NDP leader Jagmeet Singh, other politicians calling on the feds to make decision about 24 Sussex Drive residence

Federal New Democratic Party (NDP) Leader Jagmeet Singh and other politicians said the federal government needs to make a decision on what to do about 24 Sussex, the official residence of the Prime Minister.

The residence has sat empty since Prime Minister Justin Trudeau decided not to move his family into the historic building. The residence has not had major renovations in nearly 60 years and the state of 24 Sussex Drive has been a concern for decades. 

The idea that 24 Sussex is now too perilous to set foot in has renewed questions over what the federal government’s long-term plans are for the building. Opposition parties want answers. 

“When people are struggling to make ends meet, it’s hard to justify spending millions to renovate an official residence,” NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said in a written statement on Friday, Nov. 18. 

“But a decision just needs to be made: the neglected renovations, delays and indecisiveness about what to do with the building is what has caused the run-up in expenses.”

Julie Vignola, a critic for the Bloc Québécois, said in a written statement that successive Liberal and Conservative governments failed to spend the money to ensure the residence remained in good shape, which has driven up the cost of renovations to nearly $40 million. 

“We cannot afford to pay the price for the federal government’s complete lack of accountability,” she said in French. 

Procurement Minister Helena Jaczek, whose portfolio includes the National Capital Commission (NCC), did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 

For David Flemming, chair of the advocacy committee at Heritage Ottawa, 24 Sussex is a case of “demolition by neglect” and an issue his group has been calling for action on for years. 

He said it’s common to see private owners and developers allow buildings with heritage value to fall into a state of disrepair. “It’s a bit embarrassing to have your national government do something like this.”

The NCC, which managed the residence since 1988, said earlier this week that it is shutting down the residence in order to complete the much-needed repairs. 

They added that they started the process of closing the site this fall and relocated workers in order to remove dangerous materials such as asbestos in the walls and replace the obsolete mechanical, electrical and heating systems.

They hope to have the bulk of the work started in the spring of 2023. 

With files from Stephanie Taylor, The Canadian Press and CityNews Ottawa.