Robert W. GehlMar 21

Canadiana question: is "hydro" a blanket term for "electricity"?

I just read a Globe and Mail story that referred to windmills -- the things that are spun by the wind -- as "hydro windmills."

I can imagine how all this started but I gotta say it's really confusing seeing a term that literally means "water" being used for things that are not water. Would a Canadian say "hydro coal"?

#Canada #askACanadian

Show threadPaul Turnbull has moved.🇨🇦
@rwg I think it's very regional. I know Ontario and BC will talk about Hydro as that's the name of their primary power companies. In Alberta we just talk about the power bill rather than the Hydro bill.
Mar 21 at 4:13pmWeb
Show threadValue SubtractedMar 21
@Chigaze @rwg Manitoba, as well - the sole power company is Manitoba Hydro. The vast majority of what they produce is actual hydroelectricity, but they also maintain a thermal station, a handful of gas-burning stations, and windmills.
Show threadEdwin G. Mar 21

@Chigaze @rwg This also true for Québec… our electricity monopoly is called “Hydro-Québec”, or Hydro as a shorthand.

And we do have Hydro windmills, as in windmills owned by Hydro-Québec.

Fun fact: Canada did have an actual hydro “windmill”, or tidal generating station in Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annapolis_Royal_Generating_Station?wprov=sfti1

Annapolis Royal Generating Station - Wikipedia