{{short description|Canadian electric utility}} {{about|the corporation|the plant genus|Alectra (plant)}} {{Infobox company | name = Alectra Incorporated | logo = Alectra logo.svg | trading_name = | image = Alectra in Brampton - 20250926 - 01.jpg | type = Municipally owned corporation | industry = Electricity distribution | predecessors = Enersource<br/>Horizon Utilities<br/>PowerStream<br/>Hydro One Brampton<br/>Guelph Hydro | founded = {{Start date and age|2017|1|31}} in Mississauga, Ontario | hq_location_city = Mississauga, Ontario<ref name="merger - barrie adv story">{{cite news|last1=Simon|first1=Chris|title=Simcoe and York residents will save through hydro merger: Barrie mayor|url=https://www.simcoe.com/news-story/7070866-simcoe-and-york-residents-will-save-through-hydro-merger-barrie-mayor/|accessdate=April 21, 2017|work=Barrie Advance|date=January 17, 2017|language=en-CA}}</ref> | areas_served = ''see below'' | key_people = Brian Bentz <small>(President and CEO)</small> | owners = City of Mississauga <small>(26.61%)</small><br/>City of Vaughan <small>(20.50%)</small><br/>City of Hamilton <small>(17.31%)</small><br/>City of Markham <small>(15.00%)</small><br/>City of Barrie <small>(8.37%)</small><br/>City of Guelph <small>(4.63%)</small><br/>City of St. Catharines <small>(4.63%)</small><br/>{{nowrap|OMERS Infrastructure{{efn|Held the remaining 10% of Enersource; formerly known as Borealis Infrastructure}} <small>(2.96%)</small>}}<ref name="MAADS application">{{cite web |author1=Alectra Utilities Corporation |author2=Guelph Hydro |title=Alectra Utilities Corporation and Guelph Hydro Electric Systems Inc. — Application for Approval of Consolidation under Section 86 of the Ontario Energy Board Act, 1998 and related relief |url=https://www.guelphhydro.com/en/about-us/resources/Documents/Regulatory-Affairs---Applications/MAADs/AlectraUtilities_APPL_MAADs_20180307.pdf |website=Regulatory Affairs |publisher=Guelph Hydro |accessdate=November 6, 2018 |date=March 7, 2018}}</ref> | num_employees = 1,600 | num_employees_year = 2017, projected<ref name="HCN merger story" /> | subsid = Alectra Utilities Corporation<br/>Alectra Energy Solutions Inc. | website = {{URL|http://alectrautilities.com}} }} thumb|Alectra office in Markham '''Alectra Incorporated''', through its subsidiary '''Alectra Utilities Corporation''', is an electricity utility and distributor that serves several municipalities in the Golden Horseshoe region of Ontario. It is a municipally-owned corporation with shares in varying amounts held by the municipalities which owned its predecessor companies.
When it was founded, Alectra was described as the second largest municipally owned electricity utility in North America after the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power.<ref name="HCN merger story">{{cite news|last1=Werner|first1=Kevin|title=Horizon Utilities becomes Alectra creating second largest municipally-owned utility in North America|url=https://www.hamiltonnews.com/news-story/7069006-horizon-utilities-becomes-alectra-creating-second-largest-municipally-owned-utility-in-north-america/|accessdate=April 21, 2017|work=Hamilton Community News|publisher=Metroland Media Group|date=January 16, 2017|language=en-CA}}</ref> As of January 2019 it is the largest municipally owned electricity utility in Canada, by number of customers served.<ref name="merger official mercury" />
==Formation and expansion== Alectra was formed on January 31, 2017 by the merger of the municipally owned utilities Enersource (servicing Mississauga), Horizon Utilities (servicing Hamilton and St. Catharines), and PowerStream (servicing multiple municipalities in York Region and Simcoe County, including the city of Barrie).<ref>{{cite web|title=Enersource, Horizon Utilities, PowerStream Officially Become Alectra Inc.|url=http://www.alectrautilities.com/docs/2017-01-31-Officially-Become-Alectra.pdf|accessdate=April 21, 2017|date=January 31, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170422134208/http://www.alectrautilities.com/docs/2017-01-31-Officially-Become-Alectra.pdf|archive-date=April 22, 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> The initial formation of the company was completed with the acquisition of Hydro One Brampton from the provincial government's Hydro One on February 28, 2017.