A TIMELINE OF TROUBLES AT 24 SUSSEX DRIVE
1998
The roof is repaired.
2004
January: Prime Minister Paul Martin and his wife, Sheila, complain about being cold at 24 Sussex, saying they had to bundle up in vests and heavy sweaters to keep warm when the heating system failed.
Nov. 13-14: A holiday charity homes tour in which Sheila Martin opens up 24 Sussex to the public draws attention to the state of the residence.
Nov. 17:
❚ Maureen McTeer, who had written a book on official residences, calls 24 Sussex “a national embarrassment.”
❚ Paul Martin says there needs to be an independent committee established to determine how best to renovate and repair Canada’s seven official heritage homes.
❚ Conservative leader Stephen Harper, living at Stornoway, says Martin should be more concerned about the needs of Canadians than his own personal comforts.
Nov. 18: A Citizen editorial calls the condition of the home, including a sunroom to be wrapped in plastic, “pathetic.”
2005
Dec. 5: The Citizen reports that the dissolution of the Paul Martin government means further delay in carrying out needed repairs.
2006
March 29: A Citizen editorial titled “Home is where the heat is” decries years of neglect at 24 Sussex and says the NCC needs to “get on with the job of fixing the prime minister’s residence, and the public needs to stop grousing about the cost.”
Sept. 25: The Citizen reports that the NCC plans to spend at least $28.6 million over the next five years on major repairs and renovations at 24 Sussex, Rideau Hall and four other official residences. The Sussex Drive costs are an estimated $3 million.
2008
March 28: The Citizen reports that the costs of heat and electricity for the residence hit $57,000 for the previous year, in spite of an unusually warm winter.
May 6: A report released by federal auditor general Sheila Fraser says the needed repairs to 24 Sussex have been put off too long and should be done as soon as possible, or the building will become even more costly to fix.
❚ Harper’s press secretary Carolyn Stewart Olsen says the prime minister and his family find it “adequate for their needs,” and have no plans to leave.
❚ The NCC estimates that the house needs $9.7 million in repairs and will need to be vacated for up to 15 months.
Dec. 20: The Citizen reports that Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his family will be leaving 24 Sussex Drive so that the NCC can renovate, with their new Ottawa address yet to be decided. The NCC plans to replace all the electrical wiring and plumbing, and install new heating and ventilation.
2009
June 23: The Citizen reports that much needed repairs to the official residence are on hold while the NCC attempts to arrange a temporary home for the Harpers for the 18 months required for the job.
2011
July 16: The Citizen reports that Harper has said there are no plans to renovate the mansion, even as the NCC asserts the need for more than $10 million in repairs deemed urgent years before.
2013
Aug. 7: The Citizen reports that the NCC has been unable to perform substantial renovations to curb rising energy costs at the 145-year old home, as the prime minister says his family finds the house to be “adequate to their needs.” Heat and hydro costs averaged about $5,800 monthly for the past year.