Housing in Canada (unsplash photo)
So many dead mice were trapped behind the crumbling walls and piled up in the basement of the official residence of Canada’s prime minister that officials in the country decided to close the dilapidated building last year amid concerns that the air in the estate was no longer safe to breathe.
The limestone-clad house at 24 Sussex Drive, perched on a bluff above the Ottawa River, is one of the most symbolically and politically important pieces of real estate in the country.
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Last year, the National Capital Commission (NCC), which is charged with conserving heritage buildings in Ottawa, closed the residence, estimating the cost of renovations and upgrades at nearly C$40 million ($29.7 million).
Documents published in the Canadian National Post newspaper highlight how decades of negligence have left the prime minister’s official residence infected with mold, with cracked windows, failed plumbing and an electrical system considered a fire hazard.
They also highlighted the building’s mouse problem, which created additional headaches for NCC.
“There is a massive rodent infestation, which cannot be fully addressed until the various other problems the building suffers from are resolved,” according to internal documents. The interior walls of the building contain hazardous asbestos and cannot be removed pending a remediation plan.
“In the meantime we are using bait to control the situation, but this leaves us with feces and carcasses between the walls and in the attic and basement spaces,” the document states.
The hordes of mice and feces led to “real concerns about air quality” inside the residence.
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