Oshawa Power is proud to announce that our organization was presented the Innovation Award at the 29th Annual Business Excellence Awards Gala by the Greater Oshawa Chamber of Commerce. This award recognizes some of our organization’s core values, the pursuit of Innovation and the Courage to Act.
Through our pursuits of digital transformation, grid automation, and low-carbon solutions, Oshawa Power is working to position our organization as a future-focused utility. Throughout 2023, these pursuits led to outcomes that improved service for the more than 63,000 homes and businesses we serve across the City of Oshawa.
“We are honoured to receive this award from the Greater Oshawa Chamber of Commerce, highlighting our pursuit of innovation, one of our core values. The Innovation Award is a testament to the continuing efforts of our team to become a leader in the electrical distribution industry. As we move forward through the accelerating energy transition, we understand that we must remain focused on preparing our grid for the future to enable growth and development in our community, while maintaining and improving on the level of service that our customers expect.”
– Daniel Arbour, President & CEO
These efforts include the expansion of our industry-leading SmartGrid in order to enable improvements in automation and remote control, leading to a reduction in outage frequency, duration, and response times. By expanding our SmartGrid and integrating additional infrastructure with our FLISR system, our team can pinpoint potential or existing faults in our system instantly, isolate problem areas, and restore power to customers, minimizing disruptions in our local power grid.
Innovation will also help us to build a more sustainable community for the future. In 2023, we worked to expand our EV charging network, increase awareness around transportation electrification, and entered a strategic partnership with Durham Region Transit to pilot electric buses across our region. These projects are aimed at modernizing our local transportation infrastructure, reducing fuel consumption, and lowering emissions.
Thank you to the Greater Oshawa Chamber of Commerce for hosting the 29th Annual Business Excellence Awards Gala recognizing the many great organizations across our city.
About Oshawa Power
Oshawa Power is dedicated to the evolving needs of our customers as a leading enabler of integrated critical energy and infrastructure. Oshawa Power is wholly owned by the great City of Oshawa.
Oshawa, ON – Oshawa Power and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 636 ratified a new three-year collective agreement. The collective agreement was not set to expire until February 2025 and was negotiated in advance. The new collective agreement provides union members with generous wage increases, as well as increases in benefits, premiums and allowances.
“This new three-year agreement was achieved in a collaborative and collegial manner and in keeping with our value of Care for People. I am equally grateful for our management teams and union representatives that worked together to reach a harmonious deal.”
– Daniel Arbour, President & CEO, Oshawa Power
Quick Facts
Oshawa Power and IBEW negotiations began on July 8, with meetings concluding on August 14.
New contract is set to start November 1, 2024 and will run through to November 1, 2027.
The IBEW represents approximately 38 Oshawa Power employees.
About Oshawa Power
Oshawa Power is dedicated to the evolving needs of our customers as a leading enabler of integrated critical energy and infrastructure. Oshawa Power is wholly owned by the great City of Oshawa.
Pictured (left to right): Oshawa Mayor Dan Carter, Oshawa Power President & CEO Daniel Arbour, The Honourable Sam Oosterhoff, Associate Minister of Energy-Intensive Industries, and Chair of the Economic & Development Services Committee Tito-Dante Marimpietri.
Oshawa, ON – This afternoon Oshawa Power welcomed The Honourable Sam Oosterhoff, Associate Minister of Energy-Intensive Industries, Oshawa Mayor Dan Carter, and Chair of the Economic & Development Services Committee Tito-Dante Marimpietri to 2072 Thornton Rd. N to announce plans for Oshawa Power’s new facility in North Oshawa.
This investment will consolidate all operational, administrative, and storage needs into one complex, allowing the local utility to overcome the logistical challenges of having departments spread across multiple buildings and storage yards and improving organizational efficiency. The new 6.5-acre site will feature a modern two-storey office complex of approximately 30,000 square feet, along with an equipment storage yard, warehouse, and vehicle garage.
Following a comprehensive needs assessment and site search, 2072 Thornton Rd. N was chosen for its proximity to Oshawa’s largest growth area and the site’s suitability to meet the utility’s operational needs. Construction is scheduled to commence no later than 2026, with completion and relocation from the current site at Metcalfe St. and Simcoe St. S anticipated in early 2027.
Oshawa Power is collaborating with a local architectural firm to ensure the building design meets accessibility, inclusivity, and sustainability goals. Preliminary renders have been developed, with final designs subject to further refinement during the design and construction phases.
