Irving Oil Provides East Side School with New Playground

SAINT JOHN, NB – After two years without a playground for its students, Bayview Elementary School will receive new equipment this weekend, donated and installed by Irving Oil.

“We are thrilled that our students will have a playground!” said Principal Jill Baxter of Bayview Elementary. “I can’t wait to see the students’ faces when they arrive to school next week.”

The school, which teaches 175 students from kindergarten to grade five, was located on Jean Street until the building was destroyed by a fire in July 2005. The following school year, Bayview students were temporarily located in Bayside Middle School. In September 2006, Bayview Elementary School students moved into their new home in the former Simonds Middle School on Loch Lomond Road.

The Irving Oil Refinery team heard about the school’s playground situation and offered to purchase and install new equipment. This weekend, more than 20 Irving Oil employees will volunteer their time to install the equipment.

“Bayview Elementary is one of our new neighbours, and we can’t think of a better way to welcome them,” said Gary Bischof, General Manager of the refinery. “Our volunteers are excited to roll up their sleeves and get the playground set up for the Bayview students.”

This will be the second playground that Irving Oil has donated and installed at an elementary school in the Saint John area. In November 2005, Irving Oil provided Champlain Heights Elementary with a new playground. The company also has a partnership with St. John the Baptist-King Edward (SJBKE) Elementary School as part of the Partners Assisting Local Schools (PALS) program. Over 70 Irving Oil employees volunteer at SJBKE each week, mentoring the students to help build literacy and homework skills, among other areas of study and help.

About Irving Oil
Founded in 1924, Irving Oil is the regional refining and marketing company serving customers in Eastern Canada, Quebec, and New England with a range of finished energy products, including gasoline, diesel, home heating fuel, jet fuel and complementary products and services. The company's network of Bluecanoe and Mainway convenience stores throughout Eastern Canada and New England offers customers a wide variety of products and services, including grocery and snack items, bakeries and convenience items, in addition to fuel. In 2003, Irving Oil became the first oil company to win a USEPA Clean Air Excellence award for its low-sulphur gasoline.

For more information about Irving Oil, visit www.irvingoil.com.

Media Contacts:

Jennifer Parker
Irving Oil
(506) 202-2992
jennifer.parker@irvingoil.com

Jill Baxter
Bayview Elementary School
(506) 658-5332
jill.baxter@nbed.nb.ca
bayview.nbed.nb.ca