Major contribution advances capital campaign
Saint John’s proposed multiplex expansion has received a $3-million commitment from Irving Oil, giving organizers another substantial contribution as they work to bring the more than $70-million project to the construction stage. The company announced the donation Monday at the Irving Oil Field House, the existing facility beside which the new development is planned.
The contribution raises the amount secured for the project to approximately $51 million, according to Bill MacMackin. Organizers say that represents about three-quarters of the money required. Discussions with the provincial government are continuing, although the available announcement did not provide further details about those talks or set a construction date.
Irving Oil has been connected to the facility since the Field House opened in 2019. The company previously provided $2 million, an arrangement that included naming rights for the Field House. Under the latest agreement, Irving Oil will also receive naming rights for the multiplex portion of the expanded complex.
What the proposed expansion would include
The addition is expected to be built beside and linked to the current Field House. Its proposed amenities would extend beyond ice sports, creating a combination of recreation, community and family-oriented services in one development. The project plan includes two ice surfaces built to NHL dimensions, a branch of the public library, child-care space and multipurpose community areas, along with other recreational facilities.
- Two NHL-sized ice surfaces;
- A public library branch;
- Child-care space;
- Multipurpose community areas and additional recreation amenities.
The two ice surfaces will be named in honour of Arthur Irving and K.C. Irving. Jeff Matthews, Irving Oil’s president and chief executive officer, said the company’s new contribution continues its relationship with the project and the Field House. He also described the naming of the surfaces as a way to recognize the legacies of the two men.
“We’re further happy to announce that we’ve decided to honour the legacies of Mr. Irving and his father, K.C. Irving, in naming the two ice surfaces.”
Funding remains the next milestone
MacMackin said the latest donation builds on what he described as a longstanding partnership between Irving Oil and the project. The earlier relationship began with the development and operation of the Field House and is now expanding to the proposed multiplex. The new pledge is therefore both a financial contribution and a formal role for the company in the identity of the next facility.
| Project measure | Amount or detail |
|---|---|
| New Irving Oil contribution | $3 million |
| Earlier Irving Oil contribution | $2 million |
| Funding secured to date | About $51 million |
| Overall project target | More than $70 million |
The funding figures leave organizers focused on securing the balance needed before work can proceed. With about $51 million identified toward a target above $70 million, the Irving Oil announcement moves the campaign forward but does not complete it. The project’s next steps will depend on continued fundraising and the outcome of ongoing discussions with the provincial government.
For Saint John residents, the proposal represents a planned expansion of an existing community facility rather than a standalone venue. If completed, it would add ice capacity while bringing library, child-care and flexible community space into the same connected complex. For now, the latest corporate commitment marks progress toward that broader development, while the remaining funding requirement continues to be the central question before construction can begin.
