Ottawa has been watching 24 Sussex Drive fall apart for years — and finally, it looks like someone is actually going to do something about it.
The official residence of Canada's prime minister has become something of a national embarrassment. Leaking roofs, outdated electrical systems, crumbling infrastructure — the sprawling Rockcliffe Park mansion has sat in a state of disrepair for so long that it's become a running joke. Multiple governments have punted the renovation question down the road, unwilling to spend taxpayer dollars on what critics inevitably frame as a pampered politician's palace.
But Ottawa Citizen columnist Mohammed Adam is making the case that enough is enough — and that the solution now on the table, imperfect as it may be, deserves support.
A Symbol That's Become a Liability
Built in 1867-era Gothic Revival style on the banks of the Ottawa River, 24 Sussex is one of the country's most historically significant properties. It's also, by most accounts, nearly uninhabitable. Successive prime ministers — including Justin Trudeau, who famously opted to stay at Rideau Cottage rather than move in — have declined to live there, citing the state of the building.
The irony is that the longer the renovation gets delayed, the more expensive it becomes. Estimates for a full restoration have ballooned over the years, and the cost of continued neglect isn't zero either.
The Political Problem With Fixing It
What's made this such a stubborn problem isn't the engineering — it's the optics. Any government that greenlights a high-dollar renovation of the prime minister's house opens itself up to accusations of extravagance. It's an easy attack ad waiting to happen, which is why politicians of all stripes have quietly let the building rot rather than take the political hit.
Adam's column confronts this dynamic directly. His argument: at some point, kicking this can further down the road stops being prudent and starts being negligent. Canada's head of government deserves functional, secure, and dignified official accommodation — and Ottawa's role as the nation's capital is diminished when its most visible federal property looks like it belongs on a renovation show.
What the Fix Actually Looks Like
The current proposal isn't glamorous. Adam acknowledges it's a compromise — the kind of solution that satisfies no one completely but gets the job done. The details remain subject to public debate, but the core idea is to finally authorize the work, fund it properly, and stop pretending the problem will fix itself.
For Ottawa residents, the outcome matters beyond politics. The Rockcliffe neighbourhood and the capital's heritage landscape are tied to the condition of federal properties along the river. A crumbling 24 Sussex isn't just a federal embarrassment — it's an Ottawa one too.
Time to Stop Waiting
Adam's take lands at a moment when Canadians are increasingly skeptical of government inaction on big, obvious problems. 24 Sussex has become a symbol of exactly that — a fixable issue that nobody wanted to own. If this iteration of the plan finally gets it done, Ottawa and the country are better for it, awkward price tag and all.
As Adam puts it: the solution is imperfect, but if this is how we get decent housing for our prime ministers, so be it.
Source: Ottawa Citizen opinion column by Mohammed Adam. Read the original at ottawacitizen.com.
