Hay River (June
6, 2000)
Northwest
Territories Power Corporation chairman Gordon Stewart is confident that
with hard work and significantly improved communications with its Fort
Simpson customers, the corporation will retain the generation and distribution
of electricity to the Village.
'I am certain that
we have a large number of loyal customers in Fort Simpson and they want
us to continue to be their supplier' he said.
The corporation
plans to hold a public meeting to not only hear concerns of customers
but also to outline the current position and where the corporation sees
the electricity business heading in the future.
'We accept and acknowledge
that in the past we have not adequately explained to customers the basics
of our business. How we run our plant, how we purchase and transport
our diesel fuel, how we set our electricity prices and how we achieve
economies and operating efficiencies', said Mr Stewart.
On the other hand
the corporation has received accolades for implementing and achieving
excellence with regard to key safety and environmental programs.
Excellent performance
in these areas of our business reflect on our ability to meet and exceed
the expectations of customers in terms of 'keeping the lights burning'
through all types of extreme weather conditions.
In Fort Simpson,
as in all our fifty-one communities, the power corporation team is committed
to ensuring minimal inconvenience to customers when the system is under
pressure.
'Take a very recent
example' said Mr Stewart, 'the fire at Sanikiluaq. The power plant was
completely destroyed, and within 32 hours, supply to all customers was
fully restored.'
Very importantly,
however, we now recognize that competition is here. We must better understand
the needs and concerns of our customers and this can only be achieved
by developing community partnerships and having open dialogue with community
leaders.
The board and management
are at this time developing new initiatives aimed at improving our community
and customer relations.
Getting feedback
and ideas from our customers before finalizing these new programs will
be a key focal point of a series of meetings to be held in Fort Simpson
and other villages in the Deh Cho region next week.
In addition staff
at our Fort Simpson office are talking to customers, answering their
questions and noting their concerns which at this time are primarily
about continuity and reliability of supply.
Mr Stewart said
that the corporation is not going to walk away from its Fort Simpson
customers, rather we are going to continue to serve them to the best
of our ability providing an excellent service at a fair price.
'These are exciting
and challenging times for all businesses and in particular for the corporation.
We aim to meet that challenge' he added.
For more information
contact:
Peter
Watt
Public Relations Officer
Northwest Territories Power Corporation
(867) 874 5207
(867) 874 1288 (cell)
(867) 874 4029 (after hours)
