Author: Josh McCulloch

Oshawa, ON – Oshawa Power is pleased to announce it has received $400,000 in federal funding through Natural Resources Canada’s (NRCan) Energy Innovation Program in support of its Distribution System Operator (DSO) initiative, entitled “Empowering Energy Transition: A Distribution System Operator Enabled Demand Response Program”.

The funding will support a capacity-building project resulting in the design and development of the processes and tools required to run a local DSO market. This project will include the publication of a benefit cost analysis for the deployment of a local DSO as a non-wires solution (NWS). As part of the project scope, Oshawa Power will focus on DSO use-cases that target under-served customers and address emerging areas of need in the local grid, including the integration of distributed energy resources (DERs), EV aggregators running managed charging platforms, and demand response strategies.

The NRCan announcement, made Friday, March 27, recognizes Oshawa Power’s ongoing work to build a more affordable, flexible and resilient distribution network in support of Ontario’s evolving energy landscape.

Oshawa Power is delivering this innovative work in collaboration with GridS2 and Cambium Indigenous Professional Services; sector leaders in energy transition and Indigenous advisory services..

Quotes

“This funding is a meaningful step forward in Oshawa Power’s grid modernization strategy. Developing the capability to operate a local DSO market equips us to manage growing demand more efficiently while pursuing innovative solutions to meet our community’s needs through the energy transition. We are grateful for NRCan’s support and confident in the value this project will deliver for customers across Oshawa.”

– Daniel Arbour, President & CEO, Oshawa Power

“Canada is scaling up clean energy while strengthening our electricity grid and responsibly growing our conventional energy industry — because competitiveness means doing more than one thing at the same time. We are investing to provide reliable, affordable and clean power across the country that will propel our economic growth, protect affordability for Canadian families and make Canada a low-risk, low-cost, low-carbon energy superpower.”

– The Honourable Tim Hodgson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources

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Oshawa, ON – The Oshawa Power team is excited to announce that it is officially breaking ground on its new facility.

Reaching this significant milestone marks the beginning of construction through a collaborative partnership involving three industry leaders: Cushman & Wakefield, a global commercial real estate and development services firm with 52,000 professionals worldwide; Barry Bryan and Associates, renowned local architects and engineers specializing in building architecture, structural engineering, heritage consulting, and project implementation; and Fortis Group, the contracted construction company whose expertise and teamwork are bringing this project to fruition.

At the centre of Oshawa Power’s transformation and modernization strategy are people. From investing in Oshawa’s infrastructure, to ensuring reliability and exploring renewable energy sources and services, the organization is focused on providing an effective and affordable utility solution for Oshawa’s residents of today and tomorrow.

More updates to come as we build toward this next chapter.

Quick Facts

  • Constructing a consolidated operations facility, including office, warehouse, storage & garage space
  • Location: 6.5 acres at 2072 Thornton Road North, Oshawa, ON, L1L 0P5
  • Construction is underway and we remain on track for a Q4 2027 move-in date

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Inside the technology that’s cutting outage times across Oshawa

When the lights go out, you want them back on as quickly as possible. We get it. Whether you’re working from home, running a business, or just trying to keep the food in your fridge cold, every minute without power matters.

That’s why we’ve invested in technology that’s changing how fast we can restore your power. What used to take hours sometimes takes minutes now. Here’s how we’re doing it.

From Paper Maps to Real-Time Information

For years, our crews worked with printed maps of Oshawa’s electrical grid. The problem? Those maps could be out of date the moment they were printed. A new connection here, a change there, and suddenly the map didn’t match reality.

Now our crews carry tablets that show them exactly what’s happening on the grid in real time. When you report an outage, they can see it on their screens instantly. They know which areas are affected, which aren’t, and most importantly, the fastest way to get your power back on.

This isn’t just about new gadgets. It’s about responding to you faster when something goes wrong.

Oshawa Power crews improved outage response times by 17% in 2025.

A Real Example from Downtown Oshawa

Here’s what this looks like in practice. Recently, a protective device tripped in downtown Oshawa. The moment our field crew arrived, they could see on their digital map that the affected area had already been automatically isolated from the rest of the grid.

