[caption id="attachment_6586" align="alignnone" width="600" caption="24 Sussex as seen from the Ottawa River "][/caption] _____ When future generations want to visit the site where the Prime Ministers who shaped our nation lived, where will they go? 24 Sussex is a toponym in this country, and yet it is slowly being allowed to crumble apart. The situation raises two questions: what value does 24 Sussex Drive have to Canadians, and how is it that one family alone can decide it’s not worth the effort? In July, the National Capital Commission asked that 24 Sussex undergo 10 million dollars worth of badly needed renovations. It’s not the first time; 24 Sussex has long been on the NCC's  watchlist. Various concerns include a leaky roof, inaccessible spaces, and asbestos in the walls. Even previous residents have complained of living conditions in Joseph Merill Currier's 1868 home. In 2008, the Auditor General reported that the NCC -- known for  sound management practice in renovating  residences under their care -- was recommending that 24 Sussex needed to replace the aged heating and ventilation systems that were at the end of their life. This July, the NCC was more emphatic about the urgent need of repairs, and clearly advised Prime Minister Harper that he and his family should leave the premises in order for such renovations to take place. The Prime Minister  refused, saying that he did not wish to uproot his family for the year it would take to undergo the construction.