Carney announces contest to revamp uninhabitable Canadian PM residence

Prime Minister Mark Carney has announced a national design competition to rehabilitate 24 Sussex Drive, Canada's official PM residence, which has been uninhabitable for over a decade due to rodent infestations, mold, asbestos, cracked windows, and failing infrastructure. The article is bylined to Leyland Cecco from The Guardian's Toronto bureau and provides substantive reporting: it includes specific details about the building's condition (35 rooms, nests throughout attics and basements, decomposing carcasses), names the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada and architect Moshe Safdie as jury chair, quotes PM Carney directly on the symbolic and practical importance of the residence, and contextualizes the issue by noting that Jean Chrétien faced similar problems and that Justin Trudeau and Carney have both resided at the alternative Rideau Cottage instead. Independent coverage from CTV News and the Washington Examiner corroborates the competition announcement and July 1, 2027 deadline; the Globe and Mail and CBC News show this is part of a broader Carney housing initiative focused on affordable housing, adding context about the PM's policy priorities. Readers should monitor the jury's design recommendations (due July 2027) and whether cost estimates materialize as planned, given the NCC's prior estimate of C$40 million for full renovation.