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Hydro One makes Substantial Investment to Upgrade
Power Delivery system in Timmins area

Toronto, Oct. 9, 2003 - As part of its ongoing program to improve electricity delivery reliability, Hydro One Networks is investing about $23 million to overhaul the distribution system in the Timmins area. The five-year program started last year in Schumacher and is scheduled for completion in 2007.

"We're really excited about this project which is one of the biggest we've ever undertaken in this area," explained Wilf Ketchabaw, Lines Superintendent for Northeastern Ontario. "We're committed to Timmins and we believe in its future. This is a huge investment in local infrastructure that will improve reliability for our customers here."

The company is replacing:

• almost 700 poles (and improving an additional 850 structures),
• about 300 pole top and padmount transformers,
• over 50 kilometres of wire/conductor, and
• removing five distribution stations -- Schumacher, Pine, Ninth Avenue, Vimy and Moneta.

The work involves converting the older parts of the system, which date from the early 1950s from 4,160 volts to 27,600 volts. This eliminates the need for some smaller distribution stations and increases supply flexibility throughout the community. Most of the city is already being fed at the higher voltage level, and the objective is to completely upgrade the older system feeding the downtown area.

On October 12 work will begin on extracting transformers from a vault underneath the 101 Mall at 38 Pine Street North. If you would like to photograph this work, please contact us at 1-877-506-7584.

Hydro One Networks owns and operates the province-wide electricity high voltage transmission network and largest low voltage distribution system in Ontario that serves over one million end-use customers. Hydro One is wholly owned by the provincial government.

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For more information, contact Hydro One Media Relations 24 hours a day at
1-877-506-7584 (toll-free in Ontario only) or 416-345-6868.

Pole replacement work in Timmins using a large crane