Steve Payne
Join the protests against steep hydro rate increases in Ontario
Canadian Contractor Business canada Market ServiceDoug Leitch, outspoken critic of the Ontario College of Trades, is behind a protest against steep Hydro One rate increases and surcharges on April 4th.
The following press release was sent to us by Doug Leitch, a long-standing opponent of the “Trades Tax” represented by the Ontario College of Trades. Doug is an electrician in Carleton Place, Ont. and he is the head of the Ontario Contractors and Small Business Association (OCSBA). This issue, below, has nothing to do with the Ontario College of Trades, but it is yet another burden on the small- to medium-sized contractor.
CARLETON PLACE, ONT. – On April 4, at noon, there is a planned Province Wide Hydro Rate Protest to be held in 24 towns and cities across Ontario, including a protest in Carleton Place.
The “Joint the fight against Hydro Rates” originated with a small group in Dryden, Ontario and has grown in momentum and membership, united with a common anger and outrage over escalating Hydro rates and surcharges, Hydro One billing issues and lack of accountability.
Doug Leitch is the local organizer for Carleton Pace, Almonte, Pakenham, Perth, Smiths Falls and area protest. We need as many people as we can get to join us on April 4 to make our voice heard and let us send a clear message that the out of control escalation of Hydro rates and charges, the aberrant customer service and lack of accountability has to end. No longer should ratepayers pay the cost for billions of dollars in government waste and mismanagement, no longer should ratepayers be continually tapped for poor business decisions, waste and unchecked spending and no longer should ratepayers be forced to choose between paying their hydro bill or buying food or being able to staying in their homes.
Ontario Ratepayers pay the highest rates in all of Canada, with rural rates being exponentially higher than high density urban areas. With delivery fees and surcharges Hydro One has taken away our ability to control our hydro bill, charges for consumption a significantly lower portion of our total bill. OEB requests for even higher charges are also pending. Billing and customer service problems are causing stress and hardship on many ratepayers to which Hydro One is indifferent.
This is potentially an election year in the Province of Ontario, voices outside of the GTA have fallen on deaf ears for years, now is the time to make politicians listen. Now is the time to say “Enough is Enough”, our hydro bill should not be another mortgage payment every month, it is an essential service. We have no more to give and Hydro One and the Province of Ontario must learn to live within their means.
Join us April 4th and hear from speakers, voice your concerns and send a message to Queens Park and to Hydro One. Protesters are asked to gather at the new Farmers’ Market just off Lake Avenue East in Carleton Place at noon. Hope to see you there.
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If you would like more information about this topic, please contact Doug Leitch at 613-913-2863 or email at Power_up@hotmail.ca. You can also check out the facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Join-the-fight-against-Hydro-rates/137968316227047 , where additional information and locations of other protests can be found.
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Hqve people meet at all farmers markets in every town and city in the province
..but, but, how will hydro companies pay their secretaries 100k a year if they stop the gouging??
For such a cold day I was surprised at the size of the crowd that showed up at Carleton Place. Had this taken place on a nice warm Sunny Sunday afternoon, the crowd would have been 10 times bigger.
The anger that people feel for our current government and Hydro One will take a lot of very positive steps to dispell.
If we can educate and mobilize the electorate we might put pressure on government to act as they should on our behalf. If left to our own devices we should advise every hydro customer to refuse to pay the delivery fee and the associated HST. If a joint effort is successful someone will listen and someone will step up and negotiate a fair and equitable solution
Nothing will be done, until the idiots in Toronto wake up to the fact that they are getting screwed by Kathleen.
Until southern Ontario gets tuned in I don’t feel much will be accomplished.
That’s who voted her in.
Stupid people!
“Ut incepit Fidelis sic permanet”
“Loyal she began, loyal she remains.”
This is the motto of our beautiful Province. .
I love my home so much. I grew up in Northumberland County, an hour east of Toronto, I have lived from Tilbury to Bancroft and have been as far north as Hornepayne. I am 38 years old and still haven’t experienced half of what my home has to offer.
