed total on the government’s project page. The NCC’s June 2021 assessment put the work needed to bring the property to “good” condition at C$36.6 million. That earlier estimate describes the property’s condition at the time; it is not a budget approved for the current work.
Prime Minister Mark Carney said in June that the fundraising effort was intended to cover all or most restoration expenses and reduce federal costs. The government has not specified a final division between donations and public funding.
The competition aims to return the building as a secure, accessible and sustainable home and workplace for future prime ministers. Its jury, chaired by architect Moshe Safdie, will recommend a proposal to Cabinet. Canada expects to announce the winning proposal by Canada Day 2027.
