Canada's vacant and crumbling official residence gets a lifeline

The abandoned official residence of Canada's prime minister is getting a lifeline after Mark Carney announced a crowd-funded plan to pay for its multi-million dollar restoration.

The plan includes a competition for Canadian architecture firms to submit proposals for the future of 24 Sussex Drive, as well as a call for donations to help fund the project.

The restoration costs are estimated at north of C$100m ($71m; £53m) - a price tag that has discouraged previous prime ministers, both Liberal and Conservative, from having taxpayers foot the bill.

Lack of political will to maintain the historic building has left it in disrepair, with one expert referring to it as a "national embarrassment".

The residence was built in the 19th Century and acquired by the government in 1949, refurbished as an equivalent to the White House or 10 Downing Street, albeit more "modest", said Joseph Clarke, an associate professor of architecture at the University of Toronto.

The residence has witnessed key moments in the country's history, and its construction coincided with Canada's emergence as a nation, he said.

The structure has been modified over the years from the original Gothic Revival design, Clarke said, adding that it became "a living record" of changing architectural styles, domestic Canadian life and public office.

But the building has been uninhabitable for more than a decade due to years of deferred maintenance, with problems ranging from asbestos-filled walls to a rodent infestation.

Prime Minister Carney and his predecessor Justin Trudeau chose instead to live at Rideau Cottage, a government-owned residence nearby.

Workers in 2024 successfully removed asbestos, mould and rodents from 24 Sussex Drive in Ottawa, the nation's capital, but it still needs more work before it can reopen its doors.

During his announcement on Friday, Carney said the residence - which has served as the home of 10 prime ministers and welcomed world leaders like Queen Elizabeth II and Sir Winston Churchill - "has not been cared for with the respect that it deserves".

He added that while it is likely too late for him to take up residence at 24 Sussex, his government wants to ensure it becomes a "secure, accessible and sustainable official residence" for future prime ministers.

The design and build competition will ask for proposals to renovate the home, with a winner selected by an independent jury by next July, Carney said.

To help with the costs, the Rideau Hall Foundation will spearhead what Carney called "a national fundraising campaign" with the goal of funding part of the restoration.

He added there will be parameters in place to put a cap on donations, and that it will be individuals and philanthropic organisations that will be allowed to donate, not corporations. The list of donors will also be made public, he said.

Asked why he decided not to fully fund the refurbishment using taxpayer money, Carney said his government has to choose its priorities, like building affordable housing and strengthening Canada's economy.

He added that Canadians have "a sense of ownership and responsibility" over the home, and that there is a public willingness to support shared heritage.

"This is their house," Carney said. "It is a symbol of the nation."

Fundraising may be the most "politically elegant solution" to the problem of the challenging political optics of using public funds to fix the residence, Clarke said, adding that he is relieved the building is "finally getting the attention it deserves".

"I think Canadians should have some self-respect in our institutions and symbols," he said. "This has become a national embarrassment that the building has been neglected."