24 Sussex Drive

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Side View of 24 Sussex Drive

24 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, is the official residence of the Prime Minister of Canada.

[edit] History

The house was acquired by the Government of Canada in 1943 and is managed by the National Capital Commission. All prime ministers since Louis St. Laurent in 1951 (with the exception of Kim Campbell) have lived at 24 Sussex Drive during their terms of office.

24 Sussex Drive, front view

The house at 24 Sussex Drive was built in 1866 by Joseph Merrill Currier, a lumberman and Member of Parliament, for his wife Hannah. He called the home, Gorffwysfa, Welsh for place of rest. Previous prime ministers had lived at a variety of locations about Ottawa. Sir Wilfrid Laurier and Mackenzie King, for instance lived at Laurier House in Sandy Hill.

See also: list of Canadian Prime Ministers by residence

It is a large limestone structure of 34 rooms set on 3.98 acres (16,000 m²) on the edge of the Ottawa River next door to the French embassy and opposite the main entrance to Rideau Hall, the Governor General's residence. The house is shaded by trees and hedges. Unlike the White House or 10 Downing Street, it is used almost exclusively as a place of residence. The Prime Minister's work is carried out in the Langevin Building near Parliament Hill.

It is the Prime Minister's responsibility to furnish the house as it is cleared completely after the incumbent's term is up. Several PMs have left their own marks on the building. Unnamed business associates of Pierre Trudeau installed a pool for Trudeau's frequent workouts. The high cost of the Brian and Mila Mulroney's changes to the building caused political controversy (they were the first to reveal costs), especially when some of the costs were paid for from the PC Canada Fund, which raised money from individual donations to fund the Progressive Conservative Party.

Since then, very little has been spent on renovating the building, leaving parts of it somewhat tattered and outdated. Most notable is the leopard spot carpet Mila Mulroney put on the staircase. The house lacks central air conditioning and is cooled by a series of noisy window air conditioners. In November 2004, Prime Minister Paul Martin complained about the house's heating system. According to his statement, the century-old house gets "too cold in the winter and too hot in the summer". Prime Minister Stephen Harper moved in on 9 February 2006 and has said he may move out temporarily during the summer so that renovations may be done.

Security at 24 Sussex was overhauled following an attempted murder by the deranged André Dallaire, who wandered around the house and grounds for nearly an hour, before being confronted outside Jean Chrétien's bedroom by the Prime Minster's wife Aline, who locked the door to the bedroom while Chrétien guarded the door with his handgun. Ultimately, RCMP officers arrested Dallaire.

[edit] Other Canadian official residences

Rideau Hall (1 Sussex Drive, Ottawa) - Residence of the Governor General
La Citadelle (Quebec City) -- Residence of the Governor General in Quebec City
Stornoway (541 Acacia Street, Ottawa) - Residence of the Leader of the Opposition
Harrington Lake (Gatineau Park) - Prime Minister's retreat
The Farm (Gatineau Park) - Residence of the Speaker of the House of Commons
7 Rideau Gate (Ottawa) - Official guest house of the Canadian government