Watch above: Hundreds turn out to pay final respects to former Finance Minister Jim Flaherty. Vassy Kapelos has the story.
Toronto’s downtown St. James Cathedral hosted the country’s political elite Wednesday as they gathered for a state funeral for Jim Flaherty.
READ MORE: Political powers gather for fond farewell to Jim Flaherty
The former finance minister died of a heart attack at his Ottawa condo last week — less than a month after his retirement.
Security was tight around St. James Cathedral, with a long list of dignitaries attending, including Prime Minister Harper and Governor General David Johnston.
Harper spoke at the service in front of a crowd that included Minister of Foreign Affairs John Baird, NDP Leader Tom Mulcair, Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau, Toronto Mayor Rob Ford and several federal cabinet ministers. Click here to see the full list of dignitaries invited.
In the personal tribute he wrote himself, Harper described his longtime confidante and political lieutenant as a principled and pragmatic man who was also by turns combative and kind.
He said Flaherty was as much soft-hearted as he was known for being hard-headed.
Harper spoke about occasional disputes with his finance minister around the cabinet table, some of which he abandoned because “I just got so damn tired of arguing with him.”
Harper paid particular tribute to Flaherty’s wife Christine Elliott and her triplet sons, saying while he has lost a partner in politics, they have lost a partner in life.
He called it a sad time in the life of Canada.
READ MORE: Harper, Trudeau, Mulcair to attend Flaherty’s state funeral
Flaherty’s state funeral is the first such honour since 2011, when former NDP leader Jack Layton was laid to rest.
With files from The Canadian Press
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