State of 24 Sussex ‘an embarrassment,’ says Carney

The state of 24 Sussex Drive is “an embarrassment,” says Prime Minister Mark Carney, who suggested he wants a decision made about the future of the derelict residence meant for Canada’s prime ministers.

“You’re not going to see me at 24 Sussex, but I would like to see my successors at 24 Sussex in some way, shape or form,” Carney said in an interview Monday with CBC News: The National host Adrienne Arsenault.

The 19th-century home, which has housed Canada’s leaders since 1951, has been vacant since 2015 after sliding into disrepair. The National Capital Commission, which oversees the management of the official residences in Ottawa, officially closed 24 Sussex in 2022, and workers have since stripped it of mould, asbestos, lead and the rodents living inside.

Successive prime ministers have been unwilling to take the political risk of spending the estimated tens of millions of dollars required to renovate the official residence, or cough up the public funds needed to build a brand new official home. 

Asked if he’s going to fix 24 Sussex, Carney said he believes “it’s a responsibility to hand off things better than you found them.”

“The current state of 24 Sussex couldn’t be any worse. It’s an embarrassment,” he said. 

Former prime minister Justin Trudeau moved his family into Rideau Cottage, a red brick home on the grounds of Rideau Hall, when he was elected in 2015. With 24 Sussex unfit for habitation, Carney also resides at Rideau Cottage. 

Rideau Cottage ‘inadequate:’ internal memo

The temporary  official residence isn’t without its own problems.

A government memorandum prepared last summer said Rideau Cottage is inadequate and comes with security risks.

“Rideau Cottage’s proximity to the Governor General’s residence and the surrounding residential neighbourhood increases security risk, while the building’s small footprint and lack of adequate functional space make it inadequate for a prime minister’s needs,” said the memo sent to Clerk of the Privy Council Michael Sabia and obtained by CBC News through an access to information request. 

Carney said it’s important for future prime ministers to live somewhere they can host foreign leaders, premiers and Canadians.

Last month a source with knowledge of the matter, who CBC News agreed not to name because they weren’t authorized to speak publicly, said the government could make a decision in the coming months about the fate of 24 Sussex.

In one of his final acts in office, Trudeau attempted to settle the problem by asking his public services and procurement minister in a letter to come up with options for a new official residence for the prime minister by January 2026, and create an advisory committee that would weigh in on the location, cost, functionality and security requirements of a new home.

The government won’t say if that advisory panel has been created.

According to Trudeau’s proposal, there are three main options for replacing 24 Sussex: a new or heavily renovated complex on the existing property, a move to a second property with a better security profile in the Rockcliffe Park neighbourhood of Ottawa, or an upgrade to Rideau Cottage, the prime minister’s unofficial official residence since 2015.

Official estimates say the lowest-cost option would be in the tens of millions of dollars and likely north of $100 million.

You can watch Adrienne Arsenault’s interview with Prime Minister Mark Carney on The National Monday night on CBC TV, CBC Gem and the CBC YouTube page.

Article source: https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/state-of-24-sussex-an-embarrassment-says-carney-9.7178956?cmp=rss