In the past, they would have spent time figuring out exactly what happened, tracing circuits, checking equipment. Now? They knew immediately where the problem was and what needed to be done. Power was restored so quickly that some businesses barely had time to notice they’d lost it.

That’s the difference this technology makes for you.

Automatic Power Restoration

We’ve also added technology called FLISR (Fault Location, Isolation, and Service Restoration). Think of it as an automatic system that detects problems, isolates them, and restores power to unaffected areas without anyone having to lift a finger.

Sometimes when there’s a fault on one street, FLISR can automatically restore power to all the other streets around it before you even finish dialing our number. The system works with our digital maps to show us exactly who still needs help and who’s already back online.

When you call us about an outage, we can tell you specifics: how many homes are affected, where they are, and what we’re doing to fix it. No vague estimates. Just clear information.

How FLISR Improves Reliability

FLISR has been integral to the strides we have made in improving reliability across Oshawa. Find out more about how this Smart Grid technology is reducing downtime and readying Oshawa for the future.

Better Prepared When You Need Us

This technology helps us in ways you might not see directly, but that make a difference when you lose power.

Our system keeps track of every outage, every repair, every change we make to the grid. That information helps us spot patterns and prevent problems before they happen. It helps us decide where to invest in upgrades that will benefit you most.

We’re also training our crews better. New team members can learn Oshawa’s grid using these interactive maps, so they’re ready faster when emergencies happen. Even during major storms when we need every available crew member, anyone can jump in and help restore power in any part of the city.

Your Investment at Work

When you pay your electricity bill each month, part of what you’re paying for is reliability. You’re investing in a grid that works when you need it and gets fixed fast when it doesn’t.

This technology is one way we’re making sure that investment pays off. What started as upgrading our old paper maps has turned into a complete transformation of how quickly we can respond when you lose power. The results are real: faster restoration times, better information when you call, fewer repeat outages.

We’re continuing to build on this foundation. The rapid response that used to happen only occasionally is now something we can deliver consistently across Oshawa.

Power outages will still happen. Weather, accidents, and equipment failures are part of running an electrical grid. But when they do happen, we’re getting better and better at getting your lights back on quickly. That’s what this technology is all about.

Learn More in the EDA Distributor

This project was featured in the Q1 2025 edition of the EDA’s Distributor magazine. Check out the article to learn more.

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In 2025, Oshawa Power customers experienced 63% less downtime than the Ontario average.

Oshawa Power is committed to delivering safe and reliable electricity to the homes and neighbourhoods we serve. In 2025, our electricity system continued to perform at a very high level, helping customers stay connected, comfortable, and supported in their daily lives.

Reliable power plays an important role in everyday activities. It keeps homes and businesses running, supports remote work and learning, and allows essential services across the city to operate without interruption. Oshawa Power is proud to continue providing a level of reliability that customers can depend on.

2025 Reliability Performance

Reliability Score: 99.99%

In 2025, we achieved a reliability score of 99.99 percent. This means electricity was available to customers nearly uninterrupted throughout the whole year. This level of performance continues to exceed provincial averages and reflects the ongoing investment in maintaining a strong and reliable electricity system.

Average Number of Outages: 0.62

Customers experienced an average of 0.62 outages in 2025. In simple terms, this means that most customers had fewer than one outage during the year, and approximately 40% experienced none at all. Based on this performance, the average Oshawa Power customer can reasonably expect to experience just one outage every 19 months. This result demonstrates the effectiveness of proactive system maintenance and planning.

Average Yearly Downtime: 35 Minutes

The average customer experienced a total of 35 minutes without power in 2025. This measure includes all outages over the year. Keeping outage duration low helps reduce the impact on daily activities in the home and across the community.

Oshawa Power customers experience much less downtime than the Ontario average:

Outage Minutes Per Customer
Year Oshawa Power Ontario Avg.
2025 35 –
2024 19 95
2023 48 110
2022 88 160
2021 34 151
2020 88 163
2019 59 158
2018 80 155
2017 44 171
2016 157 167
2015 73 167

Outage Response Time: 29 Minutes

When outages occurred, Oshawa Power crews responded quickly. In 2025, the average response time was 29 minutes, a 17% decrease from 2024.

