Prime Minister Mark Carney launched a national competition on Friday to redesign and rebuild 24 Sussex Drive, the official residence of Canada's prime ministers, calling the stone mansion a national landmark in critical condition.
Design competition and timeline
Speaking at a press conference at the dilapidated property in Ottawa, Carney unveiled a new competition for Canadian firms to submit rebuild and design proposals. The process will be led and largely judged by The Royal Architectural Institute of Canada, which has experience supporting architectural competitions. The institute will review proposals and make a recommendation to cabinet by July 1 of next year.
“It’s going to be a fantastic competition,” Carney told reporters. “We’ll see what they come up with.”
Fundraising through Rideau Hall Foundation
Carney said the government will try to reduce costs by using the non-partisan charity Rideau Hall Foundation to lead a national fundraising campaign. When asked how the government will avoid potential conflicts involving donors, Carney said the process will be transparent and that it’s unlikely any single donor will be allowed to contribute more than 10 per cent of the final bill.
The decision to renovate and possibly expand the famous home ends more than a decade of debate about where Canada’s prime ministers will live. However, the notion of donations drew immediate criticism.
Ethical concerns raised
Duff Conacher, co-founder of Democracy Watch, which advocates for democratic reform, said the fundraising proposal violates federal ethics law and the criminal code, which prohibit government officials from accepting benefits from anyone involved with the government.
“It was foolish for the prime minister to announce that donations will be allowed without making it clear that there are limits and safeguards already in place to ensure that no donation will be permitted that violates Canada’s federal anti-corruption or anti-foreign interference laws,” Conacher wrote in an email.
Toon Dreessen, president of Architects DCA in Ottawa, said the fundraising idea unnecessarily raises a number of potential ethical issues. “This is an important project and an official residence,” Dreessen wrote in an email. “It should be funded and funded properly.”
Restoring a national landmark
Carney said the project is important because the government has a responsibility to “restore and protect” 24 Sussex, which has been uninhabited for more than a decade, and ensure that it reflects Canada.
