You see the average Canadian exercising their common sense with their survey response.  A secure, modern mansion for the Prime Minister, yes.  But not at any price.  Nearly $40MM to renovate a house (someone in another comment quoted $3,500/sq ft for the 11,000 sqft mansion) which you could build for $400/sq ft?  Even allowing for the costs of extra security requirements and the possibility of a boondoggle by the NCC, surely this could be done for less than $1,000/sq ft?  That is only $11MM which is a far cry from $38MM.  Tear it down now and get started.  It should not take 3 years.