AFP

Canadian PM urged to move out of dilapidated official home

Tue May 6, 4:32 PM

OTTAWA (AFP) - Canada's Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his family should move out of their crumbling official residence for more than a year to allow it to be fixed, the nation's auditor general urged Tuesday.

In her annual report, Auditor General Sheila Fraser said 24 Sussex Drive, as well as the governor general's nearby Rideau Hall mansion, were "showing signs of fatigue and wear, and require extensive repair work."

She said the renovations had become "an urgent matter" and would require Harper to find alternate lodging for 12 to 15 months.

The windows, heating and air conditioning, electrical and plumbing systems of 24 Sussex Drive "are nearing the end of their life cycle and are in poor condition," Fraser noted.

At Rideau Hall, the roof, windows, walls, and foundations are "in only fair condition and need repair," she said.

A spokeswoman for the prime minister told AFP that Harper and his family "do not plan to leave 24 Sussex Drive before the next election" and that the accommodation was fine for now.

The National Capital Commission manages the six official residences in Ottawa of the governor general, the prime minister, the leader of the opposition, the speaker of the House and foreign dignitaries visiting Canada.

Built between 1866 and 1868, and renovated between 1949 and 1951 to make it an official residence, the prime minister's 1,000 square-meter three-story home has 34 rooms and is located on a two-hectare property overlooking the Ottawa River.

Rideau Hall has housed successive Canadian heads of state since 1957, and was gradually enlarged over the years.

Originally built in 1838, it now has 175 rooms spread over 9,000 square meters, on a 32-hectare estate across the street from the prime minister's official residence.

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