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Ignace to launch emergency notification platform

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The Township of Ignace is receiving funding from Hydro One to improve emergency preparedness and communications in the community.

The municipality is receiving funding through Hydro One’s Community Partnership Grant, which provides municipalities across Ontario with up to $25,000 for programs and initiatives supporting safety and community well-being.

Ignace plans to use the funding to introduce a mobile emergency notification platform that will provide timely alerts to residents and visitors during emergencies.

The funding will also support the purchase of satellite phones for the Ignace Fire Department and municipal administration, providing another way to communicate when cellular service is unavailable or disrupted.

Portable or permanently installed backup generators are also planned for designated emergency shelter locations.

“The Township of Ignace is grateful to the Hydro One Community Partnership Grant for supporting our emergency preparedness initiative,” said Ignace Mayor Kim Baigrie. “This will allow us to use a notification system to reach local residents, ensure our first responders have satellite phones capable of connection anywhere in the region, and install generators for emergency power in the future.”

Hydro One says the grant program complements its investments in regional electricity infrastructure, including the Waasigan Transmission Line.

“Through the Community Partnership Grant, the Township of Ignace will improve emergency preparedness initiatives and help residents and first responders have access to the tools and information they need when it matters most,” said Bonnie Hiltz, Hydro One’s vice-president of government and stakeholder relations.

“By enhancing emergency services, we are strengthening community wellbeing and creating stronger communities for generations to come.”

black transmission towers under green sky

Open houses planned for proposed Dryden-to-Red Lake transmission line

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Residents in Dryden, Ear Falls and Red Lake will have an opportunity later this month to learn more about a major electricity infrastructure project planned for northwestern Ontario.

Hydro One is hosting a series of community open houses to gather feedback and share route alternatives for the proposed Red Lake Transmission Line. The project would see the construction of a double-circuit, 230-kilovolt transmission line running from Dryden to Red Lake, with a connection through Ear Falls.

The Dryden-to-Red Lake transmission line will connect to the Waasigan line currently being constructed from Shuniah to Atikokan.

“Electricity demand in Ontario is continuing to increase,” said Sonny Karunakaran, Vice President of Strategic Projects and Partnerships at Hydro One. “We’re building this line to increase capacity of electricity supply into the region and improve reliability.”

Karunakaran says the project will allow for greater economic investment and growth across northwestern Ontario.

“The project’s construction and development will create jobs and opportunities, but the project itself will be an enabler for other industries in the region to develop and grow,” he said.

According to Karunakaran, the line would add enough capacity to power the equivalent of Thunder Bay roughly twice over.

Community members will be able to meet with project staff, ask questions and learn more about the proposed route options and potential alternatives during open houses scheduled for September 22 to 24.

The open houses will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. local time at the following locations:

  • Sept. 22 in Ear Falls
    Royal Canadian Legion Branch 283, 40 John St.
  • Sept. 23 in Red Lake
    Red Lake Community Centre, 10 Hammell Rd.
  • Sept. 24 in Dryden
    Royal Canadian Legion Branch 63, 34 Queen St.

Karunakaran said Hydro One evaluates four key factors when determining a preferred route through the environmental assessment process: socio-economic impacts, environmental considerations, Indigenous values and land use, and project costs.

Hydro One expects to complete the environmental assessment by the end of 2027. If approved, construction would begin in 2028, with the transmission line expected to be in service by 2033.

KENORA POWER OUTAGE JUNE 11 2026

Hundreds without power in Kenora area, restoration expected this afternoon

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Hundreds of customers in the Kenora area are without power on Thursday morning.

Hydro One’s outage map shows multiple outages currently under investigation, with affected areas stretching as far as Grassy Narrows.

The cause has not yet been determined.

Crews are working to restore service, with power expected to be back by around 2 p.m. today.

hydro one pick-up (2)

Hydro One and union reach tenative agreement

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Hydro One and the union representing more than two thousand employees have reached a tentative agreement.

