Murray Wood: Who's hot and who's not
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OTTAWA — Prime Minister Mark Carney will soon move into Rideau Cottage, while the official residence of the prime minister at 24 Sussex Drive remains vacant.
The Privy Council Office says that “at the strong recommendation of the RCMP and security officials,” Carney has been temporarily staying at an official guest residence.
In line with their security recommendations, the prime minister will soon be living in Rideau Cottage, the home which has been the residence of the prime minister and his family since former prime minister Justin Trudeau took office in 2015.
The official residence at 24 Sussex Drive in Ottawa was closed by the National Capital Commission in 2022 for “health and safety reasons” and has been uninhabited since 2015.
Trudeau asked one of his ministers in March to help develop a plan for a new official residence to replace the vacant property.
In a letter addressed to former procurement minister Jean-Yves Duclos, Trudeau asked that a proposal exploring new options for the prime minister’s official residence be drafted by January 2026.
Trudeau said the proposal should include a plan to transfer all responsibility for the official residence, except for general maintenance, from the National Capital Commission to Public Services and Procurement Canada.
The Carney government has not yet shared its plans for 24 Sussex or an alternative official residence.
Pierre-Alain Bujold, a spokesman for the Privy Council Office, said the government recognizes the importance of official residences and their heritage and cultural value.
“Public Services and Procurement Canada is continuing to work with federal partners to develop and refine options for the future of the Prime Minister’s Official Residence,” he said.
There are also some questions about whether Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, who lost his Ottawa seat in the election, can remain living with his family at Stornoway, the eight-bedroom official residence of the leader of the opposition.
Poilievre remains the Conservative leader, but the Leader of the Official Opposition title can only be held by someone with a seat in the House of Commons.
The Conservatives announced last week that Alberta MP Damien Kurek will step aside to open a seat for Poilievre to run in when a byelection is called. Carney has promised to call that byelection quickly, but it’s unlikely to happen until late June at the earliest.
Daniel Savoie, a spokesperson for the Privy Council Office, said in an email last week that “an official residence is made available to the Leader of the Official Opposition, and Mr. Poilievre is the current Leader of the Conservative Party of Canada.”
“Any questions on how the Conservative Party will manage its leadership in the House of Commons in the future, and therefore who will reside at the official residence, should be directed to the Conservative Party,” Savoie said.
The Conservatives have not responded to requests for more details.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 5, 2025.
Catherine Morrison, The Canadian Press
