In brief
This article explores the prominent role of the Irving family's businesses in Saint John, New Brunswick. While they provide significant employment in the region, residents express concerns about the broader impact and potential cost of such industrial clout.
Even amidst the frequent fog that envelops Saint John, New Brunswick, it is hard to ignore the towering clouds of steam and smoke rising from the city’s massive oil refinery—Canada's largest. Prominently displayed on huge tanks are the letters "Irving," a testament to the family's substantial influence over not only Saint John but much of the province.The Irving family’s reach extends further, with their local paper mill resembling a formidable fortress overlooking the Saint John River. The landscape is interwoven with Irving-owned railway tracks that connect various family-operated factories to the port controlled by them. Across the city of 78,000 residents, building supply stores and gas stations bear the family name, and even park signs reflect their financial contributions to community resources.As we gaze upon the expansive refinery and wonder at the scale of their operations, we also consider the voices of local residents who experience the consequences of living in the shadow of such gigantic enterprises. While the Irvings provide many jobs, community members openly discuss the environmental degradation and economic disparities that accompany their industrial empire. This ongoing tension raises critical questions about the balance between economic growth and the well-being of the city's inhabitants.
