94-year-old who worked on renovation of 24 Sussex in 1950s says it would be 'foolish' to demolish it
Ottawa resident Julien Olson lives with Canadian history every day – literally.
His apartment is furnished with a coffee table and stand made from hand-carved wooden pieces Olson salvaged during the early-1950s renovation that transformed a historic mansion at 24 Sussex Drive into an official residence for prime ministers. He has the original blueprints, too, neatly rolled.
In his still-agile mind, he carries vivid memories of the two years he spent double-checking the work at 24 Sussex on behalf of his employer, the Department of Public Works. At 94, he may well be the last person alive who was directly involved in the renovation project.
“I had just started with Public Works,” recalls Olson, who was raised on a farm in Alberta and graduated in 1949 with an architecture degree from the University of Manitoba. “One of the first jobs I got was 24 Sussex.”
He basically lucked into the assignment. “I’d been there for about a year and I hadn’t really got into anything, so they said, ‘We need somebody representing the government.’ And I was available.”
There was no fixed contract for the 24 Sussex renovations, Olson says. “It was one of the only cost-plus jobs Public Works ever did.” The work ultimately cost $410,000, based on the cost of labour and materials plus a percentage markup. That’s the equivalent of more than $1.2 million in today’s dollars.
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