Does anyone know where I can find a Canadian version of SEC---10Q's?

-- Anonymous, November 10, 1998

Answers

Hi, Lisa. Good question. The nearest Canadian equivalent to 10Q statements is called the OSC (Ontario Securities Commission) Year 2000 Disclosure Statement. This has to be filed with the OSC by every company listed on a Canadian stock exchange. The OSC has promised to publish these statements on its website (www.osc.gov.on.ca/en/Y2K/year2000.html), but don't say when this will begin. All you can do is visit the site periodically until the statements start appearing. However, this is a case of "Catch 22". Most electric utilities in Canada are not stock corporations. They are provincial government corporations, and therefore not subject to the same disclosure requirements. The only exceptions are in Alberta, where electric utilities have recently been "privatized". So, the biggest power companies in Canada will not be filing disclosure statements with the OSC. This includes BC Hydro, Ontario Hydro and Quebec Hydro. The only recourse available in these cases is to visit each utility's website and see what they say about their year 2000 compliance plans. A good set of links to these provincial utility websites can be found at www.energyadvantage.com/elinkcan.htm As you might expect, all the information on these sites so far is quite vague. Again, we can only hope that as 2000 draws closer and public awareness increases, these provincial corporations will be pressured into disclosing more details. The fact that the Canadian armed forces and the RCMP are making contingency plans for widespread social upheaval at the century rollover suggests they know something we don't. Keep some candles handy. Roger

-- Anonymous, November 10, 1998

Thanks Roger. Excellent Canadian energy site.Anyone interested in getting a realistic picture of power outages in 2000 check out the Alberta Hydro site ( Nb see Roger above)Alberta is currently suffering the pains of deregulation. Recent blackouts have caused a run on generators. This weekend a major retailer in Manitoba ran out of low end generators trying to meet the needs of Albertans. Manitoba Hydro says that we will not lose power because it isn't an option to lose heat in a region where temperatures range from -25 to -40 degrees. I beleive that Manitoba Hydro is doing everything it can to ensure that we have power at the turn of the century and I am optomistic that they will maintain a high quality of service. However, i did buy a generator (roughly the same price as the deductable on my house insurance) because...it isn't an option to have no heat!I did this for the same reason that I had a sump pump installed in my basement. Under normal conditions, the city did a fairly good job of keeping the water out. However, the Red River Flood taught us a few things about the limitations of systems under stress.

-- Anonymous, November 12, 1998