Quotes
“We are thrilled to begin the process of moving to a new facility that will better accommodate our fleet, consolidate operations, and allow us to continue providing Oshawa with safe and reliable electricity for decades to come. We look forward to enhancing our service capabilities, fostering innovation, and supporting our community from our accessible, state-of-the-art facility.”
– Daniel Arbour, President & CEO, Oshawa Power
“This investment will enhance Oshawa Power’s logistical efficiency, allowing for better management and delivery of electricity as the city grows and energy demands increase. The Ontario government is committed to ensuring that all parts of our energy delivery system are efficient and ready to provide sustainable, reliable, and affordable power to our communities now and into the future. I am pleased to be here today to celebrate this important step toward a more resilient local energy infrastructure.”
– The Honourable Sam Oosterhoff, Associate Minister of Energy-Intensive Industries
“Our community has benefited greatly from a dedicated local electric utility over the past 130 years. As our economy and city continue to grow, Oshawa Power will play a critical role in supporting the development of the necessary infrastructure and capacity required for increased electrification. This new building is an exciting step forward.”
– Dan Carter, Mayor of the City of Oshawa
About Oshawa Power
Oshawa Power is dedicated to the evolving needs of our customers as a leading enabler of integrated critical energy and infrastructure. Oshawa Power is wholly owned by the great City of Oshawa.
Oshawa Power is warning customers to remain aware of an increase in scams targeting local electricity customers after the company has been notified of increasing fraudulent activity.
In this new scheme, customers are contacted by a number claiming to be a representative from Oshawa Power and threatening immediate disconnection of service unless payment is made. The fraudsters have set up a return number that mimics Oshawa Power’s automated phone system and will encourage customers to make payment immediately via direct e-transfer, cryptocurrency, or cash deposit.
Customers are reminded that Oshawa Power will not accept payment through direct e-transfer, cryptocurrency, cash deposit, or gift card. To learn more about available payment methods, click here.
Oshawa Power is also committed to working with customers to avoid disconnection and arrange a payment plan. To learn more about the disconnection process, click here.
If you receive a suspicious call from an individual claiming to be an Oshawa Power representative, you are encouraged to hang up immediately and contact Oshawa Power’s Customer Service Centre by phone at (905) 723-4626.
If you have been a victim of fraud, you are encouraged to contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501.
To learn more about energy scams and how to avoid them, please visit the Ontario Energy Board’s Energy Scams resource.
About Oshawa Power
Oshawa Power is dedicated to the evolving needs of our customers as a leading enabler of integrated critical energy and infrastructure. Oshawa Power is wholly owned by the great City of Oshawa.
For Oshawa Power updates, follow us on X, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
In 2023, Oshawa Power experienced 141 unplanned sustained outages due to various factors such as motor vehicle accidents, inclement weather, and loss of supply. Approximately 13% of these incidents, totaling 18 outages, were attributed to tree contact.
Tree-related outages occur when branches interfere with our overhead primary lines. The mechanism is straightforward: adverse weather conditions or other external factors can dislodge tree limbs, causing them to fall across our lines. If the branch spans multiple lines, this contact allows electricity to track across the foreign object, resulting in a fault. This fault triggers an upstream breaker or fuse to open, leading to power interruptions for a number of customers serviced by that supply. To preempt such disruptions, proactive maintenance plays a pivotal role.
Tree contacts spanning two conductors will cause a fault that results in a power outage.
Our Tree Trimming Program exemplifies this proactive approach. We segment our service territory into three regions, systematically patrolling primary lines to identify areas where local vegetation poses potential risks to our electrical infrastructure. Collaborating with utility arborists, we prioritize one region each year, ensuring comprehensive vegetation management across a three-year cycle.
“Given our extensive infrastructure weaving through densely vegetated areas across Oshawa, managing tree limbs near our power lines is critical. Our consistent Tree Trimming Program and thorough assessment of nearby trees and vegetation preemptively mitigate outage risks, fortifying grid reliability year-round—especially during severe weather conditions prone to limb breakage.”
– Kent Fulling, Manager, Distribution & Planning
Trimming operations commence annually in January, aiming to conclude major activities before foliage reaches peak growth. Often, seemingly innocuous vegetation can unexpectedly cause issues once fully leafed out. Even after completing scheduled trimming, our vigilance continues.
