fortis bc review: Denied Service in Winter 4

My Husband and I moved to Chetwynd, BC in September 2011. Which is about an hour and a half before Fort St John. Winters can get very cold up here. Sometimes with temperatures as low as -40 degrees Celsius. So in October when it started getting colder we called to have our gas turned on. To our surprise they tell my husband that he has an outstanding bill of $309.47 from TWELVE years ago! They claim it went to collections yet there's absolutely no record of it. They told us they won't hook it up till its paid. And they want a security deposit on top of it! Here we are coming into winter, its getting cold, we've just moved so don't have a lot of extra money, and this gas company is denying us service because of a 12 year old debt that they have no proof he owes. I asked for an original invoice which they were unable to provide. Obviously being 12 years old, well past the statute of limitations. They wouldn't even let me put it in my name even though I have no debt with them! So I said "If you have no proof, you're not getting any money from us, you can wave the $309.47 and we'll pay the security deposit and you can make money off us every month, or we will buy electric heaters and BC Hydro can have our money." So when the heartless robot on the phone said again it has to be paid, I said fine, BC Hydro is going to enjoy our service with them. Shame on you Fortis BC! Denying people basic necessities like heat in the winter should be against the law!