The Farm, located in Gatineau Park, was an old farmstead dating back to the 19th century. In 1927, it was purchased privately by Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King as part of his country retreat at Kingsmere Lake.

At the Farm, King indulged himself as a “gentleman farmer” with cows, pigs, chickens, sheep, orchards, gardens and bees. The contact with the land and nature was a welcome and necessary relief from the stress of public life.

In 1935, King renovated the Farm as a year-round country retreat. When he died, he bequeathed the property to the Government of Canada in hopes that other public figures would enjoy it as much as he had. It now serves as the official residence of the Speaker of the House of Commons.

** Please note that the residence is not open to the public.