Remembering Arthur Irving, a determined businessman and generous friend

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Canada has lost one of its leading entrepreneurs and Atlantic Canada one of its leading cheerleaders. Arthur L. Irving passed away peacefully on May 13, 2024, at age 93. He will be sadly missed by family and many friends.

Born on July 14, 1930, in Saint John, N.B., Arthur was the second son of Canada’s legendary entrepreneur K.C. Irving. Like his two brothers, he was destined to join the family business at an early age. He attended Acadia University before joining the oil and gas side of the business.

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Arthur worked hand in hand with his father in growing the business. He attended all key meetings and was present when K.C. Irving decided to build the Irving refinery and again when the decision was struck to expand it, eventually making it the largest in Canada. Arthur quickly saw the many challenges of growing an oil-and-gas business on the eastern edge of Canada, away from large markets, while having to go head-to-head with several large multinational firms with easy access to the small Atlantic Canada market. He decided on a hands-on approach, never to be outworked and determined to provide a better level of service than the competition. The Irving service stations were the first in Atlantic Canada to have separate men’s and women’s washrooms. Father and son also understood the importance of marketing tools before they came into fashion, insisting that all their stations look the same, no matter their location.

The Irving business success has been well documented. Irving Oil dominates the sector in Atlantic Canada and has a large presence throughout New England. It accounts for well over 50 per cent of New Brunswick’s total exports and 75 per cent of Canada’s gasoline exports to the U.S.

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There is a side to Arthur Irving that is less well known. He was a private person, always shying away from the media. This is unfortunate because he was engaging and energetic, with a sharp wit and a keen sense of humour. He did not limit his energy to business, bringing it to all his activities.

He was a deeply committed philanthropist, though never one to draw attention to his contributions to many causes and to his region. He led the charge in building the K.C. Irving Environmental Science Centre and the Harriet Irving Botanical Gardens on the Acadia University campus. It is an iconic building described as one of the most eye-catching university campus buildings in Canada.

Unlike so many benefactors to universities, he decided to establish an endowment fund to ensure that maintenance would never be a drain on the university. Arthur always refused to reveal the cost of the project and the endowment, arguing that people should focus on its imposing presence, physical beauty and contributions to science, not on who funded the project. The contribution is only one of many he has made over the years, from Ducks Unlimited in Canada to numerous scholarships that enable hundreds of Canadians to pursue university studies. He began planting trees and preserving marshes long before it became fashionable to do so.

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Arthur went at everything with enthusiasm, no matter the issue. He always took great delight in showing how things work and how wheels turn. He once explained to me with enthusiasm and passion how his “ram pump” works without electricity or any energy input of any kind, except water flowing.

His zest for life was truly remarkable. I recall when he broke his leg while skiing at age 85. I told him — “well that’s it for skiing for you.” His response — “Yup, for this year!”

Arthur had a generous heart and a remarkable capacity for friendship — every summer, he would join several friends on canoe trips in Canada’s north. He was a highly determined, demanding and competitive business executive, a deeply committed Atlantic Canadian and a happy warrior of many regional and community causes, all the while never wanting to bring attention to himself. He never saw a contradiction in these attributes, nor do I. He was made an Officer of the Order of Canada, Member of the Order of New Brunswick and inducted in the Canadian Business Hall of Fame.

Arthur could not have accomplished what he did without the strong support of his wife, Sandra. She was always at the ready with advice and remains a driving force in the family’s substantial contributions to education and health care facilities and good deeds for communities throughout Atlantic Canada.

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He leaves behind his wife Sandra and daughter Sarah. He also leaves behind four children Arthur Leigh Irving, Jennifer Irving, Emily Irving and Kenneth Irving from his first marriage to Joan Carlisle Irving. He was predeceased by his parents K.C. and Harriet Irving and a brother, John (Jack) Irving, and survived by a brother, James K. Irving.

Donald J. Savoie is the author of Thanks for the Business: K.C. Irving, Arthur Irving, and the Story of Irving Oil

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