More than $700,000 has been donated to restore 24 Sussex Drive since Prime Minister Mark Carney unveiled plans to renovate the official residence of the prime minister in Ottawa just over a month ago. On June 26, Carney launched a national design-and-build competition to rehabilitate and modernize 24 Sussex Drive, which is located overlooking the Ottawa River. The Rideau Hall Foundation is leading the national fundraising campaign to cover the cost of the project, with the fundraising goal set at $50 million. As of July 27, 3,336 Canadians have donated to the campaign to restore 24 Sussex Drive, with a total of $735,000 in donations. The Rideau Hall Foundation tells CTV News Ottawa the average donation amount is $220, and the support has come from “every province and territory cross Canada.” A list of donors has also been released. No one has lived at the official residence of the prime minister in Ottawa since June 2015, and the National Capital Commission (NCC) closed the historic building to the public in 2022 due to health and safety concerns. 24 Sussex Drive was built in 1867-68 and has been home to 10 prime ministers. The main building includes 34 rooms, as well as another small home at 10 Sussex Drive, a pool house and two RCMP guard houses. The NCC completed abatement and decommissioning work in 2024 to address health and safety issues and remove “obsolete mechanical, heating and electrical systems.” The Rideau Hall Foundation said earlier this month it would launch a public fundraising appeal in the fall to restore 24 Sussex Drive. According to the foundation, the maximum donation one person can provide is $5 million, representing 10 per cent of the total fundraising goal.
