October 17, 2018

Report – $83M needed to restore and maintain Canada’s official residences

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It’ll take tens of millions of dollars over the next decade to restore and maintain Canada’s official residences — including the “fire hazard” that is 24 Sussex Drive — due to chronic underfunding, according to a new report by the National Capital Commission.

The audit, based on a 2017 in-depth assessment of the NCC’s portfolio, concluded that 24 Sussex Drive, the official home of the prime minister, and Harrington Lake, the prime minister’s country residence, are in “critical” condition — meaning they need “frequent emergency maintenance and repair.”

The report found that Rideau Hall — home and workplace of the Governor General of Canada — and Stornoway, home of the leader of the Opposition, are in “good” condition, while the home of the Speaker of the House of Commons in Gatineau Park is in “poor” condition.

Rideau Gate, where Gov. Gen. Julie Payette is living, is in “fair” condition. Rideau Cottage, where Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his family actually live, was excluded from the in-depth building condition report since it’s considered part of the Rideau Hall grounds.

The NCC says a one-time injection of $83 million over 10 years is needed to address the “deferred maintenance deficit for all six official residences, as a result of chronic underfunding over many years.”

The commission said the funding would bring all the residences up to “good” condition, but would not modernize them.

Beyond the one-time spending request, the NCC’s report also asks for an increase in annual appropriations of $24.6 million for ongoing maintenance, repairs and renovation projects.

Keep reading on CBC News

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