Victoria, B.C.-  Provincial Minster of Finance, Mike de Jong will represent B.C. at  the memorial service today for former Federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty.

Flaherty will be honoured with a state funeral at St. James' Cathedral in downtown Toronto, following a visitation at the Whitby Abilities Centre.

Flaherty died on April 10, 2014, of a heart attack. He was 64.  He had served as an Ontario MPP from 1995 to 2005, including as attorney general (1999-2001), minister of finance (2001 – 02), and deputy premier (2001-02).

He was elected to the federal parliament in 2006 as MP for Whitby-Oshawa and served as federal finance minister from 2006-2014.  Shortly after delivering the federal budget, Flaherty resigned from feeral politics, March 18th of thi syear.  He said he planned to return to the private sector.

Flaherty is credited with steering Canada through the 2008 financial crisis.