Community

The working forest helps communities to grow. It establishes roots in our communities, giving them a chance to flourish through support across areas like education, events and recreation.

Our community engagement takes many forms, whether through sponsoring community events or making the Crown land we manage accessible to the public. We also provide free public access to our four nature parks. Our donations help local food banks and other community organizations.

Our commitment to the community is also found in our efforts to recruit newcomers to work across our operations, boosting local population numbers. In Chipman, New Brunswick, we work with local partners to build housing for newcomers immigrating to join our operations, making sure they have a place to call home. We also support immigrants through the path to permanent residency.

DID YOU KNOW

Each year, the Irving Nature Park and Irving Eco-Centre: La Dune de Bouctouche draw hundreds of thousands of visitors.

ECONOMIC DRIVERS

COMMUNITY

ECONOMIC DRIVERS

The forestry sector is the number one contributor to New Brunswick’s economy. It’s a major driver of economic growth, by providing jobs, contributing to the tax base and generating local spending and private sector investments. The sector represents $2.8 billion in provincial exports and is responsible for 23,000 direct, indirect and induced jobs, making it a key player in keeping and increasing the number of jobs in the province.

DID YOU KNOW

70 per cent of New Brunswick municipalities have at least one forestry business.

BY THE NUMBERS

$2.8 BILLION

in provincial exports.

$1.4 BILLION

in employment income.

$458 MILLION

in provincial and local taxes and royalties.

23,000

direct, indirect and induced jobs (1 in 18 New Brunswickers)

A TRADITION OF FORESTRY

COMMUNITY

A TRADITION OF FORESTRY

FORESTRY IN NEW BRUNSWICK

Now, as in the past, New Brunswick’s greatest resource is its abundant trees, covering 85 per cent of the province’s land area.

Many New Brunswickers have family ties, whether present or historic, to the forestry sector. After all, it’s an industry that goes back centuries. Maybe it’s through stories of grandfathers spending their winters in the woods harvesting lumber or manning the log drive come spring in days past, or through the approximately 23,000 people working in forestry-related jobs in New Brunswick today.

The province got its start in the forest trade in the early 1800s, providing wood for British naval ships amid the Napoleonic Wars.¹ Forestry in New Brunswick would grow from there, supplying wood closer to home, not just for a burgeoning home-grown shipbuilding industry, but also for pulp and paper mills.²

Now more than 200 years later, forestry is New Brunswick’s largest economic driver, with $2.8 billion in provincial exports and 23,000 forestry-related jobs. Today, the sector uses modern practices that balance environmental, social and economic benefits.

Through careful environmental stewardship, the forestry sector can carry New Brunswick into the future, fulfilling a growing demand for renewable consumer products as the world shifts to a green economy.

“THE RIVERS WERE OUR HIGHWAYS”

The annual log drive was a familiar site in New Brunswick for more than 100 years, where the province’s far-reaching river network acted as a highway system for felled logs. Logs were cut during the winter months, then set adrift down New Brunswick’s rivers when the spring thaw came, destined for sawmills, shipyards and ports.³

At a time before automobiles and highways, New Brunswick’s rivers provided the best means of transportation through the province, transforming into a conveyer for logs each spring.

Each winter, New Brunswick men would go to the woods, living in logging camps that dotted the province’s forests. Felled trees were moved to the sides of rivers, awaiting the spring log drive. Once the ice broke, nimble log drivers would then be tasked with the often-dangerous job of directing the timber downriver, stepping from log to log with nothing but a pole to keep their balance.

The last log drive on the upper St. John River took place in 1966.

A TRADITION OF OVER 140 YEARS

Ours is a tradition going back more than 140 years, starting with our first sawmill in Bouctouche, New Brunswick in 1882. Company founder James Dergavel Irving (J.D. Irving), an innovator dedicated to continuous improvement, carried on the trailblazing footsteps of his grandparents, who immigrated to New Brunswick from Scotland.

At first the business comprised a sawmill, gristmill, carding machine, general store, lumber business and farm. Eldest son Kenneth Collin Irving (K.C. Irving) would take the business in new directions, into the transportation, shipbuilding, construction and retail spheres.

Forestry continues to be a major part of what we do. We planted our first tree in Black Brook, New Brunswick in 1957, embarking into our reforestation and tree improvement program under the leadership of James K. Irving (J.K. Irving). In 2018, we planted our one billionth tree, marking a Canadian national record.

Today we have operations across New Brunswick and in Nova Scotia, Ontario, Maine, New York and Georgia. As we continue to grow and evolve, one tradition remains the same: that of a great team, working together to find a better way, every day.

1 History - Natural Resources - New Brunswick (gnb.ca)

2 Provincial Archives of New Brunswick (gnb.ca)

3 Provincial Archives of New Brunswick (gnb.ca)

THE NEXT GENERATION

COMMUNITY

THE NEXT GENERATION

Building strong communities means investing in our future. Each year, we support thousands of students through scholarships and educational initiatives.

To local universities and colleges, our contributions include capital fundraising campaign, donations, scholarships and our support of education and skilled trade programs. Through PALS (Partners Assisting Local Schools), we focus on helping young children succeed, supporting efforts to motivate local youth along future education and career pathways close to home.