Premature demolition at Goodyear property in Bowmanville has Clarington mayor fired up

Unsanctioned demolition activity at the former Goodyear plant in Bowmanville has detonated a bit of a firestorm in Clarington, with the municipality putting a stop to the work “as soon as it was made aware.”

Clarington council approved the demolition of all but three buildings on the site – the oldest dates back to 1897 – last year to make way for a mixed-use development but Clarington Mayor Adrian Foster said no demolition permit has been issued and no development plan has been approved for the site.

“We expect our partners in the development community to work in collaboration with us to ensure redevelopment is environmentally responsible,” Foster said. “I have requested that staff use every tool available to us to ensure all required measures are in place for demolition, in accordance with provincial regulations, to protect the local environment and neighbours in the area.”

The concern is about hazardous substances that may be present on the site from years of industrial activity and Foster said staff issued an Order to Comply to building owners Karmina Development under the Ontario Building Code. The mayor said demolition activity has since ceased, adding that Clarington Fire and Emergency Services has also issued several notices to require the owner to secure the site due to safety and fire hazard concerns.

Clarington staff are “actively discussing” the situation with the property owner, as well as the provincial government and Durham Region’s Health department, to “evaluate safety and environmental concerns,” he added. The municipality also intends to hire an independent expert to monitor the site and provide reassurance that the property owner is following safe and legal methods of demolition.

“Clarington Council is committed to responsible growth—supporting economic development while protecting the environment,” he said.

Goodyear Plant, Bowmanville in 1917

The former Goodyear lands are located within the Bowmanville East Urban Centre Secondary area, which is currently being updated, with a return date at council next month.

The plan provides policies that will guide development in the area, including environmental studies specific to the Goodyear lands.

Karmina Developments, represented by the Biglieri Group, agreed in June of 2023 to work with the municipality to try to preserve the Cement House (Building 27), the Powerhouse (Building 1), and the Chimney Stack for its Goodyear Village development proposal and that a salvage plan and other necessary documents would be provided before any demolition would take place.

Calls to the Biglieri Group were not returned.

Goodyear Tire & Rubber, which was founded in Akron, Ohio in 1898, expanded to Bowmanville in 1910 when the company bought the existing Durham Rubber Company and the plant employed as many as 2,200 workers at its peak during the Second World War.

A series of layoffs in subsequent years reduced the workforce to about 100 by the time the plant hit the century mark and slowdowns in the mining, coal and tar sands sector – the major markets for the conveyor belts made at the time in Bowmanville – contributed to the closure of the plant (now operated by ContiTech Continental) in 2016.

The abandoned 36.8-acre site at 45 Raynes Avenue, which was listed for sale in 2018 for $19.8 million, made the news last year when two fires just 42 hours apart – one determined to be deliberately set – had the Clarington Fire Department on alert, with Fire Chief David Speed warning the owners of the vacant building to ensure there is round-the-clock security to prevent further acts of vandalism and arson.

Goodyear Village mixed-use development proposal