More than 2,000 Canadians have donated toward restoration of 24 Sussex Drive

Fundraising campaign has raised more than $400K toward $50M target

More than 2,000 individual donors from across Canada have so far contributed to a crowdfunding campaign to restore 24 Sussex Drive, the now derelict official residence of the prime minister in Ottawa.

In June, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced the launch of a national campaign to raise millions of dollars toward restoring the heritage property.

In announcing that plan, Carney said a list of donors would be made public. The Rideau Hall Foundation, which is leading the national fundraising project, released that list on Friday.

24 Sussex Drive restoration donor list will be public, Carney says

Built in 1868, 24 Sussex has now sat vacant for over a decade and was last occupied by former prime minister Steven Harper. The heritage building has been gutted to get rid of mould, asbestos and rodents.

Harper, along with former prime minister Jean Chrétien, advocated for the restoration project and were involved in moving it forward.

In an emailed statement, the Rideau Hall Foundation told CBC that the "first-hand experience" of those two former residents "will be valuable in all aspects of the project including the fundraising."

According to the Rideau Hall foundation, 2,065 Canadians had contributed to the fundraising project as of July 9, donating a total of $461,822. So far, the average donation amount is $223.

While it's a significant sum, the current total amounts to less than one per cent of the project's stated fundraising goal of $50 million. The project's website notes that the benchmark is not an approved or confirmed budget to restore the 32-room home.

Fundraising goal to restore 24 Sussex Drive set at $50M

Teresa Marques, the foundation's president and CEO, told CBC's Ottawa Morning in June that any leftover funds will be "repurposed into the project itself going forward."

"This is really meant to be a bit of a moonshot," Marques said. "Our hope is that we are able to cover all or most of the costs of this project."

Marques said the $50-million target was set after discussions with the federal government about the size and scope of the project, and taking past estimates into consideration.

The foundation said its two largest individual donations to date have been $10,000, and it has received pledges of even larger amounts.

At one point, the public list of donors included one listed only as "Valued Cardholder," which has since been removed. A spokesperson for the foundation told CBC that some donations "were identified as requiring enhanced screening.""This was one such case and accidentally was left in the published list of names, that has since been corrected," the spokesperson said.

The donation page on the Rideau Hall Foundation's website first prompts donors to give $100, but lists other options for $50, $75, $250, $500 and $1,000. Amounts can also be customized.

The maximum allowable donation is $5 million, which would amount to 10 per cent of the fundraising goal.

At last month's announcement, Carney said the restoration project is for the benefit of future prime ministers who "will undoubtedly need to raise their children here as they lead our country."

"I will never, in any event, live in 24 Sussex Drive," Carney said.

Along with the crowdfunding campaign, Carney announced the launch of a national design competition to restore the residence. It will be open to Canadian firms, and the winner will both design and restore the residence.

The winning proposal is set to be announced by next Canada Day.

Carney announces national design competition to restore 24 Sussex Drive

David Cummings is a reporter for CBC News.