The Dominance of the Irving Family in Saint John
Even in a city often shrouded in mist along the Atlantic coastline, the towering plumes of steam rising from Canada’s largest oil refinery in Saint John, New Brunswick, are impossible to overlook. This bustling facility plays a pivotal role in the local economy and the energy sector at large.
Perched on a ridge above the refinery are six colossal tanks, each capable of holding one million barrels of crude oil. Bold, dark blue letters emblazoned on the tanks spell out the name “Irving,” a family whose business empire not only reigns supreme in Saint John but extends its influence throughout much of New Brunswick.
The larger of the two Irving-owned paper mills stands imposingly above the Saint John River, resembling a medieval fortress with its sprawling structures and industrial might. The railway tracks, also owned by the Irving family, crisscross the city, seamlessly connecting smaller factories under their control to the ports that bear the Irving name.
Throughout this city of 78,000 residents, one can find Irving-owned building-supply stores and gas stations lining the streets, a testament to the family’s extensive commercial footprint. Even the local parks feature signs acknowledging Irving’s generous contributions to their maintenance and upkeep, reflecting the family’s deep-rooted connection to the community.
- Tanks emblazoned with the Irving name at the oil refinery.
- A young boy peering through the window of a subsidized housing unit in Saint John.
- Children joyfully splashing in an inflatable pool under the watchful eye of a parent in Crescent Valley, a neighborhood characterized by its subsidized housing.
