Question Period Note: Rehabilitation of official residences

Issues have recently been raised on the status of official residences and the deferred maintenance deficit, which have impacted the overall condition of the official residences’ portfolio, including 24 Sussex Drive.

• The Government of Canada recognizes the importance of the official residences and their heritage and cultural value
  • The National Capital Commission is responsible for year-round maintenance and operations for the six official residences and reports annually on capital expenditures incurred at the official residences

If pressed on 24 Sussex:

• 24 Sussex Drive is in critical condition and has been closed to protect the health and safety of residence staff, and to ensure the integrity of this heritage asset
• we continue to work closely with the National Capital Commission to explore potential options regarding the future of 24 Sussex Drive and Rideau Cottage

The official residence of the Prime Minister (PM) is located at 24 Sussex Drive. The Official Residences Act identifies the Minister of Government Transformation, Public Works and Procurement as responsible for maintenance and care of Canada’s official residences. The Act also identifies the National Capital Commission (NCC) as the custodian of the six official residences.

Since 2015, 24 Sussex Drive has been vacant due to health and safety concerns given the property had not undergone rehabilitation, nor had it received significant upgrades prior to 2015. Since 2015, PMs and their families have resided at Rideau Cottage. In fall 2022, the NCC began the process of closing 24 Sussex Drive for health and safety reasons.

In 2017, NCC commissioned an in-depth report on building conditions for the largest and most complex buildings in the official residences’ portfolio. This report found that 58% of the assets in the portfolio were considered to be in ‘poor’ to ‘critical’ condition and funding is needed to restore and maintain the heritage buildings in this asset portfolio.

Since the 2018 report, the NCC has invested approximately $26 million in capital funding on rehabilitation work for the entire portfolio, excluding 24 Sussex Drive. Despite these efforts, in June 2021, the NCC published the Official Residences of Canada: Asset Portfolio Condition Report, which re-iterated that investments were urgently needed to rehabilitate these culturally and historically significant properties. The report showed that, to properly and effectively manage, maintain and preserve all the official residences, the NCC needed $175 million over 10 years to restore all six properties to “good” condition and $26.1 million annually for ongoing maintenance, repairs and renovation projects. The 2022 Fall Economic Statement earmarked funding to the National Capital Commission for protecting heritage assets, excluding 24 Sussex Drive.

• Since 2015, the Prime Minister and his family have resided at Rideau Cottage
  • The 2021 Asset Portfolio Condition Report found that the overall condition of the portfolio of official residences, comprised of six official residences and 49 secondary buildings, continues to deteriorate with only 24% of the assets considered to be in “good” condition, down from 34% in 2018
  • The 2022 Fall Economic Statement earmarked $332.6 million plus $28.4 million of ongoing funding to the National Capital Commission for protecting heritage assets, excluding 24 Sussex Drive