Carney Launches National Competition to Restore Canada’s Historic 24 Sussex Residence

By Ebenezer Adu-Gyamfi / Emmanuel Ayiku for GhanaianNewsCanada | June 27, 2026

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has unveiled an ambitious plan to restore and redesign 24 Sussex Drive, the historic official residence of Canada’s prime ministers, ending years of uncertainty over the future of one of the country’s most iconic government properties.

Announcing the initiative in Ottawa on Friday, Carney said the federal government will launch a national design-and-build competition aimed at transforming the long-abandoned residence into a safe, modern, and dignified home for future prime ministers.

“24 Sussex Drive is more than a residence. It is a symbol of public office and of the democratic traditions that office represents,” Carney said, adding that the property has “not been cared for with the respect it deserves.”

The 35-room mansion, situated along the Ottawa River, has remained vacant since 2015 due to extensive deterioration. Years of deferred maintenance left the building plagued by asbestos, mould, rodent infestations, failing electrical systems, and significant structural damage, prompting officials to deem it uninhabitable. The National Capital Commission formally closed the residence for health and safety reasons in 2022.

Built between 1867 and 1868, 24 Sussex became the official residence of Canadian prime ministers in 1951 and housed successive national leaders until former Prime Minister Stephen Harper left office in 2015. Since then, both former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Prime Minister Carney have resided at Rideau Cottage on the grounds of Rideau Hall.

Carney stressed that although he has no intention of personally living in the restored residence, preserving the historic property is essential for safeguarding Canada’s democratic institutions.

“I will never live at 24 Sussex,” Carney told reporters. “But future prime ministers and their families should be able to live there safely and securely.”

Under the plan, the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada will oversee a national competition to select the winning design. Renowned architect Moshe Safdie will chair an independent jury tasked with evaluating proposals, with the winning design expected to be announced on Canada Day in 2027.

The restoration project is expected to cost approximately C$37 million, although much of the funding will come through a national fundraising campaign led by organizations associated with the Rideau Hall Foundation, reducing the burden on taxpayers.

The announcement has reignited debate across Canada, with critics arguing that government resources should instead focus on pressing issues such as housing affordability and homelessness. Others contend that allowing the residence of the country’s head of government to fall into disrepair has been a national embarrassment.

Political observers say the decision marks a significant turning point after decades of governments postponing action over concerns about public backlash and the political optics of spending money on an official residence.

For Carney, the restoration of 24 Sussex is about more than repairing a building.

“It is about preserving an important symbol of Canada and ensuring that our institutions remain strong for generations to come,” he said.