I am ashamed of our politicians. I remember as a boy, seeing commercials on TV about Ontario,………… “Yours to Discover”.
I always felt so proud.
I don’t feel proud anymore…………..
I feel betrayed, angry, and I feel the weight of heavy government bureaucracy.
I want to feel that sense of pride and patriotism again. I want a government that works FOR us and for the betterment of our society, not with heavy legislation and restriction on our freedoms. A government with a heart and a soul.
We need a government that allows us to hold THEM accountable for their actions. What we see is a government that blames everyone else for their mistakes. There is no HONOUR in our legislature. They lie, steal, cheat and smear their opposition, then tell us we need to be accepting and understanding of other people and their feelings.
Good government leads by example. OUR government dictates that we behave a certain way and then behaves the exact opposite,
This applies to ALL governments, Liberals, Conservatives, NDP. They are ALL the same.
What we need is legislation to hold those that represent us accountable. We NEED Recall Legislation.
Recall is a process through which a registered voter can petition to remove a Member of the Legislative Assembly from office. A voter can only petition to recall the Member for the electoral district in which they are registered to vote.
On Thursday September 17th, 2015, Conservative MPP Randy Hillier debated his MPP Recall legislation in the hopes of bringing more accountability to the Ontario Legislature. Hillier’s bill would allow constituents to recall their MPPs via petition if it could gain signatures from 25% of the number of voters from the last election.
Much to the dismay of many across the province the Bill was defeated in the house. The bill would have add a much needed layer of accountability to the members of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.
Recall is a key element to our democratic system.
Without it, our government has no accountability…..
Here is the official event page. Please, if you support us, we will support you.
Join us…
https://www.facebook.com/events/1115266925151297/permalink/1158371647507491/
I can’t take it anymore they are sending my bills late and ready to cut me right off when I havnt even seen the bill its bull I have 2kids and we are about to have no hydro because they can’t do there job right so.eone really needs to do somthing before all of Canada is in the cold
I am fed up with the extortion by hydro. My hydro use is 300 my delivery fee is 200. So 200 service charge or 40%. There is no other company that would charge a service charge that ridiculous. I think a petition should go around in protest and everyone needs to speak up.
Wynne: Do you have the pleasure of desiding what to buy or do without just so you can pay your hydro bill? I have M.S. and the heat makes me feel 100 time worse to no air conditioning is not an option for me. How can you justify what your government is doing to Ontario residence. The disabled and pensioniers life is hard enough with out the added stress of your ridiculous hydro charges. You have made many lives very difficult because of your government errors with this hydro situation fix it or step down and let someone else do it.
We need more protests. Would like to participate in one near or in Grimsby Ontario. The prices are outrageous. Home owners are struggling ing to make ends meet.
Agree! Is there one in London, ON?
Most single Mom’s heating their homes with hydro,working 40 to 60 hours a week. This is for you, you will get your money’s worth out of this year’s snow suits as your children ware them indoors and outdoors.
This thanks to all the money Ontario hydro has spent foolishly over the years. Also Kathleen Wynne and her cold hearted way of paying for her governments mistakes.
Hydro and Kathleen’s government should be ashamed!!!
Oh by the way shame is being a bad person, guilt is doing a bad thing.
We have shameful people in government. Let’s get rid of them.
Can’t afford to eat anymore. This is with 1.5 incomes.
I agree that something must be done about hydro rates.
The best way I’ve found to protest hydro is on the third Sunday of every month at noon I “GO DARK.” That is I go to my electrical panel and shut the main breaker of for 1 hour. Then I turn it back on. If enough people in the province did this, it would send a clear message to both government and the industry.
Could we get every Canadian to not pay their bill and let hydro one decide if they want to cut power to every household. Let them decide . The impact will be devastating all across the board. Better them than us. Maybe they will really understand the point . Average Canadians cannot eat and pay hydro. Everything is out of control.
every one need to shut there hydro off every weekend starting may or june 2017 and keep up with it all summer long.