The Order of Canada
Edna and James Soden with their daughters, Lesley and Ann at the Investiture
| James Arthur Soden is vested with ‘The Order of Canada’ The recent news that Jim Soden, Toronto, was vested with the Order of Canada is indeed a proud event, not only for Jim ,Edna and their families but for all who bear the Soden name. Announcement of the award was made in the Canadian newspapers of the 18th January, 2003 and the official investiture took place on 9th May, 2003 in Ottawa. Details of the citation of recommendation can be read below. Jim, Edna , their daughter, Marg, and her family attended the Soden Family Reunion in Sligo, Ireland in June, 2000 and much of the research into the Sligo branch of the Soden family has been carried out by Jim over many years. |
| Citation for the Order of Canada JAMES ARTHUR SODEN , Q.C. in the 1960s which pioneered the worlds first omniplex, Place Ville Marie, in Montreal, the bringing on stream of this and other developments across Canada. A man of integrity and vision in the world of commercial real estate, Jim Soden opened up a new era for real estate and Canadian economic development. Under his leadership, Canadas first public investment vehicle for real estate was born. During this period ,under Sodens stewardship, Canada was established as a world leader in the development of major urban multi-use complexes and investors from all over the world visited Canada to take note of these advances and called upon the Canadian development industry to undertake similar developments on their behalf. The revitalization of Montreals downtown core as well as those Soden led in other major cities of Canada, including Halifax, St. John, Toronto , Winnipeg, Calgary and Vancouver became a pre-eminent vehicle for national economic growth and development. For the first time individuals and companies , domestic and international , took a financial stake in Canadas architecture and in its economy through real estate, a new generation of world class developers received training and new synergies and a new culture for commerce emerged through the interplay of retail shopping , office and communal spaces. Sodens innovations in legal , financial and marketing strategies in real estate became the model for others and his advances in diversification of holdings grew the company under his leadership into Canadas and the worlds largest public estate corporation by the early 1970?s, heralding the coming of age of the real estate industry in Canada. Jim Soden saw the potential for lack of control and correspondingly the need for governance and standards if Canadians and their bankers were going to invest in this vast new frontier of publicly owned real estate. He became a zealous advocate for and finally the founder and Chairman of the Canadian Institute of Public Real Estate Companies (CIPREC now CIPPREC), to which all public ( and later private as well) real estate companies subscribed , to ensure uniformity, integrity and confidence in real estate accounting practices. Enjoying to this day a reputation as Canadas premier real estate accounting reference, the accounting guidelines of CIPPREC have been endorsed and used consistently since its inception in real estate audits by members of the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants (CICA). Soden ensured important financial support to a now regional health center in Ontario, sat as director of hospitals in Quebec and Ontario and pioneered the early development of Canadas most respected private nursing and retirement home chain. For over forty years , he always found time to do what he loved most ,to teach and to nurture generations of Canadian entrepreneurs , builders and developers, Quebec lawyers and notaries at the McGill University Faculty of Law and youth at every level of Scouts Canada. |
Obituary of James Arthur Soden of Toronto, Ontario, Canada
http://www.bookofsoden.com/photos/Canada/sodenobitjim.mht
| Dr. Lesley Margaret Soden 1953-2009 Lesley Soden The family of James & Edna Soden, Toronto, suffered a great loss with the death their beloved Lesley on 11th January, 2009. A young mother, successful in business and an academic, Lesley was ebullient, intelligent and self-assured. Lesley endured a relatively long and painful illness with breast cancer, during which time we obtained some idea of the measure of the person by the immense courage and joy she communicated to all who had contact with her. Hemingway defined courage as grace under pressure. For her courage and much more Lesley was greatly loved by her friends as we have seen by their reaction to her passing. She is mourned by her partner, Michael Moody and her young son, Jack. |
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