(Ottawa) Prime Minister Mark Carney will soon move to Rideau Cottage, while his official residence located at 24, Promenade Sussex remains vacant.
Posted at 8:17 p.m.
Catherine Morrison
Canadian press
The Office of the Privy Council said that “on the firm recommendation of the RCMP and security officials”, Mr. Carney was temporarily hosted in an official guest residence.
In accordance with their security recommendations, the Prime Minister will soon live in Rideau Cottage, the house which served as a residence for Justin Trudeau and his family since the coming to power of the former Prime Minister in 2015.
The official residence located at 24, Promenade Sussex in Ottawa was closed by the National Capital Commission in 2022 for “health and safety reasons” and has been uninhabited since 2015.
In March, Mr. Trudeau asked one of his ministers to help him develop a plan for a new official residence to replace the vacant property.
In a letter addressed to the former Minister of Supply, Jean-Yves Duclos, Mr. Trudeau asked that a proposal exploring new options for the Prime Minister’s official residence is written by January 2026.
Justin Trudeau had mentioned that the proposal should include a plan to transfer all the responsibility of the official residence, with the exception of the general interview, the National Capital Commission to Public Services and supply Canada.
The Carney government has not yet communicated its plans for the 24th, Promenade Sussex or another official residence.
Pierre-Alain Bujold, spokesperson for the Private Council office, said the government recognizes the importance of official residences and their heritage and cultural value.
“Public services and supply Canada continues to collaborate with its federal partners to develop and refine the options for the future of the Prime Minister’s official residence,” he said.
Questions also arise as to the possibility for the conservative chief Pierre Hairyvre, who lost his headquarters in Ottawa during the elections, to continue living with his family in Stornoway, the official residence of eight rooms of the head of the opposition.
Mr. Poilievre remains the leader of the Conservative Party, but the title of official opposition chief can only be held by a person holding a seat in the House of Commons.
The conservatives announced last week that the Alberta deputy Damien Kurek would withdraw to give way to Mr. Hairyvre when a by -election will be triggered. Mark Carney promised to trigger this by -election quickly, but it is unlikely that it takes place before the end of June at the earliest.
Daniel Savoie, spokesperson for the Private Council office, said in an email last week that “an official residence is made available to the official opposition chief, and that Mr. Hairyvre is the current leader of the Conservative Party of Canada”.
“Any question about how the Conservative Party will manage its leadership in the House of Commons in the future, and therefore on people who will reside at the official residence, must be addressed to the Conservative Party,” added Mr. Savoie.
The Conservatives did not respond to requests for additional information.
