PETERBOROUGH, ON – Ninety percent of voters in Peterborough are still opposed to the sale of Peterborough Distribution Inc. (PDI) after the community consultation, according to a new poll conducted by Environics.
Put into the field on November 25 immediately following Navigant’s presentation of their report back from the consultation, the Environics poll found:
- 90% of Peterborough voters oppose selling PDI to Hydro One
- 91% want Peterborough Council to keep PDI in public hands
- 87% believe the Hydro One offer is a bad deal for Peterborough
- 81% say they will be less likely to vote for their councillor if they support the sale of PDI
- 83% believe selling PDI will lead to higher rates
- 78% believe selling PDI will result in less reliable service
“The people of Peterborough remain steadfast in their opposition to any sale of PDI,” says Fred Hahn, President of CUPE Ontario. “The numbers remain virtually unchanged from the previous poll we conducted in April, prior to the Hydro One offer and the City’s consultation process.”
“We believed it was important to have a clear understanding of what people want, before Council makes their decision,” says Candace Rennick, Secretary-Treasurer of CUPE Ontario and long-time Peterborough resident. “How our Councillors choose to vote is vital to the future of our City and everyone who lives here. They must listen to the people who elect them.”
The poll of 791 voting age residents of Peterborough, was conducted using both cell and landlines, and can be considered accurate to within plus or minus 3.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
CUPE is Ontario’s community union, with more than 260,000 members providing quality public services we all rely on, in every part of the province, every day. CUPE Ontario members are proud to work in social services, health care, municipalities, school boards, universities and airlines.
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For more information contact: Sarah Jordison, CUPE Communications, 416-578-5638
