Discussions

24 Sussex, the Prime Ministers home, is falling apart. It needs $10 million in repairs.  
 
The National Capital Commission looks after the property.  
 
Our PM designate is moving into Rideau Cottage on the grounds of the Governor General's Rideau Hall.  
 
Looks like it's time to make an investment on 24 Sussex.

I want to laugh but my pocketbook is screaming at me! So Harper lives there for ten years presumably without problems and the liberals need a 10 million Reno! Ugh!

Yep prince Justin needs to renovate the castle. Remember he doesn't need to worry about running deficits it is not his money he is spending.

Renovations have been necessary for a long time. This hasn't anything to do with the Liberals.  
 
"'Urgent' renovations needed on 24 Sussex, but Harper won't move out" is an article from 2011. So, the National Capital Commission has been trying for the repairs for sometime. in 2008, the renovations were to cost $10 million. So this was going on under the CPC as well.  
 
It isn't a partisan issue. This house represents Canada, not the PM. We host dignitaries there and it doesn't even have A/C in the livingroom where they are hosted. Good luck to someone in a 3-piece suite sitting there in humid Ottawa when it is 34C and they have to be there for a meeting.  
 
http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/urgent-renovations-needed-on-24-sussex-but-harper-wont-move-out  
 
Edited by CheapTrickz, 2015-10-27 18:25:47

ece2 and tafeel.  
 
This is not a partisan story. The report on the state of repair on 24 Sussex long predates the Liberal election.  
 
That is one of the places that dignitaries from other countries visit and dine. I think it should represent the country well, and not as a run-down out-of-date structure. I certainly would have supported it being repaired if Harper had been willing to move out.  

I don't have an issue with the house needing repairs, all buildings need them eventually, I just wonder what's so wrong with it that it's going to cost 10 million dollars to fix  
 
I am curious though if it is as serious as the news seems to lead us to believe, how did mr.harper and family live in it this long without complaining or moving out, and have diplomats and dignitaries made any mention of the poor conditions ?  
 
 
 
 
 
 

Keep in mind as well that this building is a heritage structure and is part of Canada's history. The last time it had any renovations was well more than 50 years ago. There is asbestos in the walls, the roof leaks and the windows need plastic sheeting on them in the winter to keep them from frosting up. There isn't even a proper air conditioning system - something a lot of Canadians take for granted during summer months.  
 
Personally, I think that there should be a mini-series with someone like Mike Holmes following and commenting on the renovations. It would give Canadians an opportunity to see this incredible heritage building and would also generate revenue to help cover part of the cost of the work.  
 
Bravo to Trudeau for putting vanity aside and thinking of the health and safety of his family by not moving into "the Prime Minister's Residence". He is the first PM Elect to make this move in decades, and it probably stems from his memories of the building when his father was PM. It needed work then, and nothing has been done to it since.  

"Bravo to Trudeau for putting vanity aside and thinking of the health and safety of his family by not moving into "the Prime Minister's Residence"  
 
So he lives elsewhere while waiting for $10M in upgrades to his future home and he is a hero but Harper who lived with the disrepair is still a villain?  
 
That makes me giggle. Hero of the middle class slumming it while he waits for $10M in renos... LOL!  
 

where did the prime ministers live before this property was acquired and is it really necessary to maintain a property this elaborate?

mackenzie5 said "where did the prime ministers live before this property was acquired and is it really necessary to maintain a property this elaborate? "

The house was in need of repairs even before Harper moved in.  
 
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/24-sussex-a-fixer-upper-but-harpers-move-in-anyway-1.594966  
 
This is the national residence of our PM and we should support fixing it up. It belongs to the people, not the PM and we have a house that needs (among other things) basic necessities not glorification:  
New roof  
New wiring  
New windows  
Removal of Asbestos  
update plumbing  
 
The place is 151 years old. It has been Canada's national residence since 1951 (PM Louis St. Laurent).  
 
Thinking this is Trudeau's doing is false. The National Capital Commission has been TRYING to get it fix before Harper moved in. He even agreed to moving out for a summer for some renos but then changed his mind.  
 
Sheesh. Read the articles. . .  
 
Do you suppose the Brits whine when #10 Downing Street needs new carpet or the Yankees bitch when the White House needs painting? We are truly pathetic if we expect the PM to live in the suburbs ina bi-level or ranch house. Just a great representation we'd like to present to our fellow governing officials from around the world.  
 
"here let me get a folding chair for you Mr. President. . ."  
 
 
 
 
Edited by CheapTrickz, 2015-10-27 19:34:42

Being sarcastic here but we could have left it until it was in a state of complete disrepair and the built a completely new one and at what cost, when a structure stars to get run down it accelerates every year, but we had an economist not an engineer, and just my opinion is economists get it wrong more than engineers.

I have seriously actually heard people say...oh... the government is paying for it ? ? ? We can charge 50% more ! ! ! That was with the city paying & the provincial government paying. Half of it is greed on part of the people renovating....

