One of New Brunswick’s top businessmen will receive honours from the University of Kings College in Halifax, N.S., next month.
John K.F. Irving is one of four other dignitaries to be awarded an honorary Doctor of Civil Law from the school.
As the president of Saint John-based company Ocean Capital Investments (OCI), he is being recognized for preserving buildings, archival objects of historical significance and sustaining local journalism.
OCI is the parent company of the Acadia Broadcasting Corporation, which owns 15 radio stations across New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Ontario, along with the online business news publication Huddle.
“Acadia Broadcasting’s media form a vital and increasingly rare network delivering local news, sports and entertainment radio to less densely-populated regions,” read a press release from the University of Kings College.
“Any one of the companies Irving has run — or been affiliated with — can be credited with making a substantial positive impact on communities spread across Canada.”
In May, others receiving honours include Nova Scotia politician Gordon Earle, Nova Scotia journalist Sherri Borden Colley and musician Chris “Old Man” Luedecke.