A construction worker walks past the front entrance to 24 Sussex Drive in Ottawa on Monday, May 29, 2023. The mansion, which sits on a prime riverfront property a few kilometres from Parliament Hill, served as the home for Canada's prime ministers between 1950 and 2015. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
OTTAWA – Public Services and Procurement Minister Helena Jaczek says the Liberal government expects to have a plan for the future of 24 Sussex Drive by the fall.
Jaczek appeared today before a House committee on government operations and was pressed by Opposition MPs on when her government intends to make a decision about the official residence of the prime minister.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his family have not taken up residence in the mansion, which was closed to staff last fall due to its worsening condition, including a rodent infestation.
The National Capital Commission, controller of the property, says contractors recently began removing aged electrical systems and asbestos, which is necessary regardless of any decision on the building’s future.
A spokeswoman says the current work is expected to take one year and cost $4.3 million.
Jaczek says the government expects the commission to provide a detailed list of options for the property’s future, and the minister told MPs she anticipates having a plan by the fall.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 29, 2023.
