Inside dilapidated 24 Sussex Drive; Carney’s plan for the official prime minister’s residence; and more

24 Sussex Drive, the official residence of the prime minister of Canada, in Ottawa on June 25, 2026. Photo by Blair Gable/Postmedia

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It’s Friday, June 26. Here are the top stories we’re following today.

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Photos show inside dilapidated 24 Sussex, plus 5 things to know about PM’s official residence

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The official prime minister’s residence, which was already deemed “old and out of date” in the 1940s, counts a rodent infestation, mould, water infiltration, corroding plumbing and asbestos among its urgent concerns.

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Prime Minister Mark Carney, with architect Moshe Safdie, board chair of the Rideau Hall Foundation Robert Prichard, and Minister of Government Transformation, Public Works and Procurement Joël Lightbound, takes part in a news conference at 24 Sussex Drive in Ottawa on June 25, 2026. Photo by Blair Gable/Postmedia

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Mark Carney wants your help renovating — and paying for — 24 Sussex Drive

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On Friday, Carney unveiled a new competition for Canadian firms to submit their rebuild and design proposals for the dilapidated mansion. The Royal Architectural Institute of Canada will review proposals and make a recommendation to cabinet by July 1 of next year.

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While there is little doubt that the pandemic exacerbated attendance problems system-wide, it’s a complex issue that has a host of contributing factors. Photo by Adobe Stock

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Children are missing more and more school days. Ontario has a plan to fix that, but not everyone’s happy

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The province has seen a steep decline in school attendance since the pandemic, when it was effectively made optional. Starting in the fall, attendance will be tied to grades in secondary schools. But critics say this will lead to more students failing and ultimately dropping out.

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Prime Minister Mark Carney speaks at Holy Blossom Temple synagogue in Toronto on Monday June 1, 2026. Photo by Ernest Doroszuk/Toronto Sun/Postmedia

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Terry Newman: Israel expressed concern about ‘Nakba’ exhibit. Carney didn’t even bother responding

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“At a moment when Canada is struggling to confront rising antisemitism, the government should be especially vigilant in ensuring that federally supported institutions do not inadvertently fuel the very prejudice they seek to combat,” Israel’s ambassador wrote to Mark Carney. “The lack of response by the prime minister suggests he doesn’t take the matter seriously,” Newman writes.

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The Ontario Superior Court of Justice in Toronto. Photo by Dave Thomas/Postmedia/File

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Toronto man gets ‘most lenient sentence’ for robbery and knife attack that left rival dead

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Though the judge said a longer sentence could “easily be justified,” a man convicted of ripping off a rival’s gold chain in Toronto over a $100 debt and slashing his face with a knife has convinced a jury that he stabbed his victim to death in self-defence and will serve just four years behind bars.

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