The problem is 10 million in renovations really iguess us poor.people just don't underst5how little 10 million dollars buys. The Mike homes idea might be a good one maybe he could oversee the budget and tell us where the u scrupulous contracts are gouging the tax payer on the renovations. We all k ow the contracts will go to long neglected liberal trades people and the contract will be 20 or thirty million by the time done look at the police building in the old canada post in winnipeg

They don't want to build a new one. This house is part of our history. And it's an embarrassment for our country they can't have any one stay (guests to the country) their as its bad shape. So many problems that just get worse cuz they weren't fixed. It's actually costing more because they left it so long. It's over 100 years old with a leaking roof. It's long overdue to get done.

ece2 said "I want to laugh but my pocketbook is screaming at me! So Harper lives there for ten years presumably without problems and the liberals need a 10 million Reno! Ugh! "

Maybe if Harper had fixed it 10 years ago it wouldn't have cost so much to fix it now.

tafeel said "Yep prince Justin needs to renovate the castle. Remember he doesn't need to worry about running deficits it is not his money he is spending. "

Harper spends 750 million of taxpayers money on ads praising his government but you complain about $10 million to fix the prime ministers resident.

Whiskers said "    ece2 said "I want to laugh but my pocketbook is screaming at me! So Harper lives there for ten years presumably without problems and the liberals need a 10 million Reno! Ugh! " Maybe if Harper had fixed it 10 years ago it wouldn't have cost so much to fix it now. "

If a couple of previous Liberal Prime Ministers fixed it before Harper lived there, it would of been a lot cheaper to fix it. I will let ones imagination to figure out where Justin is going to get some extra revenue to do fix his little castle.  
 
 
Edited by unbreakable1, 2015-10-27 22:24:24

unbreakable1 said "    Whiskers said "    ece2 said "I want to laugh but my pocketbook is screaming at me! So Harper lives there for ten years presumably without problems and the liberals need a 10 million Reno! Ugh! " Maybe if Harper had fixed it 10 years ago it wouldn't have cost so much to fix it now. " If a couple of previous Liberal Prime Ministers fixed it before Harper lived there, it would of been a lot cheaper to fix it. I will let ones imagination to figure out where Justin is going to get some extra revenue to do fix his little castle.       Edited by unbreakable1, 2015-10-27 22:24:24"

So what would be your solution to the problem let it fall down? I think the best solution would be to fix it just like your own home don't let it fall into disrepair.

"The PM’s residence does not belong to its always-temporary occupants, and its upkeep is never done on their personal behalf."  
 
 
 
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-debate/editorials/24-sussex-drive-is-your-house-too-and-it-needs-to-be-repaired/article27008644/?service=mobile#menu  
 

unbreakable1 said "    Whiskers said "    ece2 said "I want to laugh but my pocketbook is screaming at me! So Harper lives there for ten years presumably without problems and the liberals need a 10 million Reno! Ugh! " Maybe if Harper had fixed it 10 years ago it wouldn't have cost so much to fix it now. " If a couple of previous Liberal Prime Ministers fixed it before Harper lived there, it would of been a lot cheaper to fix it. I will let ones imagination to figure out where Justin is going to get some extra revenue to do fix his little castle.       Edited by unbreakable1, 2015-10-27 22:24:24"

place Harper got $750 million to run ads about how great he was. At least in this case a house will get fixed, and it's only $10 million. (not that $10 million is small but compared to $750 million it is)  
 
Guess the house was run into the ground along with the country.

unbreakable1 said "    Whiskers said "    ece2 said "I want to laugh but my pocketbook is screaming at me! So Harper lives there for ten years presumably without problems and the liberals need a 10 million Reno! Ugh! " Maybe if Harper had fixed it 10 years ago it wouldn't have cost so much to fix it now. " If a couple of previous Liberal Prime Ministers fixed it before Harper lived there, it would of been a lot cheaper to fix it. I will let ones imagination to figure out where Justin is going to get some extra revenue to do fix his little castle.       Edited by unbreakable1, 2015-10-27 22:24:24"

50 years since it was last renovated - many P.M.s have lived there since then - temporarily. It was not "their" property....  
 
