Collaborating with INDUSTRY PARTNERS Support of COMMUNITY

As a GridSmartCity Cooperative (GSCC) partner, Burlington Hydro has the means to seek out efficiencies and ways of finding cost savings by pooling best practices and resources with 13 like-minded Local Distribution Company (LDC) partners. The partnership fosters relationships that naturally encourage synergies with local governments, while contributing to a shared desire to work together to build strong, sustainable communities.

GridSmartCity’s strength, and ultimately its success, is based on its ability to share resources, insights and systems that help run smarter companies, while advancing innovation, reliability and effiiency. It’s a business model that provides Burlington Hydro with greater opportunities to collaborate and share knowledge and expertise:

• Working together to achieve scale efficiencies and purchasing power.

• Leveraging local ownership to set the gold standard for service, reliability and responsiveness.

• Implementing innovative solutions for the benefit of customers.

• Increasing efficiency and reducing operating costs.

In 2022, GSCC purchasing agreements were in place for transformers and poles, in addition to joint GSC RFPs for hardware that helped to secure the best possible pricing/product availability for the group.

GSCC is well suited to help realize the full potential of a multitude of opportunities, while preparing for industry change:

• Balancing distributed energy resource benefits with implementation complexity and cost;

• Protecting and improving electricity reliability through the convergence of electric vehicles; and,

• Helping deal with the broadening cyber security landscape.

The Burlington Festival of Lights (FOL) – coordinated by Burlington Electricity Services - illuminates the City’s waterfront through December to early January each year. Thousands of local residents and visitors from across the region, and beyond, have made it a seasonal tradition to wander through the park with family and friends to view the themed displays. Tens of thousands more take in the attraction while driving along Lakeshore Road at the City’s waterfront throughout the holiday season. The festival marked its 27th anniversary in 2022.

The FOL is supported by numerous businesses and organizations, including the City and a special grant from Ontario’s Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport under the province’s ‘Reconnect Ontario’ program. The festival is made possible by the generous support of community sponsors, and the many volunteers who help set up and take down the displays each year.

The Festival is proud of the participation of local high school students who help with setting up the waterfront displays and who have built and contributed new displays over recent years. This includes the popular ‘He Shoots. He Scores’ and the ‘Happy New Year’ display, among others. Nelson High School is building a new feature which will be introduced to the park in 2023.

For more information on the FOL, visit the website at: www.burlingtonfestivaloflights.com and follow event news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Burlington Hydro was recognized by the United Way Halton & Hamilton (UWHH) for its successful 2022 fundraising campaign as a ‘Champion of Change’. The award recognizes the ‘outstanding leadership of campaign champions who have ‘showed dedication, passion and tenacity, to inspire their colleagues to get involved and give back, to raise funds and awareness for key issues facing the community’.

With fundraising events and payroll deductions (with the company matching those contributions), BHI raised $27,520 for the local United Way branch.

Burlington Hydro is a caring company with strong community ties. We were proud to support numerous not-for-profit organizations and charities in 2022, including: Halton Women’s Place – Home Safe Home / Burlington Green – Make the Switch / Burlington Chamber of Commerce / ‘Long Road Back’ Halton CAMH fundraiser / Joseph Brant Hospital / Scientists in School / Bay Area Engineering Fair / EV Demonstration Event with the City of Burlington.