Claims of recent fires at historic Bowmanville industrial property called ‘misinformation’

Misinformation spread on local community social media sites has been a problem in Clarington of late, especially during an election year, with Mayor Adrian Foster and Regional Councillor Granville Anderson already on record declaring the seeds of hate and division being sown has to stop.

But that misinformation has also been applied to the historic Goodyear property just south of downtown Bowmanville due for development, where fires have been reported and magnified by users of community Facebook sites this month.

The problem is, the fires never happened, said the municipality, with a direct message on the town’s website: “In June 2026, there was no fire at the site. Information circulating on social media was not accurate.”

The rumours, however, have continued for weeks and amplified by Facebook site members, many with unusually low numbers of followers.

Clarington Fire did respond to a large fire in one of the vacant buildings on the Goodyear lands in October 2025. At that time, the provincial Ministry of the Environment attended to evaluate environmental conditions, conduct testing in the local waterway, and work with the property owner on any required follow-up actions.

There have not been any fires reported at the site since.

October fire at Goodyear plant in Bowmanville

Under provincial legislation, when a brownfield property is redeveloped for new use, property owners and redevelopers must meet specific requirements to assess environmental site conditions and demonstrate the property meets applicable standards. This process is governed by regulations under the Environmental Protection Act and must comply with requirements and standards established by the Ministry of the Environment. The municipality also regulates the importation of fill onto the site to ensure that the source and quality of material is safe.

The Goodyear lands contain the former Goodyear manufacturing plant, which operated for nearly a century before closing in 2016. Today, the 15.5-hectare brownfield site is privately owned, with plans for its future use under consideration.

Clarington’s planning vision for the site includes a vibrant mixed-use community with new housing and employment opportunities, as well as improved connections to the surrounding natural heritage system and downtown Bowmanville.

The Biglieri Group has submitted applications on behalf of Lifelong Group of Companies Inc. (the property owner) for a zoning change and a Draft Plan of Subdivision. The proposal seeks to redevelop the Goodyear lands with multiple high-density, mixed-use blocks.

A public meeting was held in May to gather community feedback and the application remains under review, with no decisions made on the proposal.

Clarington has been working for several years to address safety, security and compliance concerns at the Raynes Avenue property, using available municipal enforcement to protect public safety and support the responsible demolition and remediation of the site.

Clarington Fire conducted ongoing inspections and issued multiple inspection orders related to site security, said Foster. Charges were laid in 2023 for non-compliance with a fire code inspection, with the matter going to trial in 2024.

The charges were dismissed after the court determined the owner had taken “reasonable steps” to secure the building.

In November 2024 the municipality became aware of unauthorized demolition activity and issued an Order to Comply. Demolition activity ceased. Notices were also issued requiring the owner to secure the site due to safety and fire hazard concerns.

A demolition permit was issued for the main industrial building in February 2025 and in October, after the fire, an Order to Remedy an Unsafe Building already approved for demolition was issued. The property owner has appealed to the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, and the matter remains before the courts.

Clarington staff continue to actively monitor the site for compliance through weekly inspections. Status inspections have also been implemented on Mondays and Fridays to identify security breaches before and after weekends so they can be addressed promptly.

If you see any safety or security concerns on this site report them through the Service Clarington portal. More information on the proposed development is available at www.clarington.net/45RaynesAve.