FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 2002-09-10

Canada to host the International Electrotechnical Commission in 2003

OTTAWA - The Standards Council of Canada (SCC) is pleased to announce that the 67th Annual General Meeting of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) will be held from October 12 - 18, 2003 in Montreal, Quebec.

On behalf of the Canadian National Committee, the event will be hosted by the SCC and sponsored by Hydro Quebec. The meeting will bring to Canada delegates from the IEC's 55 member countries to engage in strategic exchanges and technical discussions on IEC standardization activities.

"Canada plays an important role in the IEC, in particular, as a "bridge" or trading link between countries," said SCC's Executive Director, Peter Clark. "We are honored to have this opportunity to facilitate international discussion and welcome the chance to showcase Canada's significant business talent in the energy sector."

"We believe that standards play an increasingly important role in improving operations in the marketplace and promoting growth and trade," said Jacques Régis, president of Hydro-Québec TransÉnergie, the transmission division of Hydro-Québec. "Sponsoring the IEC's Annual General Meeting in Canada helps in particular to strengthen Canada's global competitiveness in the North-American market."

The Standards Council of Canada is a Crown corporation with the mandate to promote efficient and effective standardization, and sponsors Canada's representative to the IEC. For more information on the Standards Council's programs visit www.scc.ca, or contact the Standards Council's Standards Governance Branch via e mail at [email protected].

Hydro-Québec (www.hydroquebec.com) created in 1944 by the Québec government, its only shareholder, supplies electricity to over 3.5 million Québec customers. The company also does business with dozens of power companies in northeastern North America and participates in energy-related infrastructure projects on several continents. With assets of nearly $60 billion, annual sales of $12.5 billion and a work force of 21,224, Hydro-Québec ranks among the leaders of the energy industry.

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