Long time readers will know that I am a regular reader of the Ottawa Citizen. They have
an interesting story on the Irish Ambassador's residence in Rockcliffe Park. Apparently it's now the biggest house in Rockcliffe Park (though I think the enormous French ambassador's residence (enormous residence, not Ambassador, who must now all by tiny so as to reflect well on the President).
Canadians are funny people - on the one hand reserved, on the other you can always find a worker willing to talk:
Coming in at more than twice the floor space of Prime Minister Stephen Harper's official residence at 24 Sussex Drive, with a re-construction tab exceeding $7 million, the 24,000-square-foot, four-storey house is now the accommodation envy of the diplomatic corps in Ottawa.
Embassy staff did not return repeated calls requesting an interview with Kelly and a tour of the residence, but a worker on the site proudly showed me blueprints of a project packed with every conceivable luxury and ornate columns rising to the roof.
"All that's missing is a throne for Caesar," the worker grinned. "I've never worked on anything like this before."
The usual excuse of asbestos has been brought out.
I wonder how much was spent on daffodils, always expensive in that part of the world, if I recall correctly. Also security measures to keep out squirrels can be very costly.
I suppose that's what happens when you get years of neglect. I expect no work had been done on the house since it was built in the 1930s.
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