Transitioning from traditional paper maps to real-time, automated digital mapping has improved our response efficiency. This improvement allows our crews to more accurately pinpoint faults, reducing the need for manual patrolling during outage response.

Total Number of Unplanned Outages: 258

A total of 258 outages were recorded across our grid in 2025. This includes outages caused by weather, equipment issues, wildlife, and outside interference. Many of these outages were localized and affected a small number of customers.

Momentary Outages: 133

There were 133 momentary outages in 2025. These outages typically last only a few seconds and are often the result of system protection equipment operating as designed. Momentary outages help prevent more serious or longer lasting interruptions by automatically restoring power to most customers while isolating the smallest possible, directly affected area until full restoration can be completed.

What This Means for You

Better reliability means fewer interruptions and shorter outages when they do occur. For customers, this means fewer disruptions to daily routines, business operations, and more confidence that electricity will be there when it is needed most. Fast response and restoration times help limit the impact of outages on homes and families.

Understanding Power Outages

While Oshawa Power’s system is highly reliable, outages can still happen. Causes can include weather, equipment issues, and foreign interference such as construction activity, wildlife contacts, motor vehicle accidents, vandalism, and other factors outside of Oshawa Power’s control. When outages occur, crews respond quickly and work safely to restore power as soon as possible.

In 2025, approximately 40% of all outages were classified as being caused by Foreign Interference. The table below outlines how many outages fell under each category last year:

2025 Outages by Cause
Outage Cause % of Total Outages
Foreign Interference 40%
Equipment Failure 29%
Tree Contact 20%
Unknown 8%
Scheduled Outages 3%

Notable Outages

While each year brings new challenges, a few outages in 2025 stood out as particularly impactful or unusual, including those caused by foreign interference and the increasing unpredictability of local weather patterns.

February 3, 2025

Cause: Equipment Failure

This was the first significant outage of the year. A connector on a feeder’s overhead conductors failed, causing a feeder lockout. Crews responded promptly, identified the issue, and completed repairs to safely restore power to customers.

July 5, 2025

Cause: Foreign Interference

A sparrow made contact with electrical equipment, resulting in a feeder lockout. While the outage was brief, it highlights how wildlife interactions can affect the electricity system.

July 22, 2025

Cause: Foreign Interference

A crane came into contact with powerlines, causing a feeder lockout. No one was injured. Oshawa Power crews worked with emergency services to secure the area and restore power safely.

September 5, 2025

Strong winds with gusts up to 63 kilometres per hour caused a tree limb to contact powerlines and crews also found multiple metallic foil balloons tangled in the lines, which had to be safely removed before power could be restored. The coincidental timing of both of these issues occurring at nearly the exact same time resulted in a more difficult restoration process for our crews as they had to assess, locate, and repair both issues simultaneously, causing an approximately 2.5 hour outage in the affected area.

Planning for Today and Tomorrow

Oshawa Power takes a proactive approach to maintaining and improving reliability through careful planning and ongoing monitoring of the electricity system.

Distribution System Plan

Our Distribution System Plan balances the current and future needs of communities across the city. It helps prepare the system for growth, new technologies, and changing electricity use. This planning supports continued reliability and ensures the grid can meet customer needs for years to come.

Asset Condition Assessment

Our Asset Condition Assessment program monitors the health of electrical equipment across the system. Poles, wires, transformers, and other assets are regularly inspected and assessed. Assets that exceed acceptable risk levels are flagged for planned replacement, helping reduce the likelihood of unplanned outages.

A Grid You Can Rely On

In 2025, Oshawa Power once again delivered electricity with reliability that exceeds provincial averages. These results reflect careful planning, targeted investment, and the dedication of our crews who work every day to keep the power on.

Reliable electricity is often taken for granted until it is unavailable. Oshawa Power is proud to provide a dependable system that supports homes, neighbourhoods, and the city of Oshawa, today and into the future.

To compare how we measure up to LDCs across the province and our own previous performance, check out the OEBs Scorecard Comparison Tool.

