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(wasn't the Govern General's residence formerly the Booth mansion?).
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No. This was Thomas McKay's castle. He was founder of New Edinburgh, built the Ottawa locks next to Parliament Hill, and Earnscliffe that became Sir John A. MacDonald's house and now the British High Commissioners residence. It was because of him, that the first railway into Ottawa was routed through New Edinburgh. It is hard to believe that the Rideau Falls area was once a major industrial complex and he was behind that as well. It was all cleared away by the 1950s to beautify the city.
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As an aside, what's the difference between the Pime Minister and the Governor General? What does the Governor General do?
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The Prime Minister is the leader of the elected Parliament. The Prime Minister is not directly elected by Canadian voters. He or she is elected as a Member of Parliament by voters in a local district only. The political party itself elects the leader and if that party wins the most seats (districts) in Parliament, then he or she becomes Prime Minister. The Prime Minister has a great deal of power in setting the agenda in Parliament but only one vote, and during an election, the leaders of the various parties will often make or break the fortunes of their party.
The Queen is officially the head of state however the power of that position has been delegated to the Governor General, which also includes the head of the armed forces. The Governor General is the Queen's representative in Canada. The Governor General is appointed by the Prime Minister to a particular term of office, which sometimes can be extended. The Governor General signs all legislation into effect but has no power to veto. The Governor General has one very important role. He or she has the power to dissolve Parliament and call a federal election and the power to transfer power to another party in the event that the Prime Minister has lost the confidence (lost control of the majority) of Parliament and to enforce the maximum term of Parliament as set out in the Constitution. In almost all cases, the Prime Minister voluntarily asks the Governor General to dissolve Parliament. Besides this very important role that was tested within the last couple of years, the position of Governor General is mostly ceremonial.