The Ontario Hydro of the 20th century was a great success. For 100 years, hydro rates were low and reliable. Ontario prospered. Manufacturing, automaking, pulp and paper, mining: they all flourished because of public hydro’s affordable rates.
As our industries flourished, so did our communities. People had good jobs and our governments had reliable tax revenues. Our schools, hospitals, roads, and rinks were all in great shape.
But that all started to change in 1999. The Mike Harris Conservative government partially privatized hydro and rates immediately spiked. Manufacturing, automaking, pulp and paper, mining—those industries took massive hits and laid off hundreds of thousands of employees.
Now the Wynne government wants to privatize more of our electrical system. The Liberals want to sell off chunks of Hydro One, which will drive Ontario’s hydro rates even higher. Wynne’s privatization will also make the system less reliable and unattractive for companies considering investing in Ontario. This video gives an overview of hydro pricing in Ontario.
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