Philanthropy: Irving couple explains motivation for helping others

SAINT JOHN - Arthur and Sandra Irving will be recognized for being outstanding philanthropists on Friday as they accept honorary doctor of letters degrees from the University of New Brunswick, Saint John, during its 27th Fall Convocation.

It's an honour that Arthur Irving, president of Irving Oil, says he's flattered to receive.

"I certainly wasn't looking for any special recognition. UNB is a great university in New Brunswick, and everybody in the province is proud of it," he said. "Whenever we can do a little extra, it's nice to be able to do it."

His wife, Sandra, says she's getting more excited as convocation draws near.

"My first degree was from UNBSJ, and I hold them in very high regard. To receive a degree from them means a lot to me," she said. "It's about helping other people and not necessarily about myself, and that makes me feel good about accepting it."

A native of Saint John, Arthur Irving joined Irving Oil in 1953. Since becoming president of the company in 1972, he has expanded Irving Oil into markets in New England and Eastern Quebec, building the brand into the market-share leader throughout the Northeast.

His contributions to the region go far beyond his business leadership. Hundreds of organizations throughout Atlantic Canada have benefitted from Irving's philanthropy, and his commitment to the environment extends outside his corporate interests.

In 1996, he became chancellor of Acadia University in Wolfville, N.S., and in the fall of 2002 the K.C. Irving Environmental Science Centre and the Harriet Irving Botanical Gardens were officially dedicated and turned over to Acadia University.

Sandra Irving has a bachelor of arts degree with distinction from UNB and a master of arts in political science from the University of Toronto. A strong proponent of creating opportunities for UNB students, she established the Sandra Irving Scholarship and the Primrose Scholarship. From 1998 to 2002, she served on UNB's Board of Governors, including chair of the external relations committee.

Over the years, Sandra Irving has supported many non-profit organizations, serving as chair of the New Brunswick Junior Achievers Business Hall of Fame, on whose board she continues to serve, and she has been a board member of the New Brunswick Region 2 Health Authority, the McGill Institute for Canadian Studies, the Theatre New Brunswick Foundation Inc., D.A.R.E. (Drug Awareness Resistance Education), Dialogue New Brunswick and the Boys and Girls Club of Saint John. This year, she was honorary chair of the 11th annual Rocmaura Nursing Home Foundation Gala. In recognition of her many volunteer and public service activities, Sandra Irving was awarded the Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal in 2003.

The UNBSJ campus is where Sandra Irving, a passionate learner, has met some of her best friends.

"That means a lot. We still get together, we run together, and we still talk about issues. The whole pursuance of knowledge opened my eyes," she says.

It's important to her to help others academically, she said, especially when many students work full-time and juggle their school work.

"Hopefully, by recognizing their achievement and rewarding them with scholarship, that instills the confidence that students need."

A few months ago, after interviewing four finalists for a scholarship, Sandra Irving found it difficult to choose.

"I went home that night and I was really sad the next morning. I said to Arthur, 'I feel really bad because all four of those students deserved the scholarship,' and without even thinking, he said, 'You should give it to all four.' And that's what we did."

Supporting folks doing what they love comes naturally to Arthur and Sandra Irving. For instance, they were on hand to congratulate runner Chris Brake, who blew away the rest of the field and set the course record at the Kennebecasis Valley Challenge Marathon earlier this week.

"Alex Coffin and super runners like he and Chris Brake go out and run hundreds of miles a week. In their way, they're trying to realize their own dream and they give us reasons to cheer too, so we go out and cheer for them," Sandra Irving said.

But there's also a lot happening behind the scenes.

"Most of what we do to help people is probably personal," she said. "It's not tangible. People don't see it. We help people because there are reasons to help people. Arthur and I like to help as much as we can. If people are trying to achieve, then we want to be there."

Friday's convocation starts at 4:30 p.m. at the Imperial Theatre.

Meanwhile, H.E.A. (Eddy) Campbell will officially be installed as UNB's 18th president and vice-chancellor in Fredericton today at the 55th convocation beginning at 4:30 p.m. at the Aitken University Centre. His installation will be confirmed at the Saint John ceremony.

Combined, the two UNB campuses will graduate nearly 700 students.

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This article originally appeared in the Telegraph-Journal on October 22, 2009.