James M. Flaherty ’70

Jim died April 10, 2014, of a heart attack.

Following interests that began at Loyola College High School in Montreal, Jim was a hockey player and member of Whig-Clio. Law school was followed by 20 years in private practice. In 1995, Jim was elected to the Ontario Legislative Assembly, and he held a succession of cabinet-level positions before becoming Canada’s 37th minister of finance in 2006.

Jim was a champion of tax reform, higher education, homelessness remediation, and savings plans. He presided over the discontinuation of the penny in 2012.

In 2009, Euromoney magazine named him Finance Minister of the Year, noting he “enhanced his country’s reputation for sound fiscal policies that take full account of social justice, while a strong regulatory regime has kept the financial sector out of the chaos.”

Jim always was prepared to do the hard work to achieve what he believed was right. He also served as president of the Head Injury Association of Durham Region in Ontario.

To his wife, Christine Elliott, and his triplet sons, John, Galen, and Quinn, the class offers its sincerest condolences.