24 Sussex Drive, the official residence of Canada's Prime Minister, has been closed as uninhabitable due to rodent infestations, mold, asbestos, and wiring concerns, yet still costs more than $100,000 in annual upkeep.
PM's official residence closed following discovery of walls full of dead rodents | National Post - Bryan Passifiume:
April 3, 2023 - "Attempts to control a significant rodent infestation at the prime minister’s official residence left so many carcasses within the walls and basement that serious questions were raised.... In newly released documents obtained by the National Post via an access to information request, National Capital Commission staff detailed numerous serious safety concerns about the deteriorating condition of 24 Sussex Drive — prompting the decision last fall to close the home and relocate staff still working at the official residence.
“'There is an important rodent infestation, which can’t be fully addressed until the building envelope issues are resolved,' the note from late June read. 'In the meantime, we use bait to control the situation, but that leaves us with excrement and carcasses between the walls and in the attic and basement spaces.' This, the note states, leads to 'real concerns with air quality'....
"24 Sussex Drive costs taxpayers $146,694 in annual upkeep, despite the fact Justin Trudeau and his family don't actually reside there.... Completed in 1896, 24 Sussex Drive is a 35-room, four-floor mansion that’s served as the prime minister’s official residence since 1951 when Louis St. Laurent moved in. It was classified as a federal heritage building in 1986. Stephen Harper was the last prime minister to live at 24 Sussex. Current PM Justin Trudeau, who spent much of his childhood in the home when his father was prime minister, has chosen instead to live at Rideau cottage on the grounds of Rideau Hall.
"While nobody lives on the property, the grounds are frequently used for functions and garden parties — but even that comes with risks, the report stated. 'Just last week there was a garden party hosting 1,500 people on the day we had tornado warnings for the area,” the notes read. 'If a meteorological event would have occurred, human nature could have led to hundreds of guests rushing into this uninhabitable building, which is a risk we can’t accept.'
"Until safety issues prompted the NCC to close the official residence in November, the home was still occupied by six workers — most notably the prime minister’s chef and kitchen staff, who prepared the Trudeau family’s meals and transported them to Rideau cottage.... Any mentions of where the 24 Sussex staff were relocated were redacted in the released documents.
"Aside from walls stacked with dead rodents, the presentation also highlighted other safety risks in the residence, including asbestos and decaying insulation on electrical wiring.... An incident last summer involving electrical arcing in a lighting fixture highlights the dangers of the building’s wiring, which the note says has become dangerous due to disintegrating insulation.... Mould, water infiltration, corroding plumbing and asbestos are also listed as urgent concerns....
"A 2021 NCC asset portfolio report paints a grim picture of the state of the residence. 'The official residences reflect the nation to Canadians and to foreign visitors, so they must be maintained at a level that reflects the importance of the role of the residents,' the report read. 'However, funding for official residences has been so constrained in the last several decades that properties such as 24 Sussex no longer reflect even this basic standard'.... The report suggested renovations amounting to $36.6 million were needed to restore the home from 'critical' to 'good' condition....
"According to documents obtained earlier this year by the Ottawa Citizen, the building is still costing taxpayers thousands of dollars in utility bills. The hydro bill for the residence topped $4,947 in January 2023, along with $3,153 in gas and a $568 water bill. Despite the home only being used by a handful of staff, the June 2022 note states the residence’s pool and sauna building — commissioned in 1975 by Pierre Trudeau — was “still used on a very frequent basis.” Questions to the NCC on who used the pool were directed instead to the Privy Council Office, who in turn forwarded the National Post’s query to the Prime Minister’s Office, who didn’t offer a response by press time."
Read more: https://nationalpost.com/news/prime-minister-official-residence-rodent-infestation
Sabrina Maddeaux, "24 Sussex Drive is a trash palace. We should tear it down," National Post, August 17, 2021:
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