By Pepper Parr
November 20, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON.
The buttons are bursting of the shirts and the blouses of the people over at Burlington Hydro – they have been recognized as a Hamilton-Niagara Top Employer by the editors of Canada’s Top 100 Employers.
The community-owned utility has been recognized as a Hamilton-Niagara Top Employer. The regional designation recognizes Hamilton-Niagara area employers that lead their industries in offering exceptional places to work.
The acknowledgement of Burlington Hydro as a leading employer requires, above all, kudos back to their employees for their unwavering commitment to making Burlington a great place to live, work and play.
The opening of an experimental co-generation station – part of the city’s Community energy Plan spearheaded by Burlington Hydro.
During the ice storm a few years ago the team ay hydro worked through the Christmas holidays to get hydro wires off the ground and operational again under exceptionally trying circumstances. It was a team effort that week – it’s a team effort every week over there.
“At Burlington Hydro we understand that at the core of a talented and inspired company is a highly trained workforce that goes the extra mile and always takes pride in serving our customers and the community,” said Gerry Smallegange, President and Chief Executive Officer, Burlington Hydro Inc. “That’s why providing a safe and respectful workplace where employees are highly valued, treated fairly, and challenged with meaningful work is a number one priority.”
Electricity is integrated into the fabric of our lives. It keeps our businesses running and supports our emergency services, our schools and our institutions. Electricity is an essential ingredient in the prosperity of the City of Burlington. Burlington Hydro employees make it all possible. Together, they operate an electricity distribution system recognized among the best in the Province for its innovation, reliability and safety track record.
The Burlington Hydro people were in the field with city staff when hydro wires were down during an ice storm. It is behaviour like that which gets rewarded.
“Attracting, developing and retaining talent is an investment in our future and it’s instrumental in creating a sustainable and stable company,” says Charles Keizer, Board Chair, Burlington Hydro Electric Inc. “It’s part and parcel of a work environment where employees are encouraged and motivated to excel.”
Burlington Hydro is an energy services company in the power distribution business. Serving approximately 66,500 residential and commercial customers. It is also a very innovative organization that is usually several steps ahead of other hydro organizations.
It was during the Christmas holidays – the wires were down, people needed the electricity – hydro crews re-built a large part of the network in the rural part of the city.
Burlington Hydro maintains 32 substations and almost 1,600 kilometers of medium voltage distribution lines to deliver electricity. The company is wholly owned by the City of Burlington and makes a very significant financial contribution to the city’s balance sheet.
