Stornoway, a 9,500-square-foot mansion in Ottawa’s Rockcliffe Park neighbourhood, houses Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and his family.Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press
The historic residence of Canada’s Official Opposition leader needs to be fixed, but the commission in charge of official residences in the Ottawa region says it has no firm plan on how to proceed.
Stornoway, a 9,500-square-foot mansion located in Ottawa’s Rockcliffe Park neighbourhood, is more than a century old. The official residence is currently home to Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and his family.
“In the medium term, plans call for a comprehensive recapitalization of the residence,” Jamie Innes, a spokesperson for the National Capital Commission (NCC), said in a e-mailed statement.
Mr. Innes did not say how much money would be involved in the work.
“Currently there is no finalized workplan,” he said in a separate e-mail.
In 2021, the NCC released an asset portfolio condition report on the National Capital Region’s official residences that showed Stornoway to be in “fair” condition, and requiring $1.25-million in investments over 10 years to address deferred maintenance.
The NCC’s report said several features of the residence should be prioritized for upgrades, including its electrical wiring and panels, fire alarm system and hardwood flooring.
Mr. Innes said work is also required at Stornoway to improve the building’s accessibility and bring “sustainability in line with modern standards.”
The NCC did not respond directly to The Globe and Mail’s questions on whether the $1.25-million repair estimate still stands, or how Stornoway’s repair needs have changed in the five years since the report was released.
Because Stornoway is now occupied, Mr. Innes said the NCC has limited its recent work on the property to less invasive projects, notably the rehabilitation of the veranda and dealing with “designated substances” from a basement room previously affected by water infiltration.
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Mr. Innes’ comments come as a process has been launched to renovate 24 Sussex Dr., the official residence of the prime minister, which fell, over many years, into such disrepair that no one has been able to live there since 2015.
The federal government has launched a competition to select a Canadian proponent to design the upgrade of the 158-year old house, and carry out the rebuild. The Rideau Hall Foundation, a charitable organization involved in amplifying the work of the Governor-General, is running a fundraising campaign aiming to raise up to $50-million in donations for the project.
Mr. Poilievre has been critical of the government’s plans for the 24 Sussex Dr. renovation, arguing the revitalization project is a misplaced priority.
“When I see the homelessness on our streets and I see the young people who are desperate to start families but can’t get a house to do it, I just think the last thing on our minds should be 24 Sussex Drive,” he said after Prime Minister Mark Carney launched the renovation effort.
The Official Opposition Leader’s office did not respond to written questions about potential repairs to Stornoway and whether Mr. Poilievre thinks they are necessary.
Meanwhile, a resident of Victoria who has launched a petition through the House of Commons calling for an end to public funding for a fixed residence for Canada’s Official Opposition leaders says the prospect of repairing Stornoway helps make the case she is advancing.
“The pending Stornoway repair costs only give further credence to the petition’s case,” Carol Burman said in a statement.
“Stop using Canadian taxpayer dollars to fund Stornoway. The role of the Leader of the Opposition is to thoughtfully challenge the current government. That role does not necessitate a 19-room mansion.”
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Elizabeth May, the Leader of the Green Party of Canada, is sponsoring the online petition, which had garnered 19,120 signatures as of Thursday and is open for signatures until July 30.
Such petitions are allowed through the House of Commons to bring attention to issues of public interest and call for action on them.
Stornoway was opened as a residence for its first opposition leader in 1950, a year before Louis St. Laurent became the first prime minister to move into 24 Sussex Dr. The properties are located about two kilometres apart.
Asked about Stornoway’s future, the federal department of Public Services and Procurement Canada pointed to the NCC’s corporate plan for 2025-2026 to 2029-2030.
That report notes that the NCC has planned restoration projects on four of the six residences it manages.
They are Harrington Lake, the country residence of the prime minister located in Gatineau Park, as well as the Farm, a residence in Quebec for the House of Commons speaker; 7 Rideau Gate, a guest house for visiting dignitaries; and Stornoway.
The aim of the work, said the new report, is to restore the four properties to “good condition.”
During the Second World War, Stornoway was the home of the exiled Dutch royal family. In 1946, former senator Michael Grattan O’Leary kicked off an effort to locate a home for the leader of the Opposition, and raised funds that allowed the purchase of Stornoway for $55,000.
George Drew, an Ontario premier who became Conservative leader, was the first resident in 1950.
The federal government took ownership of the property in 1970. The NCC has managed the federal heritage building since 1988.