CREDIT: Canadian Press/Johnathan Hayward An RCMP officer keeps watch at a new security barrier at the prime minister's country house in Gatineau Park on the weekend after a motorist drove a car through it.

OTTAWA - The RCMP are investigating a security breach at the prime minister's country home in Gatineau Park after a woman smashed her car into the white wooden gate at about 2:30 a.m. Sunday.

According to Ottawa RCMP Cpl. Jean Hainey, the RCMP protective unit quickly intercepted the car after it broke through the fence on the perimeter of the property on Lake Mousseau, also known as Harrington Lake, northeast of Ottawa.

''The RCMP intercepted the vehicle right away and arrested the individual,'' said Cpl. Hainey.

Though Stephen Harper was sleeping in the country home at the time, the Prime Minister's Office described the incident as ''minor in nature.''

''There was minor damage to the gate and the troubled individual was dealt with immediately by the RCMP,'' said Christine Csversko, Harper's deputy director of communications. ''The security system at Harrington Lake is working well and we appreciate the good work by the RCMP.''

A sign on the front of the 1.5-metre-high white wooden fence reads: ''Private. Access to this area is restricted for public safety reasons.''

Bare in mind that this area is the Prime Minister's residence, so is NOT a public area. Therefore, what else does it mean to restrict access for "Public Safety" reasons, other than to explicitly point out that the term "public safety" in fact means protection of government officials.... So now you know!

A security officer sat in a black SUV about 15 metres behind the gate, flanked on the right by a grey, unmanned security-guard station and on the left by a security camera.

The house cannot be seen from the gate. Sources close to the prime minister said Harper wasn't even aware of the situation because the gate was so far away from the house.

''There was no threat to the prime minister whatsoever,'' said Csversko. ''The RCMP responded immediately.''

Cpl. Hainey said the suspect was handed over to MRC des Collines police. As of Monday night, she had not been charged.

The suspect, reportedly driving a white Chevrolet, simply wanted to meet the prime minister, although the RCMP would not confirm these details.

Monday, sunlight bathed the icy, winding road leading to the mansion, which was built in 1925. People out for a walk and cross-country skiers nearby expressed surprise at the security breach.

''It's so isolated out here,'' said Isabelle Poisson, as she walked her Boston terrier along Meech Lake Road Monday afternoon. ''It's a bit scary. But I'm surprised the woman made it as far as she did before getting caught.''

''Anybody who wanted could just climb over or through the fence,'' said Michel Smith, who was jogging along the road near the gate to Harrington Lake. ''There are just two bars there. It's nothing.''

Harrington Lake was originally acquired as part of the federal government's move to protect forested areas around the capital. The property - became an official residence in 1959, under prime minister John Diefenbaker - comprises over 13 acres of grounds, a main building with more than 16 rooms covering over 8,300 square feet, and eight outbuildings.

This is not the first time a security breach has occurred at the prime minister's residence. In November 1995, a schizophrenic man climbed over the fence at the prime minister's official residence at 24 Sussex Drive. The man managed to make it as far as the master bedroom, where former prime minister Jean Chretien and his wife, Aline, were sleeping.

The man came face-to-face with Mrs. Chretien who, armed with an Inuit sculpture, slammed and locked the door and called security.

The RCMP came under fire at the time for having inadequate security at the residence.

Ottawa Citizen