WCTD Mourns Pioneering Former Executive Director Olive Storey
Western Canada Tire Dealers is deeply saddened to announce that Olive Storey, former WCTD Executive Director and former owner of Advanx Tire, passed away in Winnipeg on January 22, 2018.
Ms. Storey was widely regarded as a ground-breaker, in that she was among the first women to hold a senior executive position in the tire industry in North America.
Born in Vancouver in 1927, in 1950 Olive married Gord Storey, Dunlop Tires Western Sales Manager. Gord later purchased multi branch Advanx Tire, and also established a wholesale division, Astro Tire Distributors BC Ltd. Olive Storey joined the company and became office manager, until Gord Storey passed away unexpectedly in 1972.
Determined to carry on, Olive ran Advanx Tire for several years. The first female general manager of an independent tire company in Canada, she expanded the retail network and modernized existing facilities, including the head office.
She once credited the company’s survival and success to “great store managers and many committed employees.”
Advanx Tire was purchased by Kal Tire in 1981.
In 1983 Ms. Storey was approached by by Western Canada Tire Dealers and Retreaders Association (now WCTD) to become executive director. She agreed, and thus became the continent’s first female tire association executive director. It was a position that she held for 15 years. During that period she helped shape WCTD into one of the most successful associations anywhere in the industry.
When, in 2011, Olive was inducted into the WCTD Hall of Fame, the late Don Blythe commented:
“It is my opinion there has not been anyone before or after who has contributed more, including financially, to the success of WCTD than Olive Storey…. She put WCTD on the map.”
WCTD extends its sincere condolences to the family.
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A celebration of Olive Storey’s life, conducted by her nephew Father Michael Storey, will be held on Saturday March 3, 2018 at 2 pm at Chapel Lawn Memorial Gardens, 4000 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg, MB. A reception will follow. A memorial service and Internment will be held in West Vancouver in mid May (details to follow).