Hitachi announces $479M plan to build transformer insulation factory in London, Ont. - BNN Bloomberg

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Hitachi Energy and the federal and Ontario governments have announced a $479-million plan to build a new transformer insulation factory to help meet skyrocketing demand from data centres, green energy and industrial development. “All those investments are creating more demand for components, and transformers are a major element in the customer energy chain,” Bruno Melles, chief executive of Hitachi’s transformers business unit, said in an interview ahead of Friday’s announcement in London, Ont. “Because in every place where there is power generation and in every place where there is a connection, there is a transformer.”The 21,000-square-metre facility would be the first in Canada to produce pressboard — a material made from paper pulp that’s key to keeping transformers cool — and the first Hitachi would establish in the Americas. Currently in Canada that material sourced from Europe, Melles said. Story continues below advertisement

AtlanticNova ScotiaNew BrunswickPrince Edward Island Newfoundland and LabradorCalgaryLethbridgeKitchenerGuelphNorthern OntarioSudburyNorth BaySault Ste. MarieTimminsOttawaKingstonBrockvillePembrokeReginaYorktonSaskatoonPrince AlbertTorontoWatchWeatherPeelHamiltonDurhamYorkHaltonNiagaraQueen's ParkToronto City HallIn PicturesVancouverVancouver IslandCanadaLocal SpotlightRoyal FamilyPoliticsNanosPower PlayQuestion PeriodFederal Election 2025WorldMideast ConflictRussia-Ukraine WarWatchLatestCaptured on CameraPoliticsLifestyleConsumerHealthExplainedEntertainmentTechnologyDeception DecodedAutosEnvironmentBusinessInflationReal EstateAutos

As Canada continues to slug it out with the U. S. on a trade and tariff dispute and more economic fallout looms, London just took a ringside seat. Hitachi Energy, a subsidiary of the Japanese industrial giant, will build a $479-million manufacturing plant in London to make parts to build transformers and feed the national electrical grid.

The Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador has certified a class action on behalf of passengers on board Air Canada Flight AC 2259 which landed hard at Halifax in December of 2025 after the plane’s landing gear collapsed. The flight had taken off from St. John’s International earlier that evening, and officials at YYT later confirmed that debris was found on one of its runways after the flight took off. They wouldn’t say at the time whether the discovery was related to the incident at Halifax. The class action names Air Canada, Provincial Aerospace Ltd, St. John’s International Airport Authority and the Halifax International Airport Authority, all of whom have consented to certification. Stephen Barnes of Bob Buckingham Law says they want to understand what went wrong that night and make sure that passengers have an opportunity to be fairly compensated for what they went through. The case will examine whether the defendants met their responsibilities for aircraft safety, runway safety and emergency response, and whether any failures caused injury or loss to passengers.