NEWS UPDATE! On April 4, the Globe and Mail reported that former prime ministers Jean Chrétien and Stephen Harper proposed a non-partisan solution to the Prime Minister's Office in support of the refurbishment of 24 Sussex Drive. They have volunteered to lead a fundraising campaign to raise money from individuals and businesses "who want the embarrassment to end". The article reports that the initial response was enthusiastic, but was turned down a few days later without explanation.  READ THE ARTICLE HERE.

CLICK HERE to read Heritage Ottawa's letter to the Prime Minister in support of the Chrétien/Harper initiative. 

TAKE ACTION!

Heritage Ottawa, the National Trust for Canada, HODI, Carleton's School of Canadian and Indigenous Studies, and the Azrieli School of Architecture are urging the Government of Canada to establish an Official Residences Commission, with an independent governance structure similar to Elections Canada, to ensure that the uses and maintenance of these structures can be assured for the future, free of partisan politics.

It is important that we let the decision-makers know that Canadians think 24 Sussex Drive is an important national site worthy of investment. 

Contact:

Prime Minister: justin.trudeau@parl.gc.ca

Minister for Environment and Climate Change: steven.guilbeault@parl.gc.ca

Minister of Public Services & Procurement Canada: jean-yves.duclos@parl.gc.ca

President, Treasury Board: anita.anand@parl.gc.ca

Your member of Parliament: Find Members of Parliament - House of Commons

PANEL OF EXPERTS' DISCUSSION

On February 21, 2024, Heritage Ottawa, in partnership with the School of Canadian and Indigenous Studies, and the Azrieli School of Architecture and Urbanism at Carleton University, and Historic Ottawa Development Inc., hosted a lively panel discussion 24 SUSSEX DRIVE: FROM RESIDENCE TO RETICENCE that examined the constraints and opportunities of rehabilitating 24 Sussex Drive. Moderated by award-winning journalist Andrew Cohen, panelists included The Hon. Sheila Copps, Mark Brandt of TRACE architectures inc., Patricia Kell of the National Trust for Canada, and Marc Denhez of Historic Ottawa Development Inc (HODI).

CLICK HERE to view CPAC's recording of the event. 

WHY IT'S IMPORTANT

The heritage value of 24 Sussex is without question:

• Classified Federal Heritage Building at the confluence of Rideau Falls and the Ottawa River where Indigenous people have encamped from time immemorial before journeying into the interior.
• Built in 1868 for lumber baron and MP Joseph Merrill Currier, the house is part of a suite of buildings designed in the Gothic Revival Style erected at the time of Confederation.
• Along with Earnscliffe, and the Parliament Buildings themselves, it forms part of an elegant landscape of structures, located on one of the most dramatic – and iconic – landscapes in Canada that speak to the founding moments of our nation.
• Purchased by the federal government in 1950, it was refurbished as the Prime Minister's official residence.
• It is where important decision-makers have met and historic events and decisions have taken place that have shaped our national story.

24 Sussex is managed by the National Capital Commission and is currently undergoing long-overdue basic remediation work.

INVESTING IN THE FUTURE OF 24 SUSSEX

The rehabilitation of 24 Sussex is also an opportunity for the federal government to demonstrate that the reuse and investment in heritage buildings is the environmentally sustainable solution. Even high profile buildings in its care can be adapted with flexibility, site intensification and thoughtful additions. 

In 2019, Heritage Ottawa wrote to the Prime Minister recommending the appointment of a committee headed by a non-partisan chair concerning the future of 24 Sussex and Prime Ministerial accommodation, in order to reverse its embarrassing state of neglect. 

A sampling of the considerable news coverage devoted to 24 Sussex Drive follows.