Stornoway getting $170K in taxpayer-funded repairs before Erin O'Toole moves in

The leader of the Opposition's official residence in Ottawa is getting an estimated $170,000 in repairs and renovations at public expense before Erin O'Toole moveshis family inat the end of the month, CBC News has learned.

With Stornowaysitting vacant, the National Capital Commission (NCC) says it has a rare opportunityto complete needed repairs to the 107-year-oldheritage buildingwithout the workbeing tied to the new Conservative leader or his predecessor,Andrew Scheer.

Spending public moneyto maintain officialresidences for politicians can be politically dangerous, andsuccessive party leaders have stalled suchrenovations to avoid public criticism. As a result, the conditions of theofficial residences for the prime minister and the leader of the Official Opposition havedeteriorated over time.

The Conservatives havecriticizedthe useof $8.6 millionto fix up the prime minister's official summer home and turn a former caretaker's cottage into a newhome on the property.TheConservative Party saysO'Toole's office did not request the work on Stornoway and does not know what it will cost.

"We have the honour of serving this role right now. But we're not asking for any work or repairs," O'Toole toldCBC's Power and Politics today. "If the NCC does something before we get in there, we want it to be minimal."

The NCC said itspolicy is not tovolunteercost estimates for work on official residences to their occupants,in order to keep such projects from becoming politicized,according to an NCCofficialauthorized onlyto speak on background.

The NCCconfirmed the current projects at Stornoway include:

• Painting: $39,000 to paint the entire interior of the house and kitchen cupboards
• Kitchen & breakfast room: $38,300 to replacerotting floors, installmodern pot lights, fix the dishwasher, install a new backsplash, refurbishthe countertopand update the breakfast room and pantry.
• Exterior: $37,340 for exterior work, including a new garage roof, repairs to gutters androtting wood trim, and forpressure-washing the house.
• Decor: $30,400 fordecor, including new mattresses,plus carpet cleaning and moving in furniture.
• Basement: $26,070 forrepairs to heating pipes, newvalves forthe heating system and new vinyl flooring in the laundry room

WATCH| Stornoway to get $170K renovation before Erin O'Toole moves in:

Stornoway to get $170K renovation before Erin OToole moves in

4 years ago

Duration 1:51

CBC News has learned the National Capital Commission is doing $170,000 in repairs on Stornoway, the official residence of the leader of the Opposition, before Erin OToole moves in, even though he says he didnt ask for the renovations. Some say there should be no debate about improvements and that leaders' residences are a point of heritage, not politics.

Conservative Partyspokesperson Kelsie Chiassonsaid the NCCmanages Stornowayand "makes all decisions regarding necessary maintenance and repairs."

"This work had been planned for years and the NCC took the opportunity during the transition while no one was living there to get it done," said Chiasson in a media statement.

NCCsources say they areworking with the government to ensurepolitics no longer interferes with neededmaintenance at official residences by securing long-term funding and giving workers unfettered access tojob sites.

Former Liberal senator Serge Joyal fought for decades to protect heritage buildings in Montreal. He capped off his career in 2019 by introducing a private member's bill to protect heritage buildings in the area around Parliament Hill. He said legislative change is needed tosaveofficial residences from the effects of politics.

"The authority has to be outside of the political realm," said Joyal. "It's very important these buildings are maintained properly and regularly. You can't wait until they are decaying. It becomes too costly. It's ridiculous."

O'Toole didn't support renovating 24 Sussex in the past

Joyal said thatwhile politicians are the occupants of the homes, they belong to Canadians and they needprotecting.

An NCC report in 2018 said 24 Sussex Drive the prime minister's official residence had hit a "point of imminent or actual failure." Asbestos runs throughout the interior and the electrical system is now hazardous. The cost ofdeferred maintenance on the property is pegged at $34.5 million, according to the report.

In 2018, CBC News asked political parties if they would put politics aside to repairthe residence. O'Toole balked at the idea and said his party would only back the costofrenovating 24 Sussex if Prime Minister Justin Trudeau paid back costs associated with his 2016 trip to the Aga Khan's island in the Bahamas.

"He should just pay the money back," said O'Toolein 2018. "Then we could talk about working with him on something."

• 24 Sussex becoming a costly 'debacle,' say Conservatives

This past July, the Conservatives also took aim at the$8.6 million spent on renovations at Harrington Lake, the prime minister's official summer house;the 2018 NCC report said the building was in"critical condition."The party accused the Liberals of hiding the spending to avoid public scrutiny.

More than 20 renovationsareto be completed to the interior and exterior of Stornowayoverthe next few weeks. The residence is ranked in "good" condition by the NCCbut still needs $1.4 million of work to befully rehabilitated, according to the NCC report.

"Transition periods between residents provides the NCC with an opportunity to complete required life-cycle work and maintenance, work that is unrelated to the previous or incoming resident," said NCC spokesperson Jean Wolff in a statement to CBC News.

More work being done before O'Toole moves in

Like all new tenantsmoving into an official NCCresidence, the O'Tooles can decide on the decor in their private quarters. The NCC said it's spending roughly $30,000 on decor,which includescleaning the carpets,replacing eight mattresses and buying new linens and towels for the incoming occupants.

O'Toole said his family isbringing as much of their own personal furniture as possible especially for their children to make Stornoway feelmore like home.

"We want them to have their rooms,the furniture made by their grandfather in Nova Scotia. That's going to be our approach," said O'Toole.

The sum being spent on Stornoway while it's empty is higher than what the NCC spent transitioning official residences for three past political leaders. An NCCsourcesaid it's doing more work during this interim period because ithas the funding and access to the building for a few weeks.

When Prime MinisterTrudeau moved into Rideau Cottage in 2015, the NCC had less than a week to get the residence ready for his family and spent about $7,000on new linens and mattresses.

An estimated $18,000 was spent preparing Stornoway forScheerin 2017. The money went tonew upholstery, carpet cleaning, upholstery, mattresses and linens.

During former NDP leader Tom Mulcair's transition into Stornoway in 2012, the NCC spent an estimated $6,000 onpainting and new linens. Roughly another $149,000 went toa new HVAC system and a universally accessible bathroom on the first floor.