Our teams promptly address reported concerns from both our crews and customers, swiftly responding to mitigate potential hazards before they escalate into outages.
Recently introduced, our Issue Reporting Tool empowers customers to alert us to infrastructure concerns, including requests for tree trimming.
Issue Reporting Tool
Our new Issue Reporting tool will allow you to report issues with transformers and request tree trimming and pest control. If you notice an issue with our electrical grid, please click below to report it to our team.
Each year, our crews and certified arborists diligently trim hundreds, sometimes thousands, of branches to proactively prevent disruptions. As a cornerstone of our preventive maintenance strategy, the Tree Trimming Program exemplifies our commitment to enhancing reliability for residences, businesses, and critical institutions across Oshawa.
About Oshawa Power
Oshawa Power is dedicated to the evolving needs of our customers as a leading enabler of integrated critical energy and infrastructure. Oshawa Power is wholly owned by the great City of Oshawa.
The Group, comprised of Oshawa Power, EnerFORGE and Durham Broadband is pleased to announce the launch of its new Strategic Direction emphasizing partnership – with our customers, community, and service delivery partners and their impact to the sustainability of the grid; as well as a renewed focus on our vision, mission and values. As an organization, we honour our core values of safety, stewardship, innovation and customer focus. Every day we demonstrate care for people by working to earn the trust of our customers, staff and shareholder through consistently delivering value with reliability and affordability. We take pride in having the courage to act.
Vision: Be a trusted partner and leader in the energy sector today and tomorrow.
Mission: Empowering customers to thrive through the evolving energy transition.
Values: Safety, Care for People, Stewardship, Courage to Act, Innovation & Customer Focus.
“As we look to the future, we understand that our industry is experiencing a period of unprecedented change and to keep pace with the rapid evolution, we must consistently revisit our organizational strategy to ensure we are delivering services that meet the evolving needs of our customer base and shareholder. We are confident that our new strategy will help strengthen our organization and position the Oshawa Power Group of Companies as a trusted leader in the energy transition. We remain focused on delivering safe and reliable electricity to the residents and businesses that call Oshawa home while pursuing opportunities to not only strengthen our local grid, but develop new and innovative solutions that will help power a more sustainable tomorrow.”
– Daniel Arbour, President & CEO
The strategic plan reflects the Group’s response to several pivotal issues, intersecting trends, and pressure points in the operating environment. It means the organization must be deliberate and intentional with its focus and execution going forward.
They leverage our foundational strengths, including distribution expertise, innovation and collaborative approach. They also embrace an active role in the energy transformation, four our community and beyond, by creating conditions for success and building on traditional strengths with our sustainable advisory and energy solutions. Highlighted below are our four GRID Strategic Priorities:
Growing Green Energy Generation and Services
Realigning Priorities to achieve Consistent Stakeholder Value
Summer is right around the corner and Summer Time-of-Use (TOU) and Tiered Pricing is here!
For customers on TOU and Tiered Pricing Plans, Summer Hours & Tiers are take effect today, Wednesday May 1st, 2024. Customers enrolled in the Ultra-Low Overnight (ULO) Pricing Plan will see no changes.
Electricity pricing will remain unchanged. Summer Hours & Tiers will be in effect until November 1, 2024 when Winter Hours & Tiers will return.
Summer Time-of-Use Hours:
For Time-of-Use (TOU) customers, On-Peak hours now run from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays and Mid-Peak now run from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays.
Summer Tiers:
For Tiered Pricing customers, the threshold to reach Tier Two pricing is now reached at 600kWh of monthly electricity consumption.
Ultra-Low Overnight Pricing:
Customers enrolled in the new Ultra-Low Overnight (ULO) Pricing Plan will not see any changes. ULO pricing periods remain the same year round.
Electricity pricing will remain unchanged. Summer Hours & Tiers will be in effect until November 1, 2024 when Winter Hours & Tiers will return.
To learn more about about our pricing and the Pricing Plans available to you, visit our Rates & Billing page.
About Oshawa Power
Oshawa Power is dedicated to the evolving needs of our customers as a leading enabler of integrated critical energy and infrastructure. Oshawa Power is wholly owned by the great City of Oshawa.
At Oshawa Power we remain dedicated to delivering on our promise of providing a safe and reliable supply of electricity to customers across Oshawa.