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Reliable electricity starts behind the scenes, in the equipment that keeps power flowing across Oshawa. This fall, Oshawa Power is completing upgrades at Municipal Substation #7 (MS7) with advanced eHouse switchgear technology, a key investment that will strengthen the reliability and safety of our city’s power supply for years to come.

  • A large crane positions the new eHouse Switchgear at MS7.
    The new eHouse was delivered mid-October. Full installation and integration is expected to be complete in December.

Why Substations Matter

Municipal Substations are the backbone of Oshawa’s local grid. They receive high-voltage electricity from Ontario’s provincial system and convert it to lower voltages for safe delivery to homes and businesses.

MS7, located at Simcoe Street North and Taunton Road East, has been serving customers for nearly six decades. Like any essential infrastructure, its electrical equipment reaches a point where replacement is necessary to maintain reliability and avoid unplanned outages.

A map of Transmission Stations and Municipal Substations located in Oshawa Power service territory.

A map of Transmission Stations and Municipal Substations located in Oshawa Power service territory.

What’s Changing at MS7

Oshawa Power’s new eHouse switchgear represents the next generation of electrical infrastructure:

  • Modular and prefabricated: Built off-site, tested, and delivered ready for plug-and-play installation.
  • Compact and efficient: Fits seamlessly into the existing substation footprint.
  • Enhanced safety: Provides better protection for staff and equipment.
  • Future-ready: Designed to integrate with digital monitoring and smart grid technologies.

Work on MS7 began in 2025 and will be completed by December. This marks the second of four planned switchgear replacements under Oshawa Power’s long-term Capital Rebuild Plan.

The Bigger Picture

This project is part of Oshawa Power’s proactive Municipal Substation Switchgear Replacement Program. By replacing aging infrastructure before failure, we reduce outage risks, improve reliability, and prepare the grid for future energy needs including electric vehicles, distributed generation, and smart grid expansion.

“These upgrades are part of our commitment to maintaining a strong, modern, and resilient power system for Oshawa. Investing in infrastructure today means greater reliability and fewer disruptions tomorrow.”

– Peter Petriw, Director, Engineering & Operations

What It Means For You

For customers fed by MS7 and even across the rest of our grid, this upgrade means:

  • Fewer unplanned outages
  • Greater grid stability during extreme weather
  • Long-term reliability as the city continues to grow

Oshawa Power continues to invest in critical infrastructure that keeps your lights on, your devices powered, and your city moving forward.

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Oshawa Power has appointed four new members to its Board of Directors. The Board of Directors will play a key role in advancing the organization’s 2025 to 2030 strategic plan, supporting priorities in green energy, long-term value creation, infrastructure services, and building a high-performing team.

Key Highlights:

  • Four new directors appointed: Paul Kwasnik, Charles Mongeon, Mika Unterman, and Tova White
  • Added leadership capacity across energy, technology, sustainability, and HR
  • Stronger governance support for Oshawa Power’s strategic plan.

Meet Our New Directors

Paul Kwasnik, BA, MBA

Paul brings more than 30 years of experience in the energy sector, including nine years as CEO and President of Brantford Energy Corporation. His work focused on modernization, operational efficiency, regulatory strategy, asset management, and customer service.

Charles Mongeon

Charles is a technology executive and governance professional with over 30 years of experience across energy, telecom, and retail. His background spans enterprise resilience, digital transformation, and IT governance.

Mika Unterman

Mika is known for her systems thinking and commitment to circular economy solutions. She currently serves as Director of Sustainability Capabilities and Planning at The Coca-Cola Company in Canada and has led projects across consumer goods, education, and technology.

Tova White, MSc., C. Dir

Tova brings over 25 years of experience in human resources leadership across retail, financial services, and consumer packaged goods. Her work includes major transformations at Giant Tiger, Coca-Cola Canada, Chapters, Indigo, and BMO.

“We are pleased to welcome the new directors to the Board and are confident their diverse experience and governance expertise will be instrumental as we advance our five-year strategic plan. Their contributions will enhance the Board’s oversight and support our commitment to delivering sustainable value for our stakeholders.”

– Daniel Arbour, President & CEO

Thank You to Outgoing Board Members

Oshawa Power extends sincere appreciation to departing board members Denise Carpenter, Grant Buchanan, Terry Caputo, and Donna Kingelin. Their leadership helped move the Board from an operational model to a skills-based governance structure.

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Each fall since 2017, Oshawa’s downtown core takes on a deeply meaningful display to commemorate heroes from our community. The Veteran Banner Program, a collaboration between Oshawa Power, the City of Oshawa, and the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 43, raises banners across Downtown Oshawa honouring the service and sacrifices of local veterans.

“This program reflects Oshawa’s deep connection to our Armed Forces. Every banner tells a story of service, sacrifice, and community. We are honoured to help bring these stories to
light each year and I am incredibly proud of Oshawa Power’s support of this program.”

– Daniel Arbour, President & CEO, Oshawa Power

Oshawa Power crews raising banners to honour local veterans

Oshawa Power crews proudly erected more than 130 banners across Downtown Oshawa honouring local veterans ahead of Remembrance Day.

What you’ll see

  • 133 banners prominently located atop Downtown Oshawa lightposts.
  • Each banner features the portrait, name, and service details of an Honoured Veteran from our local community.
  • A display timeline from late October through November in support of Oshawa’s Remembrance Day Parade.

Why it matters

These banners provide more than just decoration for Oshawa’s streets. They:

  • Give local families an opportunity to share the stories of their beloved family members.
  • Recognize the service and sacrifice of those who put their country above all else.
  • Offer a tangible way for residents and visitors to pause and reflect.
  • Strengthen Oshawa’s ties to our Armed Forces and develop a local culture of respect and remembrance.

How you can take part

  • Walk the banner route and take time to read each tribute.
  • Share your photos and reflections on social media using #OshawaRemembers.
  • Consider visiting with children or students to teach our youth the importance of Remembrance Day.

We offer our sincere gratitude to the brave individuals who fought for our freedoms and for the great nation of Canada. Your sacrifice will never be forgotten.

To honour a veteran through the Veteran Banner Program, please visit our Community page or access the application form.

Honoured Veterans

  • Doris (Dolly) Arsenau
  • Thomas Bruce Baird
  • Eleanor Beck
  • Shawn Bowe
  • William Ernest Boyce
  • Eric C. Branton
  • Winnifred A. Branton
  • Ronald George Brent
  • Elam Brinson
  • S/Sgt. Alfred C. Brisebois
  • Ed Brisebois
  • Jack (Fuzz) Brisebois
  • Ken Brisebois
  • Nancy C.M. Brisebois
  • Arthur Norman Samual Broad
  • George Brocanier
  • Orval Earl Brock
  • Gordon James Brown
  • Harry Arthur Brown
  • Norman Edward Brown
  • Violet Brown (nee Taylor)
  • William Robert Brown
  • Frank Buller
  • Earl K. Campbell
  • Frederick Edmond Carey
  • WO2 Don Chapman
  • Leslie W.B. Childerhose
  • Sgt. Ray Eugene Cowan
  • Edward J. Crawford
  • George Hayward Crawford
  • James Convery
  • John Thomas Dalby
  • John Thomas Dalby Sr.
  • Ken Davies
  • Archie S.D. Dean
  • James Essex
  • George Elmer Ferguson
  • Kevin Ferguson
  • Harry L. Ferneley
  • D. Craig Finney
  • Douglas J. Finney
  • Roy Foster
  • (Gunner) John Fox
  • Henryk K. Fraczek
  • William Roy Gillman
  • Edward Gingereski
  • John Gingereski
  • Frederick Ernest Goodwin
  • John (Jack) F. Goulding
  • Robert Gow
  • Edward C. Halcomb
  • Thomas Hopkins Hammond
  • Francis Charles Hannan
  • William Thomas Harding
  • Joseph Hart
  • Carson John Heard
  • Henry J. “Chick” Hewett
  • John H. Hodgson
  • Norman Roy Hodgson
  • Ben Jacklin
  • William Henry Kellar
  • Ted Kelly
  • George W.B. Kingsland
  • Lt. Alan Edward King
  • Bernard Kinlin
  • James Kinlin
  • Lawrence Kinlin
  • Thomas Kinlin
  • William Kinlin
  • Gordon H.E. Kitchen
  • Malcolm W. Knocker
  • Jack Kucher
  • Bill Kurelo
  • Norman Cy Lang
  • Henry Samuel Lee
  • William James Lee
  • Leonard Levandoski
  • Elmer Eirra Lewis
  • Victor P. Lockie
  • Sgt. John A. Lowry M.M.
  • Terry Macdonald
  • William “Sam” Magee
  • John Manning
  • Glen Wm. Maunder
  • Ted McComb
  • James Claude McPhee
  • Ronald W. McTague
  • Daniel D. Normoyle
  • Gregory Francis Normoyle
  • Patrick J. Normoyle
  • Robert D. Normoyle
  • Robert James Normoyle
  • Harold H. Nugent
  • WO1 Fred Palmer
  • John Edward Parr
  • Major Zane Piekenbrock
  • Bill Pierson
  • Henry Hatton Price
  • Harold Power
  • Maurice Bruce Proctor
  • Alexander Reid
  • Calvin Cecil Reid
  • James Reid
  • Ronald F. Rice
  • Allen W. Robinson
  • James M. Scott
  • George James Simmons
  • Cecil Henry Smith
  • William James Somerville
  • Gordon Thomas Stacey
  • Evan Strait
  • Charles William Taylor
  • Frederick Charles Taylor
  • Frederick George Taylor
  • George Henry Taylor Sr.
  • Walter Taylor
  • Bedford David Thomson
  • Davey Thompson
  • Private Nelson Train
  • Albert Turner Jr.
  • Harry A.C. Turner
  • Kenneth Bertram Twaites
  • Alex Walker Jr.
  • Albert Edward Wallis
  • Charles Alfred Wells
  • Bethel West
  • Luke Edward White
  • Gren Williams
  • Fredrick William Willis
  • Earl “Bus” William Wilson
  • Robert E. Woodward
  • Bishop Alfred Woolcock
  • The Unknown Soldier

Starting November 1, 2025, new electricity pricing from the Ontario Energy Board (OEB) will come into effect across Ontario.

These changes will affect the the ‘Electricity’ line of your bill and will have no impact on ‘Delivery’ or ‘Regulatory’ charges. To learn more about the charges that make up your monthly electricity bill, visit our Understanding Your Bill page.

Alongside the OEB’s rate changes, November 1 will mark the shift to the Winter Schedule for customers on the Time-of-Use (TOU), Tiered, and Ultra-Low Overnight (ULO) pricing plans.

The Winter Schedule will remain in effect until May 1, 2026 when customers will see the return of the summer pricing schedule.

New RPP rates and usage schedules for each pricing plan are outlined in the following charts:

November 1, 2025 Electricity Rates

Time-of-Use (TOU) Pricing
Pricing Period Schedule Rate Change
Off-Peak Weekdays 7 p.m. – 7 a.m., all day weekends and holidays 9.8 ¢/kWh +2.2 ¢/kWh
Mid-Peak Weekdays 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. 15.7 ¢/kWh +3.5 ¢/kWh
On-Peak Weekdays 7 a.m. – 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. – 7 p.m. 20.3 ¢/kWh +4.5 ¢/kWh
Tiered Pricing
Pricing Period Schedule Rate Change
Tier 1 Residential – first 1,000 kWh/month
Non-residential – first 750 kWh/month		 12.0 ¢/kWh +2.7 ¢/kWh
Tier 2 Residential – usage above 1,000 kWh/month
Non-residential – usage above 750 kWh/month		 14.2 ¢/kWh +3.2 ¢/kWh
Ultra-Low Overnight (ULO) Pricing
Pricing Period Schedule Rate Change
Ultra-Low Overnight Every day 11 p.m. – 7 a.m. 3.9 ¢/kWh +1.1 ¢/kWh
Weekend Off-Peak Weekends and holidays 7 a.m. – 11 p.m. 9.8 ¢/kWh +2.2 ¢/kWh
Mid-Peak Weekdays 7 a.m. – 4 p.m. and 9 p.m. – 11 p.m. 15.7 ¢/kWh +3.5 ¢/kWh
On-Peak Weekdays 4 p.m. – 9 p.m. 39.1 ¢/kWh +10.7 ¢/kWh

For a full schedule of past electricity pricing, visit the OEB’s Historical Electricity Rates page.

Ontario Energy Rebate (OER) Increasing

To help residential and small business customers offset the cost of this rate increase, the province has announced an increase in the Ontario Energy Rebate (OER) from 13.1% to 23.5%.

This rebate is applied as a pre-tax rebate and will show up as a single line item on your electricity bill. For an average residential customer using about 700 kWh of electricity per month, the rebate will be approximately $36, up from about $17 before the OER increase.

Ontario Energy Rebate (OER)
Previous Rebate New Rebate (As of Nov. 1, 2025) Change
13.1% 23.5% +10.4%

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This article appeared in the Fall 2025 edition of EDA’s Distributor Magazine. View the full publication here.

At Oshawa Power, a commitment to safety is a core value and foundational part of our organizational philosophy, reinforcing public trust and enhancing quality of life for the people who live and work in our community. Our approach to safety blends proactive educational outreach with rigorous internal safety practices, creating a robust culture of safety that underscores our commitment to keeping every member of our local community and staff safe and sound, every day.

Inspiring Safety Education From a Young Age

Oshawa’s increasing electrical safety awareness begins with our connection to the youth in our community. The cornerstone of our education efforts, our Hazard Hamlet, was introduced in 1983. Regularly appearing at community events and in classrooms across Oshawa for more than 40 years, the interactive display has created lasting memories, inspired curious questions, and raised electrical safety awareness for thousands of kids across Oshawa. Through interactive demonstrations that depict realistic electrical hazards, we are able to actively engage young audiences, teach them how to avoid hazards across our community, raise awareness of the unseen hazards that exist, and impart responsible behaviours around electrical infrastructure. In many cases, the display is recognized by accompanying adults from their youth, confirming the impact our efforts have made in building awareness and a lasting connection within our community. Engagement and understanding of electrical hazard are showing up in requests for more information, and our electrical safety awareness is growing with improvements in our public safety surveys, specifically regarding the safe distance from both overhead and downed wires.

“Our commitment to community safety is fundamentally about trust. When we educate the youngest members of our community, we’re creating a lasting impact that empowers new generations to live safely, treat electricity with respect, and trust our organization to keep our city safe.”

– Daniel Arbour, President & CEO, Oshawa Power

Oshawa Power is listening to our community asking for more information and is also exploring new ways to modernize our safety programming to meet evolving needs. Plans are underway to develop new digital content and interactive online experiences supporting the Hazard Hamlet to ensure safety resources are accessible and available to our community beyond local events and school visits.

Our community’s youth learn about electrical safety from our interactive Hazard Hamlet.

Leading by Example

Oshawa Power’s internal practices reflect the same safety principles we promote through education.

This culture of safety is deeply embedded in our daily operations. From regular tailboard meetings and safety audits, to cross-departmental training and leadership engagement, every employee plays a vital role in maintaining our record of excellence. This consistency protects our team while fostering trust in our ability to keep our community safe while delivering a reliable supply of electricity to homes and businesses across Oshawa.

Our organization is also one of only four Ontario utilities with the Infrastructure Health & Safety Association’s COR® Certification. Meeting the requirements for this certification, including passing external audits, ensures that our team is consistently reviewing safety policies and procedures and creating a culture that values open, two-way communications regarding safety practices.

This year, our organization surpassed 1.5 million work hours without a Lost-Time Injury — a remarkable milestone reflecting over seven years of operations without a serious incident. We’re proud to invest that same commitment to safety back into the communities we serve.

Committed to a Safer, Smarter Future

Looking ahead, we continue to develop valuable partnerships with local organizations and educational institutions that allow us to expand the reach of our safety programs, raising awareness across generations and reaching new demographics. Oshawa Power’s commitment to continuous improvement and innovative safety education programs will continue to build strong connections with our community, reaching our city’s youth and their families, fostering a culture of safety that extends beyond our organization and across the City of Oshawa.