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| Living in the lap of luxury |
The National Capital Commission is financially responsible for the management, improvement, operation, and maintenance of the buildings and grounds of each home. Rideau Hall, 1 Sussex Drive, Ottawa Rideau Hall was built as a country villa in 1838 by local industrialist Thomas MacKay. When Queen Victoria chose Ottawa as the capital of Canada, the villa was leased as a residence for the first governor general, Lord Monck. The government purchased the house in 1868 for $82,000. The estate consists of a main structure and 24 outbuildings, and covers 88 acres. Rideau Hall has not only been the official home of every Canadian governor general since Confederation, but it also serves as the official guest house for the Queen. In 1977, the Historic Sites and Monuments Board declared Rideau Hall a national historic site. The Citadel/La Citadelle, Québec The Citadel is also an official residence of the Governor General. Construction of this impressive estate, which was originally intended to be a great fortress, began in the 17th century under Louis de Baude, Count of Frontenac, who was Governor of New France from 1672 to 1682. The estate was finally completed during the War of 1812. Lord Dufferin, governor general from 1872 to 1878, made the Citadel a vice-regal residence. After a disastrous fire in 1976, which destroyed the east wing of the residence, the wing was rebuilt in the Regency style to complement the Citadel's traditional building style. The residence is composed of 153 rooms and covers about 4,459 sq. m. 24 Sussex Drive, Ottawa This limestone structure was built as a wedding gift in 1868 by Joseph Merrill Currier, a local lumberman and member of Parliament, for his wife, Hannah. Currier christened the home Gorffwysfa, which is Welsh for “place of peace.” The house stands on the cliffs above the Ottawa River, in sight of the Parliament Buildings. The government acquired the house in 1943 and transformed it
into an official residence for the prime minister in 1949. Every
prime minister since Louis Saint-Laurent, who took up residence
in 1951, has lived at the home. This official residence covers
four acres and consists of one main building and four outbuildings. The Harrington Lake site sprawls over 13 acres and consists of one main building and eight outbuildings. It was built in 1925 as a country house for Ottawa lumber baron Lt.-Col. Cameron Edwards. Since 1959, Canadian prime ministers have used the house as a country retreat. Stornoway, 541 Acacia Ave., Ottawa Stornoway was designed and built in 1914 by architect Allan Keefer, the great-grandson of Thomas MacKay, who built Rideau Hall. Before becoming the official residence of the Opposition leader, Stornoway was probably best known as a refuge during the Second World War for Crown Princess Juliana of the Netherlands and her daughters, one of whom was born in Ottawa. In 1950, a citizens’ group set up a trust to buy Stornoway as a residence for the leader of the Opposition. The government purchased it from the trust in 1970. In 1993, Lucien Bouchard of the Bloc Québécois refused to live there as a protest against the federal government. The Farm at Kingsmere, Gatineau Park Originally a pioneer homestead, The Farm and its outbuildings were purchased by Prime Minister Mackenzie King in 1927. In the 1930s, it was converted into a comfortable year-round residence. The four-acre estate includes five country homes, several barns, garages, gardens, and the Moorside ruins, a collection of materials from old Ottawa buildings. King entertained several prominent guests at the estate, including the Duke of Windsor and Winston Churchill. He died at The Farm in 1950, after serving an unprecedented 22 years as prime minister, and willed the estate to the people of Canada. Since 1955, The Farm has been the official residence of the Speaker of the House of Commons. 7 Rideau Gate, Ottawa This residence was built in 1861 and 1862 for Henry Osgoode Burritt, who owned the Rideau Falls Milling Company. In 1966, the government purchased it to serve as the guest house
for a steady stream of distinguished visitors during the Centennial
celebrations. It continues to serve this function today. The home
is a short walk from 24 Sussex and Rideau Hall.
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Virtual tour of Rideau Hall