Federal Transport Minister Steve MacKinnon says the Alto high-speed rail line will “redefine travel” between Canada’s biggest cities, as 11 eastern Ontario Progressive Conservative MPPs raise concerns that “too many questions remain unanswered” about the project. Alto is studying a high-speed rail line connecting Toronto and Quebec City, with stops in Peterborough, Ottawa, Montreal, Laval, and Trois-Rivieres. The Crown corporation is also looking at adding a stop in Kingston following the first round of public consultations that identified the city as a priority for respondents. A group of eastern Ontario MPPs released a statement Tuesday night, calling on the federal government to ensure any potential high-speed rail line “minimizes impacts on farmland and is supported by the people affected.” “Investments that strengthen Ontario’s economy, improve transportation, and create jobs need to reflect the priorities and needs of rural communities, farmers, families, and local businesses,” said the statement. “Public confidence in major infrastructure projects depends on meaningful consultation. In the case of Alto, too many questions remain unanswered. Too many voices have been ignored.” The statement is signed by Minister of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security Nolan Quinn, Labour Minister David Piccini, and eastern Ontario MPPs Steve Clark, John Jordan, Tyler Allsopp, George Darouze, Billy Denault, Laurie Scott, Stephane Sarrazin, Ric Bresee and Dave Smith. “If Alto is to proceed, local voices impacted by this project deserve to see their feedback reflected in the project’s planning, route selection and delivery,” the statement said. “The federal government must ensure that any potential future rail project minimizes impacts on farmland and is supported by the people affected. We will continue to stand with our municipalities, farmers, landowners, and residents.” A spokesperson for Alto told CTV News Ottawa on Wednesday that the Crown corporation is “actively engaged” with all levels of government, municipalities, landowners and stakeholders across the proposed corridor. “Across Eastern Ontario, Alto has conducted numerous briefings with provincial and municipal elected officials, technical meetings with municipalities, and ongoing engagement with communities, landowners and stakeholders,” the Alto spokesperson said. “We remain committed to listening to local concerns, and feedback received through these discussions continues to inform project planning and development.” The statement by the MPPs was released the same day a source told CTV News the Ontario government is rethinking its support of the Alto high-speed rail project following the federal government ruling out a plan to expand Billy Bishop Airport in Toronto. Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria told reporters on Tuesday he was “disappointed” the federal government scrapped the airport expansion. “We have seen the federal government listen to a small fringe group in Toronto,” he said. “We, as the province, will continue to push forward on a modernization of this airport because it is the right thing to do.” Speaking to reporters in Montreal on Wednesday, MacKinnon said Alto will “redefine travel among and in between our biggest cities.” “A vast majority of residents in eastern Ontario would be literally minutes away from the rail network broadly or an Alto station,” MacKinnon said. “This is a project that Canadians dream of.” MacKinnon said the federal government hopes to have support for the Alto project from the Ontario and Quebec governments. Concerns from farmers Farmers, residents and politicians have raised concerns about Alto’s plan to build high-speed rail between Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Quebec City. Caroline Etter’s family owns several farms in and around Navan. Their land is at risk of being expropriated to make way for the project, and Etter says she believes “the whole project seems rushed and disorganized.” “Not knowing if you’re going to get expropriated within a few months or a year or two is extremely stressful. It’s driving some of the farmers to rethink their future,” she said. “My parents invested their whole lives in these properties. They want to leave a legacy for their children, myself, my brothers, grandchildren, they have seven grandchildren.” Etter says, while she was encouraged to see MPPs from around eastern Ontario raise concerns with Alto’s plans, she says they spoke out months ago. “It’s a bit late for for them to be involved in this. I mean, it’s still positive that they are getting involved,” she said. “They are put there by constituents, and they are supposed to be representing their constituents. I would have liked to see my provincial MPP get more involved.” The United Counties of Prescott-Russell council passed a resolution last month to refuse to grant Alto access to county land for the studies and decline to sign a non-disclosure agreement with Alto. Alto is conducting drone land surveys in Ottawa’s east end this week as part of the study for the high-speed rail corridor. Councillors said Alto is working with Cadence to conduct drone surveys over fields in the areas of Eastway Gardens, Mer Bleue Bog, near Russell Road, Ramsayville Road, and near Highway 417. With files from CTV News Toronto’s Siobhan Morris and CTV News Ottawa’s Austin Lee