The Society of United Professionals, which covers engineering, supervisory and other professional roles across Ontario, confirmed the proposed contract is now headed to a ratification vote.

Details of the agreement have not been released.

If approved, the deal would be retroactive to October of 2025.

Hydro One employs more than ten thousand people and supplies electricity to roughly one-point-five million customers across the province.

Hydro One new logo - CNW(1)

Ontario electrical utilities warn of holiday season scams

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Ontario’s electrical utilities, including Hydro One, are advising the public to be vigilant of fraud this holiday season.

The utility companies have come up with three Ps for fraud prevention: pause, prove, and protect.

They advise pausing when discovering a notification that could be remotely suspicious, rather than rushing into a payment scheme that may not be legitimate.

The utilities recommend proving the veracity of any potential scam by directly contacting utility companies, rather than being contacted (use the phone number on a utility bill.)

Finally, they recommend protecting all personal information, which should not be given out on a whim.

The public should be wary of any demands for immediate payment, which are meant to put pressure on individuals to take quick action before thinking through the possibility of fraud.

Any promises of refunds or updating account information should always demand scrutiny.

Utility companies will never ask a customer to pay their bill using gift cards, prepaid debit cards, or cryptocurrency (this advice can be used for scams far beyond just utilities).

Those who are concerned they may have been defrauded can contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501

Hydro One new logo - CNW(1)

Power outage expected in northwestern Ontario as Hydro One performs infrastructure replacements

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A power outage is expected in various locations in the Thunder Bay District and Atikokan area as Hydro One performs infrastructure work.

On Sunday from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., crews will be replacing poles and insulators in the region.

By replacing the equipment proactively, Hydro One is ensuring customers do not experience a lengthy unplanned outage in the future.

The following areas in the Rainy River District are expected to be impacted:

  • Atikokan
  • Hutchinson
  • Niobe Lake
  • Nym Lake
  • Marion Lake
  • Crystal Lake
  • Eva Lake

The following areas in the Thunder Bay District are expected to be impacted:

  • Ames
  • Blackwell
  • Blake
  • Colliver
  • Conacher
  • Conmee
  • Crooks
  • Dawson Road Lots
  • Devon
  • Fallis
  • Forbes
  • Fowler
  • Gillies
  • Golding
  • Gorham
  • Hagey
  • Haines
  • Hardwick
  • Inwood
  • Jacques
  • Joynt
  • Kakabeka Falls
  • Lac Des Mille Lacs First Nation
  • Laurie
  • Lybster
  • Marks
  • Michener
  • Murillo
  • Neebing
  • O’Connor
  • Oliver Paipoonge
  • Pearson
  • Pyramid
  • Robson
  • Savanne
  • Scoble
  • Shebandowan
  • Soper
  • Stedman
  • Strange
  • Thunder Bay Unorganized
  • Trewartha
  • Upsala
  • Ware

Hydro One notes that the outage will also affect some Synergy North customers.

Roughly 8,200 homes are expected to be impacted.

tbay outage oct6

Update: Northwest Ontario hit with power outages after weekend winds

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Hydro One crews are continuing to respond to power outages after high winds moved across Northwest Ontario, impacting the Thunder Bay and Kenora areas.

Most customers in the Thunder Bay region have had their power restored as of 5 p.m. EST.

Meantime, outside of Thunder Bay, more than 470 customers west of Shebandowan are still in the dark, with an estimated restoration time of 6 p.m.

At one point, more than 1,500 customers were without power in the Thunder Bay area.

In the Kenora area, around 575 customers are still in the dark with an estimated restoration time of 9 p.m.

Hydro One crews continue to work on restoration and reminds residents to stay clear of any fallen power lines.

Hydro One reminds residents to stay clear of any fallen power lines. If a fallen line is spotted, keep at least 10 metres back, even if it does not appear to be live.

Report it to 911 and call Hydro One at 1-800-434-1235. If you are using a generator, ensure that it is outside, far from any windows or vents.