Eastern Ontario community will not grant Alto access to land for high-speed rail study

The Alto high-speed train would travel at 300km/h and go from Toronto to Montreal in three hours – just over half the time it takes to drive. (Alto)

The proposed high-speed rail line between Ottawa and Montreal is facing a roadblock east of Ottawa, as an eastern Ontario community refused to grant the Crown corporation access to municipal land to study the Alto line.

Alto is tasked with building high-speed rail connecting Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Quebec City, with the first phase built between Ottawa and Montreal. Alto has begun conducting environmental assessments on private properties for the proposed rail line, requesting permission from property owners to collect environmental data for the proposed route.

However, the United Counties of Prescott-Russell council passed a resolution last week to refuse to grant Alto access to county land for the studies and declining to sign a non-disclosure agreement with Alto.

“Major infrastructure projects must be transparent, accountable and respectful of local communities from day one,” said Mario Zanth, mayor of Clarence-Rockland and the warden for the United Counties of Prescott-Russell.

“Our residents deserve to know exactly what is being proposed; how it’s going to affect farmland, property owners, local roads, the environment and taxpayers before decisions are made behind closed doors – mainly expropriations.”

• ‘We would destroy the neighbourhood’: Alto CEO rules out downtown Ottawa stop

The vote by the United Counties of Prescott-Russell council comes after the Township of Champlain, the Nation Municipality, the Municipality of Casselman and the Township of Alfred and Plantagenet all passed resolutions to oppose the Alto plan.

In a video on Facebook, Zanth said a non-disclosure agreement would have “limited open discussion with the public.”

Alto has faced opposition from rural property owners and politicians at all three levels of government. In April, 12 mayors and reeves across eastern Ontario signed a letter to oppose the Alto project.

Zanth says while economic development and transportation are important, “protecting our communities and rural character and the right of residents to be informed matters as well.”

“This was not a vote against progress, it was a vote for transparency, it was a vote for local autonomy and responsible decision-making,” Zanth said in a video on Facebook.

“The message yesterday was simple, if you want to work with our communities, you must do so openly and respectfully. Nation building should not be community dividing.”

In February, the United Counties of Prescott and Russell voted to create a steering committee to develop the region’s position and strategy for the Alto high-speed rail line.

Alto wrapped up public consultations this spring on the first phase of the project between Ottawa and Montreal. A report is expected to be released this summer on the findings and the next steps.

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