The Future of 24 Sussex Drive and the Canadian Prime Minister’s Residence

So Mark Carney has a plan, or an idea, but first we need a fund and donors and a contest to choose a design so it is not too late to take at least one last look at the alternatives. So what are they.

1 Do nothing

This has been the approach of the last twenty, or is it forty, years, seems like forever. This has been the approach that allowed politicians to avoid the political impact of making a decision. For some reason they believe that Canadians don’t think our Prime Ministers deserve a decent official residence.

2 No Official Residence, Prime Ministers should buy or rent their own home

This sounds egalitarian and will appeal to the politician haters in the country and some fiscal conservatives that think government spending should be avoided at all cost unless it supports the business and corporate community. The RCMP can just struggle to provide security for a non-purpose built residence.

3. An Official Residence only as a home for the Prime Minister and family

This would be a modest government built and funded home for the Prime Minister and family with security features designed into it but would only serve as a residence with no provision for official functions. Those would take place elsewhere in other government facilities or rented facilities.

This option would have the added benefit of allowing the Prime Minister to set an example for the government that official business should not be done at one’s residence in accordance with government policy.

4. Restore 24 Sussex Drive to as close to it’s original state as possible

This would be in line with the arguments that it should be retained because it is a heritage building.

5. Restore and upgrade 24 Sussex Drive with additional features or buildings

This would retain the original heritage features but add new capabilities in line with the modern needs of a Prime Minister’s residence today, and improved security measures.

5A. The Prime Minister’s Residence as a charity case option

This is the Prime Ministers brilliant answer to avoiding the political controversy over the radical idea of providing Canadian Prime Ministers with a decent and appropriate official residence. We delegate the design to a competition and the cost to wealthy donors.

I assume this would come with a plaque stating: “This building and it’s occupant were bought and paid for by the following members of the Canadian elite”.

Ongoing maintenance costs could be covered by leasing out the name for corporate branding on a rotating basis, so we could have the “Canadian Tired Prime Minister’s Residence” followed by the “No Frills Prime Minister’s Residence”, the “American Expressed Prime Minister’s Residence”, and so on and so on,

6. A new modern Prime Minister’s Residence (and what to do with 24 Sussex Drive)

As a modern G7 country Canada deserves a modern Prime Minister’s Residence purpose built to provide proper security for the Prime Minster and their family with proper facilities for whatever other functions are deemed appropriate for the residence.

This would be The Fifth Column’s preferred option.

If it is deemed necessary to keep 24 Sussex Drive for it’s heritage value it could be rehabilitated to its original state (with upgrades to meet modern building codes) and used as a Museum of Former Prime Ministers.

7. The totally off the wall option

Convert the Diefenbunker into the Prime Minister’s residence. Nuff said.