A group of eastern Ontario residents who walked more than 100 kilometres to protest the Alto high-speed rail project arrived in Ottawa on Thursday to present petitions to Canada’s heads of government and state. The group of protesters began their five-day “Long Walk to be Heard” in East Hawkesbury, aiming to draw attention to concerns with the project. The Alto high-speed rail line is proposed to run between Toronto and Quebec City, with stops in Peterborough, Ottawa, Montreal, Laval, and Trois-Rivieres. Earlier this week, members of the group told CTV News they held concerns with the project’s potential economic, environmental and agricultural impacts. Along their route, the demonstrators have been collecting signatures on a petition which will be delivered to Prime Minister Mark Carney, the Minister of Transport Steven MacKinnon and Minister of Agriculture Heath MacDonald. “Our farms, homes and communities are not empty corridors. They are our livelihoods, our heritage and our future,” the organizers said in a news release. “The people and communities affected by Alto seek to fully comprehend project impacts before any land is acquired. We deserve answers to the questions we have been asking since the beginning of the year.” To complete the final leg of the walk, Kathleen O’Connell Renaud, a councillor for East Hawkesbury, and Kristin Muller, a director with the protest group AltNo, will walk from Tremblay Station to Rideau Hall. At Rideau Hall, the pair will deliver a second “symbolic petition” addressed to King Charles III and Governor General Louise Arbour. The group says the petition is not a request for the King to override Canada’s parliamentary processes but is instead “a symbolic appeal for recognition of the concerns of Canadians who feel their voices have not been adequately heard.” “The petition calls for the voices of affected communities to be heard and acknowledged through meaningful public consultation and transparent parliamentary discussion,” the group wrote. “It also raises concerns about the project’s potential long-term financial burden on Canadians.” Earlier this week, Alto told CTV News that consultations for the project began early and are ongoing. “This dialogue is ongoing, and communities will continue to have opportunities to provide input as the project progresses,” Alto said in a statement. Construction on the Ottawa to Montreal section of the line is set to start in 2029 and is expected to take eight years to complete.
