A man enters the Goodyear Tire manufacturing plant in Brier Park area of Medicine Hat on Monday. The facility reopened for production in early June after all of the company's global facilities were closed in early April due to the coronavirus pandemic. -- NEWS PHOTO COLLIN GALLANT
A portion of 10th Avenue, N.W. will be renamed “Goodyear Way” to both honour the tire manufacturer’s 60th year of operation in Medicine Hat, as well as provide an address that makes sense on a map.
City council approved an administrative committee proposal on Monday night that will see the plant, at present located officially at 1271 12 Street, N.W., have its addressing location changed to 10th Ave. The portion of that avenue south of Brier Park Road will be renamed for the company that requested the change to No. 1 Goodyear Way, N.W.
“This renaming would recognize the long-term efforts by hundreds or associates (workers) over six decades of production,” wrote the plant’s human resources manager, Doug Schwartz, in the request letter.
He states many of the company’s other facilities have been addressed on “Goodyear Way” in their respective locations, and it corresponds to a corporate slogan.
According to the official request, when plant construction began in 1959, it was at the end of 12th Street. The half section of land was addressed at 12th Street and 12th Avenue, even though main access and the parking lot face 10th Avenue.
After the development of Brier Park Road, however, the western stretches of 12th Street were removed and the current address doesn’t correspond with any point on maps or GPS systems.
The tire plant is the only business on the road, and the municipal naming committee agreed the change would not result in confusion.
Another item approved was the naming committee at Monday’s meeting designates the main road in the planned southwest community of Coulee Ridge as Coulee Ridge Drive.
