Historic PM home in need of repairs

Serious safety issues flagged at 24 Sussex could impact Trudeau family move-in date

OTTAWA— Voters handed Justin Trudeau the keys to 24 Sussex Monday night, but a backlog of critical repairs may delay the prime minister-designate’s move.

A spokesperson for the Liberal leader confirmed Friday that Trudeau’s team is being briefed on the state of 24 Sussex Drive, and no decision has been made on when he’ll move his family into the historic residence.

“No decisions have been made at this point. We’re in the process of being briefed and will make a decision shortly,” wrote Daniel Lauzon in a brief statement sent to multiple media organizations.

The prime minister’s 147-year-old residence has been in need of substantial repairs for years. In 2007, the auditor general’s office flagged several serious problems with the historic home, including asbestos in the walls, no sprinkler system and electrical wiring that had not seen work in five decades.

The required retrofits would likely take more than a year to complete, and the National Capital Commission estimated in 2011 that they would cost as much as $10 million.

While that may seem like a steep price tag, the auditor general’s report warned that failing to move on the repairs would increase the costs further down the road as the property continues to deteriorate.

At the time, Prime Minister Stephen Harper was steadfast in his resistance to spend money on the rentfree mansion.

“The prime minister and his family find 24 Sussex adequate to their needs and see no need for a substantial renovation,” Harper’s former spokesman, Andrew MacDougall, said in 2011.

Trudeau’s mother, Margaret Trudeau, told CBC News Friday morning that the incoming prime minister would not be moving his young family into the residence until the necessary repairs were complete.

The Liberals did not confirm or deny Margaret Trudeau’s suggestion, but said they had bigger things to worry about in the immediate future.

“Our primary focus at the moment is getting a cabinet together for Nov. 4th and ensuring a smooth transition to government,” Lauzon wrote.