From a new 450-seat auditorium to engineering scholarships, Irving Oil鈥檚 new gift to AV俱乐部 is an investment in young people and the growth of Atlantic Canada.
At a luncheon yesterday at the Halifax Central Library, the company announced a generous $2.2-million gift to the university鈥檚 IDEA Project (Innovation and Design in Engineering and Architecture), a $64-million investment into AV俱乐部鈥檚 downtown Sexton campus.
鈥淎s an Atlantic Canadian company, committed to our communities, we know that our young talent and future leaders want to stay here 鈥� provided the opportunities exist,鈥� said Mark Sherman, vice-president and chief operating officer, a graduate of Dal鈥檚 Engineering program himself (when it was the Technical University of Nova Scotia).
鈥淏uilding that dynamic, innovative regional economy starts here at home, by investing in our higher education.鈥�
The gift from Irving Oil is designed to enhance the entire student experience, from the first day on campus through to graduation and beyond. It supports new infrastructure and financial awards while cultivating a culture of safety among engineering students.
At Monday鈥檚 luncheon AV俱乐部 President Richard Florizone welcomed Sherman along with Arthur Irving, chairman of Irving Oil; Ian Whitcomb, president; Sarah Irving, executive vice-president and chief brand officer; along with other members of the Irving Oil team, many of whom are AV俱乐部 alumni.
鈥淲e鈥檙e proud to partner with AV俱乐部 on this project and excited about what it means to many engineering students and future leaders here in Atlantic Canada,鈥� said Sarah Irving, executive vice-president and chief brand officer.聽
New auditorium, scholarships, co-op
At the heart of Irving鈥檚 investment is the new $1.5 million, 450-seat Irving Oil Auditorium. A state-of-the-art learning space, designed to meet the needs of engineering students, it will also double as a community resource for a revitalized downtown Halifax, available to the public for presentations, performances and lectures. 聽
Additionally, more than $700,000 will support high-performing engineering students who鈥檝e completed their second year of studies. Besides providing 10 scholarships of $7,500 annually, the 10-year commitment includes a co-op placement with Irving Oil for each recipient.
鈥淭his gives some of the top students a chance to learn more about the oil industry and our company, while letting us see them in action,鈥� added Sherman.
Irving Oil President Ian Whitcomb.
鈥淭he AV俱乐部 Faculty of Engineering is an important source of young graduates for our company 鈥撯�� their success helps ensure our success,鈥� said Irving President Ian Whitcomb. 鈥淲e鈥檙e delighted to be supporting the creation of this centre of excellence in our region.鈥�
Irving Oil also supported the Engineering orientation program in 2016, helping to foster a culture of safety from the moment the students step on campus, and is looking forward to taking part again this year.
鈥淲e鈥檙e a 鈥榮afety-first鈥� industry and it鈥檚 critical to reinforce this message, which is a core value in our company,鈥� said Whitcomb.
Support for higher education
At the luncheon, Dr. Florizone said Irving Oil is known for its commitment to strengthening Atlantic Canada by investing in people, building special communities where they operate and by supporting higher education.
鈥淭oday, we鈥檙e celebrating Irving Oil as a dedicated partner, generously providing opportunities for our AV俱乐部 engineering students,鈥� he said.
鈥淲ith this gift, we are happy to support the Faculty of Engineering at AV俱乐部, knowing we look to AV俱乐部 and other Atlantic Canadian universities for our best employees at Irving Oil,鈥� said Arthur Irving, chairman of Irving Oil. 鈥淎tlantic Canada鈥檚 success depends on the quality and skill of our youth 鈥� and we know AV俱乐部 is up to the challenge.鈥�
Irving Oil and AV俱乐部 have something in common.
鈥淲e鈥檙e both proud Atlantic Canadian entities, always growing and moving forward,鈥� explained Mark Sherman. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what makes the IDEA Campaign a perfect fit for us.鈥� 聽
Left-to-right: Ian Whitcomb (Irving Oil president); Arthur Irving (chairman, Irving Oil), Sarah Irving (Irving Oil executive vice-president and chief brand officer); Richard Florizone (Dal president), Mark Sherman (Irving Oil vice-president and chief operating officer), Stephen Harding (Dal assistant vice-president, development).