Archived - PM ANNOUNCES THE NAMING OF A BUILDING IN HONOUR OF JIM FLAHERTY

Ottawa, Ontario - 15 October 2014

Prime Minister Stephen Harper today announced that the Government of Canada building located at 90 Elgin Street in Ottawa will be named the James Michael Flaherty Building in honour of the former Minister of Finance who passed away on April 10, 2014. The Prime Minister was joined by Christine Elliott and her sons John, Galen and Quinn.

The new James Michael Flaherty Building is a modern facility that will accommodate the Department of Finance and the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat. It is being named in honour of Jim Flaherty as a tribute to the eight years that he spent dedicating his life to the financial well-being of Canadians. A commemorative plaque, which will bear the name of the building, will be affixed to the wall in the lobby.

One of the longest-serving Ministers of Finance in the country’s history, Mr. Flaherty served from February 6, 2006 until his resignation on March 18, 2014. Throughout his career, he exemplified the best qualities of those who enter public life: a true commitment to service and a sincere desire to make the country a better place. This commitment to public service earned him the respect and admiration of parliamentarians of all political parties. Mr. Flaherty played an integral role in steering Canada through the highly turbulent international financial crisis which began in 2008. He was named Euromoney magazine’s Finance Minister of the Year in 2009, in recognition of Canada’s strong policy response to the global economic crisis which has contributed to our country’s heightened reputation on the global stage. Mr. Flaherty’s legacy also includes leading the return to fiscal balance, strategic investments under Canada’s Economic Action Plan and the introduction of key tax measures, such as the Tax-Free Savings Account and the Registered Disability Savings Plan.

• The new 17-storey James Michael Flaherty Building includes 60,000 m² of office space, which will accommodate approximately 2,600 federal employees and a ground floor retail space accessible from Elgin, Albert and Slater streets. It is 3.5 times larger than the original Lorne Building, which was previously located on this site.
• The James Michael Flaherty Building was designed and constructed to meet National Capital Commission requirements and target LEED® Gold certification, showcasing a green building on a prominent site on Confederation Boulevard. Elgin Street in Ottawa is a symbolically important part of Confederation Boulevard.
• Construction of the building began in spring 2011 and it was ready for occupancy in July 2014.
• Department of Finance employees have moved into the building and Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat employees will be relocated there by May 2015.