Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has previously said 24 Sussex Dr., built in 1887 and 1888 as a lumber baron’s home, has been neglected by many generations of politicians and prime ministers and is 'in terrible condition.'Tom Hanson/The Canadian Press
Former finance minister Bill Morneau says he once proposed bringing together past prime ministers to review the condition and upkeep of two publicly funded residences for Canada’s leaders, but the idea was ignored.
In his newly published memoir Where to From Here: A Path to Canadian Prosperity, Mr. Morneau said he was concerned for the deteriorating state of the prime minister’s official residence, 24 Sussex Dr., and the governor-general’s Rideau Hall.
“I received little or no response to my idea, which I attributed to an unfortunate fear of backlash from various quarters against spending public funds on what were essentially two private residences,” wrote Mr. Morneau, who was an MP for five years and served as finance minister before resigning from cabinet in 2020.
Mr. Morneau’s book and comments were released amid questions, in particular, about a long-term plan for a residence for the prime minister.
Since leading the Liberals to power in 2015, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his family have been living in Rideau Cottage on the grounds of Rideau Hall, instead of nearby 24 Sussex Dr., which became the prime minister’s official residence in 1951.
Mr. Trudeau has previously said 24 Sussex Dr., built in 1868 as a lumber baron’s home, has been neglected by many generations of politicians and prime ministers and is “in terrible condition.” The National Capital Commission, which manages official residences in the Ottawa area, has chronicled the decline of the property from neglect, and has said it would cost about $36.6-million to properly renovate the building.
Mr. Morneau, recalling his visit to Rideau Cottage in August, 2020, to discuss his exit from cabinet with Mr. Trudeau, said Canada deserved a showplace residence for its leader. “Rideau Cottage wasn’t it,” he writes, describing the house as lacking in “architectural charm or grace.”
He left cabinet in the fallout over personal ties to WE Charity, which secured a contract during the pandemic to distribute hundreds of millions of dollars to students. He repaid $40,000 to cover expenses from trips he and his family took with WE once he said he became aware of the costs.
Neither the federal government nor the capital commission has announced a plan for either upgrading 24 Sussex Dr. or building a new prime ministerial residence, even though the Rideau Cottage option is officially seen as a temporary measure.
Claire Pokorchak, publicity manager for Mr. Morneau’s publisher, ECW Press, as well as a spokesperson for the former finance minister, Sharan Kaur, said Mr. Morneau had no further comment on the prime minister’s residence beyond the remarks in the book.
Asked about Mr. Morneau’s comments, a spokesperson for the Prime Minister’s Office, Alison Murphy, also said it had no comment on the matter. Olivier Pilon, press secretary for Helena Jaczek, the Public Services and Procurement Minister, said there was no update on how to proceed.
A new poll released Monday found 50 per cent of Canadians surveyed oppose renovating 24 Sussex Dr. at an expected cost of $36-million to $38-million, while 41 per cent believe a makeover is the best solution.
The research also found that 64 per cent of respondents believe the biggest barrier to required renovations has been a fear of political fallout.
The survey by the Angus Reid Institute was conducted between Jan. 13 and 16 and sought the views of 1,602 Canadian adults who are members of an Angus Reid Forum. The research has a margin of error of plus or minus two percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
Shachi Kurl, president of the Angus Reid Institute, said Canadians understand, as homeowners or participants in condo corporations, that a basic tenet of having a home is maintaining it.
“There is a sense that if something is crumbling, it probably behooves you to make a decision around its upkeep or its abandonment. You’ve got to do something one way or the other,” she said.
Ms. Kurl said she expected there is probably a way to frame the argument for action on the residences in a manner that would be acceptable to Canadians.
Although 69 per cent of those surveyed supported giving the prime minister housing at public expense, only 39 per cent supported residences for the governor-general, 25 per cent backed housing for the opposition leader, and 19 per cent approved of housing for the Speaker of the House. All are currently provided residences.
Ian Bailey