As I write this, our organization is taking action to ensure health and safety, and reliable customer service during the COVID-19 pandemic. This crisis further highlights the importance of our mission: to provide safe and reliable core utility services.
During 2019, our employees reaffirmed our mission, proving time and again, you can count on us to be safe and reliable.
On Friday, Nov. 1, we counted on our traffic signal crews when a windstorm created widespread damage to infrastructure. They worked overnight to replace 45 damaged traffic-signal heads at 35 intersections and align 25 twisted traffic-signal heads at 18 intersections. Meanwhile, our electricity crews restored 29 power outage areas, with a focus on maintaining worker and public safety.
We count on all our employees to keep each other safe and to look for new and better ways to ensure public safety every day. On March 5, the Canadian Gas Association (CGA) recognized Utilities Kingston with a Public Safety Leadership Award. The CGA gives out three Leadership Safety awards each year to note achievements that advance the industry’s journey toward a systemic and dedicated approach to health and safety management. Congratulations to all of our employees who contributed to this success.
We can also count on Utilities Kingston employees to support our community. We are a proud supporter of the United Way of Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington.
The success of our campaign results from the efforts of our employees, who lead the fundraising. I’d like to recognize Richard Rodrigue, who participated in our workplace campaign for over 30 years. His enthusiasm and creativity has inspired employees to donate and benefit our local community.
Utilities Kingston is intent on finding and fixing water leaks in the municipal system. This effort helps provide a safe and reliable supply of drinking water, improve operating efficiency, reduce treatment costs, conserve water and energy, and ensure responsible infrastructure management for customers. Achievements in 2019 included a focus on replacing leaking water service laterals, an active leak detection program, and improving data through metering.
In 2019, work continued on the four-year, $88 million expansion and upgrade of the Cataraqui Bay Wastewater Treatment Plant. The upgrade will increase the plant’s capacity from 38,800 to 55,000 cubic meters per day to meet projected population growth. That’s the kind of reliability a growing community needs to be able to count on!
Our community can also count on us to look for ways to save energy and take climate action. In 2019, Utilities Kingston replaced natural gas line heaters at two regulating stations with more efficient equipment. We expect this upgrade will reduce energy consumption to heat natural gas by 50 per cent. This is expected to conserve over 300,000 cubic metres of natural gas annually and reduce carbon emissions by 600 tonnes, equivalent to 130 cars removed.
Safety and reliability of service to the downtown core are also ensured by the operation of Municipal Substation No. 1, Kingston’s oldest substation, located inside a heritage building on lower Queen Street. Work continued on this substation in 2019 as part of a multi-year project and is expected to be completed by 2023.
In closing, I would like to thank all of our employees for a strong year. You are the pride of Utilities Kingston: our community counts on you and you continue to deliver safely and reliably, every day, and come what may. I’d also like to thank our Shareholder and Board of Directors for your support in furthering our vision, to advance the unique multi-utility model to benefit our customers and, with the help of our tremendous workforce, build better communities.
J.A. (Jim) Keech
President and Chief Executive Officer