Pearson - Lib 1963-1968  
Trudeau - Lib 1968-1979  
Clark - Con 1979-1980  
Trudeau - Lib 1980-1984  
Mulroney - Con 1984-1993  
Campbell - Con 1993  
Chretien - Lib 1993-2003  
Martin - Lib 2003-2006  
Harper - Con 2006-present  

This just speaks to the mindset of the typical Conservative supporter, who are becoming more like Republicans in the U.S. All the time.

ece2 said "I want to laugh but my pocketbook is screaming at me! So Harper lives there for ten years presumably without problems and the liberals need a 10 million Reno! Ugh! "

Yea damn those Liberals and wanting amenities like "Asbestos Removal" and "Working fire sprinkler system"

Not sure what the problem here is but it seems the only thing modernized at 24 Sussex has been the kitchen. That's since 1950. They still use plastic and the old hair-dryer trick to seal the windows for winter. I remember doing that in the '70s. Before piling on Trudeau, just think about it. They will be lucky to get the renovations done in 4 years and he may be gone. Someone else will benefit. It is a heritage building and should be preserved. Check out this government site and take a look. We can all think of other areas where $10 million has been spent with little to show for it.  
http://www.ncc-ccn.gc.ca/places-to-visit/official-residences/24-sussex-drive

I don't think anyone has a problem with repairs being done or asbestos being removed but 10 million which will be 20 or 30 million by the time cost overruns isn't just repairs. If it is how big is this place and how many homeless is it going to house since this is everyone house just not the pm's

tafeel said "I don't think anyone has a problem with repairs being done or asbestos being removed but 10 million which will be 20 or 30 million by the time cost overruns isn't just repairs. If it is how big is this place and how many homeless is it going to house since this is everyone house just not the pm's "

It's roofing, asbestos removal, insulation, fire sprinkler system, floors, windows and then repairing all the structural damage from water leaking in for the last number of years. This is a large building. There are 34 rooms spread out over 4 floors including the basement. It's Canada's version of the White House where the PM hosts leaders and dignitaries from all around the world. It's a huge job and I think that $10million is a conservative estimate.  
 
Trudeau is the FIRST PM in decades to understand the necessity of having a proper place to host world leaders. Again, kudos to him for not moving in and allowing the work to be done. All of the other PM's before him, both con and lib, refused to vacate because they felt that living elsewhere as PM was beneath them. Knowing what kind of work was necessary, that is the only explanation as to why the other PM's refused to vacate the building for the renovations.

I wonder if they are also going to upgrade the Pool(with underground access) that Pierre requested to be installed for $275,000?

A.G. said "They don't want to build a new one. This house is part of our history. And it's an embarrassment for our country they can't have any one stay (guests to the country) their as its bad shape. So many problems that just get worse cuz they weren't fixed. It's actually costing more because they left it so long. It's over 100 years old with a leaking roof. It's long overdue to get done. "

When it was redone in the 50's, it was torn down to the studs and completely reworked. There is little left of the original house. The house was also not purpose built. It was built for a business man.  
 
If the house had many ties to the prime minister before 1950 or if there was muchleft of the original house, I would renovate it. As it stands, there is minimal historical significance.  
 
Maybe building new wouldn't be a bad thing after all. Use a Canadian architect etc.

Butterflymbca said ""Bravo to Trudeau for putting vanity aside and thinking of the health and safety of his family by not moving into "the Prime Minister's Residence"     So he lives elsewhere while waiting for $10M in upgrades to his future home and he is a hero but Harper who lived with the disrepair is still a villain?     That makes me giggle. Hero of the middle class slumming it while he waits for $10M in renos... LOL!     "

You really don't have a clue about what kind of work is required, do you? What... do you think Trudeau has demanded special hardwood flooring and maybe stainless appliances, some granite counter tops and stained glass windows? SMH.  
 
Just so you know, Harper was asked to delay moving in, but he was of the opinion that as PM, it wouldn't be proper for him to live anywhere but the PM residence. It's sad that he would put his children at risk like that for his ego, what with the asbestos in the walls and the leaks in the roof.  
 
Don't get me wrong... Chretien was also an egomaniac who wouldn't move out to allow repairs to be done.  
 
Again, bravo to Trudeau for putting his family and our country's heritage FIRST... ahead of ego.  

JR said "    Butterflymbca said ""Bravo to Trudeau for putting vanity aside and thinking of the health and safety of his family by not moving into "the Prime Minister's Residence"     So he lives elsewhere while waiting for $10M in upgrades to his future home and he is a hero but Harper who lived with the disrepair is still a villain?     That makes me giggle. Hero of the middle class slumming it while he waits for $10M in renos... LOL!     " You really don't have a clue about what kind of work is required, do you? What... do you think Trudeau has demanded special hardwood flooring and maybe stainless appliances, some granite counter tops and stained glass windows? SMH.     Just so you know, Harper was asked to delay moving in, but he was of the opinion that as PM, it wouldn't be proper for him to live anywhere but the PM residence. It's sad that he would put his children at risk like that for his ego, what with the asbestos in the walls and the leaks in the roof.     Don't get me wrong... Chretien was also an egomaniac who wouldn't move out to allow repairs to be done.     Again, bravo to Trudeau for putting his family and our country's heritage FIRST... ahead of ego.   "

Bravo for Trudeau putting his family first instead of spending $10 million on bringing some communities safe drinking water, better housing, roads to communities that don't have a road etc. In short, he snubbed those who voted for him. Justin is not the change that some who voted for him wanted. Surprisingly, they've been rather fairly quiet lately.