John Ernest Irving CM (January 1, 1932 – July 21, 2010) was a Canadian businessman, the youngest son of the industrialist K. C. Irving (of the Irving family) and his wife, Harriet Lila Irving (née MacNarin). Born in

New Brunswick New Brunswick is a Provinces and Territories of Canada, province of Canada, bordering Quebec to the north, Nova Scotia to the east, the Gulf of Saint Lawrence to the northeast, the Bay of Fundy to the southeast, and the U.S. state of Maine to ...

, Jack Irving, as he was called, along with his brothers J.K. and

Arthur Arthur is a masculine given name of uncertain etymology. Its popularity derives from it being the name of the legendary hero King Arthur. A common spelling variant used in many Slavic, Romance, and Germanic languages is Artur. In Spanish and Ital ...

and their three families, share the ownership and operating responsibility for what is known informally as the

Irving Group of Companies The Irving Group of Companies is an informal name given to those companies owned and controlled by the Irving family of New Brunswick—descendants of Canadian industrialist K.C. Irving: his sons James K. (1928–2024), Arthur (1930–2024), a ...

. Following their father's death in 1992, ownership and responsibility for the Irving companies was divided as follows: * James K. Irving (J.K.) – Ownership of and responsibility for

Brunswick News Brunswick News Inc. (BNI) was a Canadian newspaper publishing company based on Bloor Street in Toronto. Once privately owned by James K. Irving and based in Saint John, New Brunswick, it was sold to Postmedia Network in 2022. BNI was incorpora ...

and

J.D. Irving, Limited J. D. Irving Limited (JDI) is a privately owned conglomerate company headquartered in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. It is a part of the Irving Group of Companies and consists of various subsidiaries such as Irving Tissue, Irving Equipme ...

a conglomerate which has interests in several industries including forestry, pulp and paper, tissue, Super-calendered paper, building supplies, frozen food, transportation, shipping lines, and shipbuilding. *

Arthur Irving Arthur Lee Irving (July 14, 1930 – May 13, 2024) was a Canadian billionaire businessman, the second son of industrialist Kenneth Colin Irving, K. C. Irving of the Irving Family (New Brunswick), Irving family. Born in Saint John, New Brunswic ...

– Ownership of and responsibility for

Irving Oil Irving Oil Ltd. is a Canadian privately owned intergenerational gasoline, oil, and natural gas producing and exporting company, a subsidiary of the parent company Irving Group of Companies, one of the largest "private conglomerates" in North Amer ...

, its retail stores,

oil refineries An oil refinery or petroleum refinery is an industrial process plant where petroleum (crude oil) is transformed and refined into products such as gasoline (petrol), diesel fuel, asphalt base, fuel oils, heating oil, kerosene, liquefied pet ...

, oil tankers and distribution terminals and other facilities. * John E. Irving (Jack) – Ownership of and responsibility for construction, engineering, and concrete and steel fabrication companies as well as Commercial Properties, Source Atlantic and Acadia Broadcasting, Limited. All companies within the Irving conglomerate, including

and

are vertically integrated and buy services and products from other companies within the conglomerate, thereby maintaining profits within their operations. Irving gained a reputation as being the most reflective of the Irving family, and was known for being far less aggressive than his older brothers when it came to business, choosing instead to listen intently and leave the talking mostly to them. Many credit this to a

kidnapping Kidnapping or abduction is the unlawful abduction and confinement of a person against their will, and is a crime in many jurisdictions. Kidnapping may be accomplished by use of force or fear, or a victim may be enticed into confinement by frau ...

incident in 1982. Though he was found unharmed, the kidnapping left him aware of his own mortality and a shift in his personality was noted."Industrialist Jack Irving dies at 78"
CBC News, July 21, 2010 4:07 PM AT. An avid conservationist of ecological and cultural areas, Jack Irving was a strong supporter of the arts in Atlantic Canada. Irving died at the age of 78 on July 21, 2010, following a brief illness. His survivors include his wife, Suzanne Cameron; two sons, John K. F. Irving and Colin D. Irving (deceased 2019); and a daughter, Anne Cameron Irving, Mrs. Oxley. John K. F. Irving succeeded him in his business interests.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Irving, John E. Irving family (New Brunswick) 1932 births 2010 deaths 1980s missing person cases 20th-century Canadian philanthropists Businesspeople from Saint John, New Brunswick Canadian billionaires Formerly missing Canadian people Kidnapped businesspeople Kidnapped Canadian people Members of the Order of Canada

See also

References