Ontario government spending $1B to refurbish 8 hydro generating stations in eastern Ontario
The provincial government has announced it will be spending close to $1 billion to refurbish eight hydroelectric generating stations in eastern Ontario.
Energy Minister Stephen Lecce made the announcement in Ottawa on Thursday.
- Sign up now for daily CTV News Ottawa newsletters
- The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App
"Hydroelectric generating stations in eastern Ontario have been providing the province with clean electricity for a century, and with today's investment, we're extending the life of these eight stations for decades more to help Ontario meet its growing electricity needs," he said. "We're supporting Ontario Power Generation as they invest $1 billion to extend the life of all eight eastern Ontario generating stations, and this refurbishment effectively is a major overhaul of all of the generators."
Forty-five units at the Arnprior, Barrett Chute, Mountain Chute, and Stewartville stations on the Madawaska River and at the Chats Falls, Chenaux, Des Joachims, and Otto Holden stations on the Ottawa River will see refurbishment. Lecce says the project will create more than 500 jobs in the region.
Eight hydroelectric generating stations in eastern Ontario that will be refurbished.
Lecce was in Horton, Ont. earlier in the day to announce $162 million for the Chenaux Generating Station, prior to making the larger announcement in Ottawa.
"This significant investment will enhance efficiencies, create hundreds of skilled jobs in eastern Ontario, and ensure our stations meet energy demands for decades to come," said Ontario Power Generation Senior VP of Business Development Heather Ferguson, in a news release Thursday.
The generators at Chenaux, for example, are 74 years old, and in need of replacement to meet the growing demand on the grid.
"Recently, we just announced new housing units being built in Pembroke and we recognize that there is a tremendous need and that is not unique to Renfrew County," said Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke MPP John Yakabuski.
Lecce said the refurbished generators at Chenaux will extend the life of the facility by another 30 years.
This follows a previous announcement of a $600-million refurbishment plan for the R.H. Saunders Generating Station in Cornwall, Ont.
The Ontario government says the work across all of these generating stations will secure up to 2,673 megawatts of electricity.
"Our government will continue to support affordable energy expansion, while continuing to oppose the regressive federal carbon tax," Lecce said.
--With files from CTV News Ottawa's Dylan Dyson
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
WestJet cancels at least 150 flights following mechanics union strike
WestJet says it's cancelled at least 150 flights beginning Saturday after the union maintaining the airline's planes announced it went on strike hours earlier.
The small French town where Newfoundlanders were heroes
It was a battle ripped from the pages of a storybook: Ten soldiers held off hundreds of German troops to save a small French village in the First World War.
Tenants in 16-floor apartment building in Ottawa's west-end served eviction notices
More than 100 people in Ottawa's west-end are in the process of receiving eviction notices to vacate their 50-year-old apartment building for renovations.
opinion Practical tips for seniors who want to supplement their retirement income
Are you retired and looking for some ideas to help make some extra money? Personal finance contributor Christopher Liew has some tips to help you earn some income in your golden years.
'We need new leadership': Liberal MP writes to caucus, says Justin Trudeau should resign
A sitting Liberal MP has written to the federal caucus to say he thinks Prime Minister Justin Trudeau should resign. 'For the future of our party and for the good of our country we need new leadership and a new direction,' said New Brunswick MP Wayne Long in the brief note.
'A big blowout in the square': Canada Day celebrations beyond the country's borders
As Canadians celebrate the country's 157th birthday this weekend, one of the biggest parties will take place across the Atlantic Ocean.
As fall elections loom, are fears for the state of democracy in Canada justified?
Is Canada's democracy truly under threat? Political scientists say while Canadian politics and institutions are facing a myriad of concerns, the situation isn't dire overall.
Driver charged with DUI for New York nail salon crash that killed 4 and injured 9
A minivan slammed into a Long Island nail salon Friday, killing four people and injuring 9, a Suffolk County fire official said.
Health Canada recalls brand of sunscreen product due to potential fungal contamination
Double check your sunscreen products before lathering up this long weekend, as Health Canada has recalled several lots across the country.