Governor General Mary Simon and her husband Whit Fraser quietly courted federally regulated corporations with the promise of charitable tax credits in exchange for funding a multimillion-dollar skating pavilion on the grounds of Rideau Hall, according to newly released records.Blacklock's Reporter says documents obtained through Access To Information show at least $350,000 in contractor payments were routed through a registered charity so donors could claim a tax credit for their contribution to the $4 million project. Rideau Hall spokesperson Marilyne Guevremont said the arrangement “followed federal rules” and that officials consulted “relevant federal authorities.”The Canada Revenue Agency declined to say whether the fundraising scheme complied with federal law, and Rideau Hall would not confirm if its office sought guidance from CRA’s charities directorate.Records show Simon and Fraser initiated the pavilion project, with internal emails pegging the cost between $4 million and $8 million. .To help cover the tab, the Governor General’s office directly solicited federally regulated firms, offering tax credits through the Rideau Hall Foundation along with VIP invitations, commemorative photos, thank-you letters and plaques.Power Corporation emerged as a major donor, contributing $350,000 that was funneled through the Rideau Hall Foundation — a taxpayer-subsidized charity created in 2012 by former Governor General David Johnston. The Foundation then transferred the money to the National Capital Commission to pay contractors working on the rink’s refrigerated ice system.“The Rideau Hall Foundation is pleased to advise that $350,000 in funding has been secured towards Phase 1 of the Rideau Hall skating rink revitalization project,” said a July 24 letter detailing how the money would be moved from donor to Foundation to federal agency..The $350,000 ultimately offset most of a $377,445 sole-sourced contract awarded to Glace Concept Expertise of Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures, Que. for installation of the ice refrigeration system.The Rideau Hall Foundation, which received a $10 million federal grant in 2018 to promote volunteerism and philanthropy, reported far smaller gifts to outside charities last year. Revenue Agency filings show it provided $25,000 to the Power to Girls Foundation, $60,000 to the New Brunswick Multicultural Council and $100,000 to the Federation of Black Canadians — all well below the amount directed toward the rink contractor.