<ref>{{cite web|title=Alectra Inc. Acquires Hydro One Brampton|url=http://www.alectrautilities.com/docs/2017-02-28-Alectra-Acquires-Hydro-One-Brampton.pdf|accessdate=April 21, 2017|date=February 28, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170422123946/http://www.alectrautilities.com/docs/2017-02-28-Alectra-Acquires-Hydro-One-Brampton.pdf|archive-date=April 22, 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> Guelph Hydro (serving Guelph and Rockwood) merged into Alectra on January 1, 2019.<ref name="global: guelph merger">{{cite news |last1=Carty |first1=Matt |title=Ontario Energy Board approves Guelph Hydro, Alectra merger |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/4571901/ontario-energy-board-guelph-hydro-alectra/ |accessdate=November 6, 2018 |work=Global News |date=October 19, 2018 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="merger official mercury">{{cite news |title=Guelph Hydro, Alectra merger now official |url=https://www.guelphmercury.com/news-story/9106283-guelph-hydro-alectra-merger-now-official/ |accessdate=January 11, 2019 |work=Guelph Mercury Tribune |publisher=Metroland Media Group |date=January 2, 2019}}</ref>
Following its formation, Alectra continued to hold the 50% ownership stake formerly held by PowerStream in Collus PowerStream (which services Collingwood and surrounding area) until 2017.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Adams|first1=Ian|title=Collingwood wants answers on Collus-Powerstream dividend|url=https://www.simcoe.com/news-story/7189910-collingwood-wants-answers-on-collus-powerstream-dividend/|accessdate=April 21, 2017|work=Collingwood Connection|date=March 16, 2017|language=en-CA|quote=In a letter to both the town and Alectra... Collus-Powerstream board secretary Pamela Hogg advised the company's board of directors decided not to pay a dividend to the two shareholders for the 2015 fiscal year.}}</ref> Alectra announced on November 9, 2017 that it was selling its ownership stake in Collus PowerStream back to the Town of Collingwood, with the Town announcing that it was selling Collus PowerStream to EPCOR Utilities.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Walker|first1=Mike|title=EPCOR to become new utility provider in Collingwood area after Alectra sells shares to town|url=https://www.ctvnews.ca/barrie/article/epcor-to-become-new-utility-provider-in-collingwood-area-after-alectra-sells-shares-to-town/|access-date=February 19, 2018|work=CTV News Barrie|date=November 9, 2017|language=en-CA}}</ref>
On January 5, 2021, Alectra acquired power restoration company Holland Power Services<ref>{{Cite web |title=Alectra acquires Holland Power Services |url=https://gowlingwlg.com/en-ca/insights-resources/client-work/2021/alectra-acquires-holland-power-services |access-date=2024-09-19 |website=gowlingwlg.com |language=en-ca}}</ref> based in Maugerville, New Brunswick. Holland Power Services operates throughout the east coast of Canada and the United States<ref>{{Cite web |title=Story of Holland Power Services |url=https://www.hollandpowerservices.com/our-story/ |access-date=2024-09-19 |website=Holland Power Services |language=en-US |quote="From our strategically located bases within 100 miles of the Canada-United States border in Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Ellsworth, Maine, we dispatch restoration crews across the eastern U.S., all the way to Florida and the Bahamas. Our team’s extensive experience and well-honed processes ensure we meet every challenge head-on, restoring power with speed and precision."}}</ref> and has 5 locations: 1 in New Brunswick (headquarters), 2 in Ontario, 1 in Quebec, and 1 in Maine, USA.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Our Locations |url=https://www.hollandpowerservices.com/our-locations/ |access-date=2024-09-19 |website=Holland Power Services |language=en-US}}</ref>
On June 10, 2024, Alectra announced their acquisition of another power restoration company, Gagnon Line Construction,<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-06-10 |title=Gagnon Line Construction Joins Alectra Family of Companies |url=https://www.alectra.com/news/gagnon-line-construction-joins-alectra-family-companies |access-date=2024-09-19 |website=Alectra Inc. |language=en}}</ref> based in Grand Falls/Grand Sault, New Brunswick. Gagnon Line Construction has two locations: 1 in New Brunswick, and 1 in Quebec. The acquisition of both Holland Power Services and Gagnon Line Construction makes Alectra the largest storm restoration company in Eastern Canada.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-06-10 |title=Gagnon Line Construction Joins Alectra Family of Companies |url=https://www.alectra.com/news/gagnon-line-construction-joins-alectra-family-companies |access-date=2024-09-19 |website=Alectra Inc. |language=en |quote="The acquisition of (Gagnon Line Construction) along with Alectra’s existing company, Holland Power Services Inc., will create the largest electricity grid storm restoration company in eastern Canada."}}</ref>
