24 Sussex Drive, the official residence of the Canadian prime minister which has not been occupied for the past years, is undergoing a makeover via a national design-and-build competition.
CTV News reports the competition will be open to Canadian firms, with the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada providing an independent jury of experts in architecture, heritage conservation and design to judge the entries. The winning proposal will be announced on Canada Day in 2027, and the Rideau Hall Foundation will lead a national, nonpartisan fundraising campaign to finance the updates to the property.
“24 Sussex Drive will be built by Canadians for Canadians,” said Prime Minister Mark Carney. “24 Sussex Drive is more than a residence, greater than a mere backdrop to history. It is a symbol of the public office of the head of our federal government, and of the democratic traditions that office represents. Yet, it has not been cared for with the respect it deserves. And after decades of deferred maintenance and neglect, this house sits empty. It has been uninhabitable for more than a decade.”
Carney did not put a limit on the cost of the rehabilitation, stating, “I don’t want to be forward on what the budget is for this, because, in many respects, that’s part of the competition.”
24 Sussex Drive was built in 1867 and has been home to 10 prime ministers since 1951. The main building includes 34 rooms, and the property includes small home at 10 Sussex Drive, a pool house and two police guard houses. No prime minister has lived at the official residence since Stephen Harper in 2015, when Justin Trudeau moved into Rideau Cottage on the grounds of Rideau Hall after the 2015 election. Carney currently lives at Rideau Cottage.
Photo: Alasdair McLellan / Wikimedia Commons
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