CBC NEWS | Ottawa, By John Paul Tasker
Construction work has just started on 24 Sussex Drive, the prime minister's official residence. The building has fallen into a state of deep disrepair after years of neglect and inaction.
But the National Capital Commission (NCC), the federal body responsible for official residences, said the new activity shouldn't be interpreted as a commitment to fully restoring the 150-year-old property that has housed ten of the country's prime ministers.
The NCC told CBC News this work must be done regardless of what the government ultimately decides to do with the heritage property.
Work started last week on stripping the property of asbestos and removing "obsolete mechanical, heating and electrical systems," a NCC spokesperson said. The rehabilitation work is expected to take about a year.
The construction activity follows the commission's decision to formally shutter the residence for health and safety reasons.
While the Gothic Revival-style home, perched high above the Ottawa River, has been unoccupied for years, the property was still being used by some staff until its 2022 closure. It was also used to host garden parties on the home's expansive two-hectare grounds.
But the once-stately property is now infested with rodents. The property also has been deemed a fire hazard because the property uses outdated "knob and tube" wiring from another era.
A 2021 report concluded the residence is in "critical" condition and pegged the cost to complete "deferred maintenance" at $36 million. The report set the home's "current replacement value" at $40.1 million.
The fate of the 34-room mansion is in the hands of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his cabinet.
Despite repeated pleas from heritage advocates, Trudeau has so far signalled he has no plans to save the building.
He's lived since 2015 at Rideau Cottage on the grounds of the Governor General's residence — a relatively small home originally built for an aide.
The sorry state of 24 Sussex has heritage enthusiasts feeling dejected.
David Flemming is the chair of Heritage Ottawa's advocacy committee, a group determined to protect the capital's built history.
He said it's "atrocious" that Canada, a G7 country with a $2 trillion economy, doesn't have a functioning official residence for the head of government.
"The politicians making the decision — this is not their building. This belongs to the people of Canada," Flemming told CBC News.
"Having a residence for the prime minister is just the cost of doing business as a nation. The truth is we just don't hold our built heritage in high regard in this country."
Flemming said his group has written letters to Trudeau asking him to make a call on the home's fate but their pleas have been repeatedly ignored.
"All we want is for something to be done. That's it," he said. "We just want him to make a decision. Whether it's the prime minister's residence or not, it should be kept as a public building."
Flemming had pitched former governor general David Johnston as a neutral arbiter to lead a panel of experts to decide on the home's future.
Given the recent controversy over Johnston's role as special rapporteur on foreign interference, Johnston's likely "not the one now," Flemming said. But the idea still stands, he added — a distinguished panel of non-partisan people should decide how best to restore the dilapidated landmark.
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