As we develop our next 5-year plan to upgrade and maintain Oshawa’s local electrical grid, our decisions are based primarily on meeting the evolving needs of our customers. In mid January, we connected with our customer base to better understand the changing priorities of our customers. By marrying the priorities of our customer base with our approach to strategic engineering, we can support our community, maintain equipment and keep our fleet and resources in good working order – for the growth and sustainability of Oshawa.
Our Customer Priority survey was available to all of our more than 63,000 customers, and was sent directly via email to nearly 30,000 customers who have provided email addresses. We received feedback from over 1,600 customers, or approximately 2.5% of our customer base – predominantly from our residential customers and a small number of commercial customers.
2024 Customer Priority Survey Summary
Insights include:
Customers are advocating for fair rates. While we at Oshawa Power are at the end of the line, the bill is shared between several players. Here is a great explainer of how your bill is broken down.
Customers who have an EV are energy smart – charging at home and during off-peak hours.
Some feedback includes advocating for more subsidies for Level-2 home chargers and free installation by Oshawa Power.
Some customers are requesting that Oshawa Power consider text messaging for outages. We can confirm that this is in our work plan and will be introduced in late 2024.
Depending on costs and technology, some customers would consider solar panels in the future.
Some customers cited that the average homeowner does not know when the system needs to be altered. Oshawa Power has created a project page to be able to discuss projects and address questions that may come up from the community.
“Thank you to everyone who participated in this survey. We are committed to listening to our customers, sharing project information about current and future planned projects, why they are important for the system and the community, and being available to answer questions!”
– Jen McHugh, Director, Communications & Customer Success
About Oshawa Power
Oshawa Power is dedicated to the evolving needs of our customers as a leading enabler of integrated critical energy and infrastructure. Oshawa Power is wholly owned by the great City of Oshawa.
Providing a safe and reliable supply of electricity to customers across Oshawa relies on a unique combination of both reactive and predictive maintenance on our existing infrastructure. When a fault occurs and power to our customers is interrupted, you can count on our team to take action and work towards restoration as quickly as possible. But what are we doing to prevent outages from occuring in the first place?
When it comes to prevention of power outages, we have taken many steps to increase the resiliency of our local grid, from installation of critter guards to prevent wildlife contacts to the ongoing replacement of aging equipment. But one of our biggest challenges comes from something we cannot see.
Loosening or deteriorating connections can cause increases in ambient temperature, or ‘hotspots’, throughout our grid that are not visible to the naked eye. If these connections are not up to par, resistance is increased in the affected part of the grid which increases the temperature of the components, causing further deterioration and potential shorts in our grid that may cause power outages to occur.
In order to combat these potential defects, we have implemented our Infrared Scanning Program to monitor the condition and ambient temperature across more than 534km of overhead circuit and approximately 150 underground vaults. This process allows us to pinpoint the exact location of potentially defective connections causing hotspots and prioritize their maintenance or replacement as part of our ongoing maintenance plans.
After imaging of our infrastructure is complete, our team can determine which hotspots present the largest risk to our grid and begin the process of ensuring these defects are dealt with before they can deteriorate further and take out power to customers across our city.
“In recent years we have improved resiliency across our grid and streamlined our power restoration process, allowing our team to shift focus towards prevention strategies. With our philosophy of Strategic Engineering in mind, we are employing new technologies to help us pinpoint defects in our grid and make necessary repairs before our customers experience an outage, ultimately improving the service we provide to local residents.”
– Mike Weatherbee, Managing Director, Oshawa Power
This year’s infrared scanning uncovered more than 100 anomalies across our 145km2 service territory, ranging in severity and risk. Most anomalies fell into the low- to medium-risk category, warranting investigation and further monitoring but highly unlikely to cause an interruption in the near term. Other hotspots were deemed to be much higher priority, including one connection that looked normal to the naked eye but showed an ambient temperature difference of greater than 81℃, warranting immediate action.
A high-risk anomaly was detected and repaired near Ritson Rd. and Darcy St. This connection had an ambient temperature difference of more than 81℃.
Our team will adapt our ongoing maintenance planning to prioritize the maintenance and repair of high-risk anomalies and prevent defects from causing outages for our customers. As we move into an increasingly connected future we understand that, in order to better serve customers across Oshawa, we must not only respond in a timely manner to restore service but also continue seeking new strategies and technologies that allow us to proactively prevent outages from happening.
