The Prime Minister's Residence

The official residence of the Prime Minister is at 24 Sussex Drive. A beautiful mansion overlooking the Ottawa River, it is modest in comparison to the American White House, and is much more private. You cannot tour it, or even enter the grounds, except by special invitation of the Prime Minister. This is because many of the kinds of functions performed at the White House take place elsewhere in the Canadian system. The Prime Minister's Office is based at the Langevin Building on Wellington, and foreign leaders are often put up at the Governor General's place, Rideau Hall, across the street from 24 Sussex. In terms of official powers, the Prime Minister of Canada wields much more power than an American President, whose actions are limited by Congress. Nonetheless, the PM has to answer to his opponents almost daily in the House of Commons Question Period.

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