New GG Mary Simon will move to Rideau Hall unlike its predecessor

“Ms. Simon visited the residence a few times this week,” Rideau Hall communications director Natalie Babin Dufresne told CBC News.

“She is very honored to move in. The plans will be forthcoming, but they are in the works.”

During Payette’s tenure, she was criticized for refusing to live in the 5,000 square feet set aside for her. The federal government spent more than $ 250,000 on measures to satisfy Payette’s desire for more privacy in the official residence, but she never moved in. The units have been empty for about four years.

Rideau Hall is the official residence and workplace of the Governor General. Payette has conducted business from her office throughout her tenure.

Nathan Tidridge, vice-president of the Institute for the Study of the Crown in Canada at Massey College, says it’s “wonderful news” that Simon is moving in.

“It is essential that the Governor General live in the residence at Rideau Hall,” said Tidridge. “This is an important point for the healing required at Rideau Hall itself and for the staff there.

Simon inherits a fractured workplace in a period of transition. Some staff went on sick leave or left the office entirely to avoid a tense work environment under Payette. Some have returned sincerely to Rideau Hall.

“The staff are like extended family, so having the Governor General there as a resident refocuses it as that type of space,” Tidridge said.

“So it’s more than just an office. It’s a house. It really anchors that point.”

Tidrdige said he also hopes to see Simon transform Rideau Hall into a safe space for Indigenous peoples.

The NCC prepares Rideau Hall

The National Capital Commission spent just over $ 40,000 on routine maintenance work to prepare Rideau Hall for the new tenant: updating counters in private quarters, repairing the heating and air conditioning system and replacing them. chandelier hoists.

Payette chose to live outside Rideau Hall in an 8,500 square foot guesthouse, which meant Global Affairs could no longer use the house to visit heads of state and foreign dignitaries. During the pandemic, Payette lived in her own private chalet in Quebec. This meant the RCMP had to travel to the area and stay in hotels for an additional fee, CBC News reported.

The government spent nearly $ 140,000 to study and design a private staircase for Payette that was never built, and over $ 117,500 for a gate and a series of doors to keep people away from her office.

CBC News has learned that $ 250,000 has been spent to satisfy Governor General Julie Payette’s need for privacy at Rideau Hall, where she still does not live three years after taking office. 2:04

The RCMP conducts a training exercise today on fields

Rideau Hall said last summer it was still dealing with the building’s accessibility, privacy and security issues, some of which arose in the wake of the July 2, 2020 security breach on the ground.

Last March, a judge sentenced Corey Hurren, who stormed the gates of Rideau Hall last summer with loaded guns and multiple cartridges to six years in prison, less a year served.

The RCMP said it was conducting a field training exercise today at Rideau Hall “to validate national standard operating procedures, to identify and correct any potential problems that may arise during an actual incident and to ensure operational readiness for any eventuality “.

A Simon installation ceremony is expected in the coming weeks.