About Oshawa Power
Oshawa Power is dedicated to the evolving needs of our customers as a leading enabler of integrated critical energy and infrastructure. Oshawa Power is wholly owned by the great City of Oshawa.
Oshawa Power customers experienced 52% less downtime than the average customer in Ontario.
Providing the electricity that powers life across our city requires a carefully coordinated effort. Through rigorous planning, detailed asset management plans, and the maintenance and upgrading of Oshawa’s local power grid, we are dedicated to keeping the lights on and keeping our community connected.
At Oshawa Power, we understand that the service we provide is the backbone of our community and as our city grows at one of the fastest rates in the country, we know that the homes and businesses we serve are relying on us more than ever. In fact, in our recent Customer Priority Survey, you let us know that reliability and reducing both outage frequency and duration are ways we can continue improving our service.
So how did we fare in 2023? Our 2023 Reliability Report let’s you know how Oshawa’s local electric grid performed in the past year:
Reliability Score: 99.99%
Another year, another near perfect score on this important metric measuring our overall uptime. In 2023, we were once again able to achieve our goal of posting a reliability score of ‘four nines’.
Why is near perfect the best we can aim for? Despite our best efforts and investments into maintaining existing infrastructure, upgrading aging infrastructure, and creating one of Ontario’s most reliable SmartGrids, there are still factors outside of our control that cause outages inside our service territory. While we take great pride in mitigating the risk of outages through programs including our critter guard installations and porcelain phaseouts, certain events such as lightning strikes, extreme weather, animal contacts, and motor vehicle accidents mean that we will never be able to completely eliminate power outages.
Average Number of Outages: 1
One year, one outage – that is what the average customer experienced in 2023. We understand that this is not true for all customers, with many experiencing zero and some experience more. Our goal is to reduce this number as much as possible and aim for it to remain steady across all areas of our city.
Average Yearly Downtime: 48 Minutes
With more than 62,000 customers across Oshawa, the amount of downtime experienced by Oshawa Power customers can vary, but last year customers averaged just 48 minutes of total downtime.
How does this compare to past performance? This ranks as our third lowest mark of the last decade and 36% better than average over the same time period. Compared to the industry average of 160 minutes in 2022 (most recent datapoint available).
Oshawa Power Customers Experience Less Downtime Than Average:
Outage Minutes Per Customer
Year
Oshawa Power
Ontario Avg.
2023
48
–
2022
88
160
2021
34
151
2020
88
163
2019
59
158
2018
80
155
2017
44
171
2016
157
167
2015
73
167
2014
80
164
Outage Response Time: 12 Minutes
When an outage happens, it can seem like time stands still while you wait for the lights to come back. One thing we can promise is that our team does not stand still.
In 2023, we were once again able to improve our response time to just 12 minutes. Marking a 14% decrease from last year, crews were able to post our quickest time to dispatch yet.
What does this mean for our customers? It means that when a fault occurs interrupting the electricity flowing through our grid and knocks out power to your home, you don’t have to wonder if our team is on it. Our team is ready to go at a moment’s notice to begin working on restoration efforts and get the power back on for your family.
Unavoidable Outages: 59%+
As mentioned, despite our best efforts some power outages are simply unavoidable or outside of our control. Based on our classification of outage causes, more than half of all outages that occurred in 2023 were unavoidable. This includes outages caused by Adverse Weather, Lightning, Foreign Interference (i.e. Animal Contact, Motor Vehicle Accident), and Loss of Supply.
In 2023, Nearly 60% of Outages Were Outside of Our Control:
2023 Outages by Cause
Outage Cause
% of Total Outages
Loss of Supply
21%
Lightning
19%
Foreign Interference
18%
Adverse Weather
1%
Additionally, Tree Contacts (not included in the above data) are another outage classification that we have minimal control over. Despite the best efforts of our Tree Trimming Program, these accounted for an additional 13% of all outages experienced across Oshawa in 2023.
Monitoring Momentaries: 150 Outages
Have you ever experienced a brief flicker in your electrical service, just enough to upset all your digital clocks? We understand that these brief or ‘momentary’ outages can be inconvenient, but are actually the sign of our SmartGrid working as designed.
As our SmartGrid capabilities continue to expand, grid automation and self healing technologies are becoming more common on infrastructure across our city. When a fault occurs, our grid is designed to isolate the fault, automatically restoring power to as many homes and businesses affected by the ongoing issue, as quickly as possible. This isolation leaves only the most directly affected properties without power until Oshawa Power crews can assess the issue and work towards restoration, whether remotely or by sending out a crew.
