In the dark to protest increases

First published March 31, 2015 at 4:51   Updated: March 31, 2015 at 6:59
By Marie-Ève ​​Dumont | QMI Agency

More than 93 000 people have to answer the call of Montreal invites customers to Hydro-Québec to stop using electricity for an hour Wednesday to denounce the constant rate increases.

“It’s amazing, this show of solidarity, I was not expecting it at all. It shows that in a world where we talk all the time of individualism, we are able to stick together, to stand together when we propose an idea that connects people, “says with a smile in his voice, janique Delorme, the founder of the movement.

This initiative came to him a simple discussion among friends recounting their ras-le-bol successive increases of the corporation.

“They rebelled because prices increase on April 1 and a friend simply said we should all close our” breakers “for an hour. I thought it was a great idea, “she recounts.

Ms. Delorme has decided to create a Facebook event “THE GRAND Qc HYDRO BLACKOUT on 18 March to invite as many people as possible to participate in this symbolic movement.

More than a million people have been invited to participate in the event Janique Delorme via social networks.

Candlelight

People are invited to “put the breakers to OFF” and light the candles between 19 am and 20 am Wednesday.

“And who knows … maybe at 1 January 2016 Hydro will be responsible for a minibaby boom in Quebec rather than the impoverishment of the population!” Reads the Facebook page of the event.

“People are sometimes afraid to go to events, especially with what we see in the media with demonstrators and police injured. This time they do not even have to leave home. It’s easy to do and accessible to everyone, “she says.

Record profits

Electricity rates for residential customers will increase by 2.9%, or about $ 44 for a family residence, as of April 1, although the corporation has announced record profits of $ 3.38 billion in 2014.

“Since 2004, we have successive increases without being able to do anything. The citizen is held hostage because of the losses suffered by the wind when we do not consume even wind power, “says one who is self-employed in the field of design.

http://tvanouvelles.ca/lcn/infos/national/archives/2015/03/20150331-045124.html

 

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No power hour: Blackout planned to protest Hydro-Quebec rate hikes

By Amanda Kelly Web Producer  Global News   March 24, 2015 11:00 am

MONTREAL — A unique social media call to action against Hydro-Quebec rate hikes is planned for the first day of April — and it involves shutting off the power.

Facebook event is inviting Quebecers to stop consuming electricity for one hour to protest against a proposed hike in their electricity bills. There are already over 47,000 people attending.

Last month, Hydro-Quebec announced it would increase its rates by 2.9 per cent, starting April 1.

“You are invited to a simple citizen’s-action against the continuous price increases of Hydro-Quebec,” the event page reads.

“Rather than ‘flash your lights,’ light some candles and set all your ‘breakers’ to OFF just for an hour.”

“And who knows … maybe on 1 January 2016, Hydro will be responsible for a mini baby boom in Quebec instead of the impoverishment of its population!”

The action is set to take place across the province from 7 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, April 1.

READ MORE: Hydro-Quebec’s 2014 profit surges 15% to $3.38 billion due to cold weather

Change.org online petition against Hydro-Quebec’s proposed rate hikes has also been circulating on social media and has garnered over 36,600 signatures.

Hydro-Quebec is a public utility entirely owned by the government of Quebec. In 2014, the company said it paid a record dividend of $2.5 billion to Quebec, its sole shareholder.

http://globalnews.ca/news/1900374/no-power-hour-blackout-planned-to-protest-hydro-quebec-rate-hikes/