FortisOntario : Who We Are

Headquartered in Fort Erie Ontario, FortisOntario is an innovative growth company with core businesses focused on electricity distribution, transmission and generation. FortisOntario is 100% Canadian-owned and a proud member of the Fortis Inc. group of companies. Fortis Inc. is a diversified, international electric utility holding company. Fortis Inc. information can be accessed at www.fortisinc.com. FortisOntario holdings include: three 100%-owned electric utility subsidiaries: Canadian Niagara Power Inc., serving Fort Erie and Port Colborne. Cornwall Electric, serving the City of Cornwall, South Glengarry, South Stormont and the Ontario portion of the Mohawk Territory of Akwesasne. Eastern Ontario Power serving Gananoque. a strategic interest in Westario Power and Rideau St. Lawrence Power. generation facilities: Cornwall District Heating, a 5 MW co-generation plant in Cornwall. For further details about our holdings and acquisitions, see press releases.

Historical Background
1892	Canadian Niagara Power Company Limited founded by lawyer and visionary, William Birch Rankine, and Canadian and American investors.
1905	Canadian Niagara Power began generating electricity from its Rankine Generating Station, the first hydroelectric generating station to be built on the Canadian side of the Niagara River.
1907	Canadian Niagara Power entered into a franchise agreement with The Town of Fort Erie. This marked the first public use of streetlights in Fort Erie.
1924	The eleventh and final generator at Rankine Generating Station was put into operation.
1928	Canadian Niagara Power opened its first office in Fort Erie. Cooking classes were offered to introduce the public to the new concept of electric cooking.
1950	Canadian Niagara Power became a direct subsidiary of Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation.
1992	Canadian Niagara Power Company Limited celebrated its Centennial Anniversary.
1994	Canadian Niagara Power purchased the Cowley Ridge Windplant in southwest Alberta with installed generation of 18.9 MW.
1995	By a Special Act of the Ontario Legislature, Canadian Niagara Power Company Limited was incorporated under the Ontario Business Corporations Act.
1996	Fortis Inc. purchased 50% of Canadian Niagara Power Company Limited from Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation.
1997	Canadian Niagara Power celebrated 90 years of service to The Municipality of Fort Erie.
1998	Canadian Niagara Power completed a 115 kV interconnection to Niagara Mohawk's electrical system at Buffalo, to provide a back-up supply in the event of an outage at Niagara Falls.
1999	Canadian Niagara Power Company Limited formed a regulated subsidiary, Canadian Niagara Power Inc., to comply with the Ontario Electricity Act (1998).
1999	Canadian Niagara Power Company Limited received authorization by the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to market electricity in the United States.
1999	Canadian Niagara Power Company Limited sold its interest in the Cowley Ridge Windplant to Canadian Hydro Developers Inc.
2002	Canadian Niagara Power Company became 100% owned by Fortis Inc. and began operating as FortisOntario, the head of all Ontario holdings.
2002	Canadian Niagara Power entered into an agreement with the City of Port Colborne to lease the Port Colborne Hydro electricity distribution business. CNP holds an option to purchase the business at the end of the 10-year lease.
2002	FortisOntario acquired 100% interest in Cornwall Street Railway, Light and Power Company from Enbridge Consumers Energy Inc.
2003	FortisOntario acquired the operating subsidiaries of Granite Power. The name of the local utility in Gananoque was subsequently changed to Eastern Ontario Power.
2004	Canadian Niagara Power and the City of Port Colborne were jointly presented with the Chuck Wills Award for Innovation & Excellence in Public-Private Partnerships at the 2004 National Public-Private Partnerships award ceremony.
For details of our recent news, see press releases.