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John Ivison: We've expunged too much of our history. 24 Sussex is worth saving

I take Carney risking an unpopular cause as his sincerely held belief in the importance of history, institutions and tradition

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Happy nations have no history, as Tolstoy noted in War and Peace, his chronicle of Russian conflict, political upheaval and tragedy.

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The logic of this has generally worked in Canada’s favour. But you can have too much of a good thing.

John Ivison: We've expunged too much of our history. 24 Sussex is worth saving Back to video

As Prime Minister Mark Carney said at a Friday press conference announcing the restoration of the historic prime ministerial residence, 24 Sussex is not just a backdrop to history: “It is a symbol of the public office of the head of our federal government and of the democratic traditions that office represents.”

The Victorian mansion that sits on a four-acre site overlooking the confluence of the Ottawa, Rideau and Gatineau rivers is as old as the country itself; has been home to 10 Canadian prime ministers; and has hosted luminaries from Winston Churchill to John F. Kennedy.

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