Irving family
| Rank: | 5 |
| Networth: | $5.3 billion |
| Location: | Saint John, N.B. |
| 2006 Rank: | 3 |
The autumn court battle between the Irving family's Brunswick News and its former employee William Kenneth Langdon, ex-publisher of the Woodstock Bugle-Observer, has prompted politicians to call for an examination into the Irvings' New Brunswick media empire. Brunswick News owns all the dailies and most weeklies in the province and in October effectively attempted?but failed?to quash Langdon's efforts to start competitor Carleton Free Press. Due to a succession impasse, the family is reportedly moving to break up its 125-year-old empire, consisting of forestry, retail, trucking, media and energy properties.