Purging Porcelain: Zero Outages
A major part of developing a safe and reliable local power grid involves the constant monitoring of equipment and issues to understand what risks are present and take action to mitigate potential hazards to both our equipment and the public.
Traditionally, porcelain switches and insulators have been used across our industry. However, this material poses a risk of causing pole fires, especially during the winter weather as road salt can evaporate, condense on the porcelain, and ignite due to voltage ‘tracking’. To combat this risk, we have created a Porcelain Changeout Program to replace all porcelain infrastructure with new, modern polymer alternatives. With more than 90% of our porcelain purged from our grid, we were able to completely eliminate pole fires caused by porcelain during 2023.
Avoiding Animal Contacts: 24 Outages
With poles and wires stretching across every area of our city, our infrastructure can often become part of local wildlife ecosystems. Many animals such as birds, raccoons, and squirrels interact with our equipment. This interaction poses both a hazard to local wildlife and creates potential for power outages. We have developed and implemented a Critter Guard Program, deploying animal deterrents across our grid to help reduce these risks and keep our local wildlife safe.
So far, we have installed fencing and additional deterrents at all of our substations and are in process of installing additional critter guards on each new overhead rebuild that we complete. These measures have helped us reduce outages caused by animal contacts, establishing a new yearly baseline of 20 to 30 outages caused by local wildlife.
The Year Ahead
With each new year comes a new opportunity to continue improving our grid and increasing reliability for customers across Oshawa. In 2024, we aim to continue our record of reliability as we prepare for our next 5-year Capital Plan that will determine how we deploy our investments to further develop one of Ontario’s most reliable and technologically advanced power grids.
In order to develop a plan that best serves our customers, we rely on your feedback. To have a voice and contribute to our next Capital Plan, we encourage you to take a moment and let us know what you think about your electrical service by completing our 2024 Customer Priority Survey. The survey will remain open until February 12, 2024.
To compare how we measure up to LDCs across the province and our own previous performance, check out the OEBs Scorecard Comparison Tool.
For more information on how we’re building towards improved reliability, visit our Capital Rebuild page.
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Denise Carpenter, ICD.D, GCB.D
Chair, Board of Directors
Denise Carpenter is a highly accomplished Board Chair, Committee Chair, Director, and Executive Coach with extensive expertise in governance, strategy, risk management, acquisitions, and integrations. Denise is adept at leading transformational change initiatives and driving organizational growth in diverse industries including health, financial services, cybersecurity, utilities, and renewable energy and has been recognized for significant contributions in ESG, diversity & inclusion, and sustainability. As a BMO Honouree and member of the Diversity 50 Cohort, Denise is also active in Women Get on Board, the Institute of Corporate Directors, and the International Coach Federation.
Denise’s board experience is both deep and expansive. She has been instrumental in driving growth, ensuring regulatory compliance, and enhancing stakeholder relations in various industries, including electricity, mining, energy, renewable energy, healthcare, and digital health. She serves as the Independent Board Chair of Oshawa Power, Blue Cross of Canada, Chair for Ronald McDonald House Charities Toronto, and Director of the Ontario Medical Association and CashCo Financial Inc. Denise’s numerous board appointments mark her authority and expertise in governance and leadership.
Donna Kingelin
Member, Board of Directors
Donna Kingelin is a Senior Executive who has dedicated her career to serving the elderly. She has held the position of Chief Operating Officer of Revera where she provided oversight to 26,000 employees and over 200 seniors’ residences including long-term care homes, skilled nursing facilities, assisted living residences, independent retirement residences, and was accountable for the home care division. She also served as Managing Director for Holiday Corporation where she was responsible for the Canadian portfolio of independent retirement communities. In these roles, she provided leadership in human resources, operations, financial management, program development, capital investment, and quality improvement. Donna is a member of the Institute of Corporate Directors and currently holds board positions at Kinark Child and Family Services, Pallium Canada, Extendicare Inc. and Oshawa Power.
Terry Caputo, CPA, CA, C.Dir
Member, Board of Directors
Terry Caputo is an accomplished business executive with a diverse range of experience, including strategy, accounting, finance, debt issuance, infrastructure, information management, human resource matters, government relations, and governance. He has held roles in several not-for-profit and public sector entities, driving and implementing transformational change. Terry is a CPA, CA and holds his Chartered Director (C.Dir.) designation from The Directors College, which is a joint venture between the DeGroote School of Business at McMaster University and The Conference Board of Canada.
