{{short description, Former municipal commission in Brantford, Ontario, Canada
The Brantford Public Utilities Commission was the municipal
public utilities commission
In the United States, it is a governing body of a utility. In Canada, it is a utility, not a regulatory body.
Canada
In Canada, a public utilities commission (PUC) is a public utility owned and operated by a municipal or local government under t ...
for
Brantford
Brantford (Canada 2021 Census, 2021 population: 104,688) is a city in Ontario, Canada, founded on the Grand River (Ontario), Grand River in Southwestern Ontario. It is surrounded by County of Brant, Brant County, but is politically separate with ...
,
Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
, Canada. Once a powerful body in the city, it was dismantled in 1996 and eliminated entirely in 2001.
The commission oversaw hydro and water services, and after 1935 it also looked after the city's public transportation system. It was overseen for many years by a team of elected commissioners, who represented different wards in the city.
The
Brantford City Council
The Brantford City Council is the governing body of Brantford, Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politica ...
passed a by-law in 1996 that dismembered the commission. After heated discussions and a series of lawsuits, the city took over water and transit services directly and set up the Brantford Hydro-Electric Commission to oversee hydro services.
City council shut down the latter commission in 2001, two years after the provincial government of
Mike Harris
Michael Deane Harris (born January 23, 1945) is a Canadian retired politician who served as the 22nd premier of Ontario from 1995 to 2002 and leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario (PC Party) from 1990 to 2002. During his time ...
changed the oversight of public utilities to encourage deregulation and privatization. Brantford originally planned to sell the service outright, but instead set up
Brantford Power
Brantford ( 2021 population: 104,688) is a city in Ontario, Canada, founded on the Grand River in Southwestern Ontario. It is surrounded by Brant County, but is politically separate with a municipal government of its own that is fully independ ...
and related corporations to run it. City councillor Richard Carpenter criticized this decision, saying that it could result in private-sector control and higher rates without proper oversight.Michael-Allan Marion, "Former PUC dies quiet death," ''Brantford Expositor'', 28 March 2001, A3.