A great many people in the electric power industry knew and respected Al Barnstaple. The news of his passing on June 12 caused more than a few to pause and reflect on his remarkable character, the contribution he made to the industry, and on what he left behind.
For APPrO, his contributions were unmistakable. He was the point man at Ontario Hydro when the independent power business went from concept to commercial reality in the late 1980s and early 1990s. He later served as President of APPrO (then known as IPPSO), handling many delicate and sometimes determinative questions during the crucial period when Ontario’s market design process was underway. And in later years, he worked for a number of Non-Utility Generators directly. Through all of it, Al was universally regarded as a source of wise counsel, extremely honest, and a man who always treated others with respect.
One of Al’s most remarkable accomplishments was helping to bring Ontario Hydro to the realization that it could operate successfully in an open market – that the electricity sector had room enough for both large incumbents like itself and other sizable generators. The willingness to embrace competition when it came to Ontario was in no small part thanks to Al Barnstaple. Given that Ontario Hydro was at the time the largest company in Canada, the transition from the monopolist mindset was slow and difficult. But Al managed to make the case for Non-Utility Generators on terms that were both beneficial for the company he served, and attractive to the new entrants he helped to bring to the sector.
In 2000 he was publicly honoured by APPrO with the Hedley Palmer Award, the organization’s annual recognition of a particularly deserving individual in the power business.
Al’s wife Carolin organized a "Celebration of Life" service for Al on June 22 in a small church near Kolapore, Ontario. Many of his friends and associates took part, a tribute in itself to the wide regard in which he was held.
Tom Brett, a long-time APPrO director and an energy lawyer with Fogler Rubinoff in Toronto, was President of IPPSO in 1995 when Al retired from Ontario Hydro. Brett explained why, when he was President of APPrO, he convinced Al to run for the APPrO Board, and later, to take on the IPPSO presidency: “He was delightful to work with – highly intelligent, loads of integrity and a mischievous sense of humour.”
Duane Cramer, known by many as the patient, repeatedly obstructed, but ultimately successful driving force behind Sithe’s Goreway project, knew Al well: “Al was my introduction to the Ontario power sector, as he worked with Sithe as a consultant for several years. Many may not realize that it was Al who, together with Ed Quinlan, also retired from Hydro and passed away, who conceived of the premise and locations for Goreway Station and Southdown in 1998. Al found the properties, established the initial relationships with the respective municipalities and with key people in the provincial government. He worked with me throughout the approvals phase. Without him, the projects would certainly never have gotten off the ground. He was a great guy, always quick with a quip accompanied by a twinkle in his eye, and the eternal optimist.”
“Al was a strong voice and positive influence in the NUG Division at Ontario Hydro as it built itself into the supportive organization for independent power from 1988 to 1994,” said Paul Vyrostko, who was Director of the NUG Division during that period. “He was someone I could always rely on to provide informative and constructive feedback on our approach to the industry to ensure that the industry’s views were known and represented.”
Bill Tong, a long-time colleague and friend who worked with Al in the NUG Division, noted that "In the early years, he was instrumental in getting the forest Industry to build cogeneration plants. Without him, Great Lake Forest Products in Dryden and Boise Cascade in Fort Frances would probably not have built their cogeneration plants."
Rob McLeese, the APPrO director who took over as President when Al completed his term, had this to say: “Al was a huge IPP supporter in so many ways right from the outset of the NUG program, and was a great advocate as IPPSO President and later. ” APPrO Executive Director Jake Brooks notes that “such accolades were typical of the kind of wishes that started flowing in when people first learned of Al’s passing.”
Brooks, who served directly under Al during his years as IPPSO President, remembers Al as particularly considerate and enjoyable to be around: “Our staff loved working with Al. He treated everyone with respect and everyone liked him. Whenever we had a complicated issue to deal with, it always seemed like Al was ready to share with us the kind of deep thought you would only expect to have after a long walk in the woods with a trusted friend. He was always considerate of those he dealt with, and thoughtful in the advice he provided to APPrO.”
Another APPrO Director, Colin Coolican of Regional Power, says “I had a lot of time for Al. … He was clearly a guy who delivered for developers during the early days of the NUG program. He was a strong supporter because he believed Ontario Hydro was too big to take on smaller projects efficiently.” Noting that “Ours were amongst the earliest NUG contracts,” Coolican says, “We always thought those projects wouldn’t have happened without Al. He was a tremendous guy. Very honest and always said what he thought.”
Al Barnstaple leaves behind his wife Carolin, and their two daughters, Annika and Katie. They have much to be proud of in thinking back on his remarkable and gentlemanly life.