City of Summerside's months-long power struggle is far from over, says mayor
Summerside mayor talks planning for the future, and keeping the city's lights on
16 hours ago
Duration 7:13
Summerside's mayor says the city's electricity challenges are far from resolved.
P.E.I.'s second-largest city, which operates its own utility, faced a series of power disruptions this winter.
Summerside Electric generates about 60 per cent of its electricity through renewable sources like solar and wind, but it still relies on Maritime Electric's transmission grid for power that the smaller utility buys from New Brunswick.
A failure at Maritime Electric's Sherbrooke substation, located just north of the city, led to significant power challenges in February. As a result, residents were asked to conserve electricity and a mobile transformer had to be brought in from Newfoundland to stabilize the system.
"The Band-Aid has been put on, and the temporary transformer on wheels is there, and things are in place," Mayor Dan Kutcher told CBC News: Compass host Louise Martin.
"But the fundamentals still need fixing."
Kutcher said he has not yet had meeting he was promised with P.E.I. Energy Minister Gilles Arsenault and Maritime Electric officials.
But he said the city has had discussions with Arsenault and was told that a meeting would take place after the spring sitting of the P.E.I. Legislature. As of Friday morning, the MLAs were still on the job at the Legislative Assembly in Charlottetown.
The city has also met at the executive level with Maritime Electric, he added.
Come wintertime, we're gonna be vulnerable again... We can't be going through that time and again. Energy security is paramount to everything. — Dan Kutcher
"We do know that come wintertime, we're gonna be vulnerable again. And I would also say that we have some concerns as well with Maritime Electric. There are joint concerns... some are on-Island and some are off-Island.
"So it's really important that we get to the table and figure out a clear path because we can't be going through that time and again. Energy security is paramount to everything."
The power struggle in Summerside was also raised in the provincial legislature last month, with MLAs from all three parties expressing concern.
Arsenault has said in the past that a review aimed at improving the reliability and affordability of Prince Edward Island's energy grid would be released this month.
The minister also confirmed the province's energy system blueprint will be released later this year, setting out a "comprehensive strategy" for the next 10 years.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBC
7 minutes ago
- CBC
Canada's Promise David attracting attention with Belgian soccer champs before transfer window
Soccer has already taken Promise David to Croatia, the United States, Malta, Estonia and Belgium. And the 23-year-old forward from Brampton, Ont., could be on the move again during the summer transfer window. There have been bumps along the way for David, who usually goes by Tobi (his full name is Promise Oluwatobi Emmanuel David Akinpelu). "I call it a journey through hell," David said with a smile. "I'm just trying to better myself as a football player and reach higher levels. But, yeah, from each place, I took a piece of football and added it to myself. And I think that's created the Tobi that's here today." For the time being, he is happy to be with Union Saint-Gilloise, which won its first Belgian league title in 90 years last month. "Best football I've ever played in my life," David said of Belgium. "I really take in every moment, because it might not last." While David is under contract to Union Saint-Gilloise, his goal-scoring exploits have attracted attention ahead of the June 15 opening of the transfer window. He recorded 24 goals in all competitions this season with eight of those coming in the 10-game championship round (the top six Belgian sides meet in a mini-league to decide the title). David is currently with Canada in Halifax preparing for the inaugural four-team Canadian Shield Tournament in Toronto. The 30th-ranked Canadians open Saturday against No. 25 Ukraine before facing No. 41 Ivory Coast on Tuesday. David expects a large contingent of friends and family at BMO Field, noting they haven't seen him play live since high school. "I think I bought tickets for the entire stadium," he said. 'Had a nose for goal' Born in Brampton to Nigerian parents, David made his debut for the Nigerian under-23 side in October 2022. But in February, after talks with Canada coach Jesse Marsch, his request to switch allegiance was approved by FIFA. David started at the Toronto FC pre-academy, spending two or three years there before he was let go at 14. He found a new home with Vaughan SC where he excelled despite still growing into an imposing body that now measures six-foot-four and 209 pounds. "He almost looked clumsy when he ran. But he had a nose for goal," said Anthony Vadori, Vaughan's director of men's high performance. "He always found himself in front of goal with an opportunity to shoot." He also played with a smile on his face. "You could tell he loved to play; he wanted to learn so much, which was nice." said Vadori. After high school, David elected to go pro rather than the U.S. college route -- he only got one partial scholarship offer, from Appalachian State -- after negotiating a deadline with his parents to make it in soccer. "I asked for six months. And then six months turned into a year and a half. And that year and a half turned into two years. Two years turned in three. And then after three, I think they kind of realized I don't want to go to school." Dealt with racism as teen in Croatia After attending a tryout camp held by a Croatian second-division team in suburban Oakville in 2019, he found himself in Croatia two weeks later. That led to a move to third-division NK Trnje Zagreb where he played in the under-19 league against youth sides from top teams. "I was just exploring and discovering the world of football and other cultures," he said. It was not all fun, dealing with the language barrier and some racism. In 2021, he returned to North America to join FC Tulsa of the USL Championship where he played against older, more experienced players. "It forced me to grow, forced me to hit the gym. Forced me to understand how my body works and how to run at people, how to hit people, how to take hits," he said. The next year he went to Malta where he was initially assigned to the under-19 team at Valetta FC but was quickly promoted to the senior side. After the team survived relegation, he switched clubs and hit a roadblock at Sirens FC, where he didn't play. "It was horrible. But that's football," he said. In early 2023, he joined Estonia's Kalju FC where It took a coaching chance for him to get his chance with the senior side. He started scoring, which triggered the move to Belgium last July. Loves Union fans, teammates and coach For David, ignorance is bliss right now when it comes to a possible transfer. "Anything's possible," he said. "I just hope they don't tell me anything until it's ready to sign." "You can crack your brain thinking about it," he added. He could stay where he is. European cup football awaits, and David has grown to love Union's fans as well as his teammates and coach. He is an avid Chelsea fan, and devotee of club legend Didier Drogba. "It wasn't really the goal-scoring that got me, it was the playmaking ability and just the sheer strength and the problems [he presented] for defenders," he said. While going to a Chelsea game has long been on his bucket list, there is a caveat. "I kind of told myself I would not go to Chelsea unless I get to play there first, like against them," he said. "I told myself that a couple of years ago."
CTV News
8 minutes ago
- CTV News
RCMP conducting new interviews about homicide in Greenwood, N.S.
Esther Jones is pictured in this photo provided by the Nova Scotia RCMP. The RCMP says officers will be in Greenwood, N.S., this week as police continue to investigate the murder of Esther Jones, who was killed in the community last summer. Police are still looking for Jones's remains and say they will be 'conducting further inquiries' in Greenwood over the next several days, so residents can expect to see officers in the area. 'These inquiries are a continuation of the investigational efforts,' said the RCMP in a news release Wednesday. 'To date, investigators have formally interviewed more than 100 people, obtained video surveillance from more than 50 businesses and homes, and searched multiple locations looking for Esther's remains.' The 55-year-old Jones was last seen alive at the Kingston Bible College in Kingston, N.S., on Aug. 31 and reported missing to police on Sept. 2. Police found the woman's vehicle – a silver 2009 Volkswagen Passat – abandoned in Greenwood, N.S., on Sept. 4. The Southwest Nova RCMP Major Crime Unit took over the investigation at that time. Man charged with murder in September Dale Allen Toole, 54, of Tremont, N.S., was charged on Sept. 11, 2024 with first-degree murder. Police believe Jones and Toole got into a struggle at the bible college on Aug. 31 and Jones was killed at that location that afternoon. As for their relationship, police previously said Toole and Jones were not related by blood, but they did have family members in common, and lived in the same area. Toole found in Texas Police said during a news conference in September that Toole had fled the country and the RCMP worked with authorities in the U.S. and Mexico to track his movement. He was eventually found at the airport in Houston, Texas where he was detained, and deported back to Canada. Investigators believe Toole had been headed for Mexico before being detained in was arrested after he landed in Toronto and escorted back to Nova Scotia, where he remains in custody. The Southwest Nova Major Crime Unit is asking anyone with information to contact investigators at (902) 365-3120 or Nova Scotia Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222- TIPS (8477) or online at For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
CTV News
8 minutes ago
- CTV News
N.B. holds rent cap increase at 3 per cent amid ‘affordability issues'
David Hickey, minister responsible for the New Brunswick Housing Corporation, makes an announcement on May 20, 2025. (New Brunswick government) The government of New Brunswick will keep its rent cap increase at three per cent for the 2025-26 fiscal year. The rent control measure took effect in February after being announced in late 2024. The province said it is meant to prevent the displacement of tenants by limiting spikes in rental prices. 'While we have seen a recent increase in the number of rental units in New Brunswick, tenants are still encountering low vacancy rates and rising rent prices,' said David Hickey, the minister responsible for the New Brunswick Housing Corporation. 'We're keeping the rent cap in place for this fiscal year to help provide stability and to give us more time to address the issues driving these challenges in the market.' The cap limits the amount the price of a rental can be increased each year to three per cent. It is subject to an annual review. It is also being considered as part of the current review of the Residential Tenancies Act, said a news release from the province. Hickey said the cap provides stability for renters after a 40 per cent increase in rent over the past six years. 'This follows other supports we've introduced to help landlords and developers,' he said. The province introduced a rebate on the provincial portion of the HST for new rental builds that started after Nov. 15, 2024. It has proposed legislation that would freeze property assessments for homeowners, landlords and businesses for one year as it reforms its property tax system. The next review of the rental cap is in May 2026. For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.
