For almost a century, the Irving family has run New Brunswick like a personal fiefdom. They own the newspapers, the industry, and, according to some, even the government. So how does a single family come to so thoroughly dominate an entire province? And what happens when that family starts to fracture and split apart at the seams?

Featured in this episode: Bruce Livesey (Thieves of Bay Street).

To learn more:

“Are the Irvings Canada’s biggest corporate welfare bums?” by Bruce Livesey in National Observer

Irving vs. Irving: Canada’s Feuding Billionaires and the Stories They Won’t Tell by Jacques Poitras

“Irving family’s fortunate son explains how he fell into a dark depression, and rose again” by Erin Anderssen” in The Globe and Mail

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This episode is sponsored by Freshbooks and Leesa.

Additional music:

I dunno by grapes (c) copyright 2008 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. Ft: J Lang, Morusque

“A List of Ways to Die” by Lee Rosevere, “Easy Life” by Lee Rosevere, and “Androids Always Escape” by Chris Zabriskie, adapted.