Former Chrétien chief of staff Eddie Goldenberg has died

OTTAWA — Eddie Goldenberg, who served as chief of staff to former prime minister Jean Chrétien, has died at the age of 77.

A statement from Global Public Affairs CEO Randy Pettipas, where Goldenberg worked, said Goldenberg died “after a hard-fought battle with cancer.”

Chrétien said in a statement Thursday that he’s lost a “dear friend” and the country lost a “great public servant.”

“Eddie’s deep personal loyalty and commitment to me through many years is something for which I will always be deeply grateful. But even more important was his profound love for Canada,” Chrétien said. “He fought to keep it united and worked hard to make it better. That was his true inspiration. Some seek fame or wealth. Eddie sought to make our country a better place — for all its citizens.”

The former prime minister said Canada owes Goldenberg a debt for his public service work, including contributing to the patriation of the constitution in the 1980s, work on restoring the country’s financial health in the 1990s and investing in “the brains and talents” of young people in the 2000s.

Originally from Montreal, Goldenberg was a lawyer by trade and spent a decade as a senior policy adviser for Chretien before ultimately being named his chief of staff.

Goldenberg was a contributing author to the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and was invested into the Order of Canada in 2014 for his decades of public service.

He was seen as an elder statesman in the Liberal party.

Prime Minister Mark Carney said on social media Thursday that for decades, Goldenberg served Canada with “extraordinary intellect, judgment and devotion.”

“At the centre of government, he helped define the Canada we know today — from his role in helping shape the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, to helping chart a new economic direction for the country in the early 1990s,” he wrote. “Those who knew Eddie experienced not only the force of his mind, but the generosity of his counsel, his loyalty to his colleagues, and his enduring commitment to this country.”

“I extend my heartfelt condolences to his loved ones and to all those who had the privilege of working alongside him.”

Former Alberta premier Jason Kenney wrote on social media that he is saddened by the sudden passing of his friend and former colleague.

“Eddie was a Canadian patriot who devoted most of his life to public service,” Kenney wrote. “We had different political convictions and loyalties, but enjoyed real mutual respect, friendship and a shared love of Canada.”

Pettipas said Goldenberg remained involved in client work, including working with former governor general David Johnston to attract researchers to Canada, right up until the last few months of his life.

Bruce Heyman, a former U.S. ambassador to Canada said Goldenberg had a unique way of bridging gaps between the world of civil service and business.

“He has been, throughout these years, deeply passionate about Canada as a country. The Canadian government and direction … he wasn’t shy about speaking up and speaking out,” Heyman said in an interview with The Canadian Press.

“There are very few leaders that are out there over time that have been able to bring together public service, business, and philanthropy in society in this way, and he embodied much of that.”

Heyman said he wouldn’t be CEO of Power Sustainable, a company started by Chrétien’s grandson Olivier Desmarais, if it weren’t for a recommendation from Goldenberg.

Heyman added he’d learned many lessons in navigating public policy and business from Goldenberg, the most important of which is to listen and ask lots of questions.

“He would carefully think through how to navigate more complex issues that some people may be quick to judge. He was never quick to judge. He’d take some time and think through issues and then come up with recommendations and be open to dialogue and debate around them,” Heyman said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published on July 9, 2026.

David Baxter, The Canadian Press