Canada PM’s home is falling apart and Carney seeks cash to fix it

Canada is launching a fund-raising campaign to restore its decaying, at times rodent-infested prime ministerial residence – repairs previous governments avoided for fear of backlash over the cost to taxpayers.

Prime Minister Mark Carney announced on June 26 that the Rideau Hall Foundation, an Ottawa-based charity, will seek to raise funds from across Canada so taxpayers do not have to foot the whole bill.

The government will also kick off a competition to find a Canadian firm to redesign and rebuild the residence located at 24 Sussex Drive in Ottawa. The ageing 34-room mansion has been unoccupied since 2015 owing to its severe disrepair.

“I will never, in any event, live in 24 Sussex Drive,” Carney said. “But future prime ministers will undoubtedly need to raise their children here as they lead our country. So we will restore it so they may do so safely and securely.”

The chosen design will determine the overall cost. But a 2021 report estimated it would cost C$36.6 million (S$33.4 million) to restore the residence to “good” condition – roughly C$44 million adjusted for inflation.

24 Sussex Drive has been the official prime ministerial residence for 75 years, but the last leader to live there was Stephen Harper. Its problems predated his tenure, and by the time he left office in 2015, the house had deteriorated to the point that Justin Trudeau was advised not to move in and instead lived in nearby Rideau Cottage.

Years of deferred maintenance left 24 Sussex Drive plagued by mould, asbestos and lead contamination, as well as persistent mouse infestations that at one point left carcasses and droppings inside the walls. The government said in 2024 that it had removed the hazardous materials and rodents, but major issues remain.

The building’s ageing infrastructure – outdated wiring, failing heating and cooling systems, poor insulation and deteriorating plumbing – has raised safety concerns. Security shortcomings have compounded those problems, with the residence no longer meeting modern standards to house a Group of Seven leader.

Governments have been reluctant to undertake the renovations, in large part because of the optics of spending tens of millions of public dollars on a home for the prime minister amid persistent taxpayer concern about the cost of living, housing and health care.

Carney’s office said the design competition aims to find a proposal that will restore the property as a secure, accessible and functional residence, while preserving its heritage character.

The Royal Architectural Institute of Canada will advise on the competition framework and convene an independent jury chaired by renowned architect Moshe Safdie. The jury will recommend a design to Cabinet, with the selected proposal to be announced by July 1, 2027. The winning team will be responsible for both the project’s design and construction. BLOOMBERG