Wind Storm Restoration Efforts

A message from Max Cananzi, President and CEO, Horizon Utilities

Dear Valued Customers:

Wind Storm Photos - Click here

The state of emergency is now over. All customers who have reported outages to us have had their power restored.

Horizon Utilities extends a sincere thank you to all customers for their patience during this challenging situation. We certainly appreciate the inconvenience and frustration that comes with being without power for an extended period of time. We have received numerous calls from customers expressing their thanks and appreciation for the tremendous restoration efforts undertaken by our workers, and for that we thank you. The support has been greatly appreciated by our employees.

At the storm's peak, we had more than 33,000 or 60% of customers in St. Catharines without power, and 9,000 or 18% of customers in Hamilton without power, due to damage caused by the powerful winds.

To address this devastation in our communities, we executed a swift and co-ordinated response. We dispatched more than 200 workers; called in assistance from neighbouring utilities; hired additional contract crews; and extended the hours of operation in our Call Centre.

Our internal staff also worked tirelessly to support the efforts in the field and to take customers calls as quickly and efficiently as possible. Our dedicated employees worked around the clock in shifts since the storm hit on Thursday, April 28, until the last customer was reconnected. The weather conditions weren't always favourable during the restoration, but our crews worked day and night because we value our customers and understand the responsibility and importance that comes with being the local electricity distribution company for our community.

The level of damage inflicted in our communities, particularly in St. Catharines, was unprecedented. Please follow the link provided to view photos of the damage sustained. Wind Storm Photos.

Sincerely,

Max Cananzi
President & CEO
Horizon Utilities Corporation