Firestone tower

This old fire hydrant and the tall tower seen in behind, emblazoned with the Firestone Company name, are pretty much all that’s left of a tire plant that once operated in Calgary. In production from 1960-1978. the factory lands are for the most part an empty field, siting next to a busy thoroughfare, the tower seen by huge numbers of passing motorists each and every day.

These remains remind us that Calgary at one time had an industrial base, albeit a small one, not related to oil and gas. Exactly why the factory closed is not yet known. We’re heard the blanket phrase “changing markets” tossed about, but what exactly does that mean here? If the city has plans for the land, a small part of which today is used for transit parking, they’re being tight lipped about it.

A company jingle from the time the Calgary plant was in operation…

    Wherever wheels are rolling,
    No matter what the load,
    The name that’s known is Firestone,
    Where the rubber meets the road!

Check out these interesting remains…
Blackfoot Farmer’s Market

Short Subjects: reports that for any number of reasons are brief in nature. They might be updates to older articles, previews of posts planned or not yet published, brief snippets of things that don’t fit in anywhere else or subjects that are so obscure that information on them can’t be found.

If you need any more information on what we talked about here, by all means contact us!

Date of adventure: March, 2015.
Location: Calgary, AB.
All the places seen in this report are publicly accessible.

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Firestone Tower Calgary

A tower and hydrant, remains of the Firestone Factory in Calgary.

8 responses

  1. raemsbrian says:

    I can’t remember where I heard it years ago, but there was an announcement that the land was so contaminated by PCBs that no one could build on it.

  2. m_williams says:

    Pretty cool Chris. it is one of those places you drive by all the time and take for granted.

    • I know, I’ve been passing it for years and really didn’t think much of it.

      • Steve Tarzwell says:

        Hi Chris, I see this story is from 2015. Any recent updates on the land or Firestone Tower? Would be nice if whatever land use is decided, the tower could be left a part of it. Calgary has done that somewhat in the past few years. Steve Tarzwell

        • Steve, so nice to hear from you. Heard nothing, so for now it’s a wait and see. I suspect the tower will be hanging around for the time being at least if not longer. If they wanted it gone, it would be gone.

  3. George Stringham says:

    I remember the Firestone plant, and the Willard Battery plant. Both are gone now… Some call it progress…

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