COVER
PUBLIC RELATIONS EXCELLENCE:
NIAGARA PENINSULA ENERGY A Picture Perfect Solution to a Perennial Problem
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e’ve all seen the large green utility boxes that dot neighbourhoods across the province. They’re a bland landscape feature at best, and they can even be an eyesore. That’s especially true if they are vandalized or graffitied – common occurrences that can also shorten the working lives of this equipment, and add unnecessary costs for local hydro utilities. Niagara Peninsula Energy Inc. (NPEI) was recognized with the Public Relations Excellence Award at this year’s EDA Awards Gala for its creative, practical and attractive solution to the problem that these pad-mounted transformers can represent. Through its Utility Box Artwork Program, NPEI is not only deterring damage to equipment and extending its life, but adding original and local artwork to streetscapes as utility boxes are transformed into things of beauty. The program involves vinyl wraps for the utility boxes, on which original pieces of art are reproduced (with careful adjustments to ensure required tags and warning decals remain visible). “This is a great way to make the area even more beautiful,” said Sue Forcier, VP of Communications, Marketing and Public Affairs at NPEI. “It also helps to reduce graffiti, and busy images work best to deter vandalism. We’re proud to be a local utility responding to innovative ideas from the local business community. We are the first utility in Ontario to participate in a creative program like this and we are excited to set a trend that we think is going to be very popular.” For the first round, the City of Niagara Falls held a contest for local artists to submit artwork to be nominated. Sonia Wilkinson was chosen as the winner. Her vibrant work now adorns nearly a dozen utility boxes in the Lundy’s Lane Business Improvement Area.
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“It just kind of clicked,” Wilkinson told the St. Catharines Standard, in describing her multi-hued designs. “When I got the project, it just felt like a perfect opportunity to celebrate our differences. It sounds kind of cliched and goofy, but I really believe that part of being Canadian is our differences and what we each bring to the table.” The existing art boxes have attracted many compliments, and a lot of expressions of interest in expanding the program. A new cultural hub that is being developed in Niagara Falls, for example, has already reached out to NPEI to request that all utility boxes in the area be wrapped. The Utility Box Artwork Program has enabled NPEI to expand and grow local partnerships and to contribute to the development and beautification of its communities. And it has transformed potential eyesores into artwork that is enjoyed by not only those who live and work in the neighbourhood, but also by passersby. “We’re confident that many more boxes will be decorated in 2020,” said Forcier. “It’s still early in the program, but with increased equipment longevity and reduced maintenance and repairs, we expect this initiative will deliver good value for NPEI, while helping make us the talk of the town.” Niagara Peninsula Energy Inc. (NPEI) provides local electricity distribution and related services to residential and business customers in the City of Niagara Falls, Town of Lincoln, Town of Pelham and Township of West Lincoln. NPEI is jointly owned by Niagara Falls Holding Corporation and Peninsula West Power Inc. Niagara Falls Holding Corp. is wholly owned by the City of Niagara Falls. Peninsula West Power Inc., which is also a Holding Company, is jointly owned by the Town of Lincoln, the Town of Pelham and the Township of West Lincoln.
THE DISTRIBUTOR
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SUMMER 2020
