With 24 Sussex still sitting in a sorry state, Carney to move into Rideau Cottage

With 24 Sussex Drive sitting desolate and in need of millions of dollars in renovations, the government says Prime Minister Mark Carney will soon take up official residence at Rideau Cottage.

The crumbling Ottawa home on Sussex Drive had long been the official residence for Canada's prime ministers, but has sat empty since 2015 as workers dealt with mould, asbestos, lead and rodents. With successive leaders unwilling to be seen spending money on the 19th-century building, it's fallen into various states of ruin and turned into a political quagmire.

In an email to CBC News, the Privy Council Office (PCO) said Carney, who already lived in the tony Ottawa neighbourhood of Rockcliffe not far from 24 Sussex, had been temporarily staying at an official guest residence for security reasons.

He was only sworn in as prime minister a few days before triggering a federal election, which kept Carney and his wife Diana Fox Carney on the road for weeks. 

"In line with their security recommendations, he will soon be residing in Rideau Cottage," said PCO spokesperson Pierre-Alain Bujold.

Rideau Cottage sits on the grounds of Rideau Hall, home to the Governor General, and was last occupied by former prime minister Justin Trudeau and his family. 

In one of his final acts in office, Trudeau attempted to settle the problem of 24 Sussex Drive and asked his public services and procurement minister in a letter to come up with options for a new official residence for the prime minister by January 2026, and create an advisory committee that would weigh in on the location, cost, functionality and security requirements of the new home.

According to Trudeau's letter, there are three main options for replacing 24 Sussex: A new or heavily renovated complex on the existing property, a move to a second property in the Rockcliffe Park neighbourhood of Ottawa that has a better security profile, or an upgrade of Rideau Cottage, which has been the prime minister's unofficial official residence since 2015.

Official estimates say the lowest-cost option would be in the tens of millions of dollars and likely north of $100 million.