The Irving family of New Brunswick has donated $5 million to the Saint Mary’s University Entrepreneurship Centre, with the money going towards hastening an already underway expansion.
The project is also being renamed the Arthur L. Irving Entrepreneurship Centre as part of the deal. Formally, the donors are Arthur, Sandra and Sarah Irving, as well as the Arthur L. Irving Family Foundation and Irving Oil.
The Entrepreneurship Centre offers a range of programming for budding entrepreneurs, including entrepreneurship training and pitch competitions, in addition to available financial backing.
Once built, the new facility will be the “centrepiece” of the $43-million Sobeys Inspiration Hub, which is scheduled to open in the fall. The under-construction Centre will also include startup support infrastructure such as a prototyping lab.
“At Irving Oil, we are proud to support a diverse network of students, where they will have access to mentorship from business experts, innovative technology and educational opportunities to help them realize their full potential,” said Irving Oil President Ian Whitcomb in a statement.
SMU’s new startup hub will not be the only academic institution to bear the Irving patriarch's name; Dartmouth College in the United States also has an Arthur L. Irving Institute for Energy & Society.