Grant Buchanan
Member, Board of Directors
After graduating from the University of Waterloo with a Bachelor of Science in Physics, Grant Buchanan had a career spanning over 30 years with S&C Electric Canada, a wholly owned subsidiary of S&C Electric, an employee-owned company based in Chicago, Illinois. S&C Electric manufactures and provides services in the specialty of medium-voltage switching, control, and protection with manufacturing facilities in China, Brazil and Mexico, and an Engineering Services Centre in the UK.
In his tenure with S&C, Grant served in several Executive roles, including President of S&C Electric Canada and Executive Vice-President, International Business. In addition to his business experience, Grant has remained active in the industry serving on Boards and Committees for 30+ years, including appointments with S&C Electric, the Canadian Electricity Association, Electro Federation Canada, the Ontario Energy Network, METSCO Energy Solutions, and Oshawa Power.
Robert Watson
Member, Board of Directors
Robert Watson currently serves as Chairman of Bruce Telecom. He also serves as a board member for the Oshawa Power Group of Companies and NA Helium. Previously Robert held roles as Chief Executive Officer of the Information Technology Association, Chief Executive of the Bermuda Regulatory Authority, CEO of SaskPower, and CEO of SaskTel. Prior to that he held several senior executive positions in the Canadian communications industry. Robert is a graduate in Electrical Technologies from Toronto Metropolitan University. He has attended the International Executive Development Program at the INSEAD Centre in Fontainebleau, France, as well as the Executive Management Program at Ashridge Business School in the United Kingdom. He also holds an ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors.
In the community, Robert is a recipient of the Saskatchewan Centennial Medal and the Ryerson Alumni Award of Distinction and has served as the Chairman of Prostate Cancer Canada, and Board Member for One Life Makes a Difference.
Dan Benoit
Member, Board of Directors
Dan Benoit is a corporate director and experienced financial professional. Throughout his 20-year finance career his focus has been on investment and project finance in the regulated utilities, renewable energy, and energy storage sectors. Since 2020, he has operated an independent consultancy serving global infrastructure firms seeking to raise debt capital. In this role, he is engaged by clients to devise and execute debt financing transactions for energy transition projects.
Barbara Boyd, CPA, CA, ICD.D
Member, Board of Directors
Barbara Boyd is an accomplished global finance executive with a breadth of experience in corporate strategy, enterprise risk management, and finance. She is a respected collaborative leader and champion of inclusion and diversity. Passionate about driving sustainable long-term growth, she brings 35+ years of senior leadership experience with CPG companies Diageo Plc, Pepsi Bottling Group, and KPMG. Barbara is a graduate of the University of Waterloo and recently completed the Directors Education Program at the University of Toronto – Rotman School of Management. She currently is an Independent Director and Chair of the Audit Committee for Steam Whistle Brewing and previously an Independent Director and Chair of the Audit and Governance committees of TSXV listed Lifeist Wellness Inc.
Neel Bungaroo, LLB, MBA
Member, Board of Directors
Neel has extensive experience in corporate, commercial and energy law. Having worked at global law firms, such as Allen & Overy and Mourant, Neel was involved in M&A and corporate financing transactions over US$3 billion. Neel’s expertise also extends to renewable energy. In his current role as Executive Vice President and General Counsel for Greenwood Sustainable Infrastructure LLC (GSI), Neel oversees the legal affairs and HR functions for the organization and has been involved in the development and operation of more than 300 MWs of renewable energy projects. Prior to his role at GSI, Neel served as General Counsel for the North American team of a publicly traded renewable energy company. Neel holds degrees in Economics and Law and an Executive MBA from Cornell University and Queen’s University.
John Mauti, CA, CPA
Member, Board of Directors
John Mauti is a CA and CPA professional with extensive experience in the utilities and electricity industry. John spent 30+ years with Ontario Power Generation helping steer the company to financial strength and prosperity through key transformations and evolutions, retiring as their CFO in 2022. He also currently serves on the board of Moltex Energy Canada, a company developing leading edge Small Modular Reactor technology in the nuclear energy generation field. John is an avid golfer and skier, happily married, and the father of 3 young men.
