The Wealthiest New Brunswickers
Canadian Business magazine has released its list of Canada’s richest people. Two New Brunswick families made the cut.
Let’s be honest, it’s not really breaking news. You probably know who they are.
The Saint John-based Irving family ranked 7th nationally with a net worth the magazine estimates at $7.65 billion. They are down two spots from last year’s results, coming in ahead of Montreal’s Desmarais family. The magazine calls the Irvings “one of Canada’s most dynastic companies,” although in reality the three branches of the family now operate their businesses independently.
Canadian Business wrote that Irving Oil’s involvement in the Energy East pipeline garnered it attention, as did the family of Arthur Irving’s $80 million donation to New Hampshire’s Dartmouth College to launch the Arthur L. Irving Institute for Energy and Society.
Also on the list are the McCains of Florenceville, the family behind the eponymous frozen food giant, with the Harrison McCain family ranked 19th with a net worth estimated at $3.71 billion. The Estate of Wallace McCain, who was behind Toronto-based Maple Leaf Foods, comes in at 17th with a net worth of $4.08 billion. Wallace McCain took over Maple Leaf Foods in 1995 after an acrimonious split with his brother Harrison.
In Nova Scotia, the grocery store empire of the Sobey family landed them in the 38th spot on the list, while Seafood magnate John Risley, the self-made man behind Clearwater Seafoods, comes in at 70th, just ahead of fellow Bluenoser Kenneth Rowe of IMP, with John Bragg, of Oxford Frozen Foods and Eastlink fame, reaching the 86th spot.
You can read the full list on Canadian Business.