Pure dedication: Arthur Irving's legacy of conservation

Ducks Unlimited Canada’s conservation community of supporters, volunteers and staff was deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Arthur Irving on May 13, 2024. Mr. Irving’s commitment to the environment extended well outside his corporate interests and initiatives. An avid sportsman and outdoor enthusiast, his accomplishments include 25+  years’ service on DUC’s board of directors, two of those as president. As president, he led efforts to sign the North American Waterfowl Management Plan in 1986, which dramatically expanded wetland conservation efforts continentally. We remember with gratitude Arthur Irving’s his visionary leadership and extend our deepest condolences to his wife Sandra, daughter Sarah, extended family, friends and colleagues. In his honour, we are proud to republish this article which first appeared in Conservator magazine in 2013. 

Where his conservation journey began

Irving’s relationship with DUC began in 1976, when his uncle Leigh Stevenson, a DUC director from Vancouver, B.C., encouraged him to get involved. “He loved hunting and the outdoors and his dog,” Irving says of his uncle, “and he was a very big influence in my life.”

At that time, DUC was smaller and funded by Ducks Unlimited Incorporated in the U.S. Irving describes attending a meeting in Manitoba shortly after he joined with only 10 or 15 people sitting around the table. But as DUC grew, so did Irving’s passion for wetland conservation. In his more than three decades with DUC, he’s spearheaded many major projects.

In 1986, while serving as president of the DUC board, the North American Waterfowl Management Plan was signed by the Canadian and U.S. governments. The Plan aims to restore dwindling waterfowl populations to their 1970s levels.

In 1996, Irving was also a leader in creating the Ducks Unlimited Conservation Centre in Fredericton, New Brunswick, contributing significantly to its construction and design. Sitting on the north bank of the St. John River, the Centre is the region’s conservation hub. It is also where DUC’s Project Webfoot education program was launched in Atlantic Canada.

“Arthur was convinced DUC needed to have higher profile in the province,” says Geoff Harding, head of major projects in the Atlantic Canada. “Arthur was determined that we needed to have a building to engage the public, so he donated a piece of property to DUC right on the river in downtown Fredericton.”

A commitment to wetland science

Irving’s most recent initiative with DUC is the establishment of the Beaubassin Research Centre on the Tantramar Marsh near Aulac, N.B.

A stark white farmhouse stands out against the lush marshland on an historic crossroad of English, Acadian and Mi’kmaq settlements near the New Brunswick and Nova Scotia border, and not far from Prince Edward Island. Beaubassin officially opened Aug. 29, 2012 and is a joint project between DUC, Irving Oil and Acadia University. It serves as a meeting place, and offers DUC, Acadia and other Atlantic university scientists and students the chance to study historical and environmental issues to help build a sustainable future for the Maritimes.

“The present and future of the Beaubassin Research Centre is very important to me, in better understanding our past, and how it defines us,” says Irving, “as well as understanding our responsibility to protect the environment.”

While all three organizations involved in the project helped make it a success, president of Acadia University, Ray Ivany says Irving’s tenacity spurred the whole thing.

“We’re all very proud of the project, but the force behind it was singularly Mr. Irving’s,” says Ivany. “He clearly understood what it could mean in terms of the wetland restoration Ducks was interested in, and had a vision for it as a field research station that could anchor a lot of opportunity for our students.”

Irving is a loyal Maritimer, and many close to him say that his passion for conservation stems from his commitment to Atlantic Canada. Conserving a wetland is conserving a piece of his home.

“He is a deeply committed New Brunswicker, and has a passion for his region that is genuine,” says Savoie, adding later, “He believes in nature and in the environment. He cares about it deeply, and there’s no half-measure in him.”