East Ottawa Star
Published: Friday, April 24, 2009 

Hydro could be an election issue

Apart from folks chatting with me about the Orly’s nominations in recent weeks (see below), the issue of the reliability of our local hydro service has re-emerged on the issues radar screen in a big way.

From quick conversation with our local MPP to a chance run-in with a neighbour at the gas station to an e-mail exchange with a reader all in the space of seven hours, there are plenty of folks who are steamed about consistent power interruptions and outages, courtesy of Hydro One.

The spikes and outages are not routine, to be fair, but neither are they once-a-year, rare occurrences. In 2008 alone I can count about 10 occasions when I returned home to see the alarm clocks flashing and the old VCR lights on the blink. Not to mention a few mornings when the sleep-in was great but the mad rush to reschedule early-morning meetings or quickly arrange call-in numbers wasn’t too much fun.

Speaking of a call-in number, don’t try calling Hydro One for explanations when things go down. Finding a live voice or even a recorded explanation is like trying to win the 6/49. It reminds of that recent commercial … “me want to speak to human, please!!!” The 1-800 line is in Markham but it might as well be in Mumbai (with a zillion other call centres) or Marrakesh for all the clarity it provides.

As a result of amalgamation back in 2000, old Cumberland (and points south and east) customers remained with Hyrdo One while most other parts of the city were brought into the Hydro Ottawa fold. Sadly, sporadic negotiations between the Hydro Ottawa (owned by the city) and Hydro One have not resulted in an agreement on a selling price that Hydro Ottawa will fork over.

Ottawa-Orléans MPP Phil McNeely has publicly mused about asking provincial Energy Minister George Smitherman – and Phil is his parliamentary secretary – to appoint an independent arbitrator to settle the dispute between the two utilities and arrive at a price. And if the two utilities can’t arrive at a deal on their own, then maybe this is the way to go.

The bottom line is we are paying more than Hydro Ottawa customers – I remember reviewing this issue during my time in the mayor’s office – and the service is inferior. Watch this file move in the weeks and months to come in advance of next November’s municipal election.

ORLY NOMINATIONS CONTINUE

Just to remind you, voting for the first annual Orly awards continues.

The Barley Mow has surpassed Lapointe’s for the best local fish & chips. Gabriel’s Orléans Favourite (mmm, extra cheese and bacon) now reigns in the best pizza category while Fritomania remains atop for best poutine. As for best shawarma, Tyros Lebanese has shot into the lead.

I continue to sample the nominees but you can still vote at orleansouttakes@transcontinental.ca. With four weeks left you should vote early and eat often.