The following is from an interview with HGTV’s Bryan Baeumler for the Summer issue of Our House Magazine. Baeumler has called the state of the prime minister’s residence in Ottawa a national embarrassment, but successive occupants have been wary of a backlash should they launch an expensive rebuild. Baeumler thinks it can be done for a fraction of the cost cited.
Over the last decade as Canada’s No. 1 do-it-yourself builder, Bryan Baeumler has proven he’s not afraid to tackle a difficult renovation or build. But there’s one address even he might have to think twice about before getting his hands dirty.
For years, 24 Sussex Drive in Ottawa, better known as the official residence of the prime minister, has been in disrepair and in need of a complete makeover. And Baeumler hasn’t been shy to offer his opinion about the Canadian version of the White House. During a television interview, he called the home an “embarrassment.” The comment may have made some waves, but he isn’t about to walk it back. And he has the knowledge to back it up.
He’s talked to prime ministers and their families who have lived there and understands the history behind the home. As he explains, it wasn’t originally built for the leader of the country and during a massive renovation years ago, much of the heritage was stripped away. Also, the home is filled with asbestos and the heating and ventilation systems are inefficient.
While 24 Sussex may desperately need a little more than hammer and nails, Baeumler believes politics has left the residence in its shabby condition. Successive prime ministers have been reluctant to be the one to spend the money needed to make the home livable.
“The guy that’s in there that pulls the trigger and says, Let’s fix my place up,’ he’s going to get roasted and I think that’s an asinine and immature way for our political system to operate,” Baeumler says. “I think it’s the wrong view for Canadians to take. It’s not the prime minister’s house, it’s owned by Canada. To me it’s not political, it’s a piece of our Canadian infrastructure the government and people of Canada own. It’s a dump, so let’s put it out to a couple architects to rebuild it.”
He also suggests the cost doesn’t need to be in $1,500-per-square-foot range that’s been floated around. Instead, he believes it can be done properly for about $300 to $400 a square foot.
So is he the right guy to take on the job? While he admits it would be a cool project, he says there are other talented builders in the country who could do a great job.
“I like a challenge,” he says. “My favourite jobs are where we go into an old heritage home built on a stone rubble foundation that is in imminent collapse as possible and restructuring that thing and turning it back into something that’s a work of art. That’s the kind of stuff I would love to work on. Twenty-four Sussex is a home like that, but I think there’s much more interesting properties in Canada for sure.”
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