Prime Minister Stephen Harper at the National War Memorial in Ottawa.Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press
Stephen Harper’s official prime ministerial portrait will be unveiled next month as part of commemorations of the 20th anniversary of the modern Conservative Party first winning power.
The painting, by Canadian artist Phil Richards, will be revealed at an event on Parliament Hill on Feb. 3, three years after work first started on the project.
The next night, Mr. Harper will gather with colleagues from his time in power – former cabinet ministers, MPs and senior staff – as well as party luminaries for a gala marking the Conservatives’ defeat of the Liberals in 2006.
“We are honoured to mark the 20th anniversary of Mr. Harper forming government and to celebrate the enduring legacy and team of the government that served the country so well for a decade,” said Anna Tomala, a spokesperson for Mr. Harper, in a statement to The Globe and Mail.
Mr. Harper’s 2006 win – he secured a minority government – was followed by a second minority in 2008, and a majority in 2011. He lost to Justin Trudeau’s Liberals in 2015.
Former prime ministers Justin Trudeau and Stephen Harper in the Senate in Ottawa in May, 2025.Blair Gable/The Canadian Press
House of Commons Speaker Francis Scarpaleggia is hosting the portrait unveiling, and the portrait itself is funded and managed by the Office of the Chief Curator of the House of Commons.
The anniversary gala and other events are being organized by a committee of Mr. Harper’s long-time colleagues and supporters, and paid for by Mr. Harper’s consultancy firm as well as corporate sponsors.
There is no formal time frame for the commissioning or hanging of a prime minister’s portrait. Joe Clark’s was unveiled in 2008 – decades after his defeat.
Mr. Richards told The Globe that he finished Mr. Harper’s portrait late in 2023.
The artist first met Mr. Harper when he was commissioned by the government to do a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II to mark her Diamond Jubilee in 2012.
He said Johanna Mizgala, the chief curator of the House of Commons, reached out to him in 2022 about taking on Mr. Harper’s official portrait. The pair began the project early in 2023.
Mr. Harper delivers the keynote address at a conference in March, 2023, in Ottawa.Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press
Mr. Richards said he worked closely with Mr. Harper, including spending several days with him and his wife, Laureen, at their home outside Calgary.
The painting includes references to Mr. Harper’s accomplishments while in power, as well as his personal interests, like a miniature Stanley Cup, Mr. Richards said.
“One of the things that we wanted from the very beginning was to make a piece of art that would have some interest beyond just the depiction of a prime minister,” Mr. Richards said.
The portrait will be added to the Prime Ministers’ Portrait Gallery, joining the official collection of portraits of Canada’s former prime ministers, said Olivier Duhaime, a spokesman for the Speaker’s Office.
Prime Minister Mark Carney is expected to attend the unveiling as is custom.
The two have a long-standing relationship – Mr. Harper appointed Mr. Carney as governor of the Bank of Canada in 2007.
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When Mr. Harper presided over the unveiling of Jean Chrétien’s portrait, he noted the significance of the moment.
“We unveil not only the portrait of a prime minister, but also the true character of our democratic life,” he said.
“Partisan differences are a healthy and necessary part of our political culture and process. But on an occasion such as this, we remember that they are transcended by a deep, enduring consensus, a shared understanding that our freedom rests also on the limitations imposed on those partisan differences by our constitutional traditions and the rule of law.”
The events marking the 20th anniversary of the Conservatives’ win are being held the week after the Conservative Party convention in Calgary.
There, party members will vote on whether Pierre Poilievre ought to stay as leader after failing to defeat the Liberals in the spring election.
Mr. Harper faced such a vote after he failed to defeat Paul Martin’s Liberals in 2004, just months after the Conservative Party was formed. Eighty-four per cent of delegates voted for him to remain.