Ottawa Construction News staff writer
The Eastern Ontario Wardens’ Caucus is calling for greater transparency and a formal municipal role in planning for the proposed ALTO high-speed rail project, as opposition to the massive rail line grows in rural communities.
Representing 103 municipalities, the group passed a resolution this week calling on ALTO and the federal government to avoid discussions affecting municipalities during the current municipal election period.
They say municipalities should have a meaningful opportunity to participate in decisions that could affect their communities.
The EOWC is also calling for a Municipal Advisory Table involving affected municipalities, First Nations, legal experts, the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and ALTO.
The proposed table would address municipal concerns throughout the planning, land acquisition, construction and operation of the project, and the EOWC says discussions related to ALTO should be deferred until after the Oct. 26 municipal election.
The proposed high-speed rail network would connect Toronto and Quebec City over roughly 1,000 kilometres, with planned stops in Toronto, Peterborough, Ottawa, Laval, Montreal, Trois-Rivières and Quebec City.
The federal government has also directed ALTO to study a southern route option between Peterborough and Ottawa that could include a stop in Kingston.
Trains would travel at speeds of up to about 300 km/h or more on dedicated tracks. ALTO says the project could cut travel times between major cities roughly in half.
Current estimates put the cost between $60 billion and $90 billion.
The federal government has committed $3.9 billion for the development and pre-construction phase of the project.
ALTO’s first major public consultation ran from January to April and included 26 in-person open houses, 10 virtual sessions and 31 stakeholder roundtables. More than 10,000 people participated, while ALTO received nearly 45,000 comments through online questionnaires and its interactive map.
ALTO has said the feedback will be used to refine the project and that a more precise route will be developed as technical and environmental studies continue.
That uncertainty has become a major source of concern for rural residents and municipalities.
Some landowners and rural groups in Eastern Ontario have strongly opposed the project, particularly potential routes through agricultural land and rural properties.
In South Frontenac, residents and rural organizations have raised concerns that a southern route could divide farms and properties, affect the Cataraqui Trail and damage environmentally sensitive areas.
Similar concerns have been raised in the City of Kawartha Lakes, where council unanimously supported a memorandum opposing the project in its current form. Agricultural groups there have cited concerns about productive farmland, possible expropriation, severed agricultural properties, fencing and the closure of rural roads.
A May town hall in Casselman also drew strong opposition, with residents raising concerns about property expropriation, the cost of the project and whether the rail line would be viable over the long term.
The opposition is not limited to individual landowners. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has called ALTO a “$90-billion monstrosity” and said a future Conservative government would cancel the project. He has argued that taxpayers would carry the cost while raising concerns about expropriation and whether the project would attract enough passengers to justify the investment.
Federal officials have defended the project, saying it would create jobs, improve connections between major cities and provide a lower-emissions alternative to driving and flying.
There is, however, a divide among municipalities.
Peterborough has strongly supported having a station and sees the project as an economic opportunity. Mayor Jeff Leal criticized Poilievre’s call to cancel ALTO, describing the project as a generational opportunity for the region.
But the EOWC has taken a more cautious position, formally opposing ALTO “in its current form” while calling for greater municipal involvement and consultation.
The debate has intensified following the federal government’s decision to study a southern route that could bring the line closer to Kingston. Some landowners say the potential corridor could run directly through their properties, while Kingston officials and businesses have welcomed the possibility of a station.
Eastern Ontario officials want a formal seat at the table.
The caucus says major nation-building projects should include municipal interests throughout the process, rather than relying solely on consultation after major decisions have already been made.
For municipalities along the potential route, the stakes extend beyond the eventual location of stations. The project could involve land acquisition, new rail infrastructure, construction activity, road changes and long-term impacts on farmland and rural communities.
The EOWC says those issues need to be addressed with municipalities before the project moves further ahead.
