Greater Toronto's Top Employers (2025) Magazine - Flipbook - Page 28
28
( 2025 )
SPONSOR CONTENT
Alectra Inc. powers community and sustainability
W
hen Amber Azarcon
thinks back on
some of the most
impactful moments
to have come out of the Alectra
Inc. community support program
AlectraCARES, it’s difficult to
narrow them down.
She remembers the joy brought
to the youth from the REST Centre
in Brampton, Ont. one holiday
season when they opened presents
from the Alectra team – some had
never received a gift before.
“Some said, ‘I didn’t know
anyone thought about me,’” the
communications advisor recalls.
“It was so nice to help them feel
like somebody cares.”
Or when, during the 2024
Princess Margaret Ride to
Conquer Cancer, one of Alectra’s
riders was undergoing cancer
treatment himself. After sharing
his story, employees rallied behind
him and helped raise $180,000 in
donations.
“There’s a lot of heart behind
what we do,” says Azarcon. “It’s not
just writing a cheque – there are
a lot of people in the organization
that really care.”
The giving program was formally established in 2018, but supporting the communities it serves is in
the DNA of one of Canada’s largest
municipally-owned utilities.
From building homes with
Habitat for Humanity, hunkering
down for the Coldest Night of the
Year homelessness fundraiser, or
getting in the saddle for the Ride
to Conquer Cancer, Alectra employees can be found volunteering
across 17 Ontario communities
from Alliston to Vaughan.
“Our employees have been
there on the ground and we’re
very proud of what they’ve done
at the grassroots community level
to make a difference,” says CEO
Brian Bentz.
“We live in these communities,
we’re part of these communities
and when we promote
volunteerism it helps employees
understand the communities that
own us.”
Born of a merger between five
municipal utilities companies
in 2017, Alectra has brought
the different perspectives and
organizational cultures together
with excellent results. Shareholder
dividends have increased by
over $100-million – income that
can be reinvested back into the
communities – while lowering
electricity rates for customers.
Employees, including Amber Azarcon (left) and Elizabeth Pimentel, at Alectra volunteer with the City of
Markham and 10,000 Trees to support the restoration of Monarch Park.
The customer-focused culture
at Alectra spills into everything
it does, from volunteerism to its
approach to sustainability.
In one of the fastest growing
areas in Canada, the power sector
is going to have a significant
impact on a low-carbon economy
and a sustainable future, Bentz
explains.
“There’s a lot of heart
behind what we do. It’s
not just writing a cheque
– there are a lot of people
in the organization that
really care.”
— Amber Azarcon
Communications Advisor
Electricity demand is expected
to increase substantially in the
next decade, and people will
be relying on electricity for
everything from electric vehicles
to home heating and cooling.
“We have to do things
differently as we move through
electrification,” he says.
A greener power grid is on the
horizon by integrating renewable
energy sources and using
intelligent technology to increase
efficiency and reduce costs.
“If we can continue to innovate
and focus on our customers by
lowering their energy bills and
carbon footprint, it will help
enable the transition to a greener,
more sustainable energy future.”
Alectra is also walking the walk
when it comes to its own facilities,
with a number of LEED Gold
certified centres in its network
