Chiarelli will meet with six mayors

Thebarrieexaminer.com
March 23, 2016

Ontario Energy Minister Bob Chiarelli will join six Ontario mayors, including Barrie's Jeff Lehman, in Hamilton Thursday to make a hydro announcement.

Last October, Barrie city council approved PowerStream's merger with Enersource and Horizon, and the purchase of Hydro One Brampton Networks.

The new company would be called MergeCo.

Its other municipal owners would be Markham, Vaughan, Mississauga, Hamilton and St. Catharines.

The mayors of those cities, along with Lehman, will join Chiarelli for Thursday's announcement.

This merger/acquisition requires approval from the boards of all the utility companies involved, the municipalities and the Ontario Energy Board.

The Ontario government has been encouraging consolidation of the electrical distribution system and, since 1999, the number of companies has dropped to 68 from 300.