Donations to Bowmanville—Oshawa North Conservative EDA Tied to “Restore the North” Merchandise

Conservative Nonsense Dec 29, 2025

The Conservative Electoral District Association (EDA) in Bowmanville—Oshawa North is offering “Restore the North” branded hats to donors who contribute at least $35, linking federal riding fundraising directly to MP Jamil Jivani's branded political initiative.

The offer appears on the EDA's online donation platform, where contributors are invited to select a “Restore the North” hat at no additional charge after making a qualifying donation. The contribution is processed as a standard political donation to the EDA and is eligible for a federal political tax credit.

Where the money actually goes

A donation page for the Bowmanville–Oshawa North Conservative Association showing preset donation amounts, a note that contributions stay local, and an option to receive a free *“Restore the North”* hat with a minimum $35 donation. Photo credit: Bowmanville—Oshawa North Conservative Association

Funds donated through the website do not go to a separate “Restore the North” entity. They are deposited into the local Conservative riding association.

Under Elections Canada rules:

EDAs are allowed to fundraise
EDAs are allowed to offer low-value merchandise as incentives
Donations must be reported in the association’s annual filings

There is no separate disclosure identifying which donors specifically supported “Restore the North” branding. All contributions are recorded as general EDA donations.

The campaign that isn't formally a campaign

“Restore the North” is not registered as a third-party campaign, political action group, or separate financial entity. It has been presented as a national initiative created by Jivani and promoted by other Conservative figures through public events, social media branding, and campus appearances.

Because the project is not separately registered, there is currently:

No standalone financial reporting
No public breakdown of expenses
No listed source of tour funding
No identification of donors tied specifically to the movement

The lack of a formal campaign structure means the public cannot easily determine how the initiative is financed or administered beyond its visible affiliation with Conservative Party MP's and candidates.

When and where it would violate rules

Whether the arrangement complies with federal rules depends on who is doing the work and which budget pays for it.

The following would be permitted:

Conservative EDA or party staff organizing events
Merchandise incentives linked to EDA fundraising
Partisan messaging paid for by party funds outside of an election period

However, the following would violate House of Commons rules:

Constituency office staff being assigned “Restore the North” tasks
Parliamentary or constituency budgets being used for movement branding, travel, or logistics
Publicly funded office resources supporting partisan fundraising or merchandise distribution
Taxpayer-funded staff soliciting political donations tied to “Restore the North”

In those cases, the issue would fall under the Board of Internal Economy, which governs MPs' use of parliamentary resources, and potentially the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner.

The unresolved question

A stack of *“Restore the North”* hats. Photo credit: Jamil Jivani, Facebook

Evidence exists that the EDA is offering branded merchandise tied to the initiative. What has not yet been publicly disclosed is:

Whether House-funded staff are involved
Whether parliamentary resources have supported tour events
Whether constituency offices played any organizing role

If parliamentary staff or constituency resources were used, the movement would shift from a party-branded initiative into an apparent use of taxpayer resources to support a partisan advocacy campaign, which is explicitly prohibited under House rules.

Increasing calls for transparency

Conservative MP's Jamil Jivani, Ned Kuruk, and Jacob Mantle sits at a long table facing the audience at the *“Restore the North”* event at Redeemer University.. Photo credit: Jamil Jivani, Facebook

Jamil Jivani frames “Restore the North” as cultural advocacy and outreach. Critics argue the project functions as a parallel campaign infrastructure operating outside traditional transparency mechanisms.

What is clear is that:

The hats are not sold at retail
Access requires a political donation or attendance at an event
The donation flows through the Bowmanville—Oshawa North Conservative Association
The movement has no separate financial disclosures

As the tour expands, so too will scrutiny around who is paying for it, and whether taxpayers, rather than donors, are bearing any part of the cost.