en.Wedoany.com Reported - Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has unveiled plans to restore the official residence at 24 Sussex Drive in Ottawa, advancing the project through a national design competition and fundraising campaign.
Carney stated that the winning design will be announced before next year's Canada Day. He noted that the historic building is a "national symbol" but has fallen into a "critical state" after decades of neglect, and he does not want to see it collapse. "It hasn't received the respect it deserves," Carney said at a press conference outside the building. "After decades of deferred maintenance and neglect, this house sits empty, uninhabitable for more than a decade."
The 35-room mansion was built in 1867 and 1868, originally as a private residence, and was requisitioned as the prime minister's official residence in 1949. Due to structural issues, the building was abandoned in 2015. Since 2015, the National Capital Commission has spent hundreds of thousands of Canadian dollars on maintaining 24 Sussex. In 2022, the building was closed for "health and safety reasons," including a severe rodent infestation. Carney said 24 Sussex is a "symbol of the office of the prime minister" and must serve as the prime minister's home and workplace. He noted that while he will not live there, it should be renovated for future prime ministers.
The fundraising campaign aims to cover all or most of the project's costs and will be managed by the Rideau Hall Foundation. Carney declined to estimate the renovation cost, stating that the budget is part of the competitive process. Regarding fundraising rules, the list of donors will be made public, with a donation cap in place, and no individual donor may cover more than 10% of the final project cost. The Royal Architectural Institute of Canada will advise on the design competition, which will be judged by an independent panel of design experts chaired by architect Moshe Safdie. Other panel members include Carol Bélanger, Nicolas Demers-Stoddart, Omar Gandhi, Mamie Griffith, Patricia Kell, and Brigitte Shim. The federal government will cover security costs.
Regarding the project, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre said that given the cost-of-living crisis facing many Canadians, restoring 24 Sussex should not be a government priority. "When I see the homeless on the streets, and young people who want to start a family but can't afford a home, I think the last thing we should be thinking about is 24 Sussex Drive," Poilievre said at a press conference.
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