==Corporate organization== The company is governed by a 14-member board of directors representing the municipalities and other shareholders which owned its predecessor companies. Municipal representatives make up 13 of those directors, consisting of: 4 directors from Mississauga, 3 from Vaughan, 2 from Hamilton, 2 from Markham, 1 from Barrie, 1 from St. Catharines, and 1 from Guelph.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Craggs|first1=Samantha|title=Hamilton residents won't notice much difference in new electricity merger|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/hamilton-residents-won-t-notice-much-difference-in-new-electricity-merger-1.3937544|accessdate=April 21, 2017|work=CBC News|date=January 16, 2017|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Guelph Hydro-Alectra Utilities merger completed |url=https://www.alectrautilities.com/wp-content/uploads/News-release-Guelph-Hydro-Alectra-Utilities-merger-completed_final.pdf |website=News |publisher=Alectra Utilities |accessdate=January 12, 2019 |location=Guelph, ON |date=January 2, 2019 |quote=Also, as part of the merger agreement, Alectra’s original 13-member Board of Directors has been expanded to accommodate representation from the City of Guelph. Jane Armstrong... has been selected as Guelph’s representative and will join the Alectra Board early in 2019. |archive-date=January 13, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190113182244/https://www.alectrautilities.com/wp-content/uploads/News-release-Guelph-Hydro-Alectra-Utilities-merger-completed_final.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> <!-- These are the 13 directors representing municipalities, hence why they are the "municipal representatives". Presumably the remaining 14th seat is allotted to OMERS Infrastructure (as a shareholder of the former Enersource) but there is no source which explicitly states this as yet -->
Employees of Alectra's predecessor companies had previously been represented by the Power Workers' Union, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, and Unifor. Following a vote on June 28, 2017 the majority of unionized employees of Alectra and its subsidiaries agreed to be represented solely by the Power Workers' Union.<ref>{{cite web|title=PWU Welcomes Alectra Employees Into Membership|url=http://www.pwu.ca/news/news/post/pwu-welcomes-alectra-employees-into-membership|website=Power Workers' Union|accessdate=August 3, 2017|date=June 28, 2017}}</ref>
==Service area== ===Single-tier municipalities=== * Barrie * Guelph<!-- (as of January 1, 2019)--><ref name="global: guelph merger" /><ref name="guelph merc: merger approved">{{cite web|title=Guelph Hydro, Alectra merger approved|url=https://www.guelphmercury.com/news-story/8976212-guelph-hydro-alectra-merger-approved/|date=October 19, 2018|work=Guelph Mercury Tribune|accessdate=October 20, 2018|language=en-CA|last= McNaughton|first=Graeme }}</ref> * Hamilton
===Niagara Region=== * St. Catharines
===Peel Region=== * Brampton * Mississauga
===Simcoe County=== * Alliston * Beeton * Bradford West Gwillimbury * Penetanguishene * Thornton * Tottenham
===Wellington County=== * Rockwood<!-- (as of January 1, 2019)--><ref>{{cite web |title=A Guelph Hydro-Alectra merger makes sense - City of Guelph |url=https://guelph.ca/living/environment/energy/guelph-hydro-alectra-merger/guelph-hydro-alectra-merger-makes-sense/ |website=City of Guelph |accessdate=November 6, 2018 |date=April 10, 2018 |quote=Service would be the same or better for customers in Guelph and Rockwood.}}</ref>
===York Region=== * Aurora * Markham * Richmond Hill * Vaughan
== See also == * List of Canadian electric utilities
==Notes== {{notelist}}
==References== {{reflist|2}}
== External links== * {{official website|http://www.alectrautilities.com}}
Category:2017 establishments in Ontario Category:Companies based in Mississauga Category:Canadian companies established in 2017 Category:Municipal electric utilities of Canada Category:Electric power companies of Ontario Category:Municipal government of Barrie Category:Municipal government of Mississauga Category:Municipal government of Hamilton, Ontario Category:Municipal government of Guelph Category:Municipal government of St. Catharines Category:OMERS companies