Residents will no longer report streetlight outages to Canadian Niagara Power (CNP). As of today, the Town will be responsible for all municipal streetlight enquiries from the public. To ensure this change is as seamless as possible, residents can still report streetlight outages by telephone or by filling out a form online.

“The change is not a reflection of CNP’s performance. The fact is CNP is in the energy business not the streetlighting business,” said Kelly M. Walsh, director of infrastructure services. “The change is simply a matter of what makes the most sense. By bringing this program in-house, we are able to save on administrative costs; collect data for future use and streamline all enquiries through our dedicated and knowledgeable Customer Service Unit.”

For the past couple decades, CNP has been responsible for maintaining the Town-owned streetlights. This included tracking outage reports from residents, light bulb replacements, and more. Following discussions, both CNP and Town Staff believed that the completion of the Town’s Light Emitting Diode (LED) conversions would be the perfect time to formally transfer the administration of the streetlighting maintenance from CNP to the Town.

“This is a perfect example of how the Town is continuously auditing its current practices and processes to ensure the best value for the community,” said Mayor Wayne Redekop. “This process benefitted the Town for a number of years but, as we evolve as a corporation, we are finding ways to improve our efficiency. It is small changes like these that can make a big impact on how we choose to operate in the future.”

Over the past nine months, the Town of Fort Erie finished upgrading 3,200 streetlights to LED streetlights. According to other municipalities and streetlight manufacturers, LED streetlights have the potential or actual savings of 30-70% on energy consumption and 75-95% in maintenance costs. The town is estimating a potential savings of up to $210,000 annually, which means the conversion could save the Town over $2 million in energy and maintenance costs over the next 10 years.

In addition to consuming less energy, LEDs produce a cleaner, whiter light that improves visual acuity and community safety. The beams of LEDs are also more concentrated on the roadway than traditional streetlights, which in turn help reduce light trespass.

To report a streetlight outage, please call Town Hall, Customer Service Unit, at 905-871-1600 ext. 2850 or fill out a Street Lighting Outage Report form at www.forterie.ca under Residents > Sidewalks and Streetlights.

For more information about the project, please contact George Stojanovic, Manager, Engineering Division, at 905-871-1600 ext. 2402 or email gstojanovic@forterie.ca.

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