24 Sussex Drive

History

The house at 24 Sussex Drive was originally commissioned in 1866 by lumberman and Member of Parliament Joseph Merrill Currier as a wedding gift for his wife-to-be Hannah Wright. It was completed in 1868 and Currier named it . It was sold for $30,000 in 1901, after Hannah Currier's death, to William Edwards.

Ownership by federal government

In 1943, the Government of Canada used its power of expropriation to divest Gordon Edwards, nephew of William Edwards, of his title to the house, to consolidate Crown ownership of the lands along the Ottawa River. Edwards had fought the action, but eventually lost the dispute with the Canadian government in 1946 and died at the house later that year.

After several years of uncertainty, the government decided in 1950 to refurbish the property as a residence for the prime minister, the renovations costing just over $500,000.

Louis St. Laurent was the first to take up residence at 24 Sussex Drive in 1951. Since then, every prime minister has resided at 24 Sussex for the duration of their times in office, with two exceptions. Kim Campbell resided at Harrington Lake during her brief term, as her predecessor Brian Mulroney remained at 24 Sussex temporarily (despite having resigned as prime minister, as per agreement with Campbell) pending renovations of his Montreal home; Campbell's government was defeated in the 1993 Canadian federal election on 25 October 1993 (had Campbell won that election then she would have moved into 24 Sussex). Although it was his childhood home when his father was Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau had opted to reside at Rideau Cottage, pending a review of work needed to repair 24 Sussex which was in poor condition.

Use

Unlike 10 Downing Street or the White House, 24 Sussex Drive has been used almost exclusively as a place of residence (and therefore its address has never been widely used as a metonym for the Office of the Prime Minister). The prime minister's work is carried out by the Office of the Prime Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister and Privy Council building, near Parliament Hill. However, prime ministers have conducted some work at 24 Sussex Drive over the years, and informal meetings between prime ministers and other government or foreign officials have taken place in the house (foreign heads of state on state visits are officially hosted by the monarch or governor general at Rideau Hall).

Security at 24 Sussex was overhauled following an attempted assassination on November 5, 1995, by André Dallaire, who wandered around the house and grounds for nearly an hour before being confronted outside Jean Chrétien's bedroom by the Prime Minister's wife, Aline; she locked the door to the bedroom while Jean guarded it with an Inuit stone carving. Ultimately, Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers arrested Dallaire. Measures put in place after the incident included the addition of several more guards and security cameras to the house's attaché, and the installation of crash-proof barriers within the main gates.

Despite the building not having any bureaucratic function, it has been the location of protests, such as when farmers drove their tractors in a convoy past the front of the property in 2006 and when Greenpeace activists chained themselves to the front gates in March 2007.

Stephen Harper is the most recent prime minister to have resided at 24 Sussex Drive, leaving in 2015.

Architecture

The residence at 24 Sussex Drive is a large, limestone-clad structure set on 1.6 ha on the south bank of the Ottawa River, overlooking Governor Bay, next to the French embassy and opposite the main entrance to Rideau Hall. The house consists of 35 rooms spread on four floors, including the basement, connected by an elevator and many staircases. The basement consists of support rooms, while the main floor holds the dining room, living room, kitchen (which is staffed by a head chef and support staff), main stair hall, prime minister's library, and a sun room. The second floor is primarily bedrooms, including the master bedroom, as well as a family room (described by Margaret Trudeau as her "freedom room") and the office of prime minister's spouse. The third floor contains additional bedrooms and a private study for the prime minister.

The exterior of the house is a mid-century modern take on Norman Revival architecture. When originally built, it was very much of the Victorian (Queen Anne) style; it had high gables, extensive verandahs, and a liberal use of gingerbread trim. A turret was added by the Edwards family in 1907. After it was decided in 1950 the house would become the official residence of the prime minister, the turret, widow's walk, trim, main gable at the front, verandahs, and porte-cochère were removed and an extension added to the east. The interior was gutted, save for part of the dining room.

The National Capital Commission (NCC) maintains the house, its property, and a selection of historic furnishings from the Crown Collection for use in the public rooms of the mansion, ranging from musical instruments to chairs, tables, and paintings by famous Canadians. However, due to the lack of restraints on the prime minister of the day to do what he or she pleases with the home, several have left their own marks on the building. For example, the rear patio was enclosed and winterized while Lester B. Pearson was prime minister and inside, Pearson's wife, Maryon, created in the basement the Canadiana Room, where she collected Canadian antiques and craft-work. While Joe Clark and his family were resident at 24 Sussex, the interiors were redecorated, the dining room ceiling receiving gold leaf re-purposed from another project. Unnamed business associates of Pierre Trudeau installed a swimming pool for his frequent workouts. This was raised in a "public fund" headed by Keith Davey, the donors to which were never made public. Brian Mulroney was the first prime minister to have the costs of renovations publicly revealed. The high tab for his and his wife's alterations to the building caused political controversy, especially as some of the costs were paid for from the PC Canada Fund, which raised money from individual donations to fund the Progressive Conservative Party.

Since the renovation of the house in 2001, very little has been spent on upkeep of 24 Sussex Drive, leaving parts of it worn and outdated, including the heating and cooling systems, wiring, and roofing. On May 6, 2008, the Auditor General reported that the house was in poor condition and needed about $10 million in repairs and upgrades, which would require at least 12 to 15 months of "full access" to complete. In October 2015, Bryan Baeumler estimated $15 million might be necessary to properly renovate the residence. The NCC devised a plan for major renovations, asserting such a project would require approximately 18 months. In 2021 the NCC released a new cost estimate of $36.6 million to bring the house to a state of good repair. However, the estimate includes a 4,000 sqft expansion of the main building to improve universal accessibility, functionality, and livability.

As of 2023, the building was infested with rodents, and "the walls, attic and basement are filled with carcasses and excrement". In May 2023, work began to strip the property of asbestos and to remove "obsolete mechanical, heating, and electrical systems" which were the reasons that the building was deemed a fire hazard. The NCC estimated that the work would take one year to complete.

Proposed replacement

The idea of removing part of the structure and replacing it with a modern section has been floated. There have been occasional calls to demolish the entire structure and rebuild, which would cost less than a renovation. Maureen McTeer, wife of former Prime Minister Joe Clark, said the building is "completely lacking" in architectural value and is not worth saving. The designation as a federal heritage building, though not legally binding, would probably protect it against such a measure. Heritage advocates have suggested retaining 24 Sussex Drive for public use due to its long history, noting that other countries have continually spent money to maintain their official residences in good condition for their respective head of governments, even if a new site for an official prime ministerial residence is selected.

The RCMP is concerned that the 24 Sussex address is too close to a busy road and lacks a buffer zone, so it has even been suggested that the prime minister's residence be moved to a new site that would have sufficient space for official functions, security, and staff.

Before Trudeau left office, he wrote a letter to Minister of Public Services and Procurement Jean-Yves Duclos to explore options for a new residence for the prime minister by January 2026. The letter contained three main proposals:

1. To replace or renovate the residence that exists on 24 Sussex Drive,

2. To move to another property in the Rockcliffe Park neighborhood, or

3. To make upgrades to Rideau Cottage.

It has been estimated that the cheapest option would likely cost at least $100 million.

References

References

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