Atlantic Canada's Top Employers (2026) Magazine - Magazine - Page 30
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ATLANTIC CANADA’S TOP EMPLOYERS (2026)
Employees spark innovation at Newfoundland Power
D
avid Mills started out
at Newfoundland
Power as an
apprentice.
He became a
journeyperson powerline
technician in 2007 and, in 19 years,
he’s never looked back. Working
with a group of highly-skilled
individuals, he learned his role
and responsibilities. Now, with
growing demand for electricity
and new employees joining the
company, he takes part in training
the newer recruits.
“It’s such a satisfying job to be
part of the team that pulls up
and gets the power back on,” says
Mills, powerline technician/lead
hand. “People are so grateful.
Everyone is relying on us.”
For 140 years, we’ve been
a company built by the
strength of our people.
Our employees achieve
results that drive the
organization forward.
— Paige London
Vice-President, Finance,
and Chief Financial Officer
Headquartered in St. John’s,
the company operates an
integrated electricity generation,
transmission and distribution
system for 278,000 customers
throughout the island portion of
Newfoundland and Labrador.
“It’s not easy providing power
in some of the most challenging
weather conditions in the
country,” says Paige London,
David Mills, powerline technician/lead hand, at Newfoundland Power.
vice-president, finance, and chief
financial officer. “Our employees
step up and get the job done,
which allows us to deliver the best
reliability in Atlantic Canada.”
London credits the small things
the company does every day that
create a culture of commitment
and teamwork. There is a
Champions Network focused
on inclusion and a respectful
workplace. Members are spread
out from St. John’s across the
island portion of the province
to Channel-Port aux Basques, in
roles from engineers to frontline field staff, customer service
agents and supervisors. “They
all bring different perspectives to
leading initiatives and planning
recognition celebrations,” says
London.
The Champions Network
escalates ideas to senior
management and has initiated
gender diverse washrooms and
sensory space environments.
Sub-groups meet as needed and
provide a receptive space to share.
The company also supports an
innovation program called SHIFT
in which groups of employees
come together to find solutions to
company challenges. One group
came up with Powersafe, a new
app developed to enhance safety,
especially for field crews who
venture out where there’s no cell
reception. An emergency button
sends a call to the control centre
where they receive the caller’s
exact location with just one click.
Mills joined a SHIFT group,
giving him the chance to work
with employees he normally
wouldn’t get to meet and present
to senior leaders of the company.
The group made a successful
pitch on enhancements to
communication and customer
service in a half-hour presentation
— it was the catalyst that pushed
him out of his comfort zone and
inspired him to share his personal
journey with the hope of helping
others.
“After the SHIFT presentation,
someone asked if I’d thought
about motivational speaking,” says
Mills.
Before Mills joined the SHIFT
innovation group, he had gone
through a period of anxiety and
depression. He got through it
with support from the company,
friends and medical professionals.
“I found working with the group
changed my life,” says Mills. “I
met great people, learned about
