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CN Tower to go green as a tribute to Jim Flaherty

Canada's most famous landmark — the CN Tower — will go green, on Friday evening, in honour of former finance minister Jim Flaherty.

A CN Tower spokeswoman told City News that the lights will be turned on at sunsest — at 7:55 p.m — in salute to Flaherty who died Thursday afternoon of an apparent heart attack.

Flaherty — with his Irish heritage — was very fond of the colour and often wore green ties in the House of Commons.

[ Related: Four great things Jim Flaherty did for Canada ]

The CN Tower has paid tribute to other politicians before. In 2011, it was lit up in Orange on the eve of NDP leader Jack Layton's funeral.

More recently, the coulors of the South African flag were proudly displayed to honour Nelson Mandela after his death late last year.

[ Related: MP tributes flow in the Commons for former finance minister Jim Flaherty ]

Flaherty's death has caused shock waves throughout the country and especially in Ottawa. On Thursday, in an unprecedented move, Parliament was suspended while MPs of all political stripes consoled one another.

The salutes to one of Canada's longest serving finance ministers continued in the House on Friday, with Question Period being cancelled in lieu of MPs paying formal tribute to their friend and colleague.

"He was always affable," NDP MP Peter Julian said, according to the Canadian Press.

"He was always friendly. … Whenever you met him — the one exception being question period … where he was affable often, but very strong and eloquent as a debater."

Also, on Friday, Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird announced that he has asked all Canadian missions abroad to lower their flags to half-mast in honour of the Conservative stalwart.

Funeral details had not been released as of press time.

(Photo courtesy